How Much Love Inside a Friend? – Shel Silverstein
Posted: Monday, June 10, 2013 Filed under: 2k13 | Tags: 50th birthday, friends, garden party, Shel Silverstein, StrengthsFinder Comments Off on How Much Love Inside a Friend? – Shel SilversteinWhen you think about your friends, some are friends for life, others for a season and some for minute. Some know you super well. Others know you inside and out. And more that you are just getting to know. Friendships take 2 people. It can’t be one-sided friendships….well not for long anyway. I am blessed to have the best friends in the world. I know…we could ALL say that. But, really – I have the best! But, my friends come from different parts of my life, and they don’t necessarily know each other. When I took the StrengthsFinder 2.0 assessment a couple of years ago, connectedness was…and is…my number one strength. I love to connect thoughts and people together.
Invitation
So…for my 50th birthday…I wanted to get my girlfriends together…for an evening of relaxation, giggles, laughter, conversation and of course, good food. Louis recruited several of his guy friends to join him in prepping, cooking, and serving us dinner in an outdoor garden party. (Side note: THEY TOTALLY ROCKED IT! and worked sooo hard! Much thanks!)
Louis asked me what I wanted for my birthday. I wanted my gift to be a gift to these ladies. They have loved, supported, listened to me, cried with me, prayed with me, lent me an ear and a shoulder. They have giggled with me, laughed right out loud with me, introduced me to Louis, took me to Romania, shared their kids with me, been on road trips with me, worked with me, been my family, smacked me silly (when I needed it)…. I could go on and on.
There were some who couldn’t attend….and they were missed tremendously. In retrospect, there are some friends I regret not inviting, but I know they are my true friends…and will forgive me for my omissions.
How many slams in an old screen door? Depends how loud you shut it.
How many slices in a bread? Depends how thin you cut it.
How much good inside a day? Depends how good you live ’em.
How much love inside a friend? Depends how much you give ’em.
― Shel Silverstein
I am overflowing with love because of the love that has been given to me over the last 50 years. My friends have loved me well. Hopefully that night, some spilled out and filled your cup. To my friends…near and far, new and old, young and old… I love you. Looking forward to the decades to come! Thanks for making it a great night!
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Letter to My Friends
How I Know My Wife Married the “Wrong” Person
Posted: Saturday, June 8, 2013 Filed under: 2k13 | Tags: marriage, Mr. Right Comments Off on How I Know My Wife Married the “Wrong” PersonFROM MARTI:
Louis and I have been married a whopping 4.5 years. I had been single for 45 years before we married AND lived alone since college. The post above sums up some of my experiences while dating… looking for “Mr. Right”. After talking honestly and openly with some single girlfriends about how hard it is to be married….one friend asked, “Do you think you settled?” My response was “NO WAY!!! I might talk about how hard it is, but it’s gotta be MUCH harder for Louis to be married to me. I’m a mess!”
“Singles today (and most married couples too) are searching for super-spouses that simply don’t exist. People expect far too much from their spouse in all the wrong areas.”
AMEN! That’s an area I still work on…daily. God and Louis, forgive me. Louis may or may not be my ‘soul mate’, but he is the other half of my pair (Luke 10:1). I’d take that any day. Love you, Louis!
It’s Official ! ! !
Posted: Friday, June 7, 2013 Filed under: 2k13 | Tags: anonymous person, Atlanta, Epoch Awards, Nominee Comments Off on It’s Official ! ! !Thanks again to the anonymous person who nominated me! It’s officially on the website! I am still kinda speechless about this. If you want to hear more…check out this post… “You like me…right now, you LIKE me!” – Sally Fields and check out the Epoch Awards Website > here. Thanks again!
“You like me…right now, you LIKE me!” – Sally Fields
Posted: Tuesday, June 4, 2013 Filed under: 2k13 | Tags: Epoch Awards, missionary, Nominee, Sally Fields, You like me 5 Comments
WOW! I don’t even know what to say! Yesterday I received the attached email from Epoch Awards.
After spending a little time last night reviewing the website and other folks who have been nominated, I am SOOO encouraged! There are so many people doing so many great things in our country and around the world. It is so encouraging to see how God is moving in and through His people to bring his Kingdom on Earth as it is in Heaven. Go check out the list of nominees and the organizations’ websites here >> Epoch Award Nominees. At this writing, I’m not up there yet, but I guess it will be soon.
Louis and I try to focus on keeping the main thing the main thing. We do our best to love our community…our city…our neighbor as ourselves. We strive to love God with our heart, mind and strength. And it’s our mission to be about making disciples who make disciples. And we want to encourage others…we want to encourage YOU to do the same. For now, we do that as a way of life. It’s what we do. It’s the way we roll. I am grateful that someone out there sees that in us and has nominated me for the award. As far as what I think… I’m already a winner. I have won! Why? Because we are doing what God has called us to do..for now. However, God is now calling us into a new place. (No…we are not moving!!!) But, a new or might I say…an additional calling or a more formal calling. Stay tuned.
Thanks to Mr. or Mrs. Anonymous for the encouragement to keep doing what we do. I feel like Sally Fields in her Oscar acceptance speech for Best Actress in 1984’s Places in the Heart.
“You like me…right now, you LIKE me!”
But the greater news is.. God likes me. Actually…he really LOVES me, regardless of what I do…or don’t do. This work comes out of my love for Him, not because I have to win His love. Phew!
Memorial Day Festivities
Posted: Monday, June 3, 2013 Filed under: 2k12, 2k13 | Tags: community, cookout, food, Memorial Day, Southern Barton Heights 2 CommentsLouis and I love our annual Memorial Day Festivities!!! This shin-dig started years ago and has grown significantly since. We hung out with a lot of friends and neighbors..remembering and honoring the day. Louis and I provide the grilled chicken, drinks and birthday cake (because my birthday always falls around Memorial Day!)…and everyone else provided the rest….fruit, sides, veggies, salads, fried fish, corn cake, curried chicken, you name it! What a blessing!
Go ahead…mark your calendar for next year….Monday, May 26, 2014….4pm-8pm. I dare you!
Quick side note… My birthday won’t actually fall on Memorial Day until 2021…when I will turn 58. WOW! Now THAT is scary!
Curious to know…for those of you who came,
what was YOUR favorite part of the gathering and why?
Mine? I love connecting my friends to one another over a good plate of food, where everyone had a part in contributing to the meal.
Annual Memorial Day Cookout!
Posted: Tuesday, May 21, 2013 Filed under: 2k13 | Tags: community, cookout, Memorial Day, RVA, Southern Barton Heights Comments Off on Annual Memorial Day Cookout!Hope to see you at our Annual Memorial Day Cookout!!!
Wrestle Well
Posted: Monday, April 15, 2013 Filed under: 2k13 | Tags: brennan manning, donald miller, facebook, Genesis 32, jacob, wrestling with god Comments Off on Wrestle WellIt’s a funny thing. Not funny – ha ha. But, funny in a head-tilting kind of way. Some people like to make others think that everything is always ‘happy, happy, joy, joy’. Facebook is full of people painting pictures of their rewarding lives filled with awesome food, pictures of themselves in a mirror, caring and supporting husbands, the best children who get the gold star at school, the touchdown or home run, the best coloring award,etc., and all those relaxing, fun-filled vacations (which you will soon see from our upcoming trip to Florida!!!). I’ve even had FB friends delete comments that were challenging or went against this picture they were trying to paint for everyone at a distance.
When someone shares something somewhat challenging and real (in light of the fact that we live in a confusing, dark, sinful, sometimes frightening world) , many FB friends don’t know what to do with it. Yes…I know…my hope comes in the fact that I know and experience the love, grace and mercy of Jesus Christ every day. But, sometimes… I just don’t get it. When life slings things my way – disrespect, unpleasant surprises, gossip and slander, disregard, confusion, etc. what I don’t need or want are platitudes, Joel Osteen quotes or other pithy comments. I need a trusting, loving ear who will allow me the chance to wrestle with God over the injustices, the pain, the unfairness, the attack… until I can release it back to Him or until He blesses me. It makes me think of Jacob in Genesis 32….wrestling with God until he was blessed. Sometimes, I need to wrestle with God until he blesses me with understanding and peace.
Donald Miller wrote this post regarding his real life friendship with Brennan Manning. “Reflections on Brennan Manning’s Wrestling Match With God” where he writes of Manning’s death…
Brennan Manning, called back. Done wrestling. Knows it’s true. Can’t write about it now. May we wrestle half as well.
Can we give each other permission to have a bad day? to feel raw unfiltered emotions? to wrestle with God? to doubt and to wonder? to find our way? to keep it real? I’m hungry for real.
“May we wrestle half as well.” – Donald Miller
Front Porch Challenge – Need Some Help!
Posted: Friday, April 5, 2013 Filed under: 2k13 | Tags: community, front porch, missional, Northside, Richmond, RVA, Southern Barton Heights 2 CommentsLouis and I undoubtedly have THE. BEST. wrap-around front porch ever. Best view of the best neighborhood. EVER. Now that the weather has warmed up, we will find ourselves out there every chance we can get. We refer to it as our front porch ministry. Since we live at an intersection with quite a bit of foot traffic, we get to meet a ton of our neighbors just by sitting outside chillin’ with a drink in hand greeting our friends and neighbors. Sometimes we have music…and Louis and I have been known to dance as well. 🙂 We have created a ton of a unforgettable memories of on that porch as well.
We also have the happiest, best dogs ever. Bella and Wesley love the porch just as much as we do, and we LOVE to have them with us. Wesley, the nearly 15 year old black lab, is not our worry. Bella, the 8-9 year old almost chocolate lab, might as well be 2. With all the feral cats around, she will bound off the porch before you know it, which doesn’t make for a very peaceful night when we are constantly saying…No, Bella. And we find ourselves a bit more stressed than we need to be.
So, here’s the challenge. Note in the pictures below the set up of our porch. We need a creative, tasteful, inexpensive, simple, portable, easy-to-store, way to contain the dogs on the porch while we are out there. You might say…simple! Get a leash. Well…not so simple. Bella will chew through it in about 10 seconds flat – which won’t end up being very inexpensive after we replace it over and over again.
So, any ideas???
happiest best dogs ever
the entrance – steps
across the street
from the front to the left
from the front to the right
from the side
A Different Kind of Easter
Posted: Saturday, March 30, 2013 Filed under: 2k13 | Tags: Alpha and Omega, easter, easter egg hunt, faith and hope, homeless, missional, Nelson Parker, resurrection of jesus christ, RVA, Urban Campers Comments Off on A Different Kind of EasterShort Update:
Well, for the 2nd year in a row, Louis isn’t behind the pulpit of a church on Easter Sunday. And for the 2nd year in a row, we won’t be doing church like most Christians. Last year, we held a pancake brunch at the house for folks who aren’t usually in a church. You can read about our 2012 Easter (with pictures!!!) here > Easter – Acts 2 Style.
This year, we were prayerfully searching for a place to “Do the Bible” and “Be the Church” this Easter Weekend. Today, we had our annual Easter Egg Hunt for our community. (See here > Candy, Bunny and Eggs…Oh My!) Tomorrow morning…Easter Morning, Louis and I will NOT be sporting our Sunday Best. But, we will be giving our best while on God’s mission with some of RVA’s ‘Urban Campers’ (our friend Nelson’s new name for the Homeless)!
Thanks for the connection to Alpha and Omega, Nelson! Can’t wait to meet and serve Pastor Carolyn and some of your friends!
My Prayer for This Easter
Lord, while we remember and rejoice and while we renew our faith and hope in the resurrection of Jesus Christ – the ultimate reconciler, I pray that Louis and I will be reconciled to our new friends….these Urban Campers. I confess and repent that I have not always known how to love them. Teach me how to love. Show me. Change the way I see those who camp in our cities. May I love as You love. May I see as You see. Lord, I long to see Your miraculous healing and changes in our beloved city. Begin in me. Renew my Spirit, so that I may serve others in grace and mercy. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Candy, Bunny and Eggs…Oh My!
Posted: Saturday, March 30, 2013 Filed under: 2k13 | Tags: barton heights, Easter Bunny, easter egg hunt, missional, Resurrection Eggs, RVA, Southern Barton Heights, spring snowstorm 1 Comment
photo cred: Rachel Loughlin
What a FUN morning in Southern Barton Heights! After we postponed the Easter Party due to the early spring snowstorm last Sunday, today was a beautiful day for a community Easter Egg Hunt!!! I am so grateful to our friends and families who donated candy and prizes! And to our friends who helped stuff a gazillion eggs with candy and other goodies, who ensured that the Easter Bunny arrived safe and sound :), who took pictures and “laid” eggs!
After playing a game and the Easter Egg Hunt, Louis told the story of the last few days of Jesus’s life (from Palm Sunday through the Empty Tomb) through the use of Resurrection Eggs. The kids were super attentive and helped Louis tell the story.
All of this was followed by yummy cupcakes and lemonade! Louis and I so enjoyed meeting our neighbors and seeing old friends! What a blast!!
It’s not just fun and games at this time of year, because it’s not about the bunny! Yesterday we remembered the Cross. Tomorrow, we remember the Empty Tomb. Today and for days to come, we live knowing that because of the Cross and the Empty Tomb, we are reconciled to our Maker after sin separated us. That’s the story! That’s worth remembering!
PS – Hope kids…we missed you and can’t wait for you to come hang out again!
(remaining photo creds: Miranda Pheifer)
Miss Marti's House 
