My Tree

Chris Rice wrote a song titled "My Tree".
On a hill far away stands a tall mighty tree
Where a boy and girl used to take
turns pushing the tire swing
I remember the pocketknife in hand
And her name in my heart
And thinkin' there ain't no way for a boy to contain
The love that he feels inside
So I carved her name into my tree
Then I carved a heart around her name
Then I carved an arrow through the heart
Just to say "I love you"
Now on a hill far away stood an old rugged cross
The emblem of suffering and shame
I remember the nails through my hands
And your name in my heart
And how in their wordless way the nails explain
The love that I feel inside
As they carved your name into my tree
Where I wrapped my heart around your name
Then I took your arrow through my heart
Just to say, "I love you"
Just to say, "I love you"
Now I can never forget how much you mean to me
'Cause I will always remember whenever I see
Where I carved your name into my tree
Where I wrapped my heart around your name
Then I took your arrow through my heart
Just to say, "I love you"
Just to say, "I love you"

Yesterday I had the privilege of taking Scout to see "my tree" in Statesville, NC. When I was about 4 years old, dad and I were walking a little trail at Lakewood Park and he stopped and carved a big heart with the initials AC+RC in it. What a great dad I have been blessed with. He didn't just teach me about God's love...he showed me God's love in the way he loved me! Scout, you have quite a legacy kid!

Running with it....

One of my favorite things in the whole world is "running with it." For those of you who have no clue what I am talking about, "running with it" is when someone says something (usually not on purpose) and it becomes a phrase that everyone laughs at...over and over and over. I began my love for "running with it" early on. Growing up in the family I did, someone was always doing it. "Catalytic converter" and "God bless you, Christine" are two of my all-time favorites from my childhood. If you are telling me a story about your car and say "catalytic converter," there is a good chance I am going to bust out laughing. Just the other day I went on a prayer walk with a group of people. At the end of it, the guy in charge said, "Can someone tell me what they saw?" I had an immediate internal response. No one there would have gotten it. I told this story to my family and they all said together, "I saw a deer. Well, God bless you Christine." And then we all busted out laughing. No one else (including Carla who was sitting there) would have had a clue what we were talking about. My friends from college can hear something and simultaniously respond, "take luck," "say 8," "I've been struck," etc, etc, etc... My college students know when the proper response is "swing it around Roger." Isn't it fun to know what people are thinking? That is the sign of an intimate, personal relationship. We all need relationships like that! If you don't have one, make one! Sometimes, we have to step out and make that initial move towards a new friendship. You never know when you will meet someone who will become a lifelong friend. Just this weekend, I was with Heather Bedsole who has become a dear friend to me over the years. Thursday night we were playing a game and she looked at me and said, "I had too!" We both busted out laughing. So, shut down your computer, go find a close friend and "run with it!"
Take Luck,
Angela