Saying "Goodbye" to a Very Good Friend {My Tribute}

She was a fantastic friend.

We shared a lot together, especially the love of driving. She was very good at it. One of the best, in my opinion.

She never yelled at me, never blamed me, never criticized me. In fact, she never said anything. She was just there. Every time I needed her, she lent me aid. And when I didn't need her, she still sat. Ready for our next adventure.

She was there the first time I was pulled over. A pivotal moment in my life. I was released with a warning, when I was in clear violation of the law. I was given such a life changing picture of God's grace in that instance, and from that moment my relationship with Jesus Christ became more vibrant. 

She went with me to work every day. She played worship music on the commute, which helped me keep my focus on Jesus instead of frustrating traffic and people. 

We went on trips together. Ontario, the woods, the prairies, planes, the East coast and back. We would drive the country roads through northern IL together, just to unwind. We'd speed through the highways just to feel the wind in our hair.

She was with me the first time I realized who my husband would be. She took us safely on our honeymoon through Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts.

She brought us on several vacations through the prairies, over two major rivers and then the woodlands. Even Deep into the mountains of Colorado. 
We also saw Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, Missouri, and Kentucky (I'm sure I'm missing a few).

The day I knew our relationship would change, was the first time I put an infant car seat in her. She only had two doors, and being a small sport coupe that didn't leave much room in the back seat for anything. 

Two years went by and I managed stooping low to help a little one in his safety device. 

Then, I found out we were expecting our second. Time to pass her on to someone else. She'd served me well. We had many laughs, cries and joys together.

Tears seeped down my face as I drove her out of our driveway for the last time. Our last road trip together; through the prairies, over two rivers and into the woodlands back to where I first found her. There she will be a great friend to my brother. She's still in the family, but she's no longer mine. 

She never leaked, never exploded, was always dependable. Gram found her one cold January day while snooping at the Saturn dealership. She was mine for 11.5 years. Gram named her the "Green Machine."

I know she was just a car, but she was more than than to me. God provided her at a time when I really needed her. She ran well and efficient (getting 42 mph during her prime years!). 

She was ever a constant reminder to me of the Lord's faithfulness. 

Goodbye, dear friend.

Parenting Together

The longer I've been married and the longer I've been a mother, I've come to realize what a blessing and joy it is to parent together. By this I mean, both parents agreeing on how to parent and act as a team in leading, teaching, correcting and disciplining their children.

Marriage is hard work and then to add children to the mix can cause even more chaos and confusion. Working together and enjoying the ride as it travels is much more enjoyable, stress less and productive.

Not to say that parenting together isn't stressful. Teaching young minds is tiresome, endless work.

Can you imagine how wonderful a marriage would be like to live in, in the following example (which doesn't have to be exactly as I've described, but along the same lines)?

Mother stays home with her children instead of having a paying job. She spends her days caring for the home and teaching, correcting, training and disciplining her children in her ways. Father comes home from work and proceeds to spend time with his children and teach them his ways, which may be the exact opposite of what Mother had been doing all day long. 

What will happen in the home? It will become a house of chaos and disarray. The children know that each parent will teach them in opposite ways and they will be confused, frustrated, angry; not to mention the fact that they will also try to pit the parents against each other.

The next day she starts all over again, and he undoes everything. This continues everyday.

What will her reaction soon be, if it hasn't already started the first day? What will her relationship with her husband be like? 

Won't this make for a wonderful marriage? A wonderful life? 

(Here my tone is a bit sarcastic, if you hadn't already pick up on that. :))

Can you see why it would be so beneficial to not only your children to be parented the same from both parents (in a Biblical manner I might add), but also the husband and wife and the benefits to their marriage?

I'm so thankful that my husband and I see things similarly. The issues that we might not agree or are unsure of, we spend time communicating with each other so that we can come up with a plan and act it out together. As a team.

I'm no psychologist, psychiatrist or the like and what I say might not be completely accurate. I've just come to realize how important it is to be one as a husband and wife. Not just in those moments when my husband and I have conceived your children, but in every day matters of life. 

Marriage, as God intended and created it, is attacked from so many directions. Don't let this be one that's allowed to fall unnoticed and vulnerable.