Today is one of those days I wished for a telephoto lens and/or better picture taking skills. There were over twenty wild turkeys on a hill near my house.  It was a beautiful sight!

But Spring is here and our garden is coming on so I can’t possibly pout too long about better, closer turkey pictures, can I?

Radishes, leaf lettuce and white onions are poking through and after the rain we’ve had all day they should really start growing now.

I got this list of questions from my cousin’s wife’s blog and thought I would borrow them to interview my children.  I asked each child to sit with me separately and privately so each child’s answer would be original.  We had a blast laughing and giggling.  Beware, some answers are brutally honest. Enjoy!

Sissy – age 11

1. What is something mom always says to you? “Go get your shoes and socks on.”  and  “When you’re done eating you have to do some chores.”

2. What makes mom happy? Peace and quiet

3. What makes mom sad?  When someone dies, of course

4. How does your mom make you laugh? By saying something that does not make sense, like, “go get in bread.”

5. What did your mom like to do when she was a child? Read

6. How old is your mom? 33

7. How tall is your mom? 6 feet

8. What is her favorite thing to do? I don’t know… spend time with her family… I’m just guessing.

9. What does your mom do when you’re not around? Watches TV shows that I can’t watch and sleeps in (with a finger pointing at me)

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for? Probably for writing a book

11. What is your mom really good at?  Math

12. What is your mom not very good at?  Science

13. What does your mom do for her job? She loves her children

14. What is your mom’s favorite food? Fried chicken and eggs – I know that for sure!

15. What makes you proud of your mom? She loves God so much and that she trusts God.

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be? D. W. (from Arthur)because she gets words mixed up and because sometimes she has no clue what she is talking about. Because sometimes you are just ‘out there’ when you didn’t eat breakfast.

17. What do you and your mom do together? I don’t know…Talk about the day and laugh.

18. How are you and your mom the same? We both like read, we both have brown hair and our last name is both Richardson.

19. How are you and your mom different?  She is an adult and taller than me. There are lots of ways, but I can’t think of something to put in words.

20. How do you know your mom loves you?  Because she takes care of me and teaches me about God.

21. What does your mom like most about your dad? That he is a Christian.

22. Where is your mom’s favorite place to go?  The bathroom… (lots of laughter) no… don’t put that.  Shopping ,but it is boring.  Really the shower.

Bubba – Age 9

1. What is something mom always says to you? Something about not listening…  You say, ’I love you’, when you drop me off at school.

2. What makes mom happy? When I clean my room without you asking.

3. What makes mom sad?  I don’t like this one… I want you to always be happy.

4. How does your mom make you laugh? By making jokes and stuff.

5. What did your mom like to do when she was a child? Drink milk

6. How old is your mom? I don’t know…let me guess…2 days old (Ha Ha) um…. 32

7. How tall is your mom? 6 feet something or maybe 7 feet

8. What is her favorite thing to do? Read and play on the computer

9. What does your mom do when you’re not around?  Yucky stuff with my Dad

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?  Her great cooking

11. What is your mom really good at?  Settling arguments and reading stories

12. What is your mom not very good at?  Admitting she was wrong

13. What does your mom do for her job? stay at home Mom

14. What is your mom’s favorite food? I think I know… um… avocado

15. What makes you proud of your mom? Her great reputation at school

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be? Tom… you know like Tom and Jerry… Tom the cat

17. What do you and your mom do together?  Play Chess

18. How are you and your mom the same? We both have hazel eyes and that’s all, I think… she has big feet and I sadly have big feet too.

19. How are you and your mom different?  Um… she is older than me and knows a lot more and she’s a girl.

20. How do you know your mom loves you?  She kisses me and hugs me.

21. What does your mom like most about your dad? He has a cute butt (Bubba turned red at this point and rolled on the floor laughing)

22. Where is your mom’s favorite place to go?  Steak and Shake

Paddy – Age 7

1. What is something mom always says to you? Blow your nose

2. What makes mom happy? Flowers

3. What makes mom sad?  I don’t know…you're always happy…um…I don’t know.

4. How does your mom make you laugh? Trying to make funny jokes up

5. What did your mom like to do when she was a child? Ride your bike

6. How old is your mom? 32

7. How tall is your mom? 6 foot

8. What is her favorite thing to do? Clean? … Do you like to clean? … Cook!

9. What does your mom do when you’re not around? Clean

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?  Cleaning? Celebrity show…. what is that??

11. What is your mom really good at?  Being nice

12. What is your mom not very good at?  Telling jokes

13. What does your mom do for her job? Being a stay at home mom

14. What is your mom’s favorite food? Avocado and pizza

15. What makes you proud of your mom? Lots of things… how she cares for us.

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be? Francine (From Arthur)

17. What do you and your mom do together?  Talk, Talk, Talk

18. How are you and your mom the same? Hair - our wonderful hair!

19. How are you and your mom different? She’s a girl and I am a boy

20. How do you know your mom loves you?  How she cares for us – that’s how I know lady.

21. What does your mom like most about your dad? He’s beautiful! (said with a batting eye lashes and a cute sing song voice)

22. Where is your mom’s favorite place to go?  Burger King

Both boys recently brought home a paper from school that said since they both had at least one ‘A’ on their last report card they were entitled to two Nashville Predators tickets each. The Nashville Predators are our local professional hockey team.  We were all very excited about the tickets which the school said they would be sending home soon. 

Since Sissy has moved on from their elementary school to middle school, she was the only one left without a ticket.  We figured that we would be sitting in the general admission section, way up high, and we could just buy Sissy a ticket so the whole family could enjoy the night together.  However, one of the teachers let me know the next day that she would send home a ticket for Sissy too. Wasn’t that sweet?

Imagine my surprise when the boys brought home five $70.00 tickets! Our seats were eleven rows from the ice!

We had a great family night out together and of course ran into several other people from school who were all scattered around in equally good seats.

Paddy got sleepy and bored toward the end and is a bit young to really keep up with the game, but Sissy and Bubba enjoyed it.  The Preds lost, but that didn’t damper our spirits a bit!

Beacon

By: Theresa Richardson

Twinkling lights

up on the hill

I see you

when I stand still.

Empty blackness

surrounds

yet you gleam

on higher ground.

I know

you are there

shining

in the night air.

The darkness

is broken

by your small

beaming token.

Through the trees

you peek

it is your comfort

I seek.

To know

you are home

I don't feel so

alone.

I have never been to an AA meeting and I don’t know all of 12 steps, but sometimes I feel like a recovering addict trying to break free from my addiction.  I can’t always put my finger on it, but it is probably best summed up in The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse by David Johnson and Jeff VanVonderen.  I have not read that book in 10 years and can’t remember a thing it says now, but it was a turning point in my life at the time to even realize there was a thing as Spiritual Abuse. 

I was raised in a very conservative and legalistic church.  I went to the Christian school associated with the church so even though my family wasn’t  as conservative as the church and school it was still my life at least 6 days a week, I still had to live it – pretend it.  I hate to think about it and it is hard to explain especially to someone that has not lived it.  If you didn’t grow up in a legalistic church where what you wore was more important than who you were or the wrath of God overshadowed the love of God then you probably won’t comprehend where I am coming from.

My sister in law and I have long conversations about these places – the churches, the schools, the colleges, the camps, the lifestyle. How it trickled into our families and how to stop the cycle. She can relate. Every now and then I run into someone else who can relate.  Not someone that is still living under the heavy yoke of legalism, but someone like me who is trying to break free or who has broken free.  I feel that during these conversations we tell our stories as if we were in some kind of recovering addicts meeting.  It is if we came through the battle and lived to tell.  We endured all the wrath and condemnation, but pulled through to bear witness to a real, genuine, loving relationship with Christ.

At one point in my life I had to step back and re-evaluate everything I had learned about Christianity, because if it was truly what I had grown up seeing at church then I wanted no part of it.  I can remember in 10th grade my pastor/Bible class teacher telling the class that hopefully one day we all would grow up and mature and we would learn that the closer we got to God the less freedom we would have.  That none of us could possibly be close to God because we still thought it was alright to do certain things. (e.g. women wearing pants).  I wanted to be close to God, but he was making it sound like a mature Christian would be locked in chains.  Praise God that I eventually found the freedom there is in Christ. 

Matthew 11:29-30 (N I V)

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

I do still struggle.  I find myself being judgmental towards myself and other people over things that don’t matter.   I find myself feeling guilty ,worthless, and wallowing in my past sins.  I have to remind myself constantly that I am forgiven and loved and there is nothing that I can do to make myself worthy.  I can not earn grace. I heard this song by Tenth Avenue North a few weeks back and cried.  I ran and I searched, but His hands were holding me the whole time and now I know His real, true, never ending love for me.

I still cry when I hear it, but as the tears flow, I smile and feel refreshed.

Song: By Your Side

Artist: Tenth Avenue North

Why are you striving these days
Why are you trying to earn grace
Why are you crying
Let me lift up your face
Just don't turn away

Why are you looking for love
Why are you still searching as if I'm not enough
To where will you go child
Tell me where will you run
To where will you run

And I'll be by your side
Wherever you fall
In the dead of night
Whenever you call
And please don't fight
These hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you

Look at these hands and my side
They swallowed the grave on that night
When I drank the world's sin
So I could carry you in
And give you life
I want to give you life

Cause I, I love you
I want you to know
That I, I love you
I'll never let you go

“Hi my name is Theresa and I am a recovering legalist.”