Febloguary 2015 Post 1- How are You?

I'm back!  I had hoped that after the fun of Febloguary 2014, I would be more committed to writing more frequently.  Here's the reality though, LIFE.  It happens, and it is full, and I have to sleep sometimes.  However, I am committed to losing sleep in the month of February to post more and scratch my writing itch.  My goal is ten blogs this month.  Here is what you can expect, in no particular order:

1. How are you?
2. TEN years!
3. Lizzie Grace
4. Lainie Karis
5. Charlotte Jane
6. Olivia Rae
7. Daddy
8. Life in Rhome
9. Sending Well
10. Church

Uh oh... as I typed that list, a whole slew of other topics I want to write about came up.  Maybe you will get a bonus post or two, and maybe just maybe we will stretch into March, since I am kinda getting a late start!

Today, I want to answer the question I get so often, "How are you?!"  It is a rather simple question that I so appreciate people asking.  It has a variety of answers I have banked, depending on the situation.  Since time is not limited here, and I hope to be vulnerable, I will do my best to give you a full on "State of My Heart" address.

After losing Momma at the age of 30, I was certain that 31 would be way better.  As most of you know, we were shocked at Daddy's sudden death in September.  So much for 31 being easier, or more peaceful, or less stressful, or any of that.  I have certainly been slapped around by life in the past several months!

Recently I was driving and praying about a specific situation that has just been all around hard.  I found myself asking God to make it easy, like it used to be.  Then I clearly heard Him remind me that He rarely accomplishes great things through ease or comfort.  He swirled story after story through my head of Him moving mountains, all of which included great struggle, heartache, brokenness and pain. The culmination of these stories was the crucifixion.  My salvation was not secured by a painless life of Jesus.  Rather, it was through His pain and suffering and His passionate choice to take the hard road of death on the cross that LIFE is extended to mankind.  When we engage in the complicated situations that come our way and commit to stay in the fight rather than running, God is honored.  It is also in these places I find myself begging for MORE of Him and pleading for His wisdom in exchange for my feeble attempts of resolve.

All of that to say, here is where I find myself.  The shock of Daddy's passing has still not worn off.  He is still a speed dial option on my phone, I still think he will walk around the corner at Granny's house, I expect him to show up at the girls' activities, I have a list of questions that I want to ask him and stories I want to tell him.  It is crazy.  It is hard.  It still hurts. A LOT.  BUT, GOD IS STILL GOOD.  Here in the ugly cries and the dark days and the heartbreak, I see more of His goodness than ever.  {All of this was written before I watched Jen Hatmaker this weekend at the IF:gathering.}  She so clearly stated what Justin and I have so often said. "You want it to be true in the day (God's goodness), but you find out if it's true in the night. He is good.  I would venture to say He is even better when it's bad. He's so good."  This is so true.

The reality is, IT IS HARD.  The reality is also, IT IS GOOD.  They go hand in hand.  Don't try to wrap your mind around it, because I do believe it is one of those things that only works out in God's economy.  It just doesn't make sense that here I stand, having lost greatly in the past five years, proclaiming the kindness of my God, but I promise you, after all that has been lost, the great gain of knowing His kindness more intimately WINS.  It is well with my soul.

Febloguary Day 16 (Thirty-Onederful!)

After my last post, I want to thank you for all of the kind messages I have received , especially those of you who are praying with me that 31 will be a good year for me!  A friend mentioned in a birthday message that she knew someone who referred to "31" as "thirty-onederful", and I LOVE that!

I must say that my birthday this year rocked!  My precious friend Abby came in town Friday morning and stayed through the weekend. My girls spent the weekend with Grammy and Pop, so I just got to enjoy my hubby and hang out with Abby lots!  Friday night the three of us had the most interesting experience at Cheddar's.  I'm not sure if our server was on something or off his meds, but it really felt like we were on Candid Camera and we got a lot of laughs out of our unique dining experience.  Saturday provided incredible weather!  We milked it.  After a baby shower for my friend Andrea that morning, Abby and I headed to West 7th to enjoy the day.  We began at the Food Park which was so much fun!  If you haven't been, you should really check it out this spring!  We ate something called Texas Trash, and it was delightful.  We lingered there long after we had finished eating and just chatted about life like we did so many afternoons in 2012 while our little ladies played together in the front yard.  We left there just a bit "hipper" than when we arrived,  and on the order of Justin, we embarked on the task of finding me a new pair of jeans.  Our first stop was Marshall's, and after trying on several pair, I found a pair of Express jeans that fit well and didn't have any obvious design flaws, score!  From there we went to Sweet Sammies.  If you have never been,  you MUST GO!  This is my third birthday in a row to include this treat in my celebrations.  It's amazing.  Again, we sat outside and talked, and talked, and talked some more, so much that we outlasted our 90 minute parking garage validation.  We were informed we would have to spend $20 to get out of the garage, so we ventured into Aveda where we browsed and they kindly added time to our validation.:)  By the time we got home Justin was back from selling a goat, and we all just hung out and talked.  Abby was tired and headed to "The Stepter Suites" for bed. (Rebecca really does hospitality well!)   Justin and I headed to On The Border for $1 Margarita Day, only to be greeted by a 1.5 hour wait time!  We walked down to Chili's where the wait was still almost an hour at 9:30 at night.  Despite our better judgement, we ended up at Macaroni Grill where we played a few games of hangman and laughed a lot.  Then we devoured pasta and were almost immediately miserable, as our gluten tolerance has diminished greatly in the past year!  Regardless, a date with my man was so good and much needed!

Sunday morning, I slept in. No alarm.  No little loves needing my assistance.  No agenda.  Happy Birthday to ME!  While Justin took care of the goats, I happily headed to the Donut shop to find my perfect sprinkle donut, a birthday tradition.  They were out, but the sweet lady made me one right there on the spot!:)  I decided I wanted a Cherry Sprite too, because I was pretending to be 13 instead of 31.  I went to Sonic, as I thought they had 99cent drinks until 11:00, but they had recently changed it to 10:00, and it was 10:15.  I am cheap, so I left and went across the street to 7-eleven for my 99cent Shriley Temple Big Gulp.  I got home and took a long bath with my essential oil bath salts and a Sally Clarkson book in hand.  When I got out, I was greeted by my 13th "Happy Birthday Angela" mix from Justin on my phone; he loves me well.  I leisurely got ready and even took the time to take the 2 week old nail polish off of my fingernails, now that's a luxury!  Abby and Rebecca picked me up for lunch, and we met Taber at Panera.  While it was slightly  very windy, we sat outside and enjoyed the sunshine and good conversation.  After hearing about me not having a cake for my 30th, Abby was determined to NOT let that happen and brought the cutest little cake for us to share and celebrate with!  This time together was so sweet and I felt so loved.

From there Abby and I met up with Justin and headed to Arlington to meet my girls, Grammy and Pop, and Daddy for an early dinner at Fish City Grill.   Oh how I love my little ladies!  After a weekend without them, I needed those hugs and snuggles!  Dinner was delicious, and guess what?!  I wisely a week before had told Justin about how bummed I was to not have a cake last year.  I knew it wasn't his fault, but I also knew he had to know that was my desire, or I would end up disappointed once again.  He turned cake duty over to his mom and the girls, and I had a delicious cake made by my little loves!  THANK YOU!  When I first entered marriage there was some strange rule in my head that if I asked for something from Justin and then he provided it, it wasn't as valuable as if he just knew what I needed and gave it to me.  While I suppose that happens from time to time, I have learned that it is so healthy to just ASK!  He LOVES to serve me and DESIRES to provide for my wants and needs; however, I have to communicate what those wants and needs are.  Life is so much better when we aren't living on assumptions!  From there I hugged Abby and sent her off to the airport, thankful for a friend who will use her airline miles to come in for just a few days to make me feel super loved! (Abby and fam get their own post soon!)

On our way home there was a beautiful display of God's splendor in the sky.  I just couldn't get enough of it!  What a sweet reminder of a new year and the promise that His love never fails!
When we arrived home, I had the BEST birthday post ever on Facebook, if you didn't see it, you should definitely go check it out!!  My dear friend Keri created an International Happy Birthday video for me, starring all of her friends at the training where her family currently is.  I watched it multiple times.  I cried every time.  These friends really are precious.

After that, my crew put their finishing touches on my gifts, and presented me with sweet treasures.  Photos and Frames and Handmade Art are pretty much the BEST!  I also got a new cute pair of running shoes, which I guess means I need to run more at 31 than I did at 30 (hmm... maybe 10 miles total?!).  That right there will surely make this year "thirty-onderful"!  The night was capped off by lots of crazy attempts of selfies with the Bigs.  Oh, how I adore my crew.  It is such a blessing to be Mommy of Team Bassett; I am well loved.

All in all, 31 is definitely off to a better start than 30.  I am already seeing the Lord restoring brokenness, using pain to bring about beauty, and encouraging the Body of Christ globally through our story.  I have great hope that this will be an exciting year for me as God opens new doors and I run with perseverance and in obedience this race He has marked out for me.

Febloguary Day 10 (Momma's Story)

I wanted to take the opportunity to share Momma's Story that I wrote for her memorial service.  I had the privilege to read these words before a room full of people on whom Momma made an incredible impact. God gave me His peace, and I was able to read while remaining composed.  That day was hard but also remarkably encouraging.  A life lived well under the gospel is worthy of a celebration, and that is how we honored Momma on that day!

Hi, welcome to Mary’s celebration of life service.  Thank you so much for being here and supporting our family during this time.  Your presence and your kind words have been a blessing to us.  It is our hope and prayer that you are encouraged and blessed by this time together today as we remember and celebrate my Momma together.  

Mary Elizabeth Northcott Harris finished her earthly race and joined her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ on December 12, 2013.  

Mary was known and loved by many during her full life. She was a loving wife, mother, sister and Nana, a selfless friend, a wise teacher, and a servant leader.  

Mary was born on April 29, 1952 in Fort Worth, Texas, to Arnold and Thelma Northcott.  Mary Elizabeth, as her friends knew her, graduated as part of the first class from Southwest High School in 1970 and went on to Texas Tech.  She returned home to Fort Worth a year later to be with her high school sweetheart, Rick, and they married March 10, 1972.  Mary completed her undergrad at Texas Wesleyan.  

Mary went to work for Crowley ISD as a business and typing teacher at Crowley High School in 1975.  She then received her masters from Tarleton State University and became an assistant principal at CHS.  In 1986, Mary opened Meadowcreek Elementary as the principal.  She served the parents, students, teachers and staff well there for 15 years.  She then opened Dallas Park Elementary in 2002 and continued to serve Crowley ISD passionately there before moving to the Administration Building in 2005.  In 2006, Mary retired so she could enjoy being Nana, but her heart for the children of Crowley ISD continued, and she was elected to the school board in 2009 where she boldly stood up for what was best for boys and girls.  In 2010, Mary Harris Intermediate School opened, honoring Mary’s many years of service to Crowley ISD.  The immeasurable impact Mary made on the lives of children is remarkable.  She truly left a legacy of love and dedication toward each child she encountered.  

Mary and Rick were blessed with their first daughter, Stephanie Elizabeth, on March 1, 1980.  She was a joy!  While Mary was expecting their next child, Stephanie, at the age of 2, was diagnosed with neuroblastoma.  Angela Marie was born February 23, 1983.  Stephanie fought hard, but she lost her battle against cancer in May of 1984.   While Mary grieved deeply, she also used her experience with the loss of Stephanie to serve other parents who had to walk through similar circumstances.  Mary was a devoted mother, never missing a game, recital, performance or any other special event of Angela’s.  She poured her life into her family.

Mary loved Jesus and His Word.  She began each day being filled with His Truth, and she served others out of the overflow of the love and sacrifice of her Lord.  She encouraged those around her to be kind to everyone and to look for ways to serve.  This attitude is the legacy she leaves behind.  All who were impacted by Mary’s life are forever changed by her zeal for life, her contagious smile, and her unconditional love.  

Although Frontotemporal Dementia has clouded our past few years with Mary, our memories of her vibrant life are sealed, and our lives are better for having known her.

Mary was preceded in death by her daughter Stephanie, her parents Arnold and Thelma, and her granddaughter Charlotte.  She is survived by her husband Rick Harris, her daughter and son in law Angela and Justin Bassett, her granddaughters Elizabeth, Elaine and Olivia Bassett, her sister and brother in law Arlene and GB Bailey, her brother and sister in law Trey and Cheryl Norhtcott and countless friends and family members as you can see.

We rejoice that Mary is experiencing her great gain in the presence of he Lord.  For Mary, to live was Christ, and to die is truly GAIN!

Here are some of my favorite pictures from the slide show. Even in a photograph, her smile is contagious. Enjoy!