Laugh Lest I Cry

Another thing I struggle with is memory. I can't seem to blame the MS on this. I have always struggled with it. Most of the time, I consider it a blessing. But the way I deal with it is that I am a "list" person. I make lists, write things I need to remember down on my calendar and cross things out so that I can remember I did them. Here is what I posted at Carla's site regarding my memory:

...I have been blessed with a short memory. Really. I will put my son in the corner and not only forget I put him there if I did not put the timer on, but unless I wrote down what he got in trouble for, I cannot remember why he's there.
My husband and I will have a disagreement... and in the midst of it he has to remind me what it is about.
I was a tomboy growing up. I preferred to hang out with boys (like my brother) because boys set things on fire (like my sisters Barbie's), ran over things and didn't cry at the drop of a hat and play emotional head games, pretending to be your friend while their claws were digging into your back.
It's funny, because I have a heart for women now. Maybe all those hormones kicked in when I started having children and now that I am approaching 40 and those hormones are *CRAZY*... I am beginning to understand women more... and I actually love to be around them. But I do choose wisely... and do not hold it past me to stop a conversation short if someone starts conversing in a manner that is ungodly. Have I had conversations bent towards gossip, gotten my feelings hurt or been wronged? Yep. But I have the Holy Spirit to convict me, cause me to repent, seek forgiveness and I have friends that don't gloss over or sugar-coat the truth... but speak it boldly out of love. Have I done any of this perfectly? No. But I do my best to honor my Lord, pray that I grow progressively in it and move on.
Why dwell on something that you cannot remember anyway.

Thanks for the reminder that God is good and to be glorified in all that He causes and allows... I am convicted by this. I'm with you that life is too short for petty female, fleshly conversations. And yet you are real and admit that it is a small sacrifice to not get to wear heals....I'm with you on that. It is crazy how frustrating the shoe thing can be.....especially on Sunday a.m. for some vain, fleshly reason.

The sermon yesterday, from Joshua, might be encouraging to you........it convicted me! These walls of Jericho we encounter are nothing to the God who has said, "I will have that city!"

if you have time (hee hee) you can listen. Racinebible.org go to audio download to hear it :)

This sister admires you,
ad

Aaah... admire Christ in me. Admiring me will lead to disappointment.
I will listen to the audio tonight. I appreciate your encouragement.
May we continue to learn from one another, to encourage each other in the things of Christ, and be eager to extend mercy and grace to one aother when we fail.
Your sister and servant in Christ,
Lisa

I was a tomboy growing up. I preferred to hang out with boys (like my brother) because boys set things on fire (like my sisters Barbie's), ran over things and didn't cry at the drop of a hat and play emotional head games, pretending to be your friend while their claws were digging into your back.

Oh Lisa,

The more of your history you share, the more commonalities I see between the two of us. Wasn't hanging out with the guys just always "cooler" and more fun than playing house with the girls? I was always a tomboy, too--in fact, my grandmother (on Dad's side) was FOREVER telling my mom that I needed to be more "ladylike." :rolling eyes: :-). She gave me some book on proper female etiquette when I was about 10 called, "White Gloves and Party Manners," or something "sissy" like that. ;-) (I NEVER read it, LOL). She used to get so upset with me because I would prefer playing with my male cousins to my female cousin. She couldn't do anything we could-she couldn't climb trees, or connect the bat to the ball, or throw a spiral football, (strike that--she couldn't throw at all--she threw like a....gasp....GIRL!!) she couldn't pop wheelies on a bicycle-she was just no fun at all! (BTW, it was my brother who taught me how to do all the above). My brother and I would make little bicycle ramps out of planks and bricks, then he'd light a fire at the end of the ramp. Then, niave little Steph would gather up speed on my bike, and come flying up the ramp, popping a wheelie, just clearing the flame. How on earth I survived childhood......LOL. (But man, it was FUN!!).

And some other thoughts that came to me (maybe I'm thinking too much?):

After childhood, as I grew into adulthood and ever since--throughout life--my closest friends were always male. I'm thinking you empathize with what I'm saying. Into the workplace, I was ALWAYS going to lunch with my male co-workers-strictly platonic of course, even at the risk of gossipers and "back-clawers." But I never thought anything of it. I remember my first job in fast food-my best friend there was one of the assistant managers, and we walked each other through politics, would seek each other's advice on dating, and were golf and tennis partners for years until he joined the Air Force. He became an officer, and we stay in touch to this day. Once, one of the girls who worked there asked me, (and I quote): "Do you two date?" I looked at her in all seriousness, and replied, "Yes." (Then, I gave a long, pregnant pause). And then I added, "......but not each other." The look on that sista's (and I mean "sista" in the ethnic sense :-)) face was priceless. She said, "Girl.....you crazy!"

When one of my best buddies back home and I were in our early twenties, he and I attended the same church, and we went everywhere together-(including my first Campi concert). You'd hardly see one of us without the other. Most people in the congregation-including my family-assumed we were a "couple." But nothing could have been further from the truth. He's just another of my lifelong male friends, (who actually came and helped my parents move back to their hometown last year).

When I found out I was expecting Jacob, my oldest, I remember I was terrified that I might give birth to a girl. I had no clue how to relate to little girls; and just knew that I'd blow it if I tried to raise a daughter. But God is provincial, and you see that he's blessed me with two boys, so, maybe my fears were justified, LOL. But I hear you about "beginning to understand women more..." and I'm learning to enjoy being around them more.

But, as a sidebar, isn't it interesting that women like us, who, growing up seemed to relate better to the male gender, strive (emphasis on "strive"-I certainly have not arrived) to maintain Godly perspectives regarding gender roles within the church?

Hmmmmm.......

Sigh....did I type God is "provincial?" Of course, I meant, God is "providential." :-)

(I knew it was one of those major insurance companies).

I hope I've at least brought a smile to your face today.

Okay ... so I can throw a spiral like a guy.... WHY you ask???... because I had a brother that would turn me upside down and bang my head on the ground when I threw like a girl.

I have found that to be oddly true about the tomgirl thing relating to the Biblical womanhood issue.

Do you know why my husband married me... because I like guy adventure, action movies (with a humour twist)... I like movies I can't guess the ending to... (rare)... and I like to watch Stargate SG1 (have to be a bit selective). I like Colonel O-Niel. Not a crush thing. My husband is WAY more handsome than any guy I have ever met... and INCREDIBLY smart. (I always thought I'd marry a smart guy over handsome... I got both.) Col. O'Neil gets all the great lines. He's sarcastic and dry humoured... like my dad.

Oh... and you always bring a smile to my face, littlegal!!!

"Another thing I struggle with is memory. I can't seem to blame the MS on this. I have always struggled with it. Most of the time, I consider it a blessing. But the way I deal with it is that I am a "list" person. I make lists, write things I need to remember down on my calendar and cross things out so that I can remember I did them."

I'm a list person, too. Look, I have the long-term memory of an elephant, but when it comes to short-term memory...forget it! (Of course, I hear, "If you'd just spend the time that you spend making a list actually performing the tasks that are on the list, you'd get a lot more done.")

Do you ever forget to put something on your list, realize that it needs to be done, and then after you complete the task, add it to the list so that you can have the immediate gratification of crossing it off your list?

Someone had emailed me a "diagnosis" of a fictional disorder called, "Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder (A.A.A.D.D.) a few weeks ago. Your post has inspired me to make a post on my blog about it. I renamed it Mommy's Post-Dramatic Express Syndrome, and re-wrote it to make it more of a personal account of one of my typical days. (Sorry to promote my blog this way, but I thought some of the moms could relate, and I fear I've posted too much to your blog of late).

You wrote: "Do you ever forget to put something on your list, realize that it needs to be done, and then after you complete the task, add it to the list so that you can have the immediate gratification of crossing it off your list?"

YES!!!! (hysterical)

I tell people I suffer from Noun deficiency... everything is a "thingy" and sometimes my children are "You... ummm, you know who you are."

(I'm not uptight about blog promotion. I like to know)