ann kiemel

just to keep it straight, 

my hair was borderline

disaster. and i always want

to look my best with my children.

but..it ended up

being brushed out, and into a braid

at the nape of my neck. with a

thin, white-stretched head band.

i didn't even know what i

had brought to wear. so i wore

plain and some design tights.

and long tops, layered. and

started drooling in nordstrom

over a pair of uggs. last ones.

in violet/purple. the newest

color for 2014. the ones with

glitter. this may sound really

ghastly to you, but with my long,

lean body, i think it works.

to the sales man, i asked if he

could just hold....

"no! sorry to interrupt you, dear.

it's a policy of nordstrom's....."

blah. blah. i couldn't make such

a decision. $200. the children.

then.....

up walked taylor and colson.

"mom! do you like those? do you?"

my eyes began to shine.

to become luminous.

what was taylor hinting at?

he has a big, new job. videographer

at post-graduate naval school,

but he has all his college loans

to pay off, and....

"sir, i'd like to buy these for

my mother.."

colson was grinning. he had

to work all night, but he's in heaven

with all of us together. and i was

now speechless. at that moment, 

every light in this store

went out. complete blackness. 

just two or three minutes. 

but it just added to the glory and surprise

and excitement of one of my children doing this for me. 

i've only taken these uggs off to sleep.

literally.

then, i received perfume. and

brock bought me two, darling, long

sweaters (to go with tights).

sacrificial for my sons.

it blew the sun across my face

and made my bones shake with

delight i can't even articulate.

we each had an orange julius.

we held hands walking through

the mall tiers. just so grateful

that Jesus would make a way

for us. and it was just us,

no one else can ever really know

what we've lived through. i took

6-7 pictures. again, pictures...

anything except Jesus and His

grace....just got lost. forgotten.

there were two girlfriends in

the party, but the kids were
more focused on our family because we

were so hungry to simply absorb

our love for each other. my eyes

are wet with warm emotion, 

remembering.

not perfection.

an aging mom with a sad, 

broken year under my belt.

and fine..such handsome...sons

with their own hurts and sorrows.

and over and over, so many

clerks behind counters that i

shared Jesus with. tears welling

up in eyes. their brokenness.

so obvious. confessionals

behind glass counters. happiness

has blossomed in my soul again.  

what i've lived through the

last twelve months has planted

a compassion so pure and deep

inside me, for others, that i have

a beautiful, new garden

blossoming. a fresh, sweet aroma.

your love and prayers have

done it. you carried me, prayed

and cried with me.. and utterly

embraced me. jan thanks you so,

too, for including her.

you assisted God in lifting her

off a sick bed to be with her husband and children

Christmas day.

"hallelujah! what a Savior!!"