GoG 175: The Life-Giving Friendships

Tonight, I went to La Ranchera with some old friends. Sara-Ruth, Lauren, and I meet every 3 or 4 months to chat, catch up, and encourage each other. I've blogged about Sara-Ruth before ... how she's a life-giving friend. She and Lauren both are. It is such a gift from God to call them my friends. We always have great conversations about life, our struggles, God's faithfulness, our futures, our present circumstances ... and I am always so encouraged! They are too! And it is just such grace to share in a friendship such as life ... life-giving friendships.

GoG 174: The Chat with Wes

Yesterday, I picked my brother up from the airport and took him out to dinner. We went to McAlister's for sweet teas, a baked potato, and a sandwich. We talked all about his new endeavors with network marketing. And it was fun to see his passion and vision for his life. It was also good just to sit with him. We both are so busy these days. He's home for the summer, but I hardly see him ... 'cause either I'm out and about or he is. So it is always grace to sit and talk with him ... really talk ... like we did yesterday. :)

GoG 173: The Car to Drive

A couple days after my flood incident, I was driving my brother's old car. Thankfully, I was not deprived of a car after my accident. I didn't even miss a beat actually! I drove all over the place the same day I said goodbye to my Malibu. Amazing, huh?! ... Now, my brother's car is a bit old. It sits low to the ground. It doesn't have air conditioning. It has 150,000 miles on it. It makes a rattling noise when I drive it. Not a stellar car. But ... I found myself being thankful. Thankful that I had transportation. That I TOTALED MY CAR earlier that day, and I DIDN'T MISS A THING!!! It was like it hadn't even happened! I had a car to drive!!! Wow!

Having a car to drive is grace by itself ... but the fact that I was so thankful is even more grace! Thank you, Lord, for an eternal perspective in this crazy situation!

GoG 172: The SoZo Girls' Lock-in

Tuesday was our SoZo Girls' Lock-in at Calvary. We'd never really done one before, and the girls had raved about doing a sleepover ... so how could I resist? I scheduled one a few weeks back but forgot to remind the girls about it other than a quick text the day of the event. I didn't have a huge turn out, but 4 girls was pretty good for SoZo. I didn't have an agenda for the night, but wow! It was awesome! I had such a good time! And so did the girls! :)

We played board games; we ate lots of junk food; we danced - I mean REALLY danced!; we played hide 'n seek in the church; we ate more junk food; we had a pillow fight; we watched movies; we lip synced to music; we painted finger nails; we did blind makeovers - with blindfolds and everything!; we ate donuts for breakfast; we even cleaned up our mess afterward. Ha! It was such a fun overnighter. And what a joy to spend some extra time with my girls and see a different side of them. Praise God for youth ministry!!!! :D

GoG 171: The Totaled Car and the Best Dad in the World!

So you may not believe what I'm about to tell you ... well, you may not believe that I found grace in it. Seriously. Whew!

Monday night ... or rather, Tuesday early, early morning ... I totaled my car.

Yes ... I, Mical Masterson, the "grandma," the never-got-a-ticket, the "safe" driver ... completely destroyed her car.

Usually, when you think of someone "totally" their car, you think ... two cars, collision, mangled fender or bumper or entire car. Well, I ran into a flood, and my car drowned.

Plainfield. On Township Line Road (otherwise known as East County Road 300 South). I was headed home from Plainfield ... driving home on that road ... when "BAM!" I hit something. At first, I didn't know what ... then, my car shut off. I look ahead, and I see tons of water! And before I know it, the water starts coming in through the floor, and the water picks up my car and moves it to the side of the rode. I panic! My first thought ... "I'm gonna die!" My second thought ... "My car is gonna be ruined!" My third thought ... "Phone! Where's my phone!?" Seconds before my entire purse is soaked through and everything in it is ruined, I grab it from the floor, grab my phone and start dialing my dad. Umm ... yeah. I'm still in the car, and it is filling with water!!! Can you tell I'm panicked? Umm ... yeah. Idiot. I was so panicked I wasn't functioning right! My dad picks up, and I tell him ... "Dad, I'm fine, but I need to call you back." I hang up, work up all the courage I can to open the door, get out of the car in the oober deep, creepy, dark, anything-could-be-swimming-around-and-eat-me scary water! I walk probably 50 feet to the road, and as soon as I get out of the creepy water, I grab my phone again and call my dad. He tells me to duck and cover ... seeing as their is a lightning storm going on, it's about to start pouring, and I could die! Not from water but from lightning ... or come to find out ... a tornado! Yes, there were some starting to form not too far from where I was. After I get off the phone with my dad, I call Triple A. Someone stops to help. I jump in his car, and we sit to wait for my dad. Fire trucks and ambulances are coming. Oh, man. A half an hour later my dad shows up. I thank the super nice guy who let me sit with him and hop in the car with my dad. We go park near the scene of the flood. Sit for 20 minutes or so. And by this time, there's a news guy. Yeah. I lone news guy drives up, gets out of his car, talks to the firemen, and heads down to my nearly-underwater car. I just prayed that he wouldn't try to find the driver. I did not want to see "the idiocy of Mical Masterson" all over the news the next day! Whew! He finally leaves, and I take a sigh of relief. So we wait just over an hour for the Triple A guy with the tow truck to show up. He comes, and the water is too deep. I have to leave the car over night. Oh my gosh. So I come back the next morning around 11am. And my car is GONE! I go from the fire department to the municipal building to the police department to Whitlow's, the tow truck place ... where I finally find my car. My dad meets me there, we discuss the details, and then we leave. I found out the next day that my car was totaled ... no doubt, right? It sat in 4 feet of water all night long.

So my poor Chevy Malibu has gone to car heaven. Sad tale, huh? And how in the world did I find GRACE in it???!!!!!

Well, I have a pretty amazing dad. Actually, he's the best in the world!!!! At least I think so. :) He never even hinted that he was mad ... in the whole situation, he never got mad. He never said, "Mical! I just bought that car for you ... that $10,000 car for you ... 2 years ago!" He didn't say, "What the heck were you doing? How did you NOT see the water? Do you know how much this is gonna cost us?" He simply said, "Mical, I'm just glad you're okay." "Mical, it's just stuff." "Mical, we'll get you another car."

CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT????????!!!!

Wow! "And the dad award of the world goes to .... KELLY MASTERSON!!!!" .... Man! I was so thankful! His attitude about the whole thing was incredible!!! Ha! He even took me out to lunch after we left Whitlow's that day! What the heck? Amazing! One of the greatest glimpses of grace I have had in my entire life if my dad. He is the most amazing dad ever!!!!!

GoG 170: The Family Lunch

Wes went to Evansville last week ... all week ... to do stuff with his new network marketing adventure. :) I'm always bummed when he leaves for long periods over the summer ... 'cause when he goes away to school, he doesn't home but for holidays. I miss him! So when he got back last Saturday night ... didn't see him till Sunday ... it was just simply good to see him. We went out to lunch with mom and dad for Father's day, and it was just fun to see him, talk to him, and spend some time with the family. I am incredibly blessed when it comes to my family ... they are amazing!!!!!

GoG 169: The J U S T U S Hug :)

Yes, most of my GoGs for last week had to do with the Chambers family ... :)

Justus was away at scout camp for the week, but we went to pick him up on Saturday morning. Shelley told me early on in the week and then again before we picked him up that Justus was hoping he could see me before I left to travel home. That by itself is amazing! But I also got a hug from him when we picked him up from camp. J U S T U S ... I miss that guy.

GoG 168: The Nerts Game

The last night of my visit to Shelley's house, we talked a lot ... but it was over several games of Nerts. Nerts is our favorite card game ... and we used to play it all the time with the girls in the youth group when Pastor Mike and Shelley were still at Calvary. We talked a lot while we played, and we reminisced in the "old days" of youth group at Calvary. It was a good time! And such grace to remember such goods times together and then BE together there that night. :)

GoG 167: The Cuddle with Anna

While I was at Pastor Mike and Shelley's house, I got to spend lots of time with Anna. She's probably the most adorable 3-year-old girl ever! And what a personality! She is my buddy every time I go to visit. 3 years old is pretty young, and I only see her 2 or 3 times a year, so it's hard for her to remember me from visit to visit. But she always warms up to me right away. And I think she kind of remembered me this time ... at least she said she did. :) ... We were watching Disney's Tarzan one afternoon, and she just hopped up on my lap, made herself comfortable, and we watched the movie together. Sooo cute! I loved it! And it was simply grace to have a little buddy that day ... and all weekend. :)

GoG 166: The Late Night Talks with Shelley

Last Wednesday through Saturday, I traveled to Poplar Bluff, Missouri to hang out with Shelley, Noah, and Anna. Pastor Mike was at Icthus with the youth group, and Justus was a boy scout camp. I stayed for three nights, and every night after the kids went to bed, Shelley and I stayed up late talking. We talked about all kinds of stuff ... and it was such a blessing to see her again ... talk to her ... and just simply BE with her. I miss her so much! The whole weekend was awesome! :)

GoG 165: The Lonely Day

I don't get lonely very often. I'm a pretty independent person I think. I like being alone at times ... I NEED to be alone at times. But mostly, I NEED people, and I am re-energized in being with people. ... But sometimes, very rarely, but sometimes, I get lonely. A week ago Tuesday was one of those rare lonely days. I just woke up feeling lonely that day. I don't know why ... I still live at home, I get to hang out with my SoZo kids and church family every week ... but I just felt really lonely. So I called up Hannah and was so thankful she was free and wanted to hang out. We went to Red Robin for lunch, walked around the Metropolis, bought candles from Yankee Candle, and went to see Iron Man 2. What a fun day! And it was grace to have a friend to hang out with on a lonely day! :)

GoG 164: The Hug

Last week, I was riding with Helen to Sam's Club to pick up some things for a SoZo service project. Helen has been a member of Calvary Chapel for almost as long as my family. She is serving as our church secretary, and she's a marvelous lady! .... We stopped by her daughter's work that day - she was dropping something off. I don't know her daughter very well ... see her at Calvary from time to time, and that's about it. But her daughter gave me a hug and a warm smile and said, "It's good to see you!" Might be a weird glimpse of grace ... getting a hug from someone you barely know ... but it was. It was a gift from God in its own way ... just made me feel good to know that someone who barely knows me feels comfortable with me. :)