Randomness

Do you ever read something in the Bible and then begin to go the wonder path? I followed that path this morning during my Bible study, I read in RED, and you know what red represents? That’s right the words of Christ. In John 14:30 He says to the disciples, “I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.” As I read that I wondered if the disciples really understand that soon He would physically be gone? If they did understand, did they hang on every word He spoke? Did they grasp that? Do I grasp that the written Word of God is alive and available to me today in many forms? I hope I do.

Today was Jayden’s first Upwards basketball game. This year he is playing at First Baptist Church in Moore and its co-ed! The last experience we had with co-ed sports, Jayden (age 5) walked off the soccer field, threw up his hands in disgust and proclaimed, “I’m done!” with the coach running behind him yelling, “Jayden! Where you going? You just can’t walk off the field!” It was so funny, but we learned something very important things that day about Jayden.

This was later in the season when he had more practices under his belt.

We learned that he would just as soon quit, than play against girls, especially those that outrun or take the ball away from him. We learned that he strives for perfection and if can’t accomplish it, then he will be very upset with himself. Thank God, that through prayers he is maturing. He is learning that we don’t always succeed the first time we try. He also learned to start what he finishes.

However, when I found out he was playing co-ed I cringed thinking here we go again! I hope he doesn’t walk off the court. So this mamma prayed! I prayed this morning that God would give him a good attitude and game, that he would be encouraged and not discouraged, I prayed that some girl wouldn’t take the ball from him or run faster than him. Just teasing, I didn’t pray that last bit (at least not out loud), but I did pray!

God answered. We saw progress! He did get frustrated once during the game and yes a girl was involved, but he didn’t quit. In fact, he scored 8 points! We noticed he was a little timid when it came to defending the girl as opposed to when he was matched up with a boy.

The girl behind him is the one he had to guard.

Right before the game a lady came up to Darryl and I and asked us if we used to do Upwards at Graceway and we said yes. She then asked Darryl if he gave a testimony there and he said yes. She went on to tell us that her husband came in half way through the testimony and was touched by it and wished that he had heard the entire testimony. So she asked if we had it written down and we don’t, except for the letter I wrote to Darryl that God used to make that change in his heart. So we told her we could share that with her and that Darryl would write down his testimony with it. It is so powerful what God did for us in our marriage in 2005 and it is going to be a privilege to write it down and share with this family.

My husband sharing a testimony at Upwards last year.
He asked me to stand by his side, I was happy and honored to!

Then Brandon, Bridgette and Bryleigh made a visit. I seen some pictures my sister-in-law send me on email by Adele Enersen. This bored mother/photographer on maternity leave, creates dream worlds around her sleeping baby and then captures them on film. Her dream photography inspired me to try some with Bryleigh. All of the images in Adele Enersen’s dream photography are created from clothing and fabric; they include typical dream clichés as well as some abstract visions. Check out my dream photography attempts below, except our baby wasn’t sleeping so it might be more appropriately titled Awake Photography.

Bryleigh hanging out under the mushroom.

Our Artist - Get your masterpiece soon!

Just out for a leisurely stroll with her dog.

Then we had to try and take some sitting up.

She loves her hands!

Finally we end the day with a Paez boy sleepover, so say prayer that we can get them all down and out by 10 pm!

Well if you are still hanging with me listening to my rambling about our ordinary day, all this randomness proves one thing: I am but a common, ordinary wife and mother with a simple, ordinary - yet FULL life. Really, my only ambition is this: to love the Lord Jesus with everything in me, exalting Him as my greatest Treasure and fullest joy.

Styling, Shepherding – Hair we go!

The Pre-teen and self-absorption years have arrived in hurricane strength at the Harjo household. We’ve got attitude, eye rolls and the gee your stupid mom look. It has become quite evident to me when you’re a teen it is all about the seen! At least for now. This became very evident over the past couple of weeks as Darya has asked me to help her “fix” her hair. Welcome to Mom’s Beauty Salon! Where we do hair and beyond!

The first hair appointment I attempted to fix her hair as requested and she whipped around with a “humpf” and marched out because I wasn’t fixing it right. Let me just say there should be Hair Commandments starting with, “Thou shall communicate with and appreciate your hair stylist” and second “Thou shall not attempt any self-trims”. Which she did around Christmas time fully mutilating her bangs.

The second hair appointment was scheduled despite my inept styling abilities. This appointment wasn’t much better as oil slick hair is hard to curl. If you’ve ever curled hair you know once you curl your hair one direction and then try to curl it the other direction you are just asking for a really bad hair day. Well the “customer” wanted me to do that, so I did because I am all about customer service! Guess what? Yup a really bad hair day, but to my surprise the customer squealed, “Perfect!” and tramped off to school.

A third hair appointment was requested. Gee maybe I should enroll in cosmetology school I might be a natural. Insert my eye roll and I wonder where she gets it? The requested style is big long spiral curls curling in towards the face. I did two big curls on each side of her head and she looked in the mirror and said, “Yes! Thank you!” I thought wait only half of your hair is done so I asked , “Don’t you want me to fix the back?” She answered negatively. Intrigued by that answer I followed up with a clarification, “So you only want part of your hair fixed? The part that you can see?” a quick yes as she bounced off to school in style…at least part way.

This made me think how often, do we do something similar, only caring about part of our appearance? When our focus should be on our inner beauty, but we often become consumed with our outer appearances that others see. Why? Because we live in the land where beauty is queen with “beauty” being defined by the house we live in, the cars we drive, the school our children attend, the clothes we wear, the hand bags we carry and the shoes on our feet. Even though we know we’re all fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14) and beautiful in God’s eyes we still compare ourselves to other women, we still “try to keep with The Joneses”, whoever they are. We can argue that it shouldn’t be that way with Christians, but reality is it is all the same.

I’m no different, but I so desire to be different. This past Saturday night, I tried on about seven different “what not to wear” outfits before finally settling on what to wear to church. Something I would feel comfortable in, I know that charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but if I can’t find something I feel comfortable in, I will feel awkward, fat, ugly and insecure the entire day. What an uncomfortable way to live! I don’t want to fall victim to this Babylonian mentality. Even though we live in a self-absorbed, materialistic world that screams at us “you are not loved…worthy…beautiful…unless you have….look.…drive.…live.….fill in the blanks” we can be assured of His promise and be comforted by His unfailing love (Psalm 119:76).

One of my new favorite songs is “You Are More” by

Tenth Avenue North

. The lyrics start out talking about a girl in a corner with tear stained eyes afraid that she has fallen too far to love then it reminds us that we are more. We are more than the choices we’ve made. We are more than the sum of our past mistakes. We are more than the problems we create. Why? Because we’ve been remade. It goes on to address the self-battling we do with ourselves that our redemption is not true, but it is not about we’ve done but what He has done. It helps direct my focus from me to Him. It reminds me that I am a new creature in Christ and the old has passed away (2 Corinthians 5:17).

I want Him to be a part of my whole life, not just the seen part, but every deep fiber of my soul. The good news is He wants to! Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, freely offered Himself on the cross – with no regrets – to die in my place – returned to life on the third day and is alive today to be a part of my life, and yours. Not just part of our life, but all of our life.

Now as I am typing this she wants me to help her fix it a different way. “Kind of straight, but not all the way.” Is anybody reading this rambling? That’s my life in a nutshell, ordinary pre-teen conversations about hair that take me down a long windy road in my brain to the good news of Christ, but in all things give thanks.

Thanks that my daughter wants me to fix her hair. Thankful that she comes to me with the happenings of life and cherishing this short time that I get to be Hair Stylist. May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer (Psalm 19:4) and may we fix my eyes on what’s eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18) and not on the external (1 Peter 3:3-6).

Wordless Wednesday

Introducing Wordless Wednesdays....a pictoral look from Wednesday to Wednesday.


One of the after Christmas sales I hit was online with Christian Book Distributors.
We purchased 31 items for $26.31! Great deals!



A Girl's Weekend



Does this coat make me look fat?

Cooper told Darryl that he could wear his coat while we were in the nursery Sunday night. Of course, Darryl acted like he was trying it on which followed with many laughs. The only thing I could think of was Chris Farley singing "Fat guy in a little coat...fat guy in a little coat".

Boys in the Hood - Cooper and Carson ready for the cold!

The two dashingly young men that came to my frigid rescue at work
by bringing me my own personal space heater.

Getting pegged by snowballs.
One of the benefits of homeschool is getting to go out and enjoy the snow while it is still there.

A boy and his best friend. Can you tell by the way he is walking
that he was disappointed that there wasn't more snow?

Where I work, when I work from home. See my friend that sits on the top left of my desk?
My friend Syd gave me her and her name is "Mine". Seeing this picture reminds me I still have to finish decorating.

It's here! It's here!! I finally received my "Made to Crave"
Ready for some heavy duty convinctions and a change of craving!

Through the Eyes of Darya

Yesterday I posted “Through the Eyes of Jayden” Today is Darya’s (age 10) comments about her mom and dad for the same questions.

At age 10, almost all of pictures of Darya either have Senor Harjo in them or her friends.

1. What is something mom and dad always say to you?

Mom - I don’t know

Dad – Pick your stuff up

2. What makes mom and dad happy?

Mom - Getting coffee

Dad - Drinking coffee

3. What makes mom and dad sad?

Mom - Movies

Dad - I don’t know

4. How do your mom and dad make YOU laugh?

Mom – Make a joke

Dad – He tries to hugs us after he sweats, “baby wants a hug”

5. What makes your mom and dad laugh?

Mom – When she watches America’s Funniest Videos

Dad – When I said I could see Jayden through Brandon’s ears on the other side.

5. What was your mom and dad like as a child?

Mom - Small

Dad - I don’t know active

6. How old is your mom and dad?

Mom - 42

Dad - 38

7. How tall are your mom and dad?

Mom - 5 Foot 5

Dad – 5 foot 10

8. What is your mom and dad’s favorite thing to do?

Mom - Spending time with your family

Dad - helping us with stuff, like when we have trouble

9. What do your mom and dad do when you're not around?

Mom - watch Dr. Phil

Dad – go out and watch movies

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?

Mom - For being the skinniest person

Dad – Being the nice dad

11. What is your mom and dad tell you what you are really good at?

Mom - Soccer

Dad - Basketball

11a. What is your mom and dad really good at?

Mom – Being a parent

Dad – Being a parent

12. What is your mom and dad not very good at?

Mom - Running

Dad - Soccer

13. What does your mom and dad do for her job?

Mom -You know, health person

Dad – help us with school

14. What is your mom's/dad's favorite food?

Mom - Salad

Dad - Banana

15. What makes you proud of your mom and dad?

Mom - Because she gave birth to me

Dad – Because he does our taxes or something like that

16. If your mom and dad were a cartoon character, who would she be?

Mom- Daphney on Scooby Doo

Dad – Shaggy on Scooby Doo

17. What do you and your mom/dad do together?

Mom – play games

Dad – play basketball

18. How are you and your mom and dad the same?

Mom- our hair

Dad – our eyebrows (laughing)

19. How are you and your mom/dad different?

Mom - Because I can take naps and mom can’t.

Dad – I am a girl and he is a boy.

20. How do you know your mom and dad love you?

Mom – She takes care of us.

Dad – Because he disciplines us.

21. Where is your mom's and dad’s favorite place to go?

Mom - Jason’s Deli

Dad – Church

Through the Eyes of Jayden

Cleaning out some files and came across an interview I did with Jayden when he was six years old.

Jayden was six in this picture, he is my little chef. He still loves to help in the kitchen.

The following are Jayden’s respones about his mom and dad

1. What is something mom and dad always say to you?

Mom - I love you!

Dad – You can do it!

2. What makes mom and dad happy?

Mom - When I say, "but I am the Governor" in Arnold Schwarzenegger's voice

Dad - Slapping me on the back

3. What makes mom and dad sad?

Mom - Onions

Dad - Onions

4. How does your mom and dad make YOU laugh?

They make funny sounds for me

5. What makes your mom and dad laugh?

Mom – Farting

Dad – When I do the robot dance

5. What was your mom and dad like as a child?

Mom - I never know

Dad - He’d liked the banana split show

6. How old is your mom?

Mom - 28

Dad - 26

7. How tall is your mom and dad?

Mom - 20 Feet

Dad - 8 Feet

8. What is her favorite thing to do?

Mom - Watching Dr. Phil

Dad - Watching basketball

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?

Mom - work

Dad - watch basketball or wrestling

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?

Mom - For being funny

Dad - Wrestling

11. What do your mom and dad tell you that you are really good at?

Mom - Standing on my hand

Dad - School Work

11a. What is your mom and dad really good at?

Mom - working and CPR

Dad - Being quiet and ignoring us, not answering our questions

12. What is your mom not very good at?

Mom - smelling my shoes

Dad - fixing the TV

13. What do your mom and dad do for their job?

Mom - works all day, answers calls and does nothing. Boring meetings!

Dad - Help me

14. What is your mom's/dad's favorite food?

Mom - salad

Dad - pizza

15. What makes you proud of your mom and dad?

Mom- Because she works for money so we can have a house and not live on the streets

Dad – Because he helps me

16. If your mom and dad were a cartoon character, who would she be?

Mom - Steve Urkel

Dad - Squidward

17. What do you and your mom and dad do together?

Mom - hang out

Dad – watch TV

18. How are you and your mom and dad the same?

Mom - because we don’t have glasses

Dad – because we both like to watch TV

19. How are you and your mom and different?

Mom - Because I fart aloud and mom doesn’t.

Dad – Because I like to play outside and dad doesn’t like to play outside.

20. How do you know your mom and dad loves you?

Mom – Because you always pray for me everyday.

Dad – Because he teaches me.

21. Where is your mom's and dad’s favorite place to go?

Mom - to eat Mexican food

Dad –Mino De Mino (Ted’s Mexican’s)

Seriously Steve Urkel? I thought I had more fashion sense than that, it must be the charm of Urkel that I have. I love finding things like this.

In Need of a Dose of Good Medicine?

As I was reading a newsletter I receive at work called Encouraging You one of their stories encouraged me with the best medicine in the world…laughter. I hope it gives you a great dose of over-the-counter good medicine and creates a merry heart that God says does us good. (Proverbs 17:22)

As a bagpiper, I play many gigs. Recently I was asked by a funeral director to play at a graveside service for a homeless man. He had no family or friends, so the service was to be at a pauper's cemetery in the Kentucky back country.


As I was not familiar with the backwoods, I got lost and, being a typical man, I didn't stop for directions. I finally arrived an hour late and saw the funeral guy had evidently gone and the hearse was nowhere in sight. There were only the diggers and crew left and they were eating lunch.


I felt badly and apologized to the men for being late. I went to the side of the grave and looked down and the vault lid was already in place. I didn't know what else to do, so I started to play.


The workers put down their lunches and began to gather around. I played out my heart and soul for this man with no family and friends. I played like I've never played before for this homeless man. And as I played 'Amazing Grace,' the workers began to weep.


They wept, I wept, we all wept together. When I finished I packed up my bagpipes and started for my car. Though my head hung low, my heart was full.


As I opened the door to my car, I heard one of the workers say, "I never seen nothin' like that before, and I've been putting in septic tanks for twenty years."

2011 Southern Duty Accomplished

This could be my first and last post of 2011. Simply because it is back to work I go on Monday. Who would have known that I, the one with a Type A personality, would love being home for 2 months straight? I am happy to report that I haven’t been arrested for harming my children and Darryl and I are still married! In fact, we aren’t even sick of each other. The truth is I am really dreading going back to work. The only reason I am going is I am not sure I could find a card board box big enough for my family to live in, not to mention the decorating challenges!

My friend and sister-in-Christ Jennifer and I will begin a Bible study this month called “Made to Crave” by Lysa TerKurst and I am so excited! It is my prayer that it will give us a healthy dose of conviction, lead us to repentance and keep us at the foot of the cross. That we would crave purity, holiness and righteousness, so if anyone is interested in joining us, let me know. I don’t want you to be left out in the conviction department.

I have loved the long quiet times in the morning dwelling at the feet of my Savior. Savoring His truths. Adoring His righteousness. Petitioning for a renewed spirit. For healing. For the spirit of adoption to be released in our families. These sweet quiet times have been coupled with my mate Darryl. I so LOVE to hear that man of mine pray!

I must confess when we started praying together it was one of dread on my part. Reading the Word wasn’t a problem, I love truth. I love the Word. It was the prayer time I was struggling with, not sure why, I use to pray all the time. However, work and time pushed it aside; at least that was my claim, but it was really just selfishness. Prayer was not a priority in my life. The enemy didn’t even have to work hard at putting negative thoughts and creating disillusionment in my mind of the purpose of prayer. It was much easier to just listen to my husband pray and agree. It was more comfortable to ride on the tails of his prayers than to pray myself. I felt like a little child hovering behind a big brother who is going to the father to ask a question. But not any more! I cherish my personal time at the foot of the cross.

This morning as we spend time together in prayer, individually worshipping and petitioning God our Father for the upcoming year, we were reminded that as we live second to second, minute to minute, hour to hour, day to day, week to week, month to month and year to year, with God there is no time. He always has been there is no beginning or end with Him. In fact to God, a thousand years are like a day (Psalms 90:4). He needs no alarm, no watch, no calendar.

We reflected on the innumerable blessings of the past year. We prayed that the church would love without hypocrisy, breaking out of our comfortable circles and extend love and acceptance to all, starting with us. We prayed that our boasting would be in the Lord and the Lord alone. That we would not mirror the world, but mirror Christ. We celebrated His faithfulness. We commissioned ourselves to carry the gospel to our community and beyond. We prayed that we would be intentional parents who take time to instruct and train our children in righteousness. Our final petition was for the New Year, not what can we do or accomplish, but that God would choose us, an ordinary man and woman, wretched sinners, saved by the glorious grace, sustained by His mercy would be completely obedient, walking in the newness of life, not on our own doing, but by His love and grace that He has lavished upon us. That as we purposefully put on the Lord Jesus Christ each day we would be set apart from this world and wait expectantly the immeasurably more that He will accomplish because He is faithful.

So today, I write my first blog of 2011, hoping time will allow for more because I love to write, to express, to document. I ate my black-eyed peas and cornbread, not for luck, because I don’t believe in luck. I ate them because of tradition and they taste good. I watched football. I hit some after Christmas sales. I have done my southern duty. So here is a start to a New Year, looking carefully as I walk, not as unwise, but wise because I want to proclaim His goodness. Happy New Year!