Only God Can Judge Me (part 1)

Church - you know this is directed right at US don't you?!  I'm going to deal with this as though it were a shot gun.  Same deadly weapon - two chambers. 

They're right.  We are judging "them" and 90% of the time it is not with the heart we Want to approach these situations.  

1. "I just want to Help them!" .....

 Just stop it

I could spend time going over Why you should stop it but for now we'll leave it there.

2.  How will they know unless we tell them?

They'll know

3.  I was Really convicted about that a couple years ago and I think if people heard what God told me about that it would make a big difference! 

No it won't.  Do you want to know why?  They're not you!  God is an individual God!  This is inconceivable to most of the church of today, but if God required you to stop chewing blue bubble gum that's actually a level probably only you will get to know Him on.  Your personal convictions (placed by God) are just that - yours.  I know it's hard to understand, but most of the time God is perfectly okay with EVERYONE else chewing blue bubble gum. He just wants your obedience and He wants it without any contingency regarding making everyone else join you. 

4.  Well the BIBLE says you shouldn't do that!!!

Yes it does - but right now they're not here however you are so,  can we talk about your obsession for Rock Revival Jeans and Michael Kors Purses while you are late on that car payment? Also - Remember how you told me what the 2nd grade teacher was going through "so I could pray for her"?  You didn't stop and pray with me when you told me about her divorce.  I wonder if that was a sincere prayer request or was it a way to make your Need to tell me someone else's story sound Not like gossip?   

5.  Have you earned the right to say these things to someone?

99.99% of the time you will not be able to scripturally call things out in someone you aren't already mentoring.  Just to help you out and clear it up for you .... You're probably not the .01% either.  

The Bible talks about terrible judgement and the wrath that God pours out but we the church (myself included - don't jump me) have talked and/or acted as though We are the instrument of wrath God prefers or Needs to use! 

God "gives" each of us people to affect with our walk.  Sometimes it's a no-brainer, our children, spouse etc.,   But all too often we find ourselves treating the teenager with the pierced nose and gauged ears checking us out at the grocery store as one of our children and begin to ask him WHY he has done such a thing "Don't you know it'll be hard to get any job but Walmart looking like that? ...  God made you beautiful - why would you want to desecrate your Temple like that?"  There are some things I feel so compelled to it's like God has nailed me to it and I walk around as though it were a part of me.  This is one of them. -- Did you hear God Specifically say to speak to that young man?  Do you have a relationship with him?  Have you invested the time into his life to allow you the privilege to speak into him that way?  In all likelihood you have just made it SO much harder for the believer God DID ordain to reach this young man to have any success at all!  This also includes "discussing" it behind his back!  

Better yet - the Facebook "Friend" that we really only met one time - when they post a pro-life or pro-choice article.  Have you invested any time in their life?  Reading the scripture together? Praying together? Have you audibly heard the voice of God saying "Jump Them!!" ??  Because if not, chances are all you have accomplished is finding a 'justifiable' way to release some of that pent up rejection or anger you haven't dealt with onto some poor unsuspecting soul.   --  I'm just going to throw this in as a bonus.  Unfollow or Unfriend them.  Neither are a sin.  People unfriend me all of the time!  Recently, even though it pained me greatly, I didn't ask them why.  I waited.  Prayed about why it bothered me.  Told my husband I must need to pray about this because it hurts me!  But I treated them the same when I saw them in person.  This went on for about 6 months.  Then she sent me a friend request! BAM! (Do NOT tell my husband that I have found so much joy and comfort and peace from NOT confronting someone!  It'll seriously move his cheese!) 

We are to "judge" the actions of others Mostly for ourselves.  "If I do that will it bring glory to God?"  Once you have wooled this around in your heart and prayer life for a while then you do whatever God is giving you permission to do.  Sometimes God is giving you the discernment over others' actions for the lone reason that you can test it to find out the perfect will of God for Your life! Not so you can bully someone else into changing theirs. 

Romans 12:1-2English Standard Version (ESV)

A Living Sacrifice

12 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Lastly, I think that the church of this age has hurt itself SO much by Assuming because it's in the Bible or because God has given us a conviction that He will not be able to get the message out without US!  Remember the bullet point above ... "How will they know if I don't tell them?"

John 13:35Amplified Bible (AMP)

35 By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love and unselfish concern for one another.”

Matthew 7:16-20Amplified Bible (AMP)

16 By their fruit you will recognize them [that is, by their contrived doctrine and self-focus]. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles?17 Even so, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the unhealthy tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.

They will know by your fruit.  What is your life producing?  Are you spiritually at rest or are you always fighting something.  Some cause - Some social sin?  If you feel it is your personal job to verbally assault every homosexual you see but haven't heard the voice of God for that particular person - I mean you just jump them because "it's wrong - the bible says so",  .... Bear with me here and test this against your prayer life.... If you are the blanket confrontational Christian to all of the sin in the world, is it possible that you just don't believe God is big enough to get to the ones that should be saved without you?  I mean otherwise why would you need to jump every sinner?  (This includes you ... Do you Jump yourself and verbally call out all your sins in the mirror each morning?) 

When the woman was 'taken in adultry' and thrown before a crowd of church people with rocks in their hands, Jesus didn't whip out his latest leather-bound book of Leviticus and tell her all of the WHY's of how it was wrong.  Nor did he lecture her about the public would perceive it.  He said approximately 10 words. "Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more." John 8:11 

He called her out and forced her to hear his voice call it sin.  But no lectures just Go and sin no more.  I do not think we have any more documentation about how she reacted, but I guarantee you - when he was hanging on the cross she was grieving.  "He was different, even from some of his followers!"   His fruit of loving one another that day was seared into her mind for eternity. 

That's how they will know.  By our love.  Once you have shown love, invested in their life, and given compassion, the ones God has assigned to you to make a difference in before the beginning of time - they will come find YOU.  And they will ask.  NOW - at this point.  This is where you are supposed to be ready.  In season and Out of season to give the story of the gospel.  When they come to you because they see the fruit of knowing Jesus in you.  That's when you've earned the right to call out What God Tells you to call out in them.  Most of the time, when you are a given jewel, God has already prepared their heart to hear what you would have to say. 

So judge away friends ... and change your life with the things you see and hear from God.  But wait!  Wait for the chosen ones who are ready to hear you talk about God to come to you!  Because they will - they know they have a God-Shaped hole that nothing else has filled yet.  They just need to see some people that He has filled it up inside of and they will want to know Him. 

The best thing you can do for the gospel and for the Lord is to discern everything, and use it to make yourself worthy of being called a Christian. Let God sort out everything else.  He's big enough for that.  I'm not advocating that we NEVER speak to anyone we haven't known for years at all.  I'm just begging you to be sure you have heard from God to do it.

As with everything else, there will come a point where God will refine this in me.  Make it better or deeper or say  "Sheesh girl - you got a lot of that right but you got some wrong too!  Lets walk this out one more time!" 

So if I haven't communicated it completely the way God wanted it - stick with me.  I Really want to be the daughter that receives correction or even teaching and finally "gets it"!  

Blessing for today ya'll!  We need them every day! 

Heather 

27 years later

Today - 27 years.

July 7, 2012

September 25, 1988

  

Well, that's just of marriage!  We met when we were 14.

Prom - Freshman year 1985

At that time girls played basketball at the same time as football season. Yes - for all you southerners ... We played full court basketball.

When the football team came in from practice and sat down on the bleachers, the coach told us to line up for conditioning.  "You have got to be kidding me right?!?" I muttered under my breath ... The nifty contact lenses Mom had finally gotten me were left at home and back in the 80's those glasses took up half your face. To say I did not enjoy that day's running is a huge understatement! 

As we were on what felt like our 12th suicide, somehow a new boy caught my eye. What's this?!? New blood?!? 

As hard as it is for me to admit I was very shallow. If there were someone new in town I had to pursue.  I just had to know if I were good enough.  If they would want to date Me. I fooled most people and they Thought I was very confident but everything I did was driven by making sure I would have no rejection. There were a few who were never interested and that bothered me more than the amount of success I DID have.  Of all the boys I thought I had crushes on, when we dated there were but just a couple that I ever dated more than once.  Only one I kept coming back to and eventually landed total loyalty with.

I mean really ... 

I became friends with this new interest and we ended up having algebra and study hall together.  Every day we would sit in study hall and work the entire algebra lesson together - I didn't get it and that irritated me.  He appeared to understand it but only just by enough to help me. Years later he told me that he always already had that homework done but wasn't much of a talker and I made him nervous (psshhhh) so he always started at #1 and worked the entire assignment with me again during 7th hour.  We became friends.  Finally by about Fall Break we had begun flirting to lead to that feeling that you Knew they were interested.  I do not remember exact dates like most girls, but at some point His Friend - told My Friend that he liked me and one night Someone suggested we go driving around together (yes kids this was big stuff and all we had to do!).  A few months later we began "going out" and one night after a school dance - a 6ft basketball star and friend of mine (!?) met me in the parking lot and accused me of stealing him from her friend!!  Things escalated and she took a swing and landed a punch and I swung back and landed a punch (significantly lower than hers!) and then she grabbed my hair and begun to swing me around.  Thank the Lord someone broke it up before I had to claim a total loss!  When I walked in the door and told my dad he walked me back out to the front step and handed me a bat and said "Don't come back until you haven't run away from a fight."

I stood on the porch and cried holding that stupid bat and thought - "What in the world am I supposed to do!  I am NOT going back to look for Mrs. Amazon!"  Finally through the door I convinced my father that I had NOT run away from a fight ... I in fact swung back and landed a punch and at that point a teacher broke it up and there was no way I could go back and start this without getting expelled from school!   He actually knew I would not be headed to town (or that if I did he would be following me to keep me - and her safe).  He had made his point - If someone comes after you - don't run ... stand your ground and don't let them think you're scared.  Done ....(sniff sniff)

As I established before, I was not full of character at that point and very driven by acceptance from the opposite sex.  I think I broke up with him 4 times throughout high school for several months at a time.  Jokingly I tell him that I kept breaking up with him because "well ... you wanted me to be SURE didn't you!?  There was only one way to prove that to myself!"   Really, I just had to chase the insecurity that I could be desirable to the opposite sex.  It's a wonder he kept taking me back.

Senior Prom 1988

There are a lot of great memories in between ... What is odd is that I don't have any pictures other than these of us dating.  (do not  - I repeat do NOT randomly post them on social media if you have them ... you can email them to me at HMWestover@gmail.com   LOL  there are a LOT of horrible pictures of me out there and I just don't have that much time for therapy left in my lifetime) I have separate pictures of us ...

Cleaning out his truck?!  I never knew he took this picture until a couple years ago 

Bass Fishing 

 This blog started as just a way to document stories for my girls and have some fun.  Maybe those other  stories can be posted later - when All of my girls are adults (LOL).  

But my married life started out with a tiny diamond wedding set that cost $89 ... Now I have the wedding set I love.... It's not traditional ... but neither are we.  Sapphires for a September anniversary. 

27 years - 5 girls - 4 bonus kids in and out of our home - 2 grandkids - and I'm ready for more. I can only thank God that by the time we married and started having children I was delivered from the need for attention from the opposite sex that I had back then.  A lot of people placed bets on whether it would last and I don't blame you.  But it has - and it will, thanks to God - Corey - a heritage and testimony from my Grandmother and my parents that speak volumes to me about long lasting marriages. 

May 2015

Happy Anniversary Corey

New adventures when your child has anxiety

We are still Laughing -- She may never go anywhere with us again! 

These things will not usually be fun.  When your child has anxiety you pray. You pray protection, you pray to block the fear, you tell fear it has no place in your home and you praise God that she will be delivered.  Now - this is where the rubber meets the road. Or maybe where your faith has to grow feet.

You pray these things and you pray without ceasing.  But then you also just trust the sovereignty of God.  Because His timing isn't always our timing. I fully believe my little one is already delivered of fear and anxiety in heaven. However until heaven and earth collide in her timeline, as her parent there's several things I am responsible to do. 

**Disclaimer -- if your child has anxiety, Do NOT just do to your child what I do with mine.  Each child is different and God works differently within them.  Trust your God Given gut instinct that will be reinforced in you through prayer even if everyone around you doesn't always understand it. 

#1 first of all - for this sassy little bucket of blessings, I will not build a bubble around her based on her fears. I will continue to introduce her to events that I know she CAN do even if it will stretch her a little. 

This weekend we visited friends in Nashville. When she asked what activities we would like to do and mentioned renting canoes and kayaks I jumped on it! Now my little one has had a Big love/hate relationship with water.

I remembered her personal life jacket so she would be comfortable with the familiar. But from the moment we stepped into the wobbly canoe, she hit panic stage in record time! She begins yelling- Go Back Mom ... Please go Back!  Whatever it takes! Go back!! 

She reached up and grabbed my elbow, I need my arm to row - this immediately creates a problem and we end up on a sand bar almost instantly! The canoe rental place had "LOW water" signs all over And they weren't kidding! We bottomed out and high centered so many times along the way it was ridiculous.

My friend and I became delirious and laughed hysterically at everything!  She is in the middle with her best friend who is highly adventurous. Her friend kept asking if she could just get out and walk or swim - or something! My daughter sat there with her knees knocking terrified our canoe would tip over in the 4 inches of water!  Finally it happened - her adventurous alter ego best friend tried getting back into the canoe and through a series of events I'm still not sure how they happened - the canoe tipped over.  My daughter was screaming as though an alligator was 2 ft away and all I could do was laugh. 

We finally got the canoe turned right side up - everyone loaded and now my daughter is more mad than scared!  She is fussing and we are giggling. I call out a huge rock is ahead and we over steer and end up running aground on the marsh weeds along the river edge.  As we come to a stop and the adults are bent over laughing, when a moment of silence comes, my little darlin' from behind me says with SO much frustration in her voice "This. Is. SO. Stupid"  

This of course send us into peels of laughter again.  We are about 12 miles into a 5 mile canoe trip and she has Had. It!!!  Between my inexperience, and the low water causing us to maneuver around many rocks, we ended up bouncing from one side of the bank to the other and honestly paddled WAY more than the 5 miles from beginning to end.

At this point she no longer fears being 'unpleasant' in front of friends and others rowing by.  Also, because she has teenage and young adult sisters, her vocabulary when stressed is Not what I would love for my 8 year old, but ....   Now she has reached her maximum level of what she can process and she Yells out  "I just can't wait to get off of this Frickin' thing!!!"  ... and repeats that phrase a couple times.

When renting the equipment, Foggy Bottom canoe rental company had told us that when we reached the Only bridge we would see, that was where we should get off.  My daughter asked around every curve if I could see a bridge.  When I finally said  "There's the Bridge!!"  she replied with all of the gusto that any Southern Belle attending a fully surrendered old fashion Southern Gospel Revival meeting could muster and shouted "PRAISE JESUS!"  ... Only it was more like Prayyyyyussssse Jeeeeesssssuuuuuus!

When we got close to the bridge she, without any fear of tipping the canoe over, jumped right out and headed for shore!

Delivering her from her fear of floating the river and turning over in a canoe!?!?!    NAILED IT!!

You're welcome Darlin!?

Blessings for today ya'll ... we need them every day!

Heather 

Nashville's Newest Star

Well that's it - we've dropped her off, I can't imagine why her new employer wants such a little bit for a new employee... What's that you say? She is in  her  20's?? That's funny, because no matter how many times I blinked, this is what my eyes saw when we drove away. 

When my kids were little I couldn't wait to see what they would be when they grew up, but now all I can see is what they were.  

I have cried so many tears over the last few weeks. So many well meaning people have told me to just "let them go."  Well, what makes you think I'm not willing?! The grieving of my family unit not being the same ever again doesn't mean I wish to hold them back. The presence of tears doesn't mean I won't let go, it means I have let go and am processing the sorrow of missing them so I can Rejoice in the success of their dreams. 

When people walk through something, please know that what you think you see may not actually be what you assume. . Your words of "advice" without experience are delivered with good intentions but really serve more as a burden to the intended.  If you want to help, bring a tub of ice cream and 2 spoons.  Sit with me while I grieve, because tomorrow you will be the first to be invited to a celebration of their successes! My kids are fantastic and there will be reason to celebrate in the morning! 

Small Town America - Santa Lives Here!!

I love living in a small town.  Okay ... I actually live in the country now but I work in a REALLY small town.  The back roads I take to work?  They're only paved in spots lots of gravel, cattle guards, cattle roaming freely back and forth across the road, standing IN the road, and Maybe - Just maybe they will decide to move when you come up on them.  Road Rage takes on a whole new danger when you make one of Them angry! WHEW!

There are still some times however, that the small town can leave me speechless.  I'm never brave enough to take the picture but I got some from other people who actually took them and can prove my story!!

One day recently (the last week of AUGUST)  I was going to the post office and as I turned the corner, SANTA CLAUS stepped out onto the steps of this little house (let me qualify that by saying - if you live in a metropolis, you would not consider what I'm talking about as a house.  Sometimes in the South we are quite happy taking a couple storage sheds and sealing them together with tar or something sticky and parking a trailer next to it and connecting them all with plywood.  It's home and we are happy - don't knock it).  Full red coat, white beard to his chest, and black boots.  He stared at me as though it was the most normal thing ever.  As I turned the corner, with my mouth open wide I'm sure, Santa stared at me expressionless, raised his arm, saluted me, spun on his heel and went back inside.  As I continued my trip to the post office I wondered if I had just hallucinated that event maybe?  I posted it on FB and a friend posted this picture in the comments!  I'm not crazy!  Santa lives in a little house on the corner in Avant!

Today while on my drive to work - remember back roads and cows like this .... 

I come up on a very surreal situation, I'm going to use as many adjectives as I can so you can get a full picture.  Remember I love my country life and the people who make it almost indescribable but ya'll seriously ....

I come up the road to see a car - something like a PT Cruiser - not totally uncommon, but especially on the back roads Most of the vehicles you see are lifted and 4-wheel drive.  Beside this PT Cruiser stands a very skinny, pasty white young man.  He is barefoot, not wearing a shirt either, long stringy hair --- (there are some men who grow beautiful flowing locks that women are jealous over - not one woman is jealous here ... not one), his facial hair, however is so full there may be some men jealous of his ability to grow a beard.  Remember he is very skinny so the only clothing he has on, -- his shorts -- are cinched up tight with a belt.  There he stands in all his glory in the Oklahoma morning sun, so white I'm worried about a sunburn for him at 8am here, almost naked except his cargo shorts, eyes closed, hands folded as if in prayer at his chest and balancing on one foot in a very recognizable yoga pose!?!?

So there you go!  Here in the back woods of Oklahoma America we're getting civilized!  Santa lives here in the off-season, and the locals are bringing yoga to a cow pasture near you!!  Happy Friday everyone! 

Blessings for today ya'll -- we need them every day! 

Heather 

Lucile Ball Moments

 I have affectionately termed my social awkwardness as Lucille Ball Moments because there are just moments I cannot stop myself from getting  into predicaments just like the former TV star.  Wide-eyed and panicking internally trying to figure out how to reel those moments back in to less of a traumatic feeling.  Usually it ends with a good laugh (everyone laughing AT and With me), sometimes people are gracious enough to pretend they didn't notice.

THIS is how I try to be.  

THIS is how I end up. 

Last night I had a private Lucille Ball moment, but I have learned to embrace them and I don't mind sharing.

I'm 45 - why do I care about running?  I don't know why, but somewhere in me would like to run a 5K sometime.  Hopefully sometime soon so I can stop this madness.  I'm a little overweight and have never been a good runner so I don't generally like to do it where people can watch and critique.  I have this pedometer app on my phone.  I recently decided that whatever it shows at the end of the day, I will go outside and run laps inside my yard (about an acre fenced in area) until I'm at the goal for steps that day.  I'm starting small.  As I'm getting started you should know that I chose to stay in my yard because there's been sightings of mountain lions in the area where I live and I just don't need to put myself in that situation because if it's going to happen - I'm the girl it will happen to! Oh I mean I'll live - it'll just be one of those "things" I get myself into.

I would love to tell you the history of Lucille Ball genetics in my family but I'm not sure my mom and sister would love me recounting their "Moments" so we'll just let you know - it's genetic.  :)

A month or so ago we got a donkey!!  More commonly known as a little burrow.  He loves me (at least I tell myself that), he follows me like a dog when I'm taking walks.  When I stop he stops 3 ft. behind me.  I choose to think it's awesome instead of creepy.  When I let him up into the yard from the pasture, he wanders by me occasionally just to get scratched then he wanders off to eat more grass.

As I'm running last night, my English Mastiff - Bertha, and my Westie - Wendy were running with me.  Bertha is curious and never wants to be left out - Wendy really feels like she's more of the protector.  Its dark and not only am I conscious of the mountain lion sightings, I Hate Snakes.  Period, when I tell you a story about a snake - don't ask me what kind.  The kind that needs to be dead! Every Time.  So I'm running and have the flashlight turned on on my phone.  The country playlist blaring which includes odd songs from my childhood like "I Wish I Was A Teddy Bear"  (I don't know - I'm weird).   Anyway, all of a sudden I hear foot steps NOT like those of my dogs.  I'm rounding the swing set and feeling the panic rise in me.  I want to turn around and face whatever is coming because again - I'm weird like that.  As I'm about to start crying imagining being eaten by a big cat, I turn around and step in a hole all at the same time.  I hit my knees and yell out "AHHH" ... when I gather logic back to me again I realize I was almost trampled by DONKEY!  That's it - that's the foot steps of the monster I had built up in my head ... Donkey!   LOL  I looked into the sky  at the red moon we had last night and laughed while a tear ran down my face.  Donkey came over and nudged me like "I'm just following - what's wrong with you!?"

I got up and let him back into the pasture - I mean a big girl can only have so many adrenaline rushes like that in one evening!  Now seriously who does that?  Works themselves up to the point of sobs and panic over stories of a mountain lion because she forgot she had put her donkey into the yard earlier that night!  I am a mess!

Recently, I publicly embarrassed myself in Lucille Ball fashion.  I auditioned for The Singing Churchwomen of Oklahoma and was accepted!  I figured - no sense in waiting to make a fool of myself - might as well try out for a solo right away!

As time neared, I discovered 3 women signed up for the solo I chose.  Me - and 2 professional singers.  As in, 2 women who go to Nashville and sing back-up for national artists and get Paid to do such a thing.  And then I heard one of them "practice" (pshhh like she needed to).  I'm here to tell you -  If my name weren't down ink-to-paper I would have walked right out of there and probably not ever  came back  - ever.

They set it up in American Idol style.  We all had to stay out in the foyer and they called us all in one at a time to audition in front of the judges panel.  I find a little spot away from the biggest chunk of people, and am practicing with my phone. When all of a sudden I hear the Ray Stevens song "It's Me Again Margaret".  I remember this song from my childhood.  It is funny and very silly about a man who is basically stalking a woman and calls her from a pay phone down the street on a regular basis.  In fact I have it on one of my playlists because my dad liked all of his silly songs and it reminded me of my childhood.

Other people begin to look around, hearing Ray Stevens express his 'love'.  Wait - didn't I just say I have that song on a playlist on my phone? People are looking at ME! Wait - whoa!!!  MY PHONE is playing It's Me Again Margaret!  Oh for the love of God please stop looking at me!  As I stopped the song and came very close to crushing my phone people are snickering and giving me sympathetic looks as I'm sure they can see the horror on my face.  Then again I see people looking around - and the "Ryan Seacrest" lady had called a name a few times, then walked around the corner.  OH!  SHOOT what name did she call!?  (I'm obviously still worked up over the Ray Stevens bit).  "Are you Heather?"  Well Sheeeesh now everyone will forever remember my name because of RAY STEVENS and NOT because of my shining personality!  "Yes" I mutter and run towards Mrs. Ryan Seacrest.

As I enter the room we banter back and forth and I had a decent audition.  Keep in mind the other ladies are professionals.  The Director asked if I had any other song I was prepared to try out for and I might as well have given the Goofy chuckle as I spouted "Well Sir, this is the only one I practiced adequately but if you'd like to hit play on another track I can give it my best shot!"    UGGHHHHH

Later when I got home and began practicing again it dawned on me -- I did the solo part well, but when the soloist is supposed to sing with the choir????  I sang the ALTO part instead of the solo!  Good Gracious!  He said he would individually email all of us to let us know but I'm pleading with everything in this universe that he does not do that.  Oh. My. Word.

Another time when I was singing back home in South Dakota,  I was rehearsing on stage when my Aunt Sharon came through the door early, she rushed up the aisle grinning from ear to ear and wrapped me in a huge hug.  This was nice - I know she loves me, but this is also not typical.  She whispers in my ear.  "Heather your blouse is all unbuttoned at the chest!" Yes, this was before the trend of undershirts became popular ..... :-/    

I do a bit of public speaking occasionally, and singing performances in a group with a random solo here or there.  It is always in the back of my mind ... "Hold it together!  This is NOT the time for a Lucille Ball Moment!!!  Hold it together!!"

Sometimes I am able to attain the moment with grace ... other times I'm a fabulous ice breaker! sheesh   But I wouldn't change it for the world.  It's me.