Wordless Wednesday: Praying before Playing

Friday Night Blessings

The windows are open and I hear crickets chirping. The overhead fan is whirring softly and the computer hums.  There is an occasional giggle erupting from the room across the hall.  The amazing Rocket Man is sleeping beside me, his breath is steady and soft. I hear the sound of traffic on the main road several blocks away. 

The night is peaceful and comforting.

An hour ago, the laughter in the room across the hall was loud as boys who are no longer little-but not really big-were playing together.  The newly turned 13 year old was on facebook, in a poking war with his Mother and me.  He is feeling his way into adolescence and pushing his limits, as is his way.  As has ALWAYS been his way.  His younger brother is observing and no doubt perfecting  his own act as he is following closely behind.

I think we are in for lots of boundary

pushing in the next few years.

When my children were small, I used to love the hours of the night that I spent awake and alone.  I read, wrote letters, studied, watched movies, sewed, did crafts, cleaned, did laundry and reigned over my house through the night.  Not every night, but many nights I was up past midnight just enjoying the solitude.

I fancied myself a Queen of the Night.

This night reminds me of many nights when I was younger and my children were growing and Friday nights were a special time.  Sometimes, we pulled the sofa bed out in the family room and piled on it while eating popcorn and watching a rented movie on our Beta Max.  There was much silliness, giggling, tickling and finally the  noise would drop off and little heads would nod and they would be asleep.  Their Daddy would fall asleep and I would be up by myself, in the glow of the television with the volume turned down just listening to the three of them breath in unison.  I prayed over all of them on those nights.

 

And I was so thankful for all of them and for our life together.

Things have a way of changing.

The Boys Fantastic are not my own. They are on loan for the weekend, as grandchildren ought to be.  The amazing Rocket Man is not the Daddy from the sofa bed.  That marraige ended poorly.  But Rocket Man has been a kind and good stepfather to my children and is as dear and as loved a Granddaddy as there ever has been.  My children are only small in my memory.  I am no longer that young mother who.

But things have a way of coming full circle, too.

The giggling across the hall has stopped.  The Rocket Man's breathing has turned into a gentle, almost melodic snore...but shhhh!  You mustn't tell him I said that.  He is convinced that I'm hearing the dog (who happens to be sleeping downstairs in the garage).  I find myself once again awake and praying over three precous, sleeping persons.

The cast of characters has certainly changed...including me.

Yes.  Things have changed a great deal since those Friday nights so long ago.  Some of that change has been gut-wrenching, hurtful and hateful.  But the change has brought some mighty wonderful blessings.  Three of them are snoring, in unison, as I listen.

And I am ever so grateful for them and for the life that we have together.

Sometimes, the more things change..the more they stay the same.

My gratutide for my blessings,
for this family, is unchanging. 

Especially on Friday nights as I listen
 to the sounds of a sleeping house.

~Mollianne

If I Met You {5 minute Friday}

The challenge is to write for 5 minutes.  The prompt is:  If I met you

Go:

If I met you today, that means you would have walked into my office at the Church House.  You probably are here to meet with one of the Pastors and possibly are in some sort of crisis.

You would see sitting behind my desk a middle aged woman who is having a bad hair day.  You would be met with a smile and a friendly, "May I help you?"  I would try very hard to put you at ease and and offer you a drink of water and perhaps engage in some sort of small talk about the weather...just to try to pass the minutes until you were able to see the person you were here for.

I hope that if you met me in that way, you would see not only the woman who sits behind this desk, but that you would also see a likeness of Christ.  I believe that everyone who walks into this office is in need of something.  Some come seeking money to pay their rent or light bill.  Some need food.  Others are desperate for gas money to get someplace else.  Some need money for medication.  Some just need comfort.  All need Christ. 

I pray daily that God will put someone in my pathway who has need of Him in a way that I can provide.  There are days when I feel that I am the last hope for people who come in off of the street and I serve as his hands and feet.  Other days, I recognize my co-workers and church members as the people who have the greatest need of His love. 

Stop!

I'm linking up to The Gypsy Mama with others who have particpated. 
Have a wonderful weekend!

~Mollianne

And me in my Jammies!

A party!  And me in my jammies with no makeup and my hair in a ponytail, sporting my cat-eyed reading glasses with all the rhinestones! 

It's me! 

Hi!  I'm Mollianne.  Welcome to MolliWorld, where I am the Queen of all I survey{mostly a very small bedroom in dire need of remodeling...on my extended list of things I'll get to someday}.  I'm a 50-something career homemaker who finds myself sitting behind a desk 40 hours a week wondering why I'm not at home in Camelot {yes...I live in Camelot.  Don't you just love it?}!  I'm looking forward to the possibility of retirement from that desk in the next 15-18 months.

The amazing Rocket Man

I am deliriously, happily  and blissfully married to the amazing Rocket Man {he's a real, live, honest-to-goodness Rocket Engineer} and we have 4 children {1 son, 3 daughters}between us, all grown and gone. We're happily-ever-aftering here in the Camelot subdivision. We love our quasi-empty next and the grandsons {The Boys Fantastic- Mac Attack and Boy Wonder} who spend their weekends with us.  We just ended 3 serene  years of NOT having a teenager around, since the youngest princess left her teenage years behind in 2008.  As of March 24, Mac Attack is 13 and we are in for a bumpy ride. 

The Boys Fantastic, Boy Wonder and Mac Attack

I work at The Church House as the Clergy Administrator {fancy title for preacher's secretary} and mostly love what I do there.  When I'm not doing that {and sometimes when I am} I find plenty to do.  I sing.  I read.  I write.  I occasionally make cards. I bake.  I cook.  I take pictures.  I knit a little. 

I got a .357 magnum for Christmas and I named it The Vera {because I store it in a Vera Bradley backpack in my closet}.   I think I'm very big now that I have my very own revolver.

Mollianne and The Vera

Rocket Man is my biggest hobby and I find myself lured to the couch to watch sporting events of all sorts just to sit next to him. I spend time in the garage with Rocket Man while he works on his cars {a 75 Camaro, a 65 Mustang and a 64 Falcon}. I'm working on a Junior Mechanic Merit Badge by fetching tools and turning wrenches. Sometimes, he even lets me play with the power tools!

I helped rotate the tires!

In the midst of all of that, we manage to find a lot of things to laugh about.  I guess I'm just easily amused.  Those are the things that I write about here.  I'm glad that you stopped by and hope that you have a wonderful time at the party!  Come back anytime. I'll try to always make it worth  your while.

I love smooching with the Rocket Man!

~Mollianne