When life gives you lemons...

It seems I've been making bucket-fulls of lemonade lately. Frankly, sometimes what life has been handing me seems a bit worse than lemons. So...my sister and nephew and I started coming up with "When life gives you poop" sayings. My quick-witted nephew came up with, "When life gives you poop, make pottery!" Disgusting? Yes. But, oh it makes me laugh! And well, I came up with something equally as gross, but in a different way, "When life gives you poop, make frozen hot chocolate!" Truth is, I recently found this yummy recipe for this cool tasty treat (no poop needed) and I made myself some this morning in the midst of a very difficult 24 hours. Here's some other ways I've been learning, albeit somewhat slowly, to make lemonade or frozen hot chocolate, if you will. And believe me, you will! (Linda, that was just for you!)

When life started giving me too many trips to the med center for clinic visits and fun things like ekgs, bubble tests, stress tests, echocardiograms, pulmonary function tests, CT scans, blood work, etc. I started going to The Chocolate Bar or to get a Crave cupcake (better than Sprinkles) afterwards. And even better, I had coffee and lunches and retail therapy with incredible friends/chauffeurs/moral support/scribes. :)

When life gave me a day at the hospital for a right heart cath, I brought my mama for a 10 day visit from New Jersey! Yea!

When life gave me pulmonary arterial hypertension: a life-threatening and non-curable (by man) yet treatable (in often life-alterable and painful and emotionally difficult ways I'm discovering), I became a magazine, book, and Redbox junkie to keep me from freaking out when I'm trying to go to sleep. Okay, so this one is not quite to the lemonade stage.

When life gave me an angiogram and implanted IVC filter, I tried to enjoy a day out of the office and quality time with my sister and my blue cuddly blanket that says Methodist Hospital.

When life gave me oxygen tanks and a "nose hose" when I'm walking around the neighborhood, I made several calls to the Dr's office to get smaller tanks and a trip to pick out an overpriced but extremely cute Vera Bradley backpack to carry Roxy around in. Side note: Roxy is my very cute and stylish petite oxygen tank who is very much unlike Oxy Moron who is the very awkward and heavy oxygen tank on that awful metal cart.

When life gave me 5 days of twice daily injections in my stomach, I went to the Boedekers after Saturday night worship for my first injection and dinner and football and conversation and mama and papa bear hugs.

And when life gave me Coumadin...hmmm, any ideas? I am leaving for a FABULOUS VACATION tomorrow with a fabulous friend, but what about after that?

Okay, so truth is that my Jehovah covenant-keeping God is giving me just a sip of lemonade at just the right moments to keep me from totally drowning in all this junk, and I'm not making much of the lemonade at all. And I have to believe in some mysterious way that God is moved to respond on my behalf because of many of you who are fighting in intercession for me. Even though I don't always feel it, I know your prayers are working and that God is indeed with me. And He must, because his Word promises, be working good for me and glory for Himself out of this. One day I'll be able to see. As much as I love to savor the sour sweetness of a Chick-fil-A lemonade, I'd love to see his glory made known all the more!

Now, don't be thinking me more spiritual than I am just because I said that. Truth is, I was curled up on the floor shut up in my sister's closet earlier today. My faith is minuscule. I am too prone to pity parties and self-absorption. I am not rejoicing in my suffering. BUT, only by His grace I am choosing to believe right now in this moment that my God does keep his promises. Choosing to believe that this present suffering will pale in comparison to his glory to be revealed. Choosing to believe that like Jesus, for the joy set before me I can endure this cross - these moments that feel like deaths to me. Choosing to believe that the same power that raised Christ Jesus from the dead lives in me. Choosing to believe that the Holy Spirit of Promise, my Advocate alongside me and the very seal that I belong to God forever is near, within, surrounding me through every doctor visit, every procedure, every phone call with painful news, every stomach injection, every walk with oxygen, every moment of fear, panic, anger and sorrow. My Father, my Jesus, my Comforter is near. My soul, wait thou only upon God, for my expectation (my HOPE) is from Him. Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief.

Novemberlicious

While I'm not nearly as ambitious as my friend Kasey who's determined to blog every single day in November, I decided I'd try for at least one post this month! For some reason, it's like I've jarred my brain in such a way by trying to post that alas, I cannot think of even one thing to say...well, at least not at least one thing that has any smidgen of significance. So yep, I'm resorting to the picture post with a few pics from my trip to Israel in July...so I'm a just a little late!

Craziness - The youth staff at Tell Dan, our very first day of touring in Israel...not sure, but I'm guessing Jerome just said something about not wanting to take his picture with me or something!

Here's Shirley (one of my favorite people) and I on a boat out on the Sea of Galilee.

Okay, so I feel like this is kind of a nerdy picture of me, but I'm standing in the Sea of Galilee which is really super cool if you think about it!

This is my Jerusalem team (AKA "My Little Chickens") standing in front of the Eastern Gate of the old city wall around Jerusalem...One day Jesus is coming through there!!!

My favorite picture from the trip...Jerome explaining the site of the Temple Mount. Wow, what a journey it was to get to this point of bringing our students to be a blessing to Jerusalem.

Every Tribe & Tongue Night

Last night was so much fun! First of all, three foreign exchange students came with their friends - from China, Norway, and Germany - and they each read John 3:16 in their language. :) Throughout the night we watched a Botswanan gospel rap video, worshipped in English, heard prayer in Spanish, enjoyed Scripture read in German, Norwegian, Chinese, French, Hebrew, Spanish, Latin and Piglatin, saw Scripture in sign language, and I spoke a bit in Turkish! And on top of all that, I got to share the gospel. How fun is that?! What a beautiful night!

Please pray!

Tonight at Impact, our high school Bible study, we are having "Every Tribe & Tongue Night!" I would love, love, love it if all of you would pray for a few things:
1) Pray that our students would invite their friends, especially those that speak other languages and are from different cultures.
2) Pray that students would come who need to hear the gospel and that their hearts would be open to receive and respond to truth.
3) Pray that our students reading Scripture, our student led worship band, and me as I teach would all point people to Jesus!
4) Pray that students would respond to God in belief and in capturing his heart for all peoples to know Him!

Thanks so much!

I'm going to Israel!

In fact, I'm leaving in about an hour...leaving for the airport that is and then I'll be flying, along with a whole crew of high school students and adults to Tel Aviv, Israel! Yipppeee! I've been looking forward to this day for months and months and finally it's here. We will be touring the Holy Land for 4 days and then we will split up into 5 teams going to Haifa, Ashdod, Nazareth, Galilee, and Jerusalem and volunteering with different organizations doing tons of different things. My team will be in Jerusalem and we will be working with Shevet Achim, a ministry that loves of Kurdish children coming to Israel for life-saving heart surgeries, and also with the International Prayer Center. I absolutely cannot wait! I would love your prayers on our behalf and especially on behalf of the all of the different people we will meet - Jews, Palestinians, Kurds...and whoever else!

You can read our updates at www.tallohoodtoday.com and see prayer guides at www.worshipinaction.net. Thanks so much and I'll let you know how things go when I get back!

You should read this blog...and no, I don't mean mine!

My life is crazy getting ready for Camp, Senior Boat Trip, mini-mission to South Texas Children's Home and our high school trip to Israel and lots of stuff in between! I am trying to trust God's provision for daily manna and not completely panic. Honestly, most days I fail to trust and have been a been panicky when I look to tomorrow instead of living in the moment. Each day has enough trouble of it's own and God has been gracious each day. My goal and vision for the summer has been to merely survive. I know that's not God's best for me though! Just today, I purposed in my heart, if nothing else, to know Him better and to see Him bigger by the end of the summer. In all of my weakness, I have little doubt that He can reveal Himself to me in ways that I need. Yet another trail of life's journey that will lead me to deeper places of trust. I become less that He may become greater. Pray that I will keep this heart as I plow through the busyness and stress. Pray that I will rest in Him and continually seek his face in all things.

But alas, I really am posting because I just read this incredible story on a blog. It's really cool and I think you should check it out. Only takes a minute...LOVE146

Happy Mother's Day and Why I Love My Mama!

Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her: “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!”

Proverbs 31:28-29

I know that lots of Hallmark greeting cards say something like, "To the World's Best Mom," but here's the truth - and I don't say that word "truth" lightly - my mama is the world's best. I'm 35 years old and I've met and heard about a lot of other mothers. Mothers who win gold medals in the Olympics, mothers who are successful businesswomen, mothers who homeschool and sew all their children's clothes, mothers who are gourmet chefs, Martha Stewart mothers who keep an immaculate house, mothers who always look "together," mothers who have an amazing teaching ministry, mothers who travel the world, and sadly, I've heard of lots of mothers who don't really mother at all. But then, there's my mama. Nobody is better at mothering than she is. Really, nobody. She has three children who still adore her and don't have any "mother issues" as grown adults. :) Seriously, that's a rarity these days!

My mom is so good at mothering and nurturing and loving people that she loves on lots of other children, young people, and adults who need a little extra mothering. I couldn't begin to list all the people that call my mama, "Mom." All kinds of people. "Fixed" people and broken people. Big black men (my mom is smiling right now because she knows exactly who I'm talking about!) and petite white ladies. People who are making right choices and people making hurtful choices. Loveable and unlovable people. You see my mama is just good at loving. Not that it's easy for her to love so much, sometimes it's very hard and sometimes hurtful. Sometimes, we live up to her hopes for us and sometimes we don't. Sometimes she doesn't see the "payoff" of so much investing. But! She keeps loving anyway. And that makes her amazing.

Sometimes I wonder how my mom can love so much. I think it's because she's been loved by God so much. She knows the incredible difference that God's love made in her own life. And she wants other people to know that too. She continues to be the godliest woman I know. I also think she's good at loving because she had a mom and dad that loved her very much.

I also think she's good at loving because she had a mom and dad that loved her very much. So today, I'm thankful for them too because even though they died when I was really young, so much of who I am is because of who they were. If they hadn't loved my mama so, I'm pretty sure it would be harder for her to love me the way she does.

Here are just a few of the ways my mama loves me so well...

• On any given day, whether I was 5 years old or 35 years old, she will always give me the last bite of her cookie.
• When I go home to visit, she still comes into my room to say goodnight and “tuck me in.”
• She fights in prayer for me and my joy and purpose at times when I can’t fight for myself.
• When she had to face breast cancer, she was concerned about how the news would affect me.
• When I was a teenager she would take me bargain shopping at Foley’s Red Apple sales so that I could look cooler than we could actually afford. ;)
• She does little things to make me feel special like putting a miniature rose in a vase by my bed and pulling back my covers.
• She thinks everything I write is just wonderful.
• She saw what God could do through me when other people didn’t see it yet.
• She graciously supported me whenever I’ve gone on a mission trip or even when I moved to Turkey even though it was really difficult to let me go. She and my dad were even brave enough to travel for their very first time over the ocean to come visit me!
• When I was little and would get sick in the night and would walk to her bedroom, she would immediately wake up and say, “What’s the matter Baby?” as soon as my little foot stepped inside the room.
• No matter my age or stage in life, she still thinks I’m the neatest thing since sliced bread.
• She went back to work as a kindergarten teacher when I was in junior high so that she could pay for my sister and brother and I to get braces and go to college!
• Last year she flew to Houston just to be at my birthday party that my sister planned for me – my sister, Kate, is really good at nurturing and loving too!
• She drove Kate and I to hundreds and hundreds of dance classes growing up – not to mention coming to – and actually loving – all of our recitals. (I guess the greater miracle is that my sweet dad came to all of those recitals too!)
• She taught me about Jesus and of God’s great faithfulness…so many times I think of how she made us read our Bibles 10 minutes every day.

In a million teensy ways (many that I’ve never even seen) and lots of huge life-changing ways, my mama has loved me well and I’m so very grateful.

So, Mama, thank you. Thank you for loving me the way that you do. Thank you for so much willing sacrifice for me. Thank you for making me a mostly well-adjusted happy person! J I know God loves me because of you. I love God because of you. The way you mothered me, the way you love on so many people, matters. It makes a difference, an eternal difference. Thank you. I love you so very much.