Dear friends,
Maybe I experienced a brutal time in my life (as have most of you). And maybe everything is still not put back together the way I wish. But this evening, this night, I feel like the most blessed woman on earth. Right now, in my back yard, my 17 year old is playing music with his friends around a campfire, drinking Dr. Pepper and Mountain Dew. Stephen, Hannah, David and I are watching one of my all time favorite movies, Muppet Treasure Island with the one and only Kermit the Frog and Tim Curry. There are many high schooler's this night out there drinking booze, and sadly, getting behind the wheel of a car. Listen, my family is no picture of perfection. Believe me, we do not fit into the nice, neat clean photos you see on the cover of Focus on the Family magazine. But there is love here. There is belonging here. (Important to me for reasons deep and primal). And there is the mercy and grace of a Great God here. I didn't earn any of it. And every day I am grateful for it.
I'm pretty tolerant of people doing stupid things. I have done so many stupid things myself that it would be hypocritical to point the finger. But I have no tolerance for drinking and driving, for obvious reasons. Never. Ever. I do not have a legalistic view on alcohol. For some folks it's simply a no no, for others, they can have a cocktail and be done with it. But there is never an ok time to consume alcohol and then put keys in an ignition. So I beg you, if you do this, stop it. And if you know someone else who does, do all you can to stop them. Because you may be saving their life. Or the life of someone you don't know. There are too many other options. Sorry, that's the last lecture you'll ever hear from me. Officer Ernie has stopped folks for DWI, with the memory of Stephen and Hannah hanging in his head. He knows, even if the one arrested doesn't, that he's doing them a favor. Oscar Lewis would most likely give his right arm for a DWI with a costly fine. Instead, he wakes up every day with the thought of permanently injuring a father of three (nearly killing him), and seriously injuring a young, beautiful, precious young girl. Please spare yourself this misery. And spare someone else ours.
Hope you like the picture of the boys around the fire. It makes me so happy.
Happy Birthday to Judy the Good, a beautiful, honorable and special woman!
Going to a Beth Moore conference at DFG tomorrow. The rain of goodness just keeps falling down.
Your friend on the pilgrim road,
Loriann
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