I would be totally remiss if I failed to share this AWESOME opportunity with those who may not know it exists. ESPECIALLY with my northwest Arkansas peeps. This is just way too cool not to pass along. Our church does some pretty incredible things for young couples. You’ve heard me sing the praises of FNO. And recently, Matt and I went on an amazing marriage retreat to Branson with other incredible couples hosted by our church. And now, they are doing something called The Great Date Experiment. In short… you go to the church website, download a fun date idea, print it off, on the specified night you drop your kids off at the church for FREE CHILDCARE, and go have a date with your husband. Does it get any better than that? Yes, I said FREE CHILDCARE. You do NOT have to be a church member to participate. Just visit the website, and it will tell you all you need to know. Seriously, how can you NOT be interested? Go. Check. It. Out.

Below are a few fun pictures I found of me and Matt on the church’s website from the Branson marriage retreat. Don’t we look like we’re having a ball? Because we were. The second one is us dancing beside the street in front of the Hilton. (It was part of a game, which we won by the way, along with a bunch of other crazy couples.)

The first of The Great Date Experiment dates is THIS SUNDAY on Valentine’s Day. I’ll try to remember to take pictures and report back. I can’t wait.

God has been stretching me. I mean, really s-t-t-r-r-r-r-e-e-e-e-t-t-t-t-c-c-c-h-h-ing me. Lately, just ‘ok’ has not been ‘ok’. What has ‘worked’ for me for years, has not been ‘working’. And when I cry, “But, God…,” I hear Him speak to my heart, “No buts. I love you. Get up. Get busy. Get over yourself.” My best efforts to argue with the creator of the universe are not going as well as one might hope. I enjoy hanging out in my comfortable little corner of the world, you know? Just quietly doing my thing. He gave me a writer’s heart, so to some extent, I need that quiet corner to do good with the talents He gave me. But I had grown too comfortable. Too lazy. Too content.

It sort of reminds me of when I lived at home, and Grandma would wake me up in the mornings for school. The first few ‘wake up calls’ were quiet. “Angela, get up, Honey. Time to go.” Ten minutes later (when I’m still in bed), her voice was a little louder, but still sweet. “Angela, get up. You’re going to be late.” Ten minutes after that, not so sweet. “Angela! Now!” I would roll out of bed with a fire under me. And that’s where I am right now. I was hanging out lazily. I heard Him call intently. I am up (though a little apprehensively). There’s a fire under me. I do not want to be late for what He has waiting.

One small example among many…. The opportunity has arisen for me to help Matt lead a mission trip next month……… to Brazil. And not Brazil as in Indiana. Brazil as in South America. Had this happened at any other moment than now, I think I would have not only said, “No” but “Heeeeccck No.” A trip to Brazil may not seem much to some, but for someone who A.) has difficulty being away from their children for long periods of time, B.) isn’t the greatest at talking one-on-one with others about anything much less Jesus, and C.) doesn’t fly, it’s a big deal. I mean, it would be awesome if I could take my kids with me, drive or teleport there, and just text or email people about Jesus. And I realize suddenly, I am an easy-way-out-taker. And I don’t want to be. So, I’m going to kiss my babies goodbye knowing they will be fine without me, get on that plane (though medicated), and do my best to communicate with strangers… who speak Portuguese. And it’s going to be hard for me. Really hard. But that’s ok.

It’s uncomfortable to be stretched. But if it makes me better… if He can use me more… if all of this stretching is the beginning of our new beginning, then I have to be ok with ‘uncomfortable.’ Because if it makes me better, Lord, break me.

There is an old school song by Morgan Cryar called, Yes. I love the lyrics. Here are a few:

Clutching all I have and hold,
where do I begin?
I lose my grip as I am told,
Lord, you always seem to win
every test of wills
with no contest.
So I trust you with it all,
every piece of me.
I lay it down, await your call,
no more holding back, you see…
You only have to speak,
and the answer is, ‘yes.’
Every plan I’ve ever made,
on the altar now.
I think of all the prayers I’ve prayed,
and it’s dawning on me how,
I talk so much more than you,
now I’ll listen.
Make me like your Son instead,
awaiting every word.
He never ran ahead,
only did the things He heard.
Lead me where you will,
I will follow.

Sometimes pictures tell the story much better than words.

He’s for sale, by the way.

My husband turns 30 years old today. I really wanted to do something special… plan a trip, do a special surprise, something fun and creative. But, he wants an iPad. And so… everyone’s best efforts are going toward him realizing his iPad dreams. Sigh.

But I just had to commemorate this birthday with something special. SO… I put together a little video montage of pictures from our 10 years together. And believe me, it was hard. First of all, how do you pick a few pictures from 10 years worth? And second, I really suck at this computer/movie/picture stuff. To say it’s amateur is a HUGE understatement.

Anyway… just be forewarned that it’s corny. The song I used is our wedding song from 2001. I boycotted the wedding march and walked down the aisle to this. To this day, I have never heard a song that so perfectly describes the way I feel about him. I wish I could have thought of the lyrics myself, because they just perfectly reveal my heart. So, corny or not, here it is.

I LOVE YOU, MATT SLAUGHTER. More than anything. More than ever.

With all the tooth-losing going on in our house as of late, it made me think of something. I lost several of my teeth in kindergarten–just in time for my first ever yearbook picture. Grandma was very concerned. The thought of me displaying my toothless mouth for the world (or at least, all of Hector) to see in the yearbook was just too much for her nerves to endure. We talked about the picture for days before. We even practiced. She played the role of ‘photographer’, and I played the role of, well, ‘me’. By the time I left for school that morning, I had the ideal smile down to perfection. I. Was. Ready.

Apparently though, when the time came for the actual picture, and the photographer said, “Say Cheese,” I panicked. All I could remember was, Don’t show your teeth. Don’t show your teeth. Don’t show your teeth. And this is the picture that lives in infamy.

Every time Grandma looked at the picture, she would say, “Oh, I wish I’d have just left you alone!” But I love it. It makes me laugh and think of her every time I see it. AND it taught me to let my girls do their own thing… teeth or no teeth!

Mainly NO teeth.

Last year around this time, I bought Matt a pair of house shoes. And he loved them. He wore them so much that I recently noticed they were on their last legs. I told him I was going to throw them out and get him a new pair. He immediately told me, no. I ignored him, and decided to snatch them up when he wasn’t looking and trash them. Sounds cruel, I know, separating a man and his beloved shoes. But they were literally falling to pieces. And gross.

And then, tonight, he came walking into the living room, happily wearing his newly self-repaired shoes.

Just in case you’re wondering, that is neon green duct tape. Yeah, I said duct tape. He was so proud of himself. I didn’t even have words to respond.

Oh, and just for good measure…. it’s glow-in-the-dark duct tape. I can see him coming a mile away. Oh, Matt. You make my life so interesting. What would I do without you??

When I was little, Grandma used to say the same prayer with me every night. You know the one, “Now I lay me down to sleep….” We did it night after night the same way together until I got old enough to pray it on my own.

When Belle was a baby, even before Estella was born, Grandma found a bear for her that, if you pushed its foot, would say our prayer. I think she got it at a Dollar General store, but she was so excited to have found it. I didn’t tell Grandma at the time, but Belle really didn’t care for it. In fact, I don’t think she even touched it until Grandma died, and then she slept with it every night for months. She called it Memaw Bear, and even if she wasn’t playing with it or sleeping with it, she had to know where it was. Last year or so, Estella Dru became just as attached to Memaw Bear. She would try to sneak it in her bed without Belle noticing. Belle would then figure it out and try to sneak it back into her bed. Even yesterday, they were fussing over that bear.

And just this week, someone else has taken up with Memaw Bear. He pushes the button over and over to hear it say its prayer. And most every time I hear it, I get a little lump in my throat. When Grandma gave that bear to Belle, I thought so little of it. A dollar store bear. How long could it last, right? Belle had so many ‘good’ toys, what would she do with an ugly little pink bear that prayed? Six years later, that bear is most definitely the most special toy in this house. He’s a little more ragged than he used to be. He’s lost his hat, and his hands don’t stay together like they once did. But he still prays his prayer. The same one I said with Grandma hundreds of times in bed at night. These days I hang onto every piece of her I can for me.. and for my babies. I think sometimes I get caught up in worrying that I won’t be able to tell them enough about her… that they won’t really know who she was or how much she loved me and them. Isn’t it funny that she’s still giving to them all on her own without any help from me? That’s just like you, Grandma. Just like you.

Because who doesn’t love a man wearing only boots and a pink guitar?

I was supposed to have my husband and kids home with me today in honor of Martin Luther King Day. The snow we had a week or so ago changed all that. But, nerd mom that I am, have already begun planning our MLK lesson tonight when the girls get home. I don’t want to let this day escape them unnoticed. Because MLK, Jr. rocked. Seriously rocked. I had two classes in grad school, one entitled, The American Civil Rights Movement, and the other other specifically, Martin Luther King, Jr. Both turned out to be two of my favorite classes during my time in grad school. What I learned is that people are flawed–some to the point of deep, dark ugliness. And while MLK, Jr. had flaws of his own, he fought against the ugliness when no one else would. And his legacy… wow. What a difference a life can make. So, yes. When my kids get home tonight, we’re gonna talk a little about Mr. King.

We visited the site of his assassination last March. The girls call it “that place where the really brave guy got shot.” I’ll have to agree.

MLK, Jr. gave his ‘I’ve Been to the Mountaintop’ speech in Memphis the night before he was killed after hearing rumors of threats against his life. For me, his words are just hauntingly powerful.

“Well, I don’t know what will happen now; we’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn’t matter with me now, because I’ve been to the mountaintop. And I don’t mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life – longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over, and I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people will get to the Promised Land. And so I’m happy tonight; I’m not worried about anything; I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.”

A verse I pray for my children every night is, “[Let them] come out from among them and be separate.” Also, I pray, “[They will] be bold enough in Him to speak as [they] should.” MLK, Jr. is an awesome example of both. And it’s an honor for me to discuss his footprint on this country with my children.

Estella Dru lost her first tooth tonight. It was drama in the highest there for an hour or so, but she was a little trooper. She is SO proud of herself and can’t stop smiling. I love that little thing. Congratulations, Sweet Girl!