The sand in my hourglass!

May 22, 2014

Dear God,

Lord, I can't remember when I had so much fun packed in to a two week period of time. My entire visit to Florida was a whirlwind of activity from the time my plane landed until I crawled back on. Thank you so much for going before me and blessing my time with my family.

The Il Divo concert Jane and I attended (my Mother's Day gift) was phenomenal. I was looking through my program this morning and while I played their CD, visions of four handsome men on a stage, strobe lights, and the most beautiful songs filled my being. (Sigh)

Madison had her Junior Prom and I was able to be there every step of the way from picking out her dress in Austin, TX, through the getting ready stages, and the final unveiling and send off on the party bus. (Sigh #2) I've never seen her so beautiful and radiant.

The Lady Madison in Red!

Katrina as The Sea Witch

Katrina played the role of the Sea Witch in the 5th grade musical of The Little Mermaid ~ the entire production was wonderful and she did herself and her family proud. She has such a beautiful voice as well as a talent bent toward acting. I must say, I am a bit prejudiced but this young lady is the real deal ... smart, pretty, sweet, confident, and accomplished. Watching her perform took me back to a time when I was her age and sang the part of Gretel in the operetta, Hansel and Gretel. (Sigh #3)

Dorothy Pederson ~ Jonathan Peterson
So long ago ~ Hansel & Gretel

There were dinners out, dinners in, and even a time for me to teach Katrina how to make Swedish Meatballs. Speaking of food, Jane and I made time for a girls' night out with her dear friend (and mine!) Joy ... what fun to giggle and talk about girl stuff!!

Cooking is a blast. Swedish Meatballs ... yum!

Don't worry about getting your hands dirty!

I am an outdoors person and find Florida to be a gardener's paradise. Jane wants to do a secret garden in her back yard ... maybe that will be on the agenda for my next visit. She has the spot picked out and hung a beautiful lantern in the tree to mark where the garden will be centered. 

Each morning, I sat out by the pool and managed to get a wee bit of a tan (yes, dear dermatologist, I did slather on tons of sunscreen and wore a hat) as well as finish four books. As if all this wasn't enough, I accompanied Jane on a home visit for Sunshine Corgi Rescue and wrote a couple blogs. (Phew)

My Florida Family
Jane & Tim
Madison, Katrina, "Me"

Lord, you know, and I know, how difficult it is to be a good parent. Even when we try our very best, relationships can become strained and we spend more time on our knees than we ever thought we would. I had the opportunity to hear two really awesome sermons at Lifepoint Church in New Tampa on happiness ~ the first was on being a happy mom, and the second, on how we are to treat our parents. I must say, I am at a point where life is good and my children are at a time when their own lives are on even keel. Oh how grateful I am!! I truly believe, Father, that as I dared move out of the comfortable darkness (yes, dysfunction can be comfortable in it's own way), it gave my own family a blueprint to grow towards healthiness. Know what? They know You are the center of my world and they love You too! That REALLY makes my heart sing!!

I pray today for families everywhere ... families that are in a season like mine is where everything is moving in the right direction ... families that were like mine, fractured and broken ... families that wonder why they have these empty holes in their hearts that nothing seems to fill. I pray that you will move mightily in their lives drawing them and wooing them towards the truth and light. I know that life is full of peaks and valleys and when I remember weeks like I just had, I scream with joy. You tell us in Psalm 30:5 that weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. We must remember this always! Family ~ For Better or Worse. We are a culmination souls coming together for a purpose. I claim my family's victory, yes I do!! Just as I am standing tall as matriarch of my own family, I encourage other women to move forward covering their own families with prayer, encouragement, and a legacy of truth and light. Amen, dear Jesus, amen!

Miss Dottie

NOTE TO READERS: Macdonald Carey's legendary line "Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives" takes center stage today as I unpack all the memories I brought back from my time in Florida. My life has gone by so quickly and I've weathered the storms only to find the most beautiful rainbows waiting for me. The sand in my hourglass has shaded colors!!

"Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." ~Psalm 139:16