I was looking for a verse this morning....one to claim for the day and came across this one from Colossians 3:12-14 and I just had to share it with you. “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”
I suffer a little from OCD.....Obsessive Compulsive Disorder...I have to lay out my clothes the night before I have to get up and go to work. It is one less thing I have to think about when I get up. It allows me to be more objective and intentional instead of rushing to decide what to wear.
In Colossians, Paul shares an analogy of clothing because our behavior is something that people see about us. Just like a bad suit, we look bad in negative behavior. Paul admonishes us to clothe ourselves in love. He then says to accessorize love with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and forgiveness. What an ensemble. Can you imagine if we were intentional in putting on this behavior everyday? What a difference it would make in our life and the lives of those around us.
So, from now on when you decide what you want to wear...think on this. What you put on....inside and out is your choice. God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, has custom made an outfit just for you. The clothes fit perfectly and bring out your true self. Go ahead, find a quiet changing room and go change. Clothe yourself today with love, compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience and forgiveness.
I know I need to wear something different in my heart. I am ashamed to say that I haven’t been wearing the clothes He gave to me when I became a Christian. Today, Friday, May 2nd I am making a conscious effort to change the clothes of my heart and put on love, compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience and forgiveness. I want to dress for success....inside and out. I want to look my very best. I am wearing my Bee pin this morning....because it reminds me I can Bee....whatever I want to Bee....I want to Bee my best for God.....Today, Tomorrow, Forever!
Here's to change! K
Friday, May 2, 2008
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Questions 54 and 55
I got an email this week from my friend Pam George....she always sends profound emails to me....so I don't just hit delete....I always take the time to read them....this one was truly profound and thought provoking and sparked me to take the email and adapt it to my life. It began by stating that most of us tend put off something that brings us joy just because we haven't thought about it, don't have it penciled in on our schedule, didn't know it was coming or are simply too anal to vere from our routines.
Think about all those women on the Titanic who passed up dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to 'cut back the calories'. I don't know about you but I've tried to be a little more flexible!! How many women eat at home because our husbands didn't suggest going out to dinner until after something had been thawed? Does the word 'refrigeration' mean nothing to us?
How often have the kids dropped in to talk and sat in silence while we watched some insipid show on television about people we don't know or care about? This was a big one for me. My parents live with me....and watch the game show network 24/7. Whenever my daughter comes to see them....she doesn't visit with them....she watches television with them. You can only talk during commercials. I have grown to hate the television for that very reason. I used to watch it at night....but I hate game shows....and until my parents go to bed that is all that is on in my house.
I cannot count the times I called a friend and said, 'How about going to lunch in a half hour?' only to hear them stammer, 'I can't. I have clothes on the line. My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday, I had a late breakfast, It looks like rain.' And my personal favorite: 'It's Monday.' One day we will wake up and our friends will be gone.....we aren't getting any younger you know and we will never have lunch together again.
We cram so much into our lives, we tend to even schedule our headaches. We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect! We'll go back and visit the grandparents when we get the baby toilet-trained. We'll entertain when we replace the living-room carpet. We'll go on a second honeymoon when we get the kids out of college. Life has a way of accelerating as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a litany of 'I'm going to,' 'I plan on,' and 'Someday, when things are settled down a bit.' This truly hit home for me last week when Frank came home complaining of chest pains. All of a sudden I was thrown into an unknown realm. I was looking at the fact that I could be a widow....and I did not like that at all. I sat in the room and thought about all the things we want to do, need to do, should do....and knew it was possibly too late. God gave me a second chance and believe me....I plan on siezing this moment....Carpe Diem it is.
When anyone calls I am going to be open to adventures and available for trips.I am planning to keep an open mind on new ideas. I want to have an enthusiasm for life that is contagious. After a five minute conversation with me I want you to be ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of roller-blades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord. Well....maybe not quite that extreme....but I do want my friends to be ready at a moments notice for what I have to suggest. Gas may be 5.00 a gallon this summer....but it is going to be the summer of the new me. I am going to seize the world by the horns and ride that puppy.
I stay on a perpetual diet. I have since the birth of my daughter, Kat....28 years ago....but you know....I love ice cream. It's just that in the past...I have felt that I might as well apply it directly to my stomach with a spatula and eliminate the digestive process. With my new zest for life and living next time I want ice
cream. I am going to stop the car and buy and ice cream....it does not have to be a triple-decker....but it will be ice cream...that way if my car hits an iceberg on the way home, I will die happy.
Now...go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to......not something
on your SHOULD DO list. If you were going to die soon and had only one phone
call you could make, who would you call and what would you say? And why are you waiting? My friend Bill lost his friend Morris this week....he sent me an email that said....he had just talked to him that morning....if he had known his conversation was going to be the last one he had....would he have said or done something different....I want to leave this world with no regrets! I think that is going to be my new mantra....instead of No Fear! Mine is No Regrets!
Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry go round or listened to the
rain lapping on the ground? Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight or gazed
at the sun into the fading night? Do you run through each day on the fly? When
you ask, 'How are you?' Do you hear the reply? Do you really care?
When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores
running through your head? Ever told your child, 'We'll do it tomorrow.' And
in your haste, not see his sorrow? Ever lost touch? Let a good friendship die?
Just call to say 'Hi? When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift....Thrown away. ... Life is not a race. Take it slower. Hear the music before the song is over. 'Life may not be the party we hoped for... but while we are here we might as well dance!'
Think about all those women on the Titanic who passed up dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to 'cut back the calories'. I don't know about you but I've tried to be a little more flexible!! How many women eat at home because our husbands didn't suggest going out to dinner until after something had been thawed? Does the word 'refrigeration' mean nothing to us?
How often have the kids dropped in to talk and sat in silence while we watched some insipid show on television about people we don't know or care about? This was a big one for me. My parents live with me....and watch the game show network 24/7. Whenever my daughter comes to see them....she doesn't visit with them....she watches television with them. You can only talk during commercials. I have grown to hate the television for that very reason. I used to watch it at night....but I hate game shows....and until my parents go to bed that is all that is on in my house.
I cannot count the times I called a friend and said, 'How about going to lunch in a half hour?' only to hear them stammer, 'I can't. I have clothes on the line. My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday, I had a late breakfast, It looks like rain.' And my personal favorite: 'It's Monday.' One day we will wake up and our friends will be gone.....we aren't getting any younger you know and we will never have lunch together again.
We cram so much into our lives, we tend to even schedule our headaches. We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect! We'll go back and visit the grandparents when we get the baby toilet-trained. We'll entertain when we replace the living-room carpet. We'll go on a second honeymoon when we get the kids out of college. Life has a way of accelerating as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a litany of 'I'm going to,' 'I plan on,' and 'Someday, when things are settled down a bit.' This truly hit home for me last week when Frank came home complaining of chest pains. All of a sudden I was thrown into an unknown realm. I was looking at the fact that I could be a widow....and I did not like that at all. I sat in the room and thought about all the things we want to do, need to do, should do....and knew it was possibly too late. God gave me a second chance and believe me....I plan on siezing this moment....Carpe Diem it is.
When anyone calls I am going to be open to adventures and available for trips.I am planning to keep an open mind on new ideas. I want to have an enthusiasm for life that is contagious. After a five minute conversation with me I want you to be ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of roller-blades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord. Well....maybe not quite that extreme....but I do want my friends to be ready at a moments notice for what I have to suggest. Gas may be 5.00 a gallon this summer....but it is going to be the summer of the new me. I am going to seize the world by the horns and ride that puppy.
I stay on a perpetual diet. I have since the birth of my daughter, Kat....28 years ago....but you know....I love ice cream. It's just that in the past...I have felt that I might as well apply it directly to my stomach with a spatula and eliminate the digestive process. With my new zest for life and living next time I want ice
cream. I am going to stop the car and buy and ice cream....it does not have to be a triple-decker....but it will be ice cream...that way if my car hits an iceberg on the way home, I will die happy.
Now...go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to......not something
on your SHOULD DO list. If you were going to die soon and had only one phone
call you could make, who would you call and what would you say? And why are you waiting? My friend Bill lost his friend Morris this week....he sent me an email that said....he had just talked to him that morning....if he had known his conversation was going to be the last one he had....would he have said or done something different....I want to leave this world with no regrets! I think that is going to be my new mantra....instead of No Fear! Mine is No Regrets!
Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry go round or listened to the
rain lapping on the ground? Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight or gazed
at the sun into the fading night? Do you run through each day on the fly? When
you ask, 'How are you?' Do you hear the reply? Do you really care?
When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores
running through your head? Ever told your child, 'We'll do it tomorrow.' And
in your haste, not see his sorrow? Ever lost touch? Let a good friendship die?
Just call to say 'Hi? When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift....Thrown away. ... Life is not a race. Take it slower. Hear the music before the song is over. 'Life may not be the party we hoped for... but while we are here we might as well dance!'
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
The Party is Over
The party is over. Yesterday I said goodbye to my intern, Jennifer. We hugged....walked out into the hall....she went left, I went right. I walked quickly so she would not see that I had tears in my eyes. It was a sad moment. Goodbyes always are.
This morning I got to my room and sat in the silence, waiting for Jennifer to come back and fill my room with her smile, her presence, her effervescence...but all I got was silence. It was deafening. The bell rang for first block to arrive and she was still missing. Life had to go on. Hers was.
Jennifer, the intern, was phenomenal. I truly believe she was one of Dr. Barry's best. She had a love for the kids, a love of the language and culture, and a passion for the field. She will make some system a wonderful teacher. I hope it is one close by so I can keep up with her. She came into my room and made it her own. She met the kids and made them hers as well. They tried for her....well for the most part...there are always kids that won't try no matter what....but she handled them too....with the greatest of professionalism. She will be a good teacher....because she has the calling. This is a calling that some wish they had....few actually experience it. Jennifer....she had it!
As today draws to a close....a day without her...I am glad to be back in the saddle again....but sad because my life was touched briefly....by someone who made a difference in my life. Good luck girl! Knock 'em dead whereever you end up. I know you will set the world on fire!
¡Hasta la vista chica!
This morning I got to my room and sat in the silence, waiting for Jennifer to come back and fill my room with her smile, her presence, her effervescence...but all I got was silence. It was deafening. The bell rang for first block to arrive and she was still missing. Life had to go on. Hers was.
Jennifer, the intern, was phenomenal. I truly believe she was one of Dr. Barry's best. She had a love for the kids, a love of the language and culture, and a passion for the field. She will make some system a wonderful teacher. I hope it is one close by so I can keep up with her. She came into my room and made it her own. She met the kids and made them hers as well. They tried for her....well for the most part...there are always kids that won't try no matter what....but she handled them too....with the greatest of professionalism. She will be a good teacher....because she has the calling. This is a calling that some wish they had....few actually experience it. Jennifer....she had it!
As today draws to a close....a day without her...I am glad to be back in the saddle again....but sad because my life was touched briefly....by someone who made a difference in my life. Good luck girl! Knock 'em dead whereever you end up. I know you will set the world on fire!
¡Hasta la vista chica!
Monday, April 28, 2008
What a Feeling!
Wow! What a rush. Saturday night was that and more. We, being Still Magnolias, opened for Cowboy Crush at the RiverCenter. I cannot tell you how awesome that was. We had to be there at 3:30 for a sound check. The sound check did not actually occur until after 4. Until the sound check we were nestled away in our OWN DRESSING ROOM complete with lights! How cool is that? Anyways, our sound check time came and we went out on the stage and I thought I would die. I could barely catch my breath. I looked out into the auditorium and realized how enormous this place really was, locked my knees, and almost tossed my cookies. We checked the sound....it sounded terrible in my ears from the monitor on stage....but Frank and Randy assured us that it sounded great out in the audience. We were escorted off stage and Trenna from Cowboy Crush appeared from behind the curtains and told us we had a great sound.
Back in the dressing room, Amanda decided to run get some Bare Minerals make up with Randy somewhere near the Center...and Frank, Becca, and I went and walked the Spring Fest exhibits in front of the River Center. We ended up at the Cantina....for some chips and something cool to drink. Relaxing was a good thing for me....although....my stomach was still tied in knots.
We headed back to the dressing room to get ready....make-up time....I let Amanda have her way with my face....a true rarity. I don't wear make-up....but occassionally like to play dress up. Today was one of those days....I know that without a lot of make-up on....you looked washed out on a stage under the lights. We dressed, socialized, vocalized....and before we knew it....the stage guys was coming to get us.....and to the wings we headed....we heard our names....and all of a sudden the lights were in my eyes...and we were standing in the middle of a stage I had dreamed of performing on....the concert of my dreams had begun.
We started off with Almost Home....and kicked into Patti's Song....I wish she had been there....she would have loved the fact that her song was being done from the big stage.....Dixie Man was next....and my great kazoo talent was a hit....I can't remember what else we sang....I just know that it was about that time that I truly began having fun....and the rest was just icing on the cake....we were treated like dignitaries...hugged by Cowboy Crush members....and it was a dream come true. We had our pictures made with some fans...and even signed some autographs....Amazing!
Sunday morning..sigh!..I was back in the real world....Sunday morning I woke up.....just plain ole Karen....my makeup was the only remnant I had of the night before....had it really happened?.....Yep....I touched my very made up face....and knew it was not a dream......checked my calendar....and remembered....we were opening for Michael Martin Murphy on June 6th.....yep....we are STILL MAGNOLIAS!....and I hope to be one for a long, long time!
Peace Out!
Back in the dressing room, Amanda decided to run get some Bare Minerals make up with Randy somewhere near the Center...and Frank, Becca, and I went and walked the Spring Fest exhibits in front of the River Center. We ended up at the Cantina....for some chips and something cool to drink. Relaxing was a good thing for me....although....my stomach was still tied in knots.
We headed back to the dressing room to get ready....make-up time....I let Amanda have her way with my face....a true rarity. I don't wear make-up....but occassionally like to play dress up. Today was one of those days....I know that without a lot of make-up on....you looked washed out on a stage under the lights. We dressed, socialized, vocalized....and before we knew it....the stage guys was coming to get us.....and to the wings we headed....we heard our names....and all of a sudden the lights were in my eyes...and we were standing in the middle of a stage I had dreamed of performing on....the concert of my dreams had begun.
We started off with Almost Home....and kicked into Patti's Song....I wish she had been there....she would have loved the fact that her song was being done from the big stage.....Dixie Man was next....and my great kazoo talent was a hit....I can't remember what else we sang....I just know that it was about that time that I truly began having fun....and the rest was just icing on the cake....we were treated like dignitaries...hugged by Cowboy Crush members....and it was a dream come true. We had our pictures made with some fans...and even signed some autographs....Amazing!
Sunday morning..sigh!..I was back in the real world....Sunday morning I woke up.....just plain ole Karen....my makeup was the only remnant I had of the night before....had it really happened?.....Yep....I touched my very made up face....and knew it was not a dream......checked my calendar....and remembered....we were opening for Michael Martin Murphy on June 6th.....yep....we are STILL MAGNOLIAS!....and I hope to be one for a long, long time!
Peace Out!
Monday, April 21, 2008
Prom Week Has Passed
Ok, I know I did not blog last week. I have a good excuse though, I was tied up with getting ready for the Junior - Senior prom. What a job! I was not in my classroom at all during the entire week. I was in the girl's gym working. I was afforded the luxury of this this year....because I have an intern. She taught....and I worked on the prom. The best of both worlds. Everyone should have an intern when they take on a major enterprise like the prom. I am also very fortunate to work with a Dream Team. Our prom is in the girl's gym which is a Cinderella gym. It has been long forgotten and abused. Yet, with a little help from some black plastic, some decorations, rental tables and chairs, lights, a fountain....it was transformed into an elegant place. Our theme this year was "A Night to Remember" and it truly was. The kids all arrived in their party attire and danced their hearts content. My Dream Team: Mary Jean Fagan, Marie Parks, Ed Allen, Beth Dewberry, Jan Meyer and Dwayne Riddle....all made my job so easy. I am fortunate to have them....and at the moment a bit sad....the let down after a job well done....and my final let down. This year's prom was my swan song. I will not be in charge of the prom next year.....the end of an era. In my 18 years here at BRHS I have been the prom sponsor....12 of those years....it is time for the youngsters to take it on. Funny, I was once one of those youngsters....and now...I am one of the senior members of our staff....I never thought I would see that day. Anyway....I am rambling. I have loved doing the prom all these many years....my favorite part....is waking up the morning after....and finding out they all made it home safe and sound. I don't know about you guys....but things are not like they were when I was in school. Kids spend a major amount of money to stay at the prom less than an hour.....the true event of the prom....is the parties that follow. The kids buy fancy party dresses, rent tuxes, buy flowers for their dates....buy tickets, have pictures made...and then....by 10 are on their way to the other party. You want to be invited to one of the big parties...that means you are part of the in group. Some don't care....they go bowling and enjoy themselves...no matter what they do. When I was in school....back in the stone ages....we went to the dance....and went home....period! Oh well....things go in circles...in a few years....it will be back to the old way....thus is life! Here is to a great week. I am just glad prom is over.
Peace to you all, K
Peace to you all, K
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Seeing Clay Again
Last night was a sad night for me. I went to the funeral home for a viewing of my friend, Jimmy Brown. Jimmy was a firefighter for the Auburn Fire Dept. so it was a very symbolic viewing. There were two Honor Guards posted at the head and foot of the coffin. They rotated off every 15 minutes. Well, after going through the viewing I ended up in the coffee room to visit....and there...sitting at one of the tables....was my former student Clay Carson! I was floored. I havge not seen this young man for 15 years. He did not look a day older than he did at graduation.
We hugged, told each other we loved each other, and sat down and had a rapid fire conversation. Our conversation was interrupted every fifteen minutes when he had to go and stand guard.
Who was Clay Carson? Well...in a teacher's life there comes along a student or two if you are lucky that really touch your heart. Clay was mine. I loved him from the first day he walked into my class. He was an awesome young man....with a heart for Jesus....and today, he is still an awesome young man with a heart for Jesus. What a guy!
I had Clay in Spanish class and he was a model student. He worked hard, gave 100% of himself everyday, and just made life wonderful! It does a teacher's heart good to see a student they had in the past....and how they are in the present! So many times we never know what happens to our former students.
Even though last night was a time of saddness, for me there was a touch of joy. Joy that I got to see that I made a small impact on someone's life. Joy that I truly had touched a life during his formative years....and made a difference. The words to the song, "What a Difference You Made in My Life" came to my mind...while I was waiting for Clay to return from Honor Guard duty. The chorus to the song goes something like this:
We hugged, told each other we loved each other, and sat down and had a rapid fire conversation. Our conversation was interrupted every fifteen minutes when he had to go and stand guard.
Who was Clay Carson? Well...in a teacher's life there comes along a student or two if you are lucky that really touch your heart. Clay was mine. I loved him from the first day he walked into my class. He was an awesome young man....with a heart for Jesus....and today, he is still an awesome young man with a heart for Jesus. What a guy!
I had Clay in Spanish class and he was a model student. He worked hard, gave 100% of himself everyday, and just made life wonderful! It does a teacher's heart good to see a student they had in the past....and how they are in the present! So many times we never know what happens to our former students.
Even though last night was a time of saddness, for me there was a touch of joy. Joy that I got to see that I made a small impact on someone's life. Joy that I truly had touched a life during his formative years....and made a difference. The words to the song, "What a Difference You Made in My Life" came to my mind...while I was waiting for Clay to return from Honor Guard duty. The chorus to the song goes something like this:
What a difference you?ve made in my life.
What a difference you?ve made in my life.
You?re my sunshine day and night.
Oh, what a difference you?ve madeIn my life.
This is truly what all teachers want to hear their former students say to them at some point down the road of life. I sat there with my former student last night though....and thought those things about him. He truly did make a diffence...he truly was my sunshine....he was that ray of hope that make me still want to teach. I touched a life once...and I am forever changed.
Friday, April 11, 2008
I'm Tired....or Am I?
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28
Have you ever noticed that a large number of my blogs seem to revolve around being tired? I seem to be blogging about how busy I have been, or how busy I currently am.... then I seem to launch into some tirade about how tired I am. You know in this fast– paced society we just don’t take the time to get the rest our bodies need. It is like being on an eternal merry-go-round. It continues to go round and round and never stops so that I can get off. I have to laugh because here I am on this busy roundabout thing called life, and I just keep going and going, like the Energizer bunny....never taking the time to just halt all the craziness and rest.
God showed me the error of my thoughts this past summer. I had so much to do, my dad was sick, my mom was sick, I was working overtime trying to get ready to go to Philly for a week long conference. Two days before leaving for the conference....I was jolted into reality. I was diagnosed as hypertensive...and a type II diabetic. The words fell like lead. I was told I had to begin a medicine treatment and get some rest....well, I was actually thinking that the conference would be a great rest period....depending on the definition used of rest....that's a joke! I was in Philly! So much to see and do....and eat....so little time. So there I was....getting ready for my trip, a whole week without the responsiblity of my parents. I was leaving it all for my husband to deal with....and was feeling a bit guilty because of this. I would deal with my problems when I returned. I would watch my sugar levels while I was gone...but I was going to eat a Philly Steak and Cheese.....from Geno's....or bust thunder.
Needless to say, by the time I boarded the plane in Atlanta, I was tired (physically, mentally, and emotionally). We hit the ground running in Philly. Our first day there was free until the afternoon so we used the time to sightsee. We did a lot of sightseeing. We saw all the things first time tourists must see. There were two things that really hit me....and none of them were the traditional things... The first thing that made me stop and take notice was the Love statue in the park. Love...when was the last time I actually thought about that word. Oh, I use it....with my family....but here it was....larger than life...staring at me. As I stood there....I softly sang...Jesus Loves Me....hum I wondered....where did that come from? I Corinthians 13 - the love chapter also entered my head....Love is patient, kind....etc....one has to rest in order to shower others with love.
Our second stop was the Rocky Balboa monument. Here was a man....who overcame the things in life that should have defeated him.....hummmm....that was kind of me right now. I felt a tear slide down my cheek as I looked at the bronze statue. A burst of energy ran through me and I ran up the stairs Rocky runs up in the movie....at the top...I threw my hands in the air....I am one of God's chosen....I too can overcome the things in life that should defeat me. I spent a lot of time that day just reflecting and silently praising God for my salvation and just enjoying a slower pace. That night when we finally fell into bed I got some much needed rest. I could not remember when I had slept so soundly or deeply.
What a week Philly was. I loved every minute....and returned home so rejuvenated. Why? Just as God promises me in Matthew 11:28, I came to Him that week in Philly and He gave me the rest I so needed. All I have to do to get filled up and replenished is to spend time with Him. His strength is my strength. I just have to slow down!...and remember to check my blood sugar!
Happy Trails, Karen
Have you ever noticed that a large number of my blogs seem to revolve around being tired? I seem to be blogging about how busy I have been, or how busy I currently am.... then I seem to launch into some tirade about how tired I am. You know in this fast– paced society we just don’t take the time to get the rest our bodies need. It is like being on an eternal merry-go-round. It continues to go round and round and never stops so that I can get off. I have to laugh because here I am on this busy roundabout thing called life, and I just keep going and going, like the Energizer bunny....never taking the time to just halt all the craziness and rest.
God showed me the error of my thoughts this past summer. I had so much to do, my dad was sick, my mom was sick, I was working overtime trying to get ready to go to Philly for a week long conference. Two days before leaving for the conference....I was jolted into reality. I was diagnosed as hypertensive...and a type II diabetic. The words fell like lead. I was told I had to begin a medicine treatment and get some rest....well, I was actually thinking that the conference would be a great rest period....depending on the definition used of rest....that's a joke! I was in Philly! So much to see and do....and eat....so little time. So there I was....getting ready for my trip, a whole week without the responsiblity of my parents. I was leaving it all for my husband to deal with....and was feeling a bit guilty because of this. I would deal with my problems when I returned. I would watch my sugar levels while I was gone...but I was going to eat a Philly Steak and Cheese.....from Geno's....or bust thunder.
Needless to say, by the time I boarded the plane in Atlanta, I was tired (physically, mentally, and emotionally). We hit the ground running in Philly. Our first day there was free until the afternoon so we used the time to sightsee. We did a lot of sightseeing. We saw all the things first time tourists must see. There were two things that really hit me....and none of them were the traditional things... The first thing that made me stop and take notice was the Love statue in the park. Love...when was the last time I actually thought about that word. Oh, I use it....with my family....but here it was....larger than life...staring at me. As I stood there....I softly sang...Jesus Loves Me....hum I wondered....where did that come from? I Corinthians 13 - the love chapter also entered my head....Love is patient, kind....etc....one has to rest in order to shower others with love.
Our second stop was the Rocky Balboa monument. Here was a man....who overcame the things in life that should have defeated him.....hummmm....that was kind of me right now. I felt a tear slide down my cheek as I looked at the bronze statue. A burst of energy ran through me and I ran up the stairs Rocky runs up in the movie....at the top...I threw my hands in the air....I am one of God's chosen....I too can overcome the things in life that should defeat me. I spent a lot of time that day just reflecting and silently praising God for my salvation and just enjoying a slower pace. That night when we finally fell into bed I got some much needed rest. I could not remember when I had slept so soundly or deeply.
What a week Philly was. I loved every minute....and returned home so rejuvenated. Why? Just as God promises me in Matthew 11:28, I came to Him that week in Philly and He gave me the rest I so needed. All I have to do to get filled up and replenished is to spend time with Him. His strength is my strength. I just have to slow down!...and remember to check my blood sugar!
Happy Trails, Karen
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