Who is Norah S. Reed?

My goal was to post this first blog on 2/1/14 because that was the day all 7 of my children (5 from birth; 2 by marriage), threw the most incredible party of our 40 years. It was called “The 70/40 Celebration,” in honor of my husband’s 70th birthday (in January) and our 40^th wedding anniversary (on February 16^th). However, the whole month before this great event was filled with family, friends, completing a 3 year old project and cleaning out my upstairs rooms to accommodate family friends.  

This is the pattern for Norah S. Reed:

 #1: God First; I am a woman who loves God and has confessed Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior; a woman who loves life & celebrating at the end of a hard day’s work; passionate about the people she has encountered and always, ALWAYS, in All Ways striving to CONNECT with the people in my life.

 #2: A wife. Blessed at a very young age to meet and marry her soul-mate, her one-true-love, her best friend (I think Hallmark stole my idea) and devote her life to becoming one with this man. He is an exception…he has proven this repeatedly over the last 40 years. He is a passionate student: of God, His Word, Life, History, Government, Politics, People (in that order).  He knew when he married me (& he made it very clear) that this would be a one-time thing. “If you have any doubts about marrying me, tell me now, because I will not willingly ‘give’ you a divorce.” I never doubted; well, I may have doubted several times, but I quickly changed my mind, because every time I would pray about him and our upcoming wedding day, I’d say, “God, if you have to slam the door so hard that it knocks me out, DO NOT LET ME HURT THIS MAN; and, do not let me SCREW UP MY LIFE by leaving the best thing that ever happened to me.”

#3: I am the Mother of 5 incredible children.  After 6 years of marriage, my husband and I decided we were ready to start a family. 3 months later I was pregnant with our first born.  We proceeded to have 5 children in 8 years and 4 months. They are the pattern of our quilt: each one uniquely different and equally brilliant. My marriage and my family, are what I consider my greatest accomplishment in Life, because they are the only passions that have constantly held my A.D.D. mind. I have never grown tired (weary at times) or bored with this 40 years of my life. So, this is not only my greatest accomplishment, but possibly theirs! The fact that they are now marrying and my family is growing is another reason I am never bored. The quilt is growing and it is cozy.

#4:  I serve people. This, I consider a privilege. My heart is always to serve in hefty helpings:  acceptance, great and plentiful food, drink, music, fun. I count it the greatest gift to be able to love and rally together the beautifully unique and varied people who God places in my life.  Again, I have never been bored and I have learned a great deal. God packages some of His greatest blessings in people from every arena in Life; often in ways I would never expect…and I have had the privilege to call them my friends and in many cases, family.

#5: I love to work ‘heartily as unto the Lord.’ (Colossians 3:23); which brings us back to #1. (Are you hearing "DO-RE-ME” in your head?).  Lover of music (I recognize wonderful music when I hear it, but at this moment cannot play ANY instrument. I’m working on learning the piano (another blog); I love books, I love movies. I have a wonderful job which allows me to serve people every day. I am the voice they reach instead of a taped message. I am the person who returns their calls, even if it is at the end of a very long day. I am the one who will listen to their story and have the authority to make calls on their behalf.  I work for a man who has dedicated this portion of his life to serving the people who put him there.  His priorities are the same as mine: God, Family, Service. How rich am I to not have to constantly explain myself? Wealth was exchanged for this gift and I have no regrets.

#6: I haven’t mentioned “Country,” yet. This is a love that I discovered after being married to my husband for several years. Though I was raised in a family that had a father and 2 uncles who served our country, somehow that passion didn't grow until much later in life. I have often told my husband I would have been his nightmare student. I fell asleep during (riveting) lectures about our forefathers, our constitution, our founding. I was the kid who would sit slumped in her seat, head in hand, doodling instead of taking notes; eyes half open, snapping myself awake when the drool started to dribble down my chin. I had no interest, time or desire to learn about something that happened so many years before my time. That is, until I married a man who bled red, white and blue. My husband didn't bore me with statistics, dates or numbers. He introduced me to men and women who laid their lives on the line so that I could be free. I “met” these men and women who sacrificed and would simply not give up because they believed in Freedom. When I realized that my husband could no more give this up than he could his right hand, I was faced with the choice of “leading, following or getting out of the way,” and that changed my destiny. He never served an ultimatum, I just knew that we were growing in different directions. If I were to continue to have the exciting conversations that I had grown accustomed with my husband, then I, too, would have to jump on the band wagon. I prayed. And God not only changed my heart but He opened a door for a career change and I walked through. My husband and I have some of the most electrifying conversations we have ever had, not because we agree on every subject, but because we enjoy the differences. I am finding my voice and learning to support my beliefs. THAT is my God. THAT is His love for me, my family and my life. Change IS possible.

THIS is Norah S. Reed. Welcome to my world. I look forward to getting to know you and would enjoy reading your views as I share mine.

p.s. I know nothing about quilting...just that I love the end result!