Monday, July 27, 2009

Aged to Perfection

Just a quick follow-up to the previous post on aging. Tim was riding the kids around on his back one day last week when Nathan said, "Come on, Bella! Climb up on the donkey."

Tim looked up and said woefully, "Remember when I was a horse?"

I snickered and adjusted my ice pack. Apparently, even imagination cannot fend of O.L.D.

=)

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Wouldn't It Work Better If...

we could all grow old gracefully.

After church Sunday, Bella and I were going to race Tim to the van. I took three half-running steps when I heard a pop and felt a crazy pain in my right calf. I stopped abruptly and clenched my leg. "Okay Mommy?" Bella asked with genuine concern. "I don't know. Something just popped." I wasn't really explaining it to her as much as I was just trying to process it out loud. I thought I would "walk it off" but the slightest pressure sent a direct message: "Houston, we have a problem."

I tore my calf muscle. Fortunately, we were headed to a surprise birthday party where our friend (and physical therapist!) to a look-see at it. Tim stayed home yesterday to man the fort while I followed a regiment of RICE (which I now know means rest, ice, compress, elevate). Today, I am feeling much better. Still hobbling but not nearly as much pain.

Yesterday afternoon I was perched on my sick bed -the couch- with my leg propped up eating a late lunch. As I lifted the spoon to my mouth a pain shot through my fingers and into my forearm. I dropped the spoon with a gasp. Shook my hand out and tried again. "Ouch!" I said while again losing my grip on the spoon.

Tim looked at me with dismay. "What now?"

"I don't know. It hurts to hold the spoon." And with a great pout: " I think I'm falling apart."

Normally at this point in the conversation Tim would say something wonderfully compassionate like "yeah, I think you have that um, oh, what is it? Oh yeah, O.L.D." But he didn't use that one on me this time. Instead, he asked, "What have you been doing lately, baby?"

"Nothing!" I replied emphatically.

He shook his head in feigned sympathy. "Well, maybe you should start doing something. Doing nothing is killing you."

I should've seen it coming. Goof.

In contrast, Bella comes to me regularly and gently pats my leg. "It's popping, Mama?" Today, she brought my ice pack and with a look of intense warning said, "It's bery, bery cold." At least someone will love me even when I'm O.L.D. =)

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Table Scraps

After the funeral of our friend Ty, we were having dinner and talking over life and death. Isaiah declared with much irritation, "Man, black people always have to die." We couldn't exactly argue with him --especially when we were somewhat amused by his indignation over the issue. Tim said, "Well, yeah, Ty was black so...that's too bad for you." I chuckled under my breath. (While I can't stand children who torture each other, I consider it our parental obligation to torture the children. =))

Tim took it a bit further. "You know, Isaiah, I ate dinner with Tyrone several times and now I'm eating with you. That probably means you're going to die someday."

"Aw, man." Isaiah bemoaned.

"And Ty was a musician. You like music, don't you Diz?"

The mouth hung open. Poor kid. He was practically standing at death's door when Mamoune had all she could stand of our nonsense and dropped this pearl of wisdom.

"Good grief, Isaiah. They're just irritating you. Everybody has to die in their lifetime."

Nothing gets past that girl.

And don't worry -Ty would totally approve of us using his passing to torment our kids.

Saturday, July 4, 2009

In the Loop

After much praying, processing, and planning...

You are invited to check out our NEW ministry blog


Another Sexton blog? Good grief!! I hear you. But I think you'll understand when you see it. God is stretching us in new and exciting ways and maybe, just maybe you'll want to be a part of it. Click the link and let us know what you think. (Didn't mean for that to rhyme -cheesy.)

Ready to "launch?"

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Photos from Haiti

Troy and Tara: missionaries extraordinaire!
One of my favorite shots. Truly Haiti -people everywhere.

The uncommon art of breastfeeding.
Becoming more common thanks to Heartline Ministries.
Upper/Middle class housing
Low-Lower class housing


The difference between the haves and the have nots is stark.

See the woman smiling in the left corner?
Beautiful tension.