I’m sweeping up all the flour, powdered sugar, and tiny lavender petals from the wedding preparations. Washing and folding guest towels, and sweeping up golden hair from all the golden retrievers the boys and their girls brought with them for the wedding weekend. The Blue Cotton House will return to its own everyday ordinary hum Monday morning when I drive my mom home to Kentucky. All the boys to men are married now. . . all five of them. While I put together a wedding cake Friday morning, these boys and their girls blew up balloons, hung curtains and cascade lights, wound lavender and leafy garlands up a banister, set tables. Sweet friends came to help, too. The wedding was sweet, all the children played, searching for tiny glass pumpkins hidden, dancing as family enjoyed each other, new family meeting new family. We even had a ring bear-er (the ring bearer wore a bear costume – it was Halloween and our son’s nickname is Bear) and the flower girls looked like princesses. One little one kept bringing me rose petals and asked me to dance with her. Our new daughter-in-law loves children – and the evening reflected that love. All those prayers for my sons’ wives when they were little? God is faithful! My son’s bride is beautiful, just like her heart!

For every wedding, I’ve put together a poem, “What are You Doing for the Rest of Your Life?” The bride’s family sends me a list of precious memories they never imagined the day they said, “I do.” I take that list and turn it into a poem (a little rambly-kind of poem). Nanny and Papaw are no longer here, but their words are still here, speaking their grandson and his new bride. I thought I’d share this 5th one with you:

What are you doing for the rest of your life, Beautiful,” he asked.
“Spending it with you,” she smiled, smiling his favorite smile.

Dreams, Expectations, and Love
reshape, re-form
as the rest of your life unfolds

Papaw laughed, saying,
 “We didn’t know nothing when we got married”
but their house filled up,
creating their own love equation:
One girl + One boy + a set of twins
equals 12 grandsons
Who thought a house
could hold so much love?

How does I do  make scraps for love story pieces?
Somehow, it does – and out of it comes
garden tulips, little Dutch girls
and farmer boys, soccer balls and
all things Papaw from trucks, tractors
and Apple Tree Swings quilted
and wrapped tight around
so many little shoulders
like hugs and love,” explained Nanny.

Singing songs, making songs
reading words, stories
all day long, made up stories
God stories
Cedar Lake Camp
Salvation stories
walking out her own story
smiled her daddy.

Adventuring over the creeks
and through the woods
finding blackberries
picking wildflower bouquets
bringing them home.
“I do” days
never imagined
such sweetness.
A yellowed nose
from dandelion admirings
her mama said, how she
loved anything,
everything living outside
even frogs, chameleons,
bringing home
grub worm pets,
Barely old enough to talk
wanting to go live with God
remembered her mama.

“Who knew?” his daddy said.
“Hope & Crosby Road movies,
could be so much fun,
or little boy imaginations
creating kittens with fist-bump
shakings despite big brother
hijinks, skipping four-years old
living five times two, and answering
for a season only to the name Bobby,
fighting battles with wisely and wily
placed words that hit the bulls-eye marks.
while walking out with each son
the plumb line of dream building.
Who knew?” 

His mama gladly
put girly, girl dreams aside
to find joy in boys and their toys:
little boy stealthy tip-toeing
to surprise a scare,
Butterfly Bob rescues,
the joy of the Lord within
changing the atmosphere without,
happy hearts found in bottomless bowls of pasta,
that blankets and hats
could warm a heart from the outside in. . .
Alexander Dumas inspirations, a writer’s heart awakened
Who knew love challenges each of us
to love one another to God’s beard and back

“My happiest Days?
A Mama’s Trinity:
babies born,
college graduation,
and weddings,”
misty-eyed Grandmama wistful explained.

 “Hide-N-Seek
in the dark,
boys sitting on kitchen counter-tops
telling stories big and little,
little and big
and laughing, a joy unanticipated over 50 years ago,”
his Aunt Sherry said added.

What are you doing for the rest of your life?
You really haven’t a clue
about the wonderful details and moments inside the plan
God has in store for you!
Big and Little
Little and Big.

Remember Me Monday: #153 Link-up

“I’ll make a list of God’s gracious dealings,
    all the things God has done that need praising,
All the generous bounties of God,
    his great goodness to the family of Israel—
Compassion lavished,
.    love extravagant.”
~ Isaiah 63:7, The Message

In the Old Testament, God repeatedly, quietly and loudly, tells his children, “You have forgotten me!”  (Jeremiah 3:32, Ezekiel 22:12, to name a few). It’s a heart cry from a father to a child who has forgotten all the love, all the saving, helping, little and big blessings – and it leaves me stunned when I realize our Father, the creator of the universe, who knows things I cannot begin to fathom, who authors storylines that leave me amazed, delights in all of us so much, He cries out, “Remember Me.”

While every day is a Remember God Day, I am inviting you to join me on Monday mornings to come by and remember what God has done for you, for your family. Maybe God sent a cardinal darting out in front of you, as if to tell you, “I’m here,” or broke a child’s fever after you laid it all down at His feet in a 2 a.m. bedside vigil. Maybe He stood with you in the wait of a prayer sent out, or brought someone you loved to Christ. Maybe He healed your broken heart, gave your courage, or you gave Him your dreams as a love offering only to have Him give them back in an unimaginable way. Maybe God helped you survive to bedtime after a crazy Monday, or forgive yourself for missing it with your kiddos –– Whatever it is, let’s Remember Him. . . in a “Remember Me Monday” love letter.

“My mouth will tell of your righteousness,
Of your salvation all the day long,
Though I know not its measure.
I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign Lord”
~ Psalm 71:15-16.

Let us delight in Him by telling the  stories of what He’s done!  If you wrote a blog post remembering what He’s done for you, join the linky. If you didn’t but still want to praise Him for what He’s done – write it in the comment section. Then visit a comment before or after yours! One of the beautiful things about the blogging community is the relationships it builds!

Rules?  Write long or short, a list or a story, include photos or not. Just Remember Him and what He has done, and let the gratitude of your heart guide you. Let’s make Monday so Rejoice, that the goodness of God spills into the rest of the week! (Link opens Mondays at 6 a.m.)

Places I’m Linking at This Week:
  Instaencouragements, Legacy Link-Up, 
Let’s Have Coffee Wednesday 
Recharge Wednesday, Scripture & a Snapshot
Grace&Truth, Sweet Tea & Friends
The Good, The Random, The Fun