Thanks to all who joined my giveaway last week!
Reading your list of little-known facts was truly delicious, and had me laughing. You seem like the kind of people I would like to hang out with. And some of you, I get to. How neat is that?
Congratulations to Rhonda, first place winner, and to Jenelle, runner-up! I have reached out privately to you both.
Regarding the sign (“Ate a box of thin mints, didn’t get any thinner…”), Rhonda said that I should know… “That sign is perfect. This is what gets me through the tough days.”
I laughed. I love when that happens.
Meanwhile…
I’ve been thinking about Titles. Especially the Titles we give ourselves.
One morning recently, I woke up and slipped into my own identity like a glove, which believe me does not always happen – it usually looks pretty wrinkled and lumpy on me – or else I feel for a few hours like I got someone else’s by mistake –
By 9 am, I had a whole list of who I was, that morning so far.
- Candle Lighter
- Peony Snipper
- Oatmeal Maker
- Bug Killer
- Chicken Transporter
- Raindrop Dodger
- Tear Wiper
- Mess Cleaner
- Question Answerer
- Dish Washer
- Clothes Sorter
- Bad Dream Defuser
It felt good. I thought each day I should write a few titles.
And each one has its own story, some too tedious to tell (so many jeans in the wash! so dirty!) and some too personal (which child woke up crying, and why). And wherefore I felt I needed to kill that bug. And what exactly the mess cleaning entailed. And how I don’t cook breakfast for everyone, but my little kids are onto oatmeal and we love making it individually.
By the end of the day, there were many more titles and their accompanying untold stories, like
- All Purpose Chauffeur
- Meatloaf Maker
- Appointment Misser
- Truth Talker
- Cranky Mother
- One Hour Client
- Boundary Setter
- Daisy Observer
But my personal favorite title was Raindrop Dodger. I am thinking that would make a good online handle for me. Sort of like Dickens’ Artful Dodger, but more innocent.
This is the paragraph where I tell you that who we are (identity) is not constantly changeable based on what we do (tasks).
But I can’t help asking – Who are you today?
Blog reader. Seems obvious.
????
Sleep-in-er
Granola eater
Bee sting monitor
Couch potato
Story reader
Girlie snuggler
Greasy hair tie-up-er
Toast maker
CASA text-er
Fight settler
Coffee spiller
Spill wiper
Social media scroller
Housework procrastinator
I love Saturday mornings. ????
Biscuit Rescuer (My husband delights in making mayonnaise biscuits and I cringe just thinking about them – they are tasty, but mayonnaise?! I whipped up a batch of homemade olive oil mayonnaise and ground some fresh whole wheat flour and munched happily with the rest of the bunch) And the children cheered just as much as always “Dad, you make the BEST biscuits!”
Wordle achiever
French Braid Stylist
Toilet Bowl Scrubber
Never heard of mayonnaise biscuits. Does it replace the oil in a regular recipe?
I enjoy making homemade mayo (I use non-gmo canola oil) because my family thinks it’s the best.
yes, the only wet ingredients in the recipe are milk and mayo
Crier
Plodder
Dreamer
Good words. ❤
Dog Petter
Mango Peeler
Weekend Packer
Soursop Deliverer
Road Tripper
Book Reader
Wedding Rehearserer
And tomorrow: Sister of the Groom!!! ????
Congrats!! 🙂
Coffee drinker
Thrift store shopper
Twix ice cream bar eater
Cat hugger
Attempted Titus 2 teacher- I say attempted because I tried to Biblically correct a young YouTuber but she refused to listen
Ice tea snob
Sneezy- My allergies seem to love me
Car warranty scambaiter- I love messing up their script.
Today (I’m at a Healing Hearts camp for families that have kids with RAD as a volunteer so this is different than my normal titles but I love it) I am…
Flight check crew????
Tearful to see moms and dads and kids hugging and doing fun stuff together
Runner to Walmart
Mistake maker
Player of Mozart music
Hugger of moms and dads who need people to affirm them
There’s more…my heart is full but my time is short.
Meadow tea maker
Husband caretaker
Pray-er
Bird watcher
Advice giver
Mother of eight (the colorful umbrella overshadowing all the rest)
Coffee consumer
Yard sale seeker
Book buyer
Wishful writer
Laundry lamenter
Flower petal admirer
Traveler
Sleeper
Unpacker
Napper
Wannabe Napper. Maybe soon…
Napper.
Hahahaha. I love it.
Pancake maker
Diaper changer
Tractor draw-er
Lunch bringer
Baby smiles receiver
Caffeine consumer
Spinach snipper
Weed observer
Nose wiper
King’s Daughter!!
Thank you Shari for the identity reminder!
Coffee Drinker
Cloud Namer
Free junk Finder
Grocery shopper/picker upper
Lemonade sipper
Dish washer
Smoothie maker
Wannabe squabble settler
Volunteer trainee
Church cleaner/janitor
Summer evening reveler
Podcast listener
Blog commenter (first time! oops.)
I really do enjoy reading your posts though!
Well thank you! 🙂 Good to have you here.
Today I was learning to be a twin mom to my two little girls, born yesterday ????
CONGRATULATIONS!! 🙂 So exciting!
Early riser
Coffee drinker
Muser
Nature observer
Life processor
Chosen of God
Breakfast maker
Lunch packer for husband, who is retired, temporarily employed
Tomato staker
Sweet corn replanter
Shopper for weekly household needs
Dinner maker for my small family and my son and daughter-in-law
And most importantly and the most fun, met and cuddled grandson number 9, grandchild number 14.
Daughter of the King
Tonight, I am the single lady neighbor in a double house who gets to sit on the porch steps and read to two little girls who are eagerly waiting for the next chapter in The Dear Old Brier-Patch by Thornton W. Burgess. “Can we read another chapter?!?” Oh, what a treasure it is to be able to enjoy children! I love their eagerness and innocence.
Nature lover.
A long-ago poem writer. The inspiration just came from God in an unusual way…I mean unusual because it is not usual for me to think in rhyme.
~First 5 Verses by Ralph Spaulding Cushman
(1879—1960)
Oh, the sheer joy of it!
Living with Thee,
God of the universe,
Lord of a tree,
Maker of mountains,
Lover of me!
Oh, the sheer joy of it!
Breathing thy air;
Morning is dawning,
Gone every care,
All the world’s singing,
“God everywhere.”
Oh, the sheer joy of it!
Walking with Thee,
Out on the hilltop,
Down by the sea,
Life is so wonderful,
Life is so free.
Oh, the sheer joy of it!
Working with God,
Running His errands,
Waiting His nod,
Building His Heaven,
On common sod.
Oh, the sheer joy of it!
Ever to be
Living in glory,
Living with thee,
Lord of Tomorrow,
Lover of me!
~Remaining Verses by Sylvia M. Horst (about~2007)
Oh! The sheer joy of it!
Singing His praise;
To God my Saviour,
Through all my days.
Bringing Him glory,
For His great ways!
Oh! The sheer joy of it!
Walking beside
Christ Jesus who was
Killed; crucified.
Holding a hand with
Nail prints inside!
Oh! The sheer joy of it!
Telling my fear,
Pouring my heart cry
Into God’s ear.
Carried in strong arms,
Held very near!
Oh! The sheer joy of it!
Knowing His eye
Is shining on me,
From up in the sky.
He guides & provides
My home on high!
Oh! The sheer joy of it!
Kept in His will,
Secure in His love,
Saved from all ill.
Miracles happen,
Protecting me still!
Oh! The sheer joy of it!
Becoming whole,
Cleansed & forgiven,
In body & soul.
Being like Jesus,
My highest goal!
Sylvia, your poem is exuberantly worshipful. Particularly “holding a hand with nail-prints inside.”
I saw it. I read it. I loved it. I’m grateful. Thanks for your generosity and vulnerability in sharing it in such a public place.
I’m grateful to the Cranky Mother above, as well, for her vulnerability. On the days you have not the energy to fulfil your favorite title, may someone loan you a polka-dotted umbrella.
I’m a Wannabe Mantra Modifier myself, and once long ago, I wrote this, or an earlier version of this:
Life is not always about learning to dance in the rain. Sometimes it’s about sharing your polka-dotted umbrella with the dishwasher who is chauffeuring a (bug-free) bouquet of daisies home to her father.
Thank you! It does feel vulnerable. And I in no way always feel exuberant or worshipful. Most of the time, it reflects more of who I want to be rather than who I am. I NEED Jesus all. the. time!
???????????? I love it.
Thank you for sharing, Sylvia! Beautiful heart toward Jesus!