help – Nancy Tart: Writing for Life

Baby on the Events

March 21, 2024

Baby on the Events

(Throwback story from December 21, 2023)

Jillian called, “Mom, I’m taking some pictures of Laud!” Lucas jumped along to help out. He loves taking pictures of his little brother.

Somewhere in their cute little thoughts, they decided our four-month-old should take a picture on each gymnastics event.

First there’s Jillian and Laud. He looks happy enough.

What does she have for me to play with today? Wow, that looks interesting

Then there’s the first event – Tumble Track! Jillian is very careful as he is only four months old and not yet ready for bouncing.

Big brother, what exactly is going on here, this doesn’t feel right…

Up comes the next thing… ooh, Vault! Laud has some spotting help to stand on the vault table – although that is definitely not a parent-and-tot piece of equipment.

Mom! Can you see me, mom! I’m taller than Jillian on this thing that isn’t squishy!

Unfortunately, or maybe for the pictures, fortunately, mom is busy with the computer work and although she hears her baby yelling with happiness, it doesn’t occur to her that his big sister and brother are up to something.

Floor! Sissy, I might need to tell you I can’t walk yet… um, why is this floor moving?

At least on floor there was a tumbling mat to stand on. Laud appears to begin wondering if his brother won’t save him from his sister’s silliness, maybe he should yell for mom.

Bars! Pull-up! Lucas, why aren’t you saving me?

Jillian lets him pull up on the quad bars. Once he’s up, he doesn’t seem too sure about it.

Pommel Horse! Lucas, this is really cool dude, what can you do on this sturdy thing?

Pommel Horse is probably his favorite since he can do it with only a little side spot. Lucas zoomed straight in on his face.

Parallel bars! Wait! More Bars? What happened to the horsy thing?

Beam? Um, wait, boys don’t do this… Lucas, why don’t boys compete beam? This event has Jillian smiling!

I hope you enjoyed this series of pictures and commentary!

Jillian provided the inspiration! Lucas did the photography! Laud was the subject.

How quickly they all grow! Smile and enjoy the show!

Type at you later,

~Nancy Tart

The Miracle of Friends

The Miracle of Friends – aka down to one car on a meet weekend with college and work too!! #2023 #Family #Friends #Friend #Blessings #Blessing #TheBlessingOfFriends #TheMiracleOfFriends #OpenHearts #FriendshipIsAwesome #GymnasticsMeet #SavannahTrip #Kupets2023 #GodsHandIsInEverything

March 21, 2023

The Miracle of Friends

It was Wednesday, March 1st. I was on the floor stretching with my little preschoolers and talking about what color butterflies they were pretending to be today.

My phone, however, received this from my oldest daughter who was on her way to work from college:

Car trouble rn

I am going to be late to work. I actually don’t know if I’ll get to work.

Followed thirty minutes later (I still hadn’t come off the floor so hadn’t seen these) by:

Daddy has me.

I’m not gonna make it to work

Letting Thea know

Thirty minutes later (I still hadn’t seen anything):

ACTUALLY

Nvm

I will be there right on time.

I only saw her arrive at her normal time (4pm) as I was working. I didn’t even know something was up until about 7pm when I finally looked at my phone!

Our Buick decided to shut all electrical systems down on the interstate! We had a meet in Savannah that weekend! Louis and Christina took it to the closest dealership because this poor car was new when Louis got it but has spent a greater percentage of time getting fixed than any used one we’ve had! (Nice that it is still under warranty!)

Thursday arrives: at noon, the dealership still hasn’t even looked at the Buick! Christina has to go to college on Friday. Louis had requested the day off work Friday to take Jillian to her meet in Savannah. All the potential rides for Jillian weren’t able to do this one. (So many meets would have been missed without all of the amazing friends who have driven one gymnast or the other over my three years!) We looked into renting a car for the day – so far out of budget. Christina looked into staying over with a friend so she wouldn’t need a car for college but no one could get her back to work in time and she just doesn’t drop school or work. I was going to ask Jillian’s coach how to go about scratching (missing the meet, we’ve never done that), when Louis called (I was sitting at a school waiting for kiddos to get in the bus). He had contacted the dealership at 2:30 & they said they would look at the Buick on Monday. He had told his boss he didn’t need the day off because he didn’t have a way to get Jillian to Savannah – his boss loaned him a van!

Jillian didn’t even know. She didn’t know how close she came to missing her first meet. (She did hear the story through when she’s like, “wait where’d we get this van?” on Friday in the wee hours.) She and Lucas went down with Dad and had a great time!

Sometimes we get busy and forget about the amazing miracle of friends. God gives us friends. People who honestly care about us and whom we care about. The miracle of friends is that they are always there. Sometimes we miss out on a blessing and being a blessing because we forget to ask. How do we know someone needs anything unless they ask us? How can friends know we need anything unless we ask? I love how children don’t have these “I shouldn’t bother them” issues because they ask friends everything! From, “your sandwich looks good, can I have half?” to “help me fix my ribbon, please!” to “I’m sad, can we sing?” and everything else in between.

A scene from an old movie makes me smile: a girl says “oh I forgot to buy a ladder!” and turns to go back inside the general store. Owner of said general store laughs, picks up his ladder leaning against the wall and says, “country folks don’t buy ladders, they borrow them.” He is trying to impress on this family that people around care about them and want to help in any way possible.

I love that God gave us the miracle of friends. Sometimes we don’t see them for a long time (ages, it always seems) and sometimes a pop-in visit is needed and God arranges that.

I’m so thankful for the friends and family around us. Our people bless us so much! I pray we can return blessings when they need them!

Thank you for reading!

Type at you later!

~Nancy Tart

Life Goals

December 28, 2022

Life Goals

I continually reevaluate my “life goals,” if you want to call them that.

Core has always been to love Jesus, pass that on to everyone I can touch, and show love when I can. The additions have changed a little:

Pre-twenties, I wanted to be a wife, mother, and teacher. Did that. Am living that.

Twenties to mid-thirty: The only earthly thing I wanted for my children was a home they all grew up in and family roots. I failed at that. Life teaches you lessons and you hope to pass on the results so they don’t fall into the same trap.

Thirty-three and beyond, I only want my children to love Jesus in a true life-long relationship; I’ve learned that everything in life beyond relationships is just temporary.

Lately, my older children have made comments in passing that really cut to my heart. The first year I didn’t unwrap a gift from you. (Her gifts were too large to wrap & smaller things were in her stocking.) Wow, they’ve lived there like 12 years, that would never be us. (We did have a home for 14 years, just moved to two different places during that ownership to help other people for seasons.) You don’t give me stuff like the other girls’ moms. (No, I can’t give anyone a brand new car as they get their license, a new laptop, the latest phone, gaming systems, etc. I provide you with opportunities to save for those things and decide their value yourself.)

Those things and other assorted in passing comments have made me delve into self-examination for the past couple of months. I can’t talk to my Daddy about it, praying feels one-way, a memory pops up of Louis’ accident last year and the days of challenges and miracles, I feel like I’ll never dig us out into property that is our home (though I keep reminding my doubt that I left that in God’s hands, the doubt keeps trying to come in), people I know whose children I know are dying from poison, I pray daily for those I know who are affected: my life feels useless as I feel like I can’t do much for anyone.

This morning I saw the evidence of a life well lived. My entire perspective changed.

There was a young woman in a beautiful wedding dress beaming a smile holding onto the arm of an elegant man in a suit. Their faces shone with love. The photo was a portrait size and in black and white; aged scores of years. You could feel their love. Two candles on either side of the little table below the portrait. Mementos and memories on the table; he had passed away before her. It reminded me of my mother’s tribute shadowbox for my Daddy. Her home was full of framed pictures: children and grandchildren in various smiles and grins. A few in the midst of laughter – those cherished candid photos that you keep even if they aren’t the best quality. Worn rocker. Stockings. A Christmas tree. An open Bible. Her faith and the relationships she had cultivated radiated from each well-worn book, devotional, and study guide on that little bookshelf. My writer’s brain wondered how many of those books she or her husband had bought and then passed around. How many grandchildren had heard stories from that Children’s Bible with the bent binding? Children told her goodbye: that they loved her, they didn’t want her to leave, that they would see her later in heaven, one told her to give daddy a kiss from her.

That is a life well-lived.

Her children loved her enough to keep taking care of her at home; like Mom did for Grandma Jeanette. Don’t ever put me in a nursing home. Because of love, they sacrificed and made it happen that they cared for mom at her home so she could die in peace. Her face showed that peace.

That is a life well-lived.

I was so overwhelmed with emotion for that wonderful woman I didn’t know. Grandma Jeanette told me once to “live with no regrets” which I also remember from the lady who gave me my first cookbook. She’d been married four times and raised five boys. Her life story was how to gather things and make stews and build add-ons to her house and save people from storms on the lake. Her sons all passed on her faith; I played with her grandchildren and they were the first group of children I’d met who talked about Jesus like a close friend like my family did. She wrote “God will bless your life, let Him lead,” in my cookbook cover (I was 7 years old). She died shortly after at 90-something.

That is a life well-lived.

Live with no regrets. Love without reservation.

My goal is to allow my children to see Jesus through me, to trust Him in everything, to do my absolute best to shine His love wherever I can.

Life doesn’t have to be long to be well-lived. I consider the life I’ve already lived to be amazing. I thank God for each day He’s given me. For the challenges we’ve overcome as a family, for the health miracles which are the reason my babies and I are here, for the protection over my daughters’ hearts as they allow it, for the relationships we have with each other. Those I’ve known for seasons who are friends like sisters and brothers in my heart. Growing those relationships as best I can even when life is “too busy” and time is challenging; that is a goal.

Live with no regrets. Love without reservation.

I was 12, she was a beautiful frail girl with a rapturous joy of life and Jesus and family when we met her. She shared her love with everyone without caring what they thought. If someone stared at her bald head, she would approach them and say, hi, how are you today? And try to show them love and happiness. She came to our house probably because we treated her and her sister just like we treated anyone else; we played with them, swang with them, took them for canoe rides, fished on the shore while she braided flowers, played with our chickens and dogs together, told stories to each other, and otherwise enjoyed life. She lost her battle with cancer shortly afterward, but I couldn’t cry. She was home with Jesus like she talked about all the time. She told us we had to still play with Danielle. As long as we lived there, we did. I still love Erica and Danielle like they were my own sisters; since we were sisters in the faith, we are sisters.

That is a life well-lived.

He was his sisters’ baby doll. He protected everyone. He was loved by everyone. He knew who needed to hear and in turns shared his faith and struggles and love with them. His smile told you everything you needed to know; he was genuine. He died protecting those he cared about. His legacy is the love and relationships left in the hearts of those he loved and who loved him; and the relationships they created when coming to celebrate his life. He was my brother’s friend. His family and mine were intertwined in so many relationships through many seasons of our lives.

That is a life well-lived.

My perspective shifted. It set me back on the track that my brain keeps trying to veer me off of. My true life goal is to shine with Jesus’ light: to make strong relationships, to build into people, to share my faith, to encourage others, to help when I can, to do my very best to love as Jesus does. And in Jesus’ time, when my story on Earth is finished, I will go home and those I love will see a life well-lived.

Right now, I’m living my life well-lived!

Thank you for reading!

Type at you next time!

~Nancy Tart

Learn Your Children

July 25, 2020

Learn Your Children

Yes, you read that right. It says “learn your children” and I mean that. It’s a vital part of any relationship, right? You study your friends, your teachers, your co-workers and boss, and your spouse. You do xyz because Jerry is nice and all. Don’t get into discussing botany or you’ll never leave grandpa’s house. Aunt Jane has this amazing baking knowledge so you like to soak it up in the hope a bit will stick in your long term memory. You know your husband needs time away from familiar surroundings where you can be a couple and chat like when you were dating. You study and learn people – even if you don’t realize you are doing it.

Children.

When it comes to children, my goal is to learn who they are. To learn them. Each little one is fearfully and wonderfully made with a special unique purpose. My goal in raising them is to train them; develop a thirst for Jesus in them and discover what their individual gifts and desires are in order to suggest the correct path for their life.

For starters, if someone says “you’ve got this down pat, the next one should be easy.” Watch out! No, raising children is not simple like making a box cake or even complicated like sending a rocket to the moon; it is complex. Multiple steps with varying parameters and environments that are altered each time. What worked with one child in one week probably won’t work with another child two years later or even the first child next week!

Complex.

You have to become a student of your child and learn what special set of gifts and inclinations they each possess. This enables you to help them navigate toward success in life and helps you to teach them about themselves.

Complex means parameters within and beyond your control could be changing between executions and therefore the solutions, techniques, or tricks you used to get to the result you wanted one time will likely not work the same way ever again. Read that slowly again. Yes, I said “will not likely… EVER AGAIN.” Understanding that little part of “complex” when it comes to child training makes tremendous sense and makes this Momma sigh with relief.

Understanding that your child is a complex human (small version of your own self) certainly helps you to see things in a different light. Sometimes I think the world around us sees children as programs (showing my age) or apps. They think, they should just do the same stuff. No changes. Life is full of change. This understanding has also helped me to nip the failure assault from my own brain – when I feel like I’m “failing” at parenting, usually it has more to do with something that doesn’t even concern that moment than with a lack of something I’m doing or not doing!

Learn your child.

Emotions are complicated. (You think?) You are in the car on a date and your husband asks you a normal question… but you start trying not to show him you are crying because the song on the radio was your late baby sister’s favorite. He thinks something is wrong or you are “in a mood” and this isn’t a good time. You start crying because you now feel like he doesn’t understand you. Apply that logic to your child.

Communication is key. “It’s just this song, please skip it.”

“So-and-so said I looked ugly today and I feel sad.” (why she’s out of sorts today) Help her process that.

Understand by listening. Ask questions that take more than a yes/no answer. Prod into feelings. Ask questions of the heart. Know their favorite color (yes, it may change periodically), their favorite song, movie, do they like their noodles with sauce on the side, etc. All these things are part of learning who they are.

Learn how NOT to provoke them to anger. Help them process emotion in ways that are safe. Learn how to redirect them when you know grandma sees xyz as wrong but you know that’s just the way they are and you choose not to make a mountain out of it. “Save” them from situations that would erupt – and teach them how to navigate those emotions and learn about people too so they can navigate adult life.

Find friends and mentors for them who understand their personality and struggles and whom will be a positive influence in guiding them. This is part of raising. You are teaching them to search for help from experienced people you trust – this will help them feel comfortable seeking help with things society says “you shouldn’t” ask help for later. (Think new to parenting… did social pressure try to prevent you from asking about your feelings, emotions, and struggles then?) Society and our own heads tell us that’s something “we should just know” but we don’t! Help them understand that they can always come to trusted mentors (including you) to ask for guidance in delicate matters.

Learn. Teach. Listen. Guide. Direct.

These are your best parenting tools. Learn your children. Teach them to communicate. Listen like they are the most important conversation you are having. Guide them so they learn to discover themselves. Direct them with a gentle firm hand.

Do you know your child’s favorites? Do you know what songs or movies make them cry, and why? Do you know what they do to release stress? What tells you they are upset? Sad? Frustrated?

These are the things we need to learn about our children. We need to know them, understand them, and encourage them. Our goal is to teach them to lean on Jesus, but first we allow them to lean on us.

Challenge yourself to learn one new thing about your child every meal together! Ask questions and listen fully to the answers! This parenting thing is fun, challenging, exasperating, and glorious all rolled together.

Thank you for reading!

Type at you later,

~Nancy Tart

Being Lifted Up

April 4, 2020

Being Lifted Up

See Lucas? See Louis? Yes. Louis is lifting Lucas up to get ice cream out of the freezer so they can use that milk on the counter because Lucas wanted to make cookies and cream milkshakes.

Sometimes you can’t reach what you want without being lifted up.

This made me think of how everyone where I live is helping each other. It’s like when a hurricane comes and everyone seems to band together and help each other. Those who cut trees up so people can get out of their driveways, those who give water or make lemonade for linemen, someone who shares their firepit or grilled food with the neighbors.

The same thing is happening now. Only instead of being shut down for a couple of days max, we are currently on the third week of shutdown. The end doesn’t seem to be in sight; especially for the young as my daughter’s senior friends are afraid they won’t get to walk for high school graduation.

Look for the helpers.

Look for the need and fill it.

This is how we pull together and make our world better.

This is how we will rise again stronger than before.

Help won’t be a pork barrel stimulus package passed because it included raises for those who passed it.

Help will be from the local community – friends, neighbors, family, churches, local businesses. We will stand up together and help each other as we haven’t before. I see it already in bits.

So instead of feeling helpless alone in your home wasting time worrying about what you can’t control (like the stimulus bill, a virus with long incubation, or the fact that your household just lost 3 of 4 jobs) do something!

Call your friends and give them an encouraging voice.

Call a church or community organization and offer to help in whatever capacity exists.

If you are one of the few with extra, support your local businesses right now by utilizing their services or buying gift certificates for later so they can pay their bills and open up when this is all over.

Brighten someone’s day (yes, especially if they live in your own home!).

Pray for wisdom in leadership.

Text and say “hi! hope you are having a lovely day!” just to do it… and expect a call or text conversation because they realize you care.

We can do these things to keep our sanity and help encourage others. Remember what a great man said after beating polio firsthand, living through the Spanish flu epidemic, and leading our country through the Great Depression… “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” (Franklin Roosevelt)

Instead of just looking for the helpers… BE a helper! BE an encourager!

Thank you for Reading!

Type at you next time,

~Nancy Tart

Fighting Failure

July 12, 2019

Fighting Failure

It’s when your mind tells you stuff that isn’t what God wants you to hear, but the logical part of you says, “yes, that’s right,” so you agree and allow the spirit of failure to permeate your day.

I know in my heart that anything discouraging that doesn’t come with a motivation for how to fix it isn’t from God. Yet, my logical brain doesn’t always catch these.

Fighting with the spirit of failure has been tough for me lately, especially the last couple of weeks. One of the girls says “you are always busy,” and I hear “you are never home” to which my logical brain reminds me that I leave before most are awake and I come home straight to dinner, cleaning, and bedtime or arrive just as bedtime starts. My brain reiterates: “you are a failure” (at being a good mom.)

Louis says, “obviously, that’s wrong” when I ask for his help and my brain says, “you can’t even put a couch cushion cover on right!” This makes me irritated so I leave because I am now mad at Louis – to which my brain shouts, “see, you’re a horrible wife,” and I believe that because I couldn’t even get dinner ready within an hour the night before but Louis can throw a gourmet meal together in twenty minutes (why do I even agree with that failure, I know I’m not a fast cook?). My brain reminds me of strings of “wife fails” in reverse order like comic book pages on fast-forward speed laughing, “you are a failure” (at being a wife.)

I’m working so much and have little time (when they need me) lately to spend helping my family with our recent losses. One of my friends says “you’ll make time,” and since I haven’t stopped my job or altered my schedule too much, my brain laughs, “you are a failure” (at being a good sister, daughter.)

One of my friends is going through a very trying time and I want to be there for her more, but I’m busy when she’s free or I turn into a pumpkin at nine-thirty (to get to bed by ten & therefore up by five to get ready for work) but she is usually home and free in the evenings. My brain tells me, “see, you are such a failure” (at being a friend.)

BUT… (positive one!)

I have to remind my mind (remind = renew my mind, if you will) that we are all failures. All have sinned and come short of perfection. So, yes, of course I fail over and over! God gives me peace, hope, and joy. I do my best with what life has given me and pray for God to give me the joy (translates into strength for me) to handle what I’m lacking.

So even though physically and humanly, I am not matching up to my image of perfection (another trap for us perfectionists, we actually think somehow that we can be perfect on our own), when I remind my mind who I am, I remember this: I am saved by undeserved favor (meaning I did NOTHING to deserve it, rather I deserved to die). Jesus knew my failures ahead of time yet chose to say, “I want her.”

Now I can fight this feeling of failure by choosing to fix where I can improve and trust God with the rest. I’m not going to be working from home again anytime soon – I will trust God with that. I can try to prioritize time spent at home. (I think I’m doing good until I literally take a step wrong my first day off & bruise my neck & shoulders so I spend almost two whole days recovering and doing nothing… and those were supposed to be quality family days!) I remind my mind, “in all things, trust God.”

The joy of the Lord is my strength. My mind plays Rebecca St. James “Be The Voice,” and Mandisa’s “Born For This” as I tell myself to “Lay it All Down” and trust. “This Song is Alive” and “My Heart’s Already There!” (Point of Grace, NewSong, respectively)

Music is my key to joy! Music is how I fight failure! Thank you, Jesus, for music! Thank you for always helping me to fight the spirit of failure in me.

Type at you next time,

~Nancy Tart

Fighting the “Silent Killer”

My little sister has a big fight ahead: Spreading her story is one way I can help.

May 6, 2019

Fighting “the Silent Killer”

For the past few months, we’ve been praying and hoping as Becca, my sister, went from doctor to doctor, clinic to clinic, and eventually the hospital over an unknown infection that was bothering her on her leg. They said it was ringworm, an infection from “dirty water at work,” a spider bite, etc. She heard everything but none of the treatments seemed to help; most only caused severe pain where there hadn’t been pain. Her main complaints were a growing discoloration, open wound that wouldn’t heal, and itching.

Last week, on Friday, May 3, 2019, she finally had a serious answer. A wound specialist here in Saint Augustine told her for sure (results of several tests) that what was causing her leg problems was a condition that usually affects those over 55 – burst varicose veins causing blood clots. This is often called “the silent killer” because there aren’t any painful signs. If left untreated, the blood clots begin to travel. Once a blood clot reaches a vital organ, it causes death.

Doppler tests (like a sonogram) showed several blood clots. Three are already traveling. The specialist stressed immediacy. Becca was glad to have an answer, but she had no clue how she could pay for the six (6!) surgeries needed as soon as possible. Without counting medications, aftercare such as dressings, lack of income from missing work, and the looming bills from previous misdiagnoses, she will need $18,000.

Then a series of God-orchestrated tumblers began to fall; family volunteered to help, Becca found she could “cash in” her vacation time for an emergency, and her credit card limit increased – she was able to gather enough funds to start one of the six surgeries. Her first one is scheduled for Wednesday, May 8, 2019. We are praying and believing God will guide the surgeon’s hands, heal Becca, and cover medical costs for her.

Several of us suggested using “GoFundMe” as I always help when I see one local. Becca didn’t want to ask; so we decided to do it for her. We love our sister and although, yes, I’m sure over time she’d make it work – she needs this now. Without having a big enough fund to grab into, we have each other. Each of us, giving what we can, helping as she does for us, we can all pull together and help Becca.

The reason we like “GoFundMe” and local networks that ask for help is because it shows the power of each of us in our community. One woman needs help moving – pretty much has the whole job packed and moved in a weekend. My midwife is constantly letting us know about moms, babies, or families in need: I always try to give. Becca always gives. I find hope in seeing people help each other. I enjoy helping at food pantries and raising money for charities. I love these because everyone’s little bit helps to make big things work.

Becca started crying tears of gratefulness when she realized people donated shortly after we set it up. Thank you for showing our community’s heart. This is how we fight the silent killer.

Please pray for Becca now and if you can, please consider donating.

Thanks for reading!

Type at you later…

~Nancy Tart

Behind the Picture: Thea and the Apple

Behind the Picture: Thea and the Apple – Becky and her photography & funny snippets.

February 25, 2019

Behind the Picture! Thea and the Apple

Becky likes photography.

Becky has an interesting sense of humor. When she takes pictures on the play phone and sends it to me, I get this: (Thea is about an hour old)

Kimberly and Christina changed Thea, bundled her up, and as Kimberly is bringing her to me, I hear a singing voice: “We’re taking the baby to Isengard!” (I have no clue how I have the honor of being “Isengard,” but this was the look I got: )

In the first picture, Becky was trying to get good pictures of newborn Thea. Becky was making faces to get her attention, Lucas ran up with an apple in hand to “help,” and Becky ended up with a picture that had just the “wrong” angle – but it made a funny meme picture.

The girls are totally enjoying having a new baby sister – and Lucas loves being her “protector.” He told Louis he was “protecting Baby Thea from dog kisses, bad dinosaurs, and big sisters when they don’t listen.” (The last was likely because Jillian kept touching Thea’s head when we said not to touch her soft spot.)

I’m so blessed by their joy and love towards their new sister! Christina, who was worried about being “too much older” than the baby, can’t get enough time holding her! I am twelve years and eleven months older than my baby sister (she was also my parents’ seventh) – so I told Christina and Becky they both were older “big sisters” than I was. (15 yrs 4 mos & 13 yrs 4 mos, respectively) At this, Becky sends me a “wow” emoji though we are sitting at the same table! (She was supposed to be using the phone as a calculator.)

Thanks for reading!

Type at you next time…

~Nancy Tart

Reset, Again

Resetting the brain of a PS2 inspires me… really?

November 10, 2018

Reset, Again

In the last blog (Proper Burial) I mentioned that Rebeccah likes to tinker with stuff. She often fixes electronics when we think they are broken.

She had our playstation 2 unit scattered apart on the table (for the 5^th time). After hours and her final conclusion of “I have no clue what’s wrong with this thing!” she decided it was truly trash.

She always puts the garbage electronics back together like they were supposed to be – search me as to why (maybe because I once told her that sometimes resetting something was all it needed to come back to life) but she claims “a proper burial” for broken electronics is with the item totally back together.

So after Rebeccah put the Playstation 2 console back together for its “proper burial,” it now works. (It was bought used and had a short since day one, sometimes the CD tray got stuck, and lately it would just choose to die.) For days, that console has been working great. She reset it back to “original” after cleaning every part in it and it has new life!

I’ve been considering that for some time.

Sometimes God wants us to close the doors on something old and leave it buried. Sometimes he wants us to reset it. Maybe what we’re resetting isn’t so much the item as it is our way of thinking.

The playstation console’s brain just needed all the dust cleaned out, everything disconnected and reconnected, and the source of power reset. Yes, this was the 5^th time!

Maybe we need to allow God to reset the way we think – clean all the garbage out of our brain and connect all the synapses to what we’re supposed to think about (remember, whatever is good, just, lovely, think on these things?) instead of dwelling on misfires like our failures… hmm.

Is that a lot to think about because I saw the inside of a playstation brain cleaned and now it works? Maybe. But I like to analyze things… maybe I analyze stuff too much.

I try to allow God to renew my mind daily. (He says each new day is fresh in Him.) Thinking about the things I see in life (like a silly piece of electronics) working according to God’s design helps me think that all things obey God. (I know, silly, but if it helps me be encouraged, maybe it will help someone else!)

Thanks for reading!

Type at you later…

~Nancy Tart

Meet Eric (of the Landmark Tribe)

June 11, 2018

Meet Eric

Eric is a squirrel in the Landmark Tribe. They live deep in the Wooded Lands in some big ancient trees.

Eric is the eldest son of Mama Nut and Kahoona, the leader of the Landmark Tribe. His grandfather is Grappy and his grandmother is Granny Pecan. Granny Pecan makes the best hazelnut pie in all of the Wooded Lands!

Eric has a sister (called a squirreless) named Magnolia. He and Magnolia are of courting age, but Magnolia hasn’t found her mate yet. Eric is courting Hazel.

Eric is just old enough to consider himself out of the Crunchies (the word for “teenage squirrels”), although most of the younger Crunchies consider him the eldest of them.

He orders his thoughts carefully before speaking. He is considerate of others and gentle to the squawlers (babies or very young squirrels). Eric is always respectful. He helps lead others in what is right.

Here is an excerpt from “The Busting Berry Bath,” in which Eric tries to encourage Chip, who is narrating the story:

“I was held in the spell of newness that encased the nest. I’d never seen an egg hatch. The mama bird showed up and settled on the nest, feeding the older baby birds and preening the hatchling. Precious.

“You saved it,” I heard a voice as I tried to slip away. It was Eric. I grabbed my baskets and quickly started filling them with berries. Eric came near me and helped. He tossed berries into the basket without missing just like Granny with the nuts.

I shrugged.

“All life is worth fighting for,” Eric nodded as he gently placed the last berry to crown one basketload. “Even if it’s just a bird.”

I knew he was using Woody’s words to make a point, but I missed it.

“Thanks for helping,” I offered. He gave me the basket and I carried both to Granny Pecan. The image of that tiny little bird hatching out of his shell – I didn’t even know if it was a boy baby or a girl baby – was so neat. Maybe I did save it. I felt blessed. And we hurried back for the best pie in the whole wide wonderful world!

So, that was the story of how I, Chip, Crunchie of the Landmark Tribe in the wooded lands, was rained on by the Busting Berry Bath while harvesting toppings for a heavenly hazelnut pie.”

Oh, oops, Chip forgot, the full story isn’t here! You have to read Chip tell the whole story in “The Busting Berry Bath!”

Thanks for reading!

Type at you next time…

~Nancy Tart

Tag: help

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