Train up a child in the way that he should go.....

This post comes about as a bit of a challenge from the current Bible Study I am in and loving and learning and praying my way through...." if you are led to take a meal, send a note, write that blog, I encourage you to DO IT." My coworker and dear friend Debra said "we" meaning you (me) need to share this as 'our' thank-you.  So, with those 2 teensy prompts and a whole lot of thoughts swirling around in my brain -- here it is in print. 

My little hometown is just that LITTLE, and mighty and full of good people, and when you are born here, raised here, play here, marry here, have babies here, YOU ARE ONE of OURS!!! We celebrate the good times, celebrate graduations,  toast at weddings, cry at weddings, rejoice over the announcement of pending birth, pray for complete healing, cry the big ugly cry at funerals, pray when babies don't come and cry again,...all of this usually involves food, be it comfort food, nourishing food, fun food...the cheddar cheese ministry is alive and well...We sell food to raise money for concessions, youth groups, mission trips, bake sales....you name it...we know the way to a heart is straight through the stomach.

At MY Bank, where I work, we are much like family... we have laughed, cried, divorced, celebrated children getting married, wondered about unexpected babies and then completely fall head over heels in love with their precious-ness, prayed for babies that GOD said 'not yet my child', worried over grades, and bullies, we share recipes, cheered for all types of ball players, cheered on the cheerleaders, hugged a forlorn wife as her one true love went to the BIG ranch in the sky....We have nearly 100 kids and grandkids between all of us...some of us have been together for over 20 years.  WE ARE FAMILY!!!!

That is a little of the first back story.....

This is a little of the 2nd back story....

When I was growing up I did a lot of baby sitting and I did a little for Bradley and Sara Crowe.
Bradley's mom and dad wanted a baby pretty bad and God said 'NOT YET'...so they set about ADOPTING his precious self....and not one baby on earth could look more like his daddy than that little boy..now, Bradley was onry when he was little and had a LOT of energy, and decided farming was not for him...WHAT THE HECK!! would grow up and leave the family farm and become a certified EMT and be a dang good one at that and move right up the ranks cause he prooved he really was a smarty pants in the right areas.. and make us ALL PROUD, as he is mighty handsome in a uniform...He would become UNCLE BRADLEY....He would learn how the body can go through some trauma and survive. 

Then when they least expected it GOD said "NOW" to Mike and Linda and along came little Miss Sara Marie.  A dang miracle to say the least!!.. Now she grew up on that farm and loved animals and all things Green...After 4H and high school she declared she was going to be a COWBOY, like in Stillwater Oklahoma.  She quickly declared her love for ALL things ORANGE and a boy named ADAM...They became STILLWATER STRONG in more ways than one..Her home away from home was at OSU and they became part of a family there.....They had no idea at the time how STRONG they would become...So being a 'part' of the family, we were part of the wedding plans and watched her proclaim  "for better or worse and in sickness and health" as God and ALL of us as THEIR witnesses...Their love for each other was STRONG and they yearned for a baby....but...GOD said " NOT NOW", little did they know what HE had in store for them...soooo for awhile we cried and prayed for a baby that was not to be....WHEN....sweet young JADE declared her love for her baby was big enough to say "I can't do this, right now" and our prayers were answered and MIA swooped in and we all fell for those big soft eyes and Sara and Adam became MOM and DAD and we rejoiced with them...and cried happy tears at the mostly pink, cause it is hard to find orange for newborns in Kansas, baby shower....and nearly fell to pieces when that new mama stood up and told us how they had prayed for this baby and how she could not believe God had chosen her to be so lucky....Her faith was STRONG....THEIR faith was STRONG....and they set about teaching her to love all things ORANGE and COWBOYS....

Then when they least expected it....God said  "YES" to them and Sweet little Hadley was on her way.
MIA was going to be a big sister... Linda was going to be Grandma again...we cried and we prayed over that pregnancy...we REJOICED over the gosh dang miracle of  birth once again.  AMEN....we hovered over photos....WE watched as Sara and Adam, taught those girls to love all things on a farm and hug animals and name each one with a PERFECT name...WE watched them teach the girls to love ALL things ORANGE and become COWBOYS from the infant seat, Homecoming was a FAMILY Tradition......WE prayed over the eye sight that was not quite right...glasses did not cut down the cute factor one bit....The family was STRONG for Hadley....

You see, Sara was 'ours', Mia became one of 'ours' as did her mama JADE, Hadley became one of  'ours' just because THAT IS HOW IT WORKS in my little town....WE care about, we pray for, we cry happy tears, sad tears, we rejoice, we eat together, WE ARE FAMILY....

Two weeks ago, as I was eating lunch with some of MY FAMILY, I received news about a horrible accident at the HOMECOMING parade in STILLWATER...home of the OSU COWBOYS..TRAUMA they said!!!..Now, my son Graduated with honors from OSU, declares he is a COWBOY and loves ORANGE too, so I feel a little partial to that school too.  With Social media being what it is, I knew several people that were going to the parade and game...my next text told me about sweet precious little HADLEY, the baby that we had prayed for before she was here, that we prayed for about her little eyes, that we ooohed and ahhhed over in  her little orange puffy skirt that matched her big sisters...was one of the victims that was air lifted out...I had those FOR REAL goose bumps and punch in the gut feeling you get when you get some bad news.  My first thought was of Sara and how she must feel and then of Linda, Grandma to Grandma....after confirming that my son is OK...I send a text to Linda....she is on her way to OKC..I know Linda is STRONG.. I pray for her safety and I say a prayer that she remembers her phone charger....I worry and pray for  them all day  and check my phone A LOT for updates....The TRAUMA is Horrific....EMT,s  save the people!!!!

All weekend, we pray and add Hadley and her family to our prayer chains, and pray at Bible Study and in Sunday School for all of them... WE have a lump in our throats and tears in our eyes as we hear  a Great Aunt give updates....WE ARE STRONG>>>>we are FAMILY....they are ours....WE see a photo of  SARA laying really close to HADLEY in a hospital bed and again we are pleading with GOD....to make this all turn out all right....We know THEIR FAITH is STRONG....The entire STATE of OKLAHOMA bled ORANGE....SOONERS waved an ORANGE flag!!!!

Monday at work, we share what we all know and proclaim we will have a BAKE SALE to help with medical and non medical expenses....We have been through this more than once in our work family...
With 4 days till said bake sale, we use Facebook and ask for donations for food, cause we KNOW who can bake and cook like a boss here, and we KNOW how much people like to buy homemade goodies, AND if it is for a REASON, the money comes in.....I had barely hit the post button when the FIRST person from WHERE he works brought some money in from the guys, cause they can't cook and want to help.....MONDAY morning people!!!! WE have not even hung  ONE poster... and so the ONE GALLON jar that we use at work to collect donations began filling up....we start planning what we will bake....I pray that people will donate food and money....AMEN!!!

This part is hard for me to type....
WE had a few remarks...."WHY are you doing it, they don't even live HERE?!", "They surely have insurance!!!, They will probably SUE and get their bills paid!!!....Who is in charge of this money, pointing to the jar?,,,,What will they do with the money?,....ALL from ADULTS....
To say that this GOT OUR DANDER UP, is an understatment....!!!!!NONE of that matters to us...IT is not for us to judge on these matters....We just HAVE to do something to "help' our family....
The jar got fuller...\
This eats on me and my coworkers just a little and grows into quite a THORN in our side!!!!THAT IS OUR FAMILY YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT!!!!!We get defensive, we worked with Linda half of our working lives, we 'helped' raise this family...WE have cried and laughed and prayed for PETE's SAKE!!!
The jar keeps getting money in it.....

Fast Forward to FRIDAY day of HUGS FOR HADLEY BAKE SALE!!!!

Back story #3.
IT is CRAYZZZZEEEE on Popcorn Friday with all the little tumblers and dancers down the street..
We are super short handed due to STATE Volleyball and cross country for our TIMBERWOLVES....
We have 4 payrolls on this day.....the phone rings constantly....I stand at the counter for nearly 7 straight hours. Our report count says that we have nearly 170 cash customers ....THAT IS A BUNCH of people in our LOBBY....
WE have 3 - 8 foot tables full of food and our front desk is full and it smells like a bakery and a concession stand all at the same time...
No less than 20 batches of popcorn...
Our first customers for the bake sale are at the door before 8:00 ...We do NOT open till 8:30...
WE SELL OUT BY 10:00...
 The jar keeps getting money in it all day long

THE POINT of THIS POST

At 10 minutes before our closing time of 4:00 on the day when we are dog tired, a sweet young mama with 2 little boys of her own comes in...Now, we have a bucket full  ( and I mean a LARGE) bucket full of trick or treat candy, then a bright ORANGE poster for Hadley, and then a GALLON jar at this point that is COMPLETELY full of cash and checks...all lined up on the front desk...just as you walk in the door....Mama says no to candy because they will both be getting a bunch tomorrow as they trick or treat....BUMMER...we are out of POPCORN....BUMMER again...they stop and SOUND out the words on the POSTER......H U GS for  HAD LEEE....they ask Debbie "WHo is HADLEY?"
WOW,...THAT is a TON of MONEY....WOWW...who gets THAT!!!! Mama has made her way to the counter with me and we are doing her business and we over hear this... ( These little boys have a BUNCH of energy) ( This mama is weary and has her hands full most days, and loves these boys, and strives to teach them right and wrong,  some days she probably fears she is failing...)Debbie asks them how old they are, one is 8 and one is 7, so she tells them Hadley is just between them  at age 6 ,there is a photo of Hadley on the desk, they do not personally know Hadley,  she does not go into a lot of detail but does tell them that Hadley was injured very bad and airlifted from a parade to a hospital in Oklahoma City...Now, one of these boys has eye problems much like Hadley, he comes up to his mom and asks her for some money to help the little girl in the hospital, cause she is hurt real bad..( LUMP IN THROAT!!!) pushes up his glasses 2  or 3 times, she gives him some cash for him and his brother...the 8 year old says..." Man I wish I would have brought some of my own money from home!! to help her more"....( tears in my eyes  and Debra's eyes!!!)...Mama says we will pray for her tonight....  ( I fill mama in a little on details of the TRAUMA)...and with that they are gone....
I say....THAT is why we have THESE bake sales!!!!...Compassion from a child for a child...NO judgment...just COMPASSION.  2 days later during Children's Sermon,, the 7 year old says they need to pray for a girl in the hospital in Oklahoma....this is after we hear an update from a Great Aunt who is so THANKFULL that so many prayers have been answered!!!!( That mama and daddy are doing the right things...tough as it may be). WE ARE FAMILY...those little boys live here now and they are fast becoming OURS too!!!!

So I write this to tell you young mama's to TRAIN Up a Child in the WAY that HE should go and he will not depart from it!!!! Keep teaching them right from wrong...they ARE listening, teach them to pray,, the prayers are heard....Be STILL  Be STRONG  Be STILLWATER STRONG!!! Make ORANGE one of your colors....BE COWBOY tough EVERY DAY...

God smiled down on Hadley and she is expected to make a complete recovery and we hope they can go to their beloved STILLWATER and be be STRONG COWBOYS again...

 A HERO named LEO is who we are really concentrating our prayers on now....LEO is credited with saving sweet little Hadley's life....

Compassion like a child is what I am striving for...

We are THAT KIND OF FAMILY!!!!

Robin....and    Debbie.....

"Do good Anyway"

I have a few thoughts....today .. on KINDNESS!!

Bless my Mom's dear sweet soul and her heart and all that was righteous and good within her.
No matter what, when, who or where happened to her....she told us as children over and over...DO GOOD ANYWAY... usually followed with "God will have the final word"..As I have grown into a middle aged adult, I would like to think I have taken her advice and used it and good GOLLY is it ever HARD to do!!! Now, mind you my mom's life was not a piece of cake.  She however bloomed where she was planted...and could have been a millionaire, cause she did Pintrest kinds of projects her entire life and never even really knew about the internet....She was always nice and spoke to people and took them towels and ham and beans and all other kinds of things that people told us about after she passed into the next life, that we HAD NO IDEA she even did!!!!She led by example.

So, when I found myself home alone for a 3 day holiday, I decided to leave my humble abode and go shopping.  I had heard about new stores in Garden City.  Garden City is still a 2 hour drive from home, not quite as big as Wichita and they have a TARGET store, and Freddies steak burgers, so I headed WEST young man!!!

My first stop, was at Sherwin Williams, cause we all know they make really great paint, and can match ANYTHING on earth.  The young man there was SO NICE and asked where I was from, because I reminded him of a girl from his home town.  As it turns out he was from Ashland and knows my former Coldwater High School classmate Liz Hensley, he said my hair reminds him of hers.  So we talked football, banking, he was a waiter at one of our bank Chrstmas parties, we did a little name dropping, trying to impress each other with who we knew (quite funny), I showed him my play house and he said I really should be on HGTV ( this is after he looks in his computer and they keep records of all the stuff you buy for 10 years, he said I should have my own discount!!).. He carried out my 3 gallons of paint and gave me my $10.00 coupon on top of the 30% off sale, cause he said it was his pleasure do help me today!!!  BAM  NICE!!!he did GOOD...

Next, I went to TARGET and mind you I looked at EVERY single item in that place and simply tried to soak up all the cute stuff and TRIED to show some restraint from not buying every colored pencil in the aisle, I don't even use colored pencils...I did put several 'beauty supplies' in my red plastic cart, along with more than I needed from the women's clothing department and then those cute booties with fringe practically screamed BUY ME when I walked by....I am no math genius, but I figured I was spending about $100.00 per hour...so I headed to the checker outers.... unknown to me... NICE was about to happen!!!I promptly put my reuseable shopping bags on the gray belt, because they give you a 5 cent per bag discount....and I am all about saving money at TARGET!!!...So the sweet little girl running the computer, who I am sure is young enough to be my grandaughter, asked me IF I have the TARGET APP, cause she noticed I have several things from the UP and UP brand, and this app is giving 25% off of all womens clothing today in celebration of LABOR DAY, she also says I see you got the GOOD bologna ( I am not even sure those 2 words should be in the same sentence, but nothing makes baloney better than a fresh tomater).... I replied no because I live WAAAAY too far away from a Target, and I don't get to shop at TARGET very often, ( cause if I did I would be broke and have to have another job!!). Well, in the blink of an eye she whips out her cell phone and uses her app to apply the discount to my purchases, downloads it to my phone and bags all of my purchases at the same time, she saved me a total of $33.00 YES!!.  BAM...NICE...happened again!!!  Now, I am convinced she is way too smart to be working at Target, and I am Convinced her MAMA taught her to DO GOOD ANYWAY... her name was SAYRE ( SAAY-REE)... and my gracious she is going to be beautiful in more ways than one.  I can't wait to shop there again...

Next, I stopped at Home Depot, only to find my beloved spray paint is BEHIND pad-locked gated bars and the poor people at the paint counter were stacked up, cause on a 3 day week-end celebrating LABOR DAY, I guess a lot of people wanted to paint something.  so I was NICE and left without spray paint...

So, then.... I went to WAL-MARTs ( I love it that people still call it that!!), I purchased 25 lbs of  SUGAR, 2 cases of canning jars, cause I have a $5.00 coupon that I won at the fair, and I want to save as much money at the WAL-MARTs as I do at TARGET!!!, a QUART of KILZ paint ( I am sure they will have to RENAME that soon), and 6 containers of silver GLITTER, cause I never want to loose my sparkle.... and SERNANDINO ( pronounced just like it reads, cause I ask how to pronounce it) as he is required to do...asked me  TRUTH!! if I was 18?.. I assured him I was and we both laughed and I thanked him for really asking me and not just ASSUMING that I was no longer a teeny bopper... He sacked my stuff and told me to have a super great day in the accent of his family heritage.  BAM...His mama taught him to be NICE to middle aged ladies at WAL-MARTs on the hottest windy dusty day in the history of this summer.  So I can say I have been carded over a paint, or was it the sugar purchase??? Does this mean the 'bad-guys' are starting to use jars and sugar with glitter...if so THEY aRE CrAzY!!!

My point of this...These kids were are NICE and did not have to be, yet someone taught them to be NICE...and I think that is NICE.

I think it is NICE to have 3 days off from the job that keeps us in health insurance. I think it is NICE to be home alone for a couple of days, we excel with the job of living together when we have a little time a part!!! I think it is NICE to live in my sweet little hometown!! 

This has been a struggle of a year for me to be NICE.. but doing good makes me feel good, somehow slowly, very slowly>>>> it is helping my heart heal, it is making the tears sting a little less, I miss my mom being NICE to me.

Loretta always said.."DO GOOD ANYWAY"!!

Robin