The Ultimate Flight

Last weekend

The Christian community

Celebrated.

But it is but a poor copy

Of the celebration

My mom is now part of.

You see

On Monday, April 25

At 10:03,

She joined

The biggest celebration EVER!

Attended by

A loving and caring PSW,

My mom

Was ushered into

The arms of her Saviour.

While here on Earth,

We seek to worship Him

In Spirit and Truth.

But it isn’t until we see Him

Face to face

And shed the restrictions

Of all that keeps us earthbound

That we truly fly.

So,

While she will be missed

And thought of many, many times,

Betty Taylor

Has taken the Ultimate Flight

And that is cause to rejoice.

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21, NIV).

Life of Flight

Hard-working father.

Faith-filled mother.

Abundant expressions

Of love.

The gift of faith.

Divine coincidence.

Immature indignation.

Readjusted priorities.

The Creator’s sense of humour.

Undeserved blessings.

Dream come true.

Unmistakable guidance.

New beginning.

Years of blessing.

Open doors.

Unceasing provision.

Virtual living

At its best.

Being whisked along.

Motherhood

That becomes friendship.

Chance encounters

That become friendship.

Tear-filled valleys.

Breathtaking mountaintops.

Wonderful life.

The Flight Instructor “works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will” (Ephesians 1:11, NIV).

Tomorrow’s Experiences

Online coupons.

One of the newest things.

These deals

Make me consider

Things I haven’t before.

Things like hang gliding.

Yep,

Hang gliding.

I’ve mentioned before

That my idea of adventure

Is curling up on the couch

With a good book.

Jumping off a cliff?

I don’t think so.

But when I read

The offer

For a low cost lesson,

I actually

Considered it.

Maybe I’m starting to think

Like my hubby.

“We can’t die young anymore.”

(Insert laugh track here.)

Maybe,

However,

There is a different meaning.

It really is time

To do those things

I want to accomplish.

Those things I believe

Are mine to accomplish.

So,

I guess I’ll spread me wings,

And instead of jumping from

A high place,

I’ll set my sights on

Tomorrow’s experiences.

…we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10, NIV).

Neutral and Beyond

Numbness

Is a blessing.

Sometimes

The ups and downs

Are too hard to take.

Sometimes

The rollercoaster

Just isn’t any fun.

Sometimes

I think I might just explode

With joy…or sorrow.

In mercy and grace,

There is another option.

Though I wouldn’t want

To remain there long…

For it is impossible

To truly fly

When in neutral…

It can be

A time of rest.

Does it mean

I don’t care?

No.

Does it mean

I won’t feel again?

Absolutely not.

But

I have time to breathe.

I spent much of my day

Lacking intensity.

Just coasting.

And then came the Meeting.

Two young people

Who encourage me

As much as I do them.

Our discussion

Awakened

The part of me I like best.

The part that feels most real.

When thoughts tumble

All over themselves.

And words

Try hard to keep up.

Thank you, my young friends.

You are appreciated.

The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace (Psalm 29:11, NIV).

Maybe

Maybe it’s OK

To do a million things,

At least I hope it is.

Maybe it’s OK

To always flit about,

At least I hope it is.

Maybe it’s OK

To never settle down,

At least I hope it is.

Maybe it’s OK

To read a thousand books

(at the same time),

At least I hope it is.

Maybe it’s OK

To run with scattered thoughts,

At least I hope it is.

Maybe it’s OK

To spread my wings and fly,

At least I hope it is.

Maybe it’s OK

To barrel on ahead,

At least I hope it is.

Maybe it’s OK

To sleep only when I must,

At least I hope it is.

Maybe it’s OK

To live at running pace,

At least I hope it is.

Maybe it’s OK

To ramble on and on,

At least I hope it is.

Maybe it’s OK

To burst with so much joy,

At least I hope it is.

Be Back Wednesday

I’m heading to TO to pick up my son from the airport. I’ll be back tomorrow, but may not post until Wednesday.

Happy Flying, all!

You’re the Bestest

Can my family and friends

Count on me?

Not necessarily to do

All the things

They think

I should.

But to be there for them.

When push comes to shove,

Would they know

I’m one of those

Call-in-the-middle-of-the-night friends?

I hope so.

I wanna be.

And it’s so much fun

To surprise someone

By saying YES

When they expect a NO.

I used to sternly call

One of my children.

He would wonder

What he’d done wrong.

And to his surprise,

I’d say,

I LOVE YOU!

I want to be that kind of friend.

A call-me-at-midnight.

Look-to-delight-you.

You-are-the-bestest.

Kinda friend.

After all,

Without family and friends,

I have no wings.

We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us…if it is to encourage, then give encouragement (Romans 12:6,8 NIV).

Sorry, Autumn

For years,

Fall was my favourite season.

I love the colours.

The smells.

The crunch of leaves underfoot.

While these things

Are still very appealing,

Spring is working hard

To displace autumn.

Maybe more than

At any time in the past…

And remember,

I’ve seen 50 springtimes…

I’m flying high.

The sunshine.

The birds.

The buds just beginning to show.

The anticipation is tangible.

Hopes and dreams

Alive.

What will this spring hold?

I don’t know for certain.

But I just may have to apologize

To the other season

That has long held my affection

And raised me heavenward.

…let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy (Psalm 5:11, NIV).

Born to Mother

When I was

A girl…

Way back in the Olden Days…

I wanted to grow up

And become a mommy.

(Yep, that was my dream.)

Well, coming up on

Twenty-seven years ago,

My dream came true.

Then again four years later

And nineteen months after that.

Now that my children are grown,

Are my mothering responsibilities over?

No.

It’s not that they need me,

Not in the same way at least.

But now I see

How the nurturing,

Encouraging

And supportive

Elements of mothering

Mark much of what I do

And much of what I desire to do

In the future.

So,

I guess I was

Born to mother.

It’s one thing

That most definitely

Gives me wings.

See Proverbs 31:10-31 (It is my goal to live in such a way that these words may be used to describe me.)

Snap Judgment

Nothing keeps me earthbound

Like judgment.

Years ago,

Those judgments were

Swift and harsh.

Sure,

I’ve grown and changed.

However,

The tendency is still there.

When I learned

Someone I know

Is having a tattoo of Jesus

Transformed into a skull,

I thought,

“How could he?”

After some thought,

I realized

I do it all the time.

I act as if the Truth

Is long dead.

Whenever

I forget who Jesus is.

Whenever

I don’t share what I know

About Him.

Whenever

I ignore His direction.

Whenever

I make excuses

As to why

I don’t walk in obedience.

Passing judgment

Can get me in

A lot of trouble.

However,

If I turn that judgment around

And see how it applies to me,

I will fly

Ever higher.

Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you (Luke 6:37-38, NIV).