dear hank (three days before your wedding),

a daughter for me!!!

last night

you slept in the

loft

your twin-bed-that-papa-made

arm’s length from

your

brother

but

when you come next

you’ll be

married, hankandblair,

sleeping in the

guest

room

and

this adulthood of yours -

owning a vacuum

applying for seminary

asking for my sweet tea recipe -

i am

shocked and proud and overjoyed

all at once

but mostly

i am assured

that whether you

dwell

with dad and me on the mountain

or

with blair on moorcroft way

you are always

in the shadow of the most high

and

that

is a parent's

peace

love, mom

linking with holley and missional women

basic

feeling thankful
this morning
and isn't this basic
to
the
walk?
i will give thanks to you, 
Lord, 
with all my heart; 
i will tell of all your 
wonderful 
deeds:
hank home from ten weeks of running and yes, drill sergeanting
a generous gift-that-helps-so-much
jack's wide smile 
husband in the kitchen
tomatoes and squash and cantaloupe and corn
dogs that guard the tomatoes and squash and cantaloupe and corn
sunrise, every day
and
music that points me to the one who 
gives
all
good 
gifts

what are your thankfuls today?

linking with  kelli, laura, jen, jennifer, barbie, sharita

on time and why i hate her

my second son, jack and his cousin, zoe

time,
that mercurial enemy,
is indifferent to
our toddlers' adorability*
the additional hours we want with our dads
graying hair
failing bodies
and
waiting
she pushes us headlong-and-fast into futures
we cannot fathom
and stands
utterly
still
when the wait is too much
and she never, ever
shows
us
mercy
in this moment?
i see toddlers grown
and
feel time slow as i wait, wait, wait
for the older to come home
and time?
she never, ever
shows
us
mercy

*(adorability is not a word? it should be.)

what is your relationship with time?

linking with  kelli, laura, jen, jennifer, barbie, sharita

and this is a hard goodbye

and this is a hard

goodbye,

leaving my first

at a hotel

i have to be in room 806 at 4:00

to depart for basic training

he'll be away ten weeks

no phone

no texts

no tweeting or rewteeting

and

i'm afraid i won't 

know

him

again

what fears have you faced with your children?

linking with  kelli, laura, jen, jennifer, barbie, sharita

how crying will make me a biblical mom. really.

dear sons,

it's august now and
you're both freshmen
and
i want to give you a
be-sure-to-brush-your-teeth-every-day
kind of list
but you probably have it memorized
so you get an old testament story instead
it's those israelites,
they've been freed from an exile
by cyrus, king of persia
and ezra's author writes that they
made a beginning
i love that,
made a beginning
it's certain and hopeful, you know?
a foundation for god's house,
that's what the israelites were building,
and they began
after two years of prayer and sacrifice and worship
and they began
in accordance with god's commands
and
i want you to make beginnings like that,
certain
hopeful
god-centered
and when you've made those beginnings
i'll do what god's children did,
sing and praise 
he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever
but, ummmmm,
there's also a pretty big chance of crying, too
when i leave you at the university, hank
when i send you off to high school, jack
the elders in ezra chapter three did
they wept for what had passed
so really, if when i cry
i'm biblical a biblical mom
boom

how about you? making any beginnings in your life? do tell.

linking with -

michelle for hear it monday, use it on sunday, heather for just write,  joan for sharing his beauty, laura for playdates with god, jennifer for tell his story, jen for soli deo gloria, barbie for weekend brew

proud and afraid and deeply so

biblical kings

are chronicled in the old testament -
old king out
new king in
his age at coronation
how long he reigned
and....
his mom's name
i'm sure they were so proud,
these king moms,
hanging on every decree
keeping mental lists of accomplishments
but did they worry, too?
that their boys
wouldn't keep up with laundry
might play too much ping pong or music or disc golf
develop scurvy-because-they-won't-eat-fruits-and-vegetables-without-reminders
choose baals over the living god
i'm sending mine
(not to thrones or battle)
but
one to college
one to high school
i'm proud and deeply so
i'm afraid and deeply so
but
there are mercies for these days
and
i'm satisfied and deeply so


how about you? what are your days bringing? in what ways do you take heart?

linking with -

michelle for hear it monday, use it on sunday, ann for 1000 gifts, joan for sharing his beauty, laura for playdates with god, jennifer for tell his story, jen for soli deo gloria, my freshly brewed life and kat for titus 2 tuesdays

fever, australia and a chris mug

a thankful list is in order this morning....

for jack's fever coming down
for chris and team safely in australia
for hank's music
for fox darting roadside in the cool morning
for chocolate-chip-cookie-ice-cream-nutella second breakfast
for squash ready on vine
for forty-seven hours without finding lizard poop near the fridge
for this retro chris chris chris coffee mug
for this word, a david-prayer that i'm feeling today -
who am i, o lord,
and what is my house
that you have 
brought
me
thus
far?

what are your thankfuls this morning?

linking with -

michelle for hear it monday, use it on sunday, ann for 1000 gifts, joan for sharing his beauty, laura for playdates with god, jennifer for tell his story, jen for soli deo gloria, my freshly brewed life and kat for titus 2 tuesdays

for the boy who brought music, upon his graduation

i've packed his last lunch,

this boy who brought music to our home
i've shouted my last, here we go, hank
at major larry j. bauguess memorial baseball field
i've suggested he hang the wrinkled gown
(he hasn't)
and
i've wondered why i'm not weeping
since sentiment often takes center stage in my heart
but mostly?
i'm thankful for these eighteen years
i'm thankful that god chose hank for himself
i'm thankful that he is music and light and fun
and
i'm praying that as he goes about
work
higher learning
life
he will be filled with all the fullness of god
because this is the highest prayer a mom can offer

what do you pray for your children?

linking with jennifer, emily , michelle for caffeinated randomness, studio jru for sneak peek friday, grace for FYBF, beholding glory for faith-filled friday, cheryl for true vine challenge, barbie for freshly brewed life

starting line-up (for parents)

 

it's five-minute-friday

and

the prompt is remember

so i attempted to conjure

something

thought-provoking

poignant

or 

hilarious maybe

but

i spent my before-work time

uploading photos of my 

in-his-last-season-of-baseball son

to facebook

so what i have is 

the longest photo caption ever

and a benediction - 

may god grant you peace as you remember your children in their little

and enjoy them in their big....

linking with -

the gypsy mama for five-minute-friday, michelle for caffeinated randomness, studio jru for sneak peek friday, grace for FYBF, beholding glory for faith-filled friday, cheryl for true vine challenge, barbie for freshly brewed life

on why i cherish....wrestling?

(my hank is in gold)
photo credit

the prompt is cherish
and i guess i could describe the
fire in the fireplace
sunrise-over-snowscape
solitude and coffee
that morning has granted
but
my first thought was actually....wrestling?
you see
hank was able to watch his younger brother
for the first time on tuesday
(a pin!)
and then off to the high school for the reverse
(a decision!)
and after hank won
jack slipped down to sit beside him
on the bleachers
and i could see the backs of their heads
side
by
side
talking-not-fighting
a future sight of
brothers-as-friends
and
yes. this i cherish.

linking with -

the gypsy mama for five-minute-friday, michelle for caffeinated randomness, studio jru for sneak peek friday, grace for FYBF, beholding glory for faith-filled friday

want to like me? click here for my a spacious place facebook page.

us, last night

my girl, the one i mentor
click here to check out her new blog:)

i sat at table with four teens
last night
(a walt-whitman-miracle)
the olders reminiscing middle school
while i busied myself with not
worrying
their futures frayed
before they even embark
and
one guest was my girl, the one i mentor,
a college student
wise with words
and
beautiful to the core
i still can't answer all her questions
i still can't advise her every move
but
i can listen and understand
and
marvel at her
jesus-strength

continuing to count his gifts to 1000-

886. my family of four at the dinner table
887. my girl, the one i mentor, she started a blog!
888. chickens following me about the year
889. dog following me about the yard
890. cat following me about the yard
891. nieces requesting a privette lunch at bojangles
892. rosemary sprigs in old blue jars
893. anxiety lifted
894. hawk on fence post
895. bluebird alighted on branch
896. husband's calls when he is away

 linking with -

michelle for hear it monday, use it on sunday, ann for 1000 gifts, emily for tuesdays unwrapped,

joan for sharing his beauty, laura for playdates with god, jen for soli deo gloria and kat for titus 2 tuesdays

shooting the half

it's winter and
the friday night lights are dark
the stadiums empty
it's winter and
the mats are rolled out
across the gym floor
it's winter and
the wrestling is constant
at home
the father, the sons
they talk it
practice it
watch it
cross face, break him down, shoot the half
ya know,
under the christmas tree....
and
maybe i'm a novice with the language
maybe i don't know what to yell at a match
maybe i have a very real fear that the tree will crash
but
this father, son, brother time?
sigh. long, contented, happy sigh.

linking with -

jen for god bumps, joy for life:unmasked, emily for imperfect prose, grace for FYBF, michelle for caffeinated randomness and studio jru for sneak peek friday

the family missions thank you

writing for five minutes on thank you -

like the men in white asked the disciples

why do you stand looking

i heard a

 months-ago whisper

go, take the boys

and the whisper became a shout 

so we ordered passports

but this trip to our dominican friends

didn't make financial sense

at.all.

and so the thanks -

to

our family

my faculty

my readers

who donated money, sports equipment, books, paper, crayons

who bought cd's and books and cookies and cake

so our boys could

paint
lead music
love

and learn sacrifice

god raised you up to bring forth the harvest

thank you



linking with -

the gypsy mama for five-minute-friday

michelle for caffeinated randomness

studio jru for sneak peek friday
grace for FYBF
beholding glory for faith-filled friday

what the rain says

there's a gentle rain
tapping the roof
it's the only sound
and
it's after
a college visit with older son on saturday
and
it's after
an eleven-boy sleepover last night
there's a gentle rain
tapping the roof
it's the only sound
and it's
reminiscent of god's
great
provision
there's a gentle rain
tapping the roof
it's the only sound

what does rain say to you?

continuing to count his gifts to 1000 -

824. jack's good friends
825. hank's good decisions
826. north greenville university
827. husband checking on sleepover boys
828. husband cooking sausage
829. my siblings
830. email and text messages
831. my girl, the one i mentor, turning 19

linking with -

michelle for hear it monday, use it on sunday, ann for 1000 gifts, l.l. for on, in, and around mondays

joan for sharing his beauty, laura for playdates with god, elaine for miss elaine-ous monday, jen for soli deo gloria shanda for on your heart tuesdays and kat for titus 2 tuesdays

keeping it real on a monday

photo credit
of course i didn't have my camera with me and
therefore have no photo of hank singing inside the church....

my laundry smells like
stink bugs
and
the floor is streaked
because a certain housekeeper lacks
mopping skills
and
stacks of papers lie untouched
in my school bag
but
i spent the weekend listening
to a friend who needed to share
to my dad's football stories
to a message from haggai assuring
god's presence
to my son singing in the oldest chapel
to nieces and nephews requesting play time
and
the stacks of unsorted mail will keep

continuing to count his gifts to 1000 -

817. sunrises. i seriously love them
818. gathering eggs. i feel so homesteady
819. my dad's stories about 1940's football
820. my son using talent for god, for good
821. our upcoming family mission trip
822. a husband who does dishes
823. text messages from my girl, the one i mentor
linking with -

michelle for hear it monday, use it on sunday, ann for 1000 gifts, l.l. for on, in, and around mondays

joan for sharing his beauty, laura for playdates with god, elaine for miss elaine-ous monday, jen for soli deo gloria shanda for on your heart tuesdays and kat for titus 2 tuesdays

what made me cry on senior night

i didn't cry when
he came off the practice field
to line up with us,
this seventeen-year-old
guitar-playing
athlete
i didn't cry when
the cheer coach handed
me a rose to lay across my arm
i didn't cry when i
showed my son how to give me
his arm
and
i didn't cry when the announcer
said
hank privette
escorted by
chris and kendal privette
the tears arrived when i realized
that one of the guys
didn't have his mom
she.didn't.show.up.
i was at once incensed
and
in action,
asking the assistant principal to stand-in
but
how many times in seventeen years
have i been
physically present
yet
distant all the same
reading, working, cooking, talking
not.showing.up.
we're called to this, moms,
all.in.
whatever you do,
do all to the glory of God

how about you? do you ever get angry at an injustice only to realize you've basically done the same?

continuing to count his gifts to 1000-

810. new recipes
811. coaches who teach skills and respect
812. running a new route on a cool, fall morning
813. electricity
814. nieces and nephew hiking to the big rock
815. students who try hard
816. husband tells sons he's proud of them

linking with -

michelle for hear it monday, use it on sunday, ann for 1000 gifts, l.l. for on, in, and around mondays

joan for sharing his beauty, laura for playdates with god, elaine for miss elaine-ous monday, jen for soli deo gloria shanda for on your heart tuesdays and kat for titus 2 tuesdays

on dirty socks and family missions

these boys?
they're mine
sure, they leave dirty socks on the floor
and
kind of never put away clean clothes
and, yeah, they leave the cap off the toothpaste
but
they make music like this
it's what matters
and
we're taking them to the
dominican republic soon
to build a library
to teach english
to share jesus
this week marks the last of middle school soccer
this week marks the last of high school football
my boys are moving on
but their music
but their hearts
these matter most
and
i
am
proud

would you consider participating in our trip? keep reading....

my older son wrote, composed, rehearsed and recorded ten songs with a friend for his senior project this year. you can listen to a sample here. my younger provided percussion while the older is on guitar and vocals. if you find it enjoyable, and if you want to contribute to our trip, please consider emailing me. we're selling the cd's to raise money for this venture. i'm asking $10, which will cover shipping and a donation of $6. my email is kendalprivette@yahoo.com. thank you, friends.

linking with -

jen for god bumps, joy for life:unmasked, emily for imperfect prose, grace for FYBF, michelle for caffeinated randomness and studio jru for sneak peek friday

on freedom and my sons' cd

this hint
this family missions experience
has legs....
our dominican experience
will find us
teaching
visiting
working in a library
and with church youth
i will admit that my
worldly self
feels afraid and weary
reading the itinerary
but
isaiah reminds us
that the almighty
will not grow weary
and my son hank sings
these words....
i wanna run in your
freedom
so even though
this stepping out is scary
and
even though
this stepping out is exhausting
the mighty one
is never
afraid
and
never
weary
and i'll run in that freedom!

my older son wrote, composed, rehearsed and recorded ten songs with a friend for his senior project this year. you can listen to a sample here. my younger provided percussion while the older is on guitar and vocals. if you find it enjoyable, and if you want to contribute to our trip, please consider emailing me. we're selling the cd's to raise money for this venture. i'm asking $10, which will cover shipping and a donation of $6. my email is kendalprivette@yahoo.com. thank you, friends.

continuing to count his gifts to 1000 -

791. breakfast three times in one day
792. shenandoah valley road trip
793. lemon brownies (a happy accident)
794. heat pump running
795. birds' song on their flight south
796. my girl, the one i mentor, home for fall break!
797. husband taking care of me on headache days

linking with -

michelle for hear it monday, use it on sunday, ann for 1000 gifts, l.l. for on, in, and around mondays

joan for sharing his beauty, laura for playdates with god, elaine for miss elaine-ous monday, jen for soli deo gloria shanda for on your heart tuesdays and kat for titus 2 tuesdays

grace for FYBF, carina for i am thankful, beki at the rusted chain, michelle for caffeinated randomness and studio jru for sneak peek friday

why i love packing lunches

writing for five minutes on connection

the second day of school has arrived
in its dark, tired way
but
i perk up for lunch-packing
yes, my boys are teens
and i still pack their lunches
i've given over other chores to them
laundry
bathroom
dishes
but making their sandwiches
and zipping them into bags
connects me to them
makes me part of their day
i'm not ready to give that away
ummmm, but will someone email me
this post on a
cold, rushed winter morning
when the thoughts
of spreading crunchy peanut butter
on three sandwiches
or touching ham at 5:30 am
is more than
i can stand?
thanks.


and ps - my husband is coming home today from a month away with wycliffe bible translators. i'm a little excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

linking with -

the gypsy mama for five-minute-friday
beki at the rusted chain for fingerprint friday

michelle for caffeinated randomness

studio jru for sneak peek friday

wednesday night news, verklempt and a prayer for sons

• my dog, moses, has hurt my feelings. he's been trekking down the mountain to my brother-in-law's house to hang out with their dog and their kids and their red tire swing. and i feel bereft and not enough, but lucy snapped this pic. how can i stay mad at this, my favorite dog ever?
• i found myself verklempt when i heard my husband's voice on the phone last night - all the way from papua new guinea! the team is well and will be home in nine days.
• i came upon this, one of paul's prayers, today. and i made it for my sons because what better plea could i lift up for those guys?

i have not stopped giving thanks for you
(hank and jack)
remembering you in my prayers
i keep asking that the god of our lord jesus christ
the glorious father
may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation
so that you may
know
him
better

so what's going on in your life? what prayers do you take from scripture to pray for your loved ones?

linking with:

jen for god bumps, joy for life:unmasked, grace for FYBF, faith links, carina for i am thankful, beki at the rusted chain, michelle for caffeinated randomness and studio jru for sneak peek friday