Wise Up

The best President of my time wisely said.....

"Surround yourself with the best people you can find, delegate authority, and don't interfere as long as the policy you've decided upon is being carried out.”

 

-Ronald Reagan-

The Perfect Place for a Tree Swing

When I can't see the forest for the trees, the first thing I want to do... Is hide in the forest. I want to isolate myself, curl up in the fetal position and just wait until the storm blows over. But in my experience, if I make myself get out of the forest, do something fun to take my mind off the trees looming overhead... I come away feeling much better. Why is it the very best thing for you, is the most difficult thing to do???? Feeling down? At the end of your rope?  Grab a tree, find a board, drill two holes, tie a couple of knots, embrace your inner child, and lose yourself in the simple things that make you feel good. Use the forest for something other than hiding... It's the perfect place for a tree swing.

Look Up

When life knocks you down there is no better place to look than up, no better direction to go than forward, and no better place to be than out.

Psalm 121

A song of ascents.

¹ I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?
² My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.

³ He will not let your foot slip—
    he who watches over you will not slumber;
⁴ indeed, he who watches over Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵ The Lord watches over you—
    the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
⁶ the sun will not harm you by day,
    nor the moon by night.

⁷ The Lord will keep you from all harm—
    he will watch over your life;
⁸ the Lord will watch over your coming and going
    both now and forevermore.

Miss M's Birthday Get Away

Earlier this month the girlfriends went to a small cabin in Davis to celebrate the 50th birthday of one of the girls. A 50th birthday is a big deal.
The cabin was cute and they offered zip-lining  right there. I REALLY wanted to go zip-lining,but... The weekend wasn't about me so we're putting it off until February (I'm holding it to you girls!). The owner of the cabin took us on a tour of the property with Miss M rapping in the background. We grilled dinner and ate outside in the unusually cool Oklahoma
weather. After dinner we entertained ourselves by blowing bubbles and playing a story game. The first person started the story with the letter "A" and each person continued the story using the next letter in the alphabet. The rules weren't thoroughly explained at first because 3 sentences into the story Miss M. made us back up because the story was suppose to be all about her. We finally got the hang of it and laughed ourselves silly

then we went inside for cake and birthday presents. It was a great weekend with great friends. Happy Birthday Miss M.... You are.... Marvelous, Magnificent and.... A MMMazing!!!!!!

P.S. I love the last pic, because she loved the gift, the camera just didn't catch it when she gave the "I LOVE this gift" look.

On The Other Side of Change

Change gets a bad rap at times. We like our routines, we like our neat tidy lives uninterrupted by the nastiness of change. Although change is difficult, it doesn't have to be bad... Sometimes it's just a bridge that opens up opportunities we would have never sought on our own. Who know what lies on the other side of change....

Know Your Worth

It is natural to feel devalued when you suffer a loss, be it a relationship, position, or even when your kids leave home. After years of pouring yourself into something, when that something is no longer there, or you are no longer needed, it's easy to feel displaced and.... Disposable. Let's face it, it's a dog eat dog out there and although we may feel valuable at times, it only takes a sweep of the pen to bring you back down to earth at super sonic speed and make you feel worthless. I got the sweetest email the other night. After a friend read my blog about being despondent he wrote....

"Please don't be despondent about the job change. Remember when one door closes another is opened. I hired you as receptionist when you couldn't even talk! Remember that? You're a special person and someone will recognize that just as I did. My prayers are with you."

I have thought about that job interview so many times over the years. I was so sick with bronchitis and laryngitis that I could not even speak at a whisper. I felt like an idiot trying to talk during the interview.... Straining with everything within me just to produce a squeak or a rasp. The job I applied for entailed answering the phone all day long and transferring calls to about a million different extensions. In addition, I also paged people over the intercom all-day-long. I ofter wondered why on earth he hired me to do a job he had no idea I could do. Apparently he saw worth in me that wasn't quite visible at the time.

YOU... ARE... NOT... WORTHLESS...
God sees what man cannot and you my friend are more valuable than gold. 

Uncertainty

Just when you think you've got things under control, things get shaken up again. Maybe it's God's way of preventing us, or teaching us not to be dependent on anyone but him.

Change Happens - Happen with it

This is the motivational note I put on the desk of the co-workers in my department this morning. It's my small attempt to counteract the gloom that has settled over our office due to sudden changes.... You can expect to be seeing a lot of these. Feel free to share.

Riding on a Bubble

When I got home at lunch, I slipped out of my high heels, grabbed a bottle of bubbles left over from the weekend and sat on my front porch. It's hard to believe it's July with the temperature in the 70's, an overcast sky and no wind. I blew strings of iridescent bubbles and watched as they floated and swirled, this way and that way without a care in the world. I imagined all of my fears and every whispered prayer riding the bubbles to an ear far, far away, yet oh so very near.

Psalm 141

A psalm of David.

¹ I call to you, Lord, come quickly to me;
    hear me when I call to you.
² May my prayer be set before you like incense;
    may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.

Until Death Do They Meet Again.

Today would have been Mom and Dad's 57th wedding anniversary. I think being without her is getting more difficult instead of easier. Although I would if I could, I can't seem to make the hurt go away. I guess he will hurt until death do they meet again. Love you Momma, sorry you are gone.

The Despondent Christian and The Broom Bush

This is a Broom Bush

How was your 4th of July?? Mine was spent with me curled up in the fetal position numb from the reality that my reality has taken a drastic change (relax, my marriage is fine). I'm not a pessimist, I'm more of a realist. I don't like facts sugar coated to give me a false sense of security. I was born on Thursday, in church on Sunday and spent the majority of my childhood sleeping under pews (and my early adulthood sleeping on them... Ha Ha, just kidding). During my younger years my faith was undeterred by the twist and turns life led me down. I remember a particularly traumatic trial we faced years ago. I faced it by coming home for lunch and planting my face in the floor, completely broken and crying out to God. God did what God does, and years later he lifted the veil so I could see why my prayers had not been answered according to my wishes. I was humbled that he had chosen me and our family to fulfill his purpose in such a way, even though it meant many sleepless nights, rivers of tears, and a lot of resentment in the the beginning. This week has been one of the most difficult weeks I've had since that time. It's been the kind of week where circumstances leave me feeling completely despondent. I feel too hopeless to pray and it seems like my prayers bounce right off the ceiling and back into my lap. I know "good Christians" aren't suppose to admit to feelings of hopelessness, but I've never claimed to be one of those. Have you ever had time in your life when you didn't think you could put one more foot in front of the other, fake one more smile or simply hold your tongue? Well, that's where I'm at. I am scared and I'm tired, and I don't feel like once again picking myself up, dusting myself off only to begin another crisis. This is definitely going to have to be a foot prints in the sand kind of miracle, because I don't have the strength for one more loss, the strength to face another ranging storm or the need to go back and start over at the back of the pack. Disposable, that's how I feel; tossed aside, no longer valued and easily forgotten for a plethora of reasons. Op, op, op... (That's what we say when we are kind of getting onto the dogs, it's what my husbands Dad used to say to his dogs) Before you judge me go back and read I Kings 18 & 19. I'm not the only Christian to ever wander in the wilderness; in fact there have been many (hello, Children of Israel). Elijah, a prophet who called fire down from heaven, found himself curled up in the fetal position (well the Bible doesn't actually specify he was in the fetal position, but if I know anything about being despondent, he definitely was) under a broom bush in the middle of the wilderness AFTER a miraculous experience of God's power. I'm in good company and probably if we could all be honest for a second, we've all been there, done that. I know it's often looked at as a big no-no in the Christian world, but I also believe that God wired us with emotions and understands that in our human state, we will be less than perfect and have days when we feel.... Despondent.... I know he loves me (I grew up singing that song). I know he'll carry me through and although it may  not be a pleasant ride it's one I'll come out on the other side. I believe at some point I can look back at the big picture that right now is hidden from my eyes and say "Oh, now I get it." Yes, God loves even the angry despondent Christian who is sitting in the wilderness just waiting to be served lunch by angels and waiting to hear the gentle whisper.... "It's going to be okay, you are by no means alone."

Take a peek at human nature vs. the nurture of God.....(go back and read chapter 18 for kicks and giggles to illustrate just how fickle our faith can be).

I Kings 19
³ Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, ⁴ while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” ⁵ Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. (This is so me right now).
All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” ⁶ He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.

¹¹ The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. ¹² After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. (I love that... A gentle whisper). ¹³ When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

The Road Less Traveled

Do not expect words of wisdom when speaking to a fool.

Do not expect knowledge when arguing with the ignorant.

Do not expect compassion from one who has never suffered.

Do not expect understanding from one who has never walked your path.

One cannot give what they do not have, they cannot teach what they do not know, and they cannot empathize with what they have not experienced.

The character and integrity possessed by the wise, the knowledgeable, and the compassionate, come by working your way through the grit of daily trials with nothing and no one to rely on but your own hard work and perseverance. In today's world it is known as the road less traveled.