Unwrapping My Gift(s)

Happy New Year, friends!

You won't believe it, but I'm going to tell you anyway!!

Tonight, I left "the boys" and came to Starbucks to write my first blog of 2011. So excited, friends! I see so many phenomenal things gearing up for 2011 in my life and in the lives of those around me. God is blessing and I am here to shout that from the mountain tops. He wants to bless. He is in the business of blessing! Amen?!

Anyway, back to my story. Getting a night away by myself is not easy. My hubby works long dedicated hours and I am a Type A Mom who loves to "enrich" our family calendar. As I planned this "First ME Night" of 2011, I had a lot of options! Would I go to the Clinque counter and try and find a new foundation AGAIN. A week before Christmas, my bottle of foundation and I found out that they discontinued the entire line of Dewy Smooth. Ouch. What about swimming a few laps at the new Aquatic Center; that is on the New Year's list. Wanna go read your first of 11 Christian biographies of 20-11, the bookstore is so relaxing?

Well, trust that I purposely left the book at home, do not have on make-up (seriously Rebecca!) and my laptop does not work underwater. I am sitting criss cross applesauce in one of the comfy coffee-colored chairs at the Starbucks and left my fav Chai Tea Latte in 2010 and tried a new drink. As I "plugged-in" to MY night, the group at a table right next to me was a little loud. But guess what they were chatting it up about? Did you guess BAREFOOT running?! I kid you not! Can you believe it?! SO COOL! I wanted to elbow my way into the conversation and say, "Scoot over just a bit...wanna hear a blog about it? I got pictures!" Instead (aren't you proud?), I smiled at the Lord and knew I made the right choice, was in the right place, and exhaled...no need to hold my breath. I was COMING UP FOR AIR! FRESH AIR!

There are so many great "New" blog posts out there right now. Not only timely, but spirit-filled. Have you checked out Cindy's , Julie's, or my young friend Amanda's? Gals, you got my wheels turning. What I am going to write about? What do I have to write about? How can I have a great "New" Year post? And, as always, when will I have time to write something?

See first off, there is a problem with all those questions. Too many "I's!" Did you notice? Because blogging isn't really about me or even just about being barefoot in your heart and life. For me and the others listed above, it is about Jesus! So, in recent days as I have turned my face toward Him and prayed about my blog (wanting to make all these blogging goals, blogging improvements, blogging changes, etc...did I mention that God created me as a Type A? A is for April?!), I made a few word changes instead. God, what would you have my blog do through Jesus? SEE! There are no"I's" in that! Cool, huh?

Writing does not come natural for me. HONEST! I remember my Concord College sweetheart, whom I now affectionately call "Hubcap" (my hubby), sitting with me downstairs in the Towers lounge editing my English papers well after visitation hours were over while I wiped away tons of tears. He was also the only one between us that had a word-processor. (Disclaimer: if you are new to my blog and reading and do not know what a "word-processor" is, I am sure you could tweet and ask someone or look it up using an app on your i-whatever. [LOL]) I would cry and ask over and over "No, I didn't know that those verbs were not in agreement. How do you?" The one I remember the most is "How is this so easy for you?" Now 18 years later, add that the whole wide world can see what I write, my flesh gets timid. But there is a fire in me (you know what I am talkin' 'bout Cindy!) and I have to!

So, I know decorations are put away (thanks, Hubcap) and countdowns are over, but I am still unwrapping my gifts...none of which were under the tree. Let me just shout a little bit from the mountain tops about my Father giving me so much this past holiday season.

Oh yeah, there was that gift of potential. Four days after Christmas, there was talk about getting to spend extra time with my 3 younger brothers this summer while their parents travel. I am in deep prayer that conversation will turn into invitation. But, even the gift of potential was from my Heavenly Father. Don't worry, a proper thank you note has been sent. [Wink!]

But wait, as the holiday season even started back in November and I was on my way to Knoxville, Tennessee, and my friend Elaine sent me a link. Wow! If you are a blogger, you have to read this. No kidding! I had not a chance to read it until I got here to Starbucks tonight...Shhh! Please don't tell Elaine. But, I think she will be ok with it because it was a gift in a gift (I love it when you unwrap one thing and another gift in wrapped inside...I am notorious for that!). The words on the screen were a gift of confirmation and affirmation from my Heavenly Father about blogging in 2011. See change of prayer above.

Then right before the official gift giving day came, God got some help from an elf named, Christine, a dear friend. A surprised package arrived, a gift of encouragement. Christine's words telling me to "keep on writing" literally made me cry about writing again...happy tears this time. (Sniff*Sniff)

Friends, I could go on and on, but I want to mention one more. The gift of remembrance came when I was with some family in West Virginia Christmas Eve eve. We were trying something new as we drove "over the mountain, and through the woods" to have dinner out together. On the way home as the sun sank behind those Almost Heaven hills, I saw a deer atop. The same people who saw deer that night were the same people in the car the morning we saw a lone fawn standing in the middle of the road looking right at us on the way to my mother-in-law's funeral. I will have to blog about that story soon because I want to write it. The significance? Besides missing her long calls with words about Jesus, books, and His plan for me, my mother-in-law was probably the biggest believer (even more than me) that she would one day read my name on a best-sellers list during one of her many, many trips (or stays, should I say) at Barnes and Noble. How do I know that? She told me! Deer was also the theme of last New Year's post. Sigh. Thank you, Father. Only you know, but what you know, is everything.

Do you see a theme? Words. Today, I got an e-mail from a new friend and besides saying that I should stop sending her e-mails that mover her to tears (in a good way...wink!) she said, you have such a "gift of words". Well, thank you "B" but no, not me, Jesus. :)

As good friends, you should be telling me that it is better to give than receive. Right? I mean look at this abundance. Father, I have unwrapped all my gifts and I see that they are ALL from YOU, every last one of them. Now, whatever gifting you have placed in me, help me unwrap it for you and give back in 2011. Amen.

Gonna slip my shoes back on and go get a re-fill friends, what about you?