Devotions of a High Heeled Warrior

  My husband came home yesterday and handed me a fashion magazine. He told me that his elderly father had this magazine delivered to his house. Now my ex-military father-in-law definitely is not the type to thumb through Elle magazine so my husband passed the magazine on to me. As I looked through the latest fashions, it provided entertainment for my family. One fashion statement was what appeared to be a floor-length hoodie made out of puffy coat material- think Back to the Future jacket meets moody teenage meets prom.   As we guffawed through each page of ridiculous fashion, my son asked if people actually bought this stuff. My answer was absolutely, if they are obsessed with the latest fashion. This had me thinking about obsession, not the perfume. As kids we were obsessed with the latest toys. I remember cutting out pictures from the Sears catalog to give hints at what I wanted for Christmas. I was obsessed with getting that gift. I would tell all my friends about it an...

Today, I had the pleasure of moving one of my daughters back into her college dorm for her second year of college. As we were driving down, we noticed a random stop light in the middle of a national forest on the way to her college. The first time we encountered it, we thought how random it was to have something like a stop light in the middle of nowhere with little to no traffic. Of course, as we moved passed the sign, we saw the bridge ahead had one lane blocked as the highway crew were resurfacing the bridge. The bridge happened to be over a very popular floating/kayaking river and next to the only bathrooms on the river, thus, the stop light. Now, because the stop light makes no sense, we could choose to ignore the light, but once past, realize the light had a purpose to protect us from harm or miss-steps (in this case, miss-drives). How many times do we beg God for signs? "God, if you really want me to do this? Should I go here? Should I date or marry this person? Is what I...

First of all, I have not dyed my hair to black. Our church just finished up Vacation Bible School this week. Our theme was a Pirate Party Deep Sea Adventure, thus pirates everywhere! Anyone who knows me knows that I will dress up at the drop of a hat if it will reach people for Jesus. I've been a doctor, a CSI agent, a cowboy, a clown, a queen, a slew of Bible characters, a flamingo, and a Pirate just to name a few. There are so many that I can't remember them all. This character required a black wig and a hearty spirit me' mateys! I had several people tell me that it took them 15 to 20 minutes before they recognized who I was. There is something fun about being someone else. Maybe it is because you can leave your comfort zone and embrace who you've always wanted to be. I'm an introvert. Anyone who knows me knows I like to hide in the background and make things happen. Only those really close to me see the goofy, playful person. However, when the costumes go on, t...

  My husband and I celebrated our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary last week! My husband decided to throw a surprise party for me last week to celebrate. If anyone knows me well, they know I am a murder/mystery buff, not the real stuff. I like the challenge of solving the mystery, not the actual act. My children refuse to watch mysteries with me because I solve it in the first five minutes. My husband says he refuses to buy my Christmas gifts until Christmas Eve because I find the gift or figure it out. I think the real reason is because he is a procrastinator. All this is to say I got the feeling that something hinky was going on. My son at college called my husband instead of me. This rarely happens. Then my husband responded that he would step out to speak to him- hinky. Next, my husband got a phone call and disappeared in the bathroom with a sudden need to use the restroom. I immediately heard the flushing of the toilet. I thought it was way too soon to be flushing. Every time...

I know, it seems like the set-up for a bad joke! Since school is starting back soon, I have been spending the last few days helping him change classrooms. This involves packing up his possessions and moving them across town to a new building, along with painting his new classroom and prepping for the return of students. We initially enrolled the help of two of my kids until my daughter spotted a grasshopper in the back seat beside her head. At that point, she informed us she was done and quickly exited the car. Our son soon followed, leaving my husband and me to haul the final load for the day- his taxidermy Cobra. As we were driving, I looked into the back seat, only to see the Cobra in one seat and the grasshopper sitting in the other seat as though he were being chauffeured. I guess it's so hot, even the grasshoppers are bumming rides. I thought, "What an eclectic sight we must make." Not a lot of people were driving around with a Cobra in the back seat looking out at...

  My husband's response to this sign was, "if they get taller staff, will they stay open longer?" (Insert groan here) If you gone into public at all, one of the first things you will notice is the 'Help Wanted' signs everywhere. There seems to be a shortage of workers that has begun to affect our daily lives. I won't get into the political points that explain this worker shortage. Instead, I wanted to discuss the power of your word choice. Anyone who knows me understands my love of writing. I struggle with reading without proofing whatever I'm reading. Through writing, I have learned the power of word choice. If I choose a strong word, it allows readers to fully understand exactly what I'm trying to convey. I could say that my husband's shirt was bright. It would leave a lot of room for interpretation. However, if I said my husband's shirt looked like a flock of flamingoes ran away from a zoo and found a place of refuge amongst the jungle of pa...

 While at a small group meeting for my church, we started reminiscing about a few things from our childhoods. You can learn a lot from some old toys. Here are a few things. 1. Cabbage Patch Kids- It was Christmas time, and all I had asked for was a toy that had caused quite a stir. My parents were financially struggling, so the $50-60 toy was the equivalent of a $200 to them. Unaware of the craziness about to ensue, my mother put a Cabbage Patch Kid on lay-away at Walmart. This is where you pay increments over time. When she made her final payment, riots were taking place across the nation due to shortages. As my mother walked out of the store, she was approached by a woman offering $200 for the toy. She declined. Even though my mother could have payed many bills with the money offered, my happiness on Christmas meant more to her. I learned the depths of my mother's love and treasure that toy. 2. Strawberry Shortcake dolls- as a young child, a special doll became quite popular. ...