Life took an unexpected turn!

November 19th of this year, I was going through a normal day when I fell down the stairs at home and broke my right wrist. And according to my surgeon, a very nasty break! So, I have been healing since then and still typing with my left hand. Ouch!

Whenever I have been presented a set of negative circumstances, it may take me a while, but I eventually learn something and this time is no different. Through this event, I learned what it's like to be dependent on others (mostly my husband) to do the most basic of daily hygiene tasks (some humiliating), and of hurting so bad you feel like screaming and occasionally I did. I felt the frustration of not being able to do what I wanted when I wanted to do it, of not getting to go to Christmas parties or to the salon because I hurt too bad. I also learned how much my husband and family loves me! That put up with me!

Today I am only a couple weeks away from being able to do the dishes again, or wipe off a counter top. I know that sounds ridiculous, but I am somewhat of a clean freak and to see dirty dishes in the kitchen sink when I can't do anything about it has driven me nutty! Today I had a breakthrough. I hung up my own clothes! The sheer weight of placing a garment on a hanger was impossible 1 week ago. I had at least a dozen sets of garments on the floor of my closet! I did it this morning! Yeah! I also used my right hand to wash my face! Oh how good that felt. Another positive from this accident is that I can do so much more with my left hand than ever before....I may even try to become ambidextrous! I am still working on holding a spoon or fork with my right hand, and a host of other things, but just being able to see light at the end of the tunnel is so encouraging I feel like dancing a jig!

The next time I see someone in a wheelchair, or in a sling, or without all their limbs, I will be able to relate just a little bit better. I am very blessed in that my injury is healing and I had a great surgeon who did a wonderful job on placing plates and screws where they needed to be so I can return to a normal life. Many people are not so fortunate. Thank you God for this lesson.

It's A Love Revolution - Baby!

I just returned from a women's conference in St. Louis where more than 10,000 women gathered to join hands and hearts to worship God, enjoy fellowship, and hear what we needed to hear. And that something was to let go of selfishness (what about me) and start a revolution of love in our homes, our neighborhoods, our communities and even more so to those who are enduring the rejection and pain of abuse, human traffic-ing, and starvation. We can no longer turn our backs on those that don't fit into our self-proclaimed molds.

God calls us to eagerly pursue love, but it took me along time to understand what love really is. That was because I didn't love myself until I was well into my adult years.....middle years. That was when I finally got it!!!!! Love was not a feeling, but a verb. Love is a thing of action. The passion to do something for someone else because I chose to. Not because that person deserved it, but because I had received real love from and acceptance from Jesus Christ. I had tried to earn love from doing good things, but my heart was still closed off. Why? because I wasn't perfect and I never felt worthy of being loved.

Two broken marriages later and years on my knees praying for God's help, He spoke to my heart and I understood. God had opened my eyes to what real love is. It is accepting someone as they are and reaching out to them with comfort, help in their trials and friendship. I no longer expected my family to measure up to my sense of perfection. I let go of all my religion and put on love (an act of my will) and out of that love I began to give. I gave money at first, because it was easy. But then as time went on, I discovered that people need to be loved much more than they need money. Oh, I still give money sacrifically to the causes I think God would want me to. But, I also give my time and my talents (we all have some)to help someone else. This was a real life changer. A miracle of peace and purpose came to me.

For many years now, I continue to experience peace and happiness! A sense of purpose fills my heart everyday. My purpose is to love God and love others by offering help to someone, encourage someone, and be a friend to someone everyday day. This includes family! Hubby is first, then kids, then parents, etc. etc.

Here's a RX in lieu of medication, when I wake up with a blue mood, I find a need in someone else's life and fill it. Once I complete this little RX, my blue mood disappears. Imagine that!

Think about this....If the greatest thing in the world is love, and if everyone in the world would concentrate on loving people, then wouldn't the problems of this world disappear? We can make a difference, one person at a time.

Reference: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Time Marches On

Hubby and I will celebrate our 14th wedding anniversary on September 1st. We are still very much in love, but as time has gone on we have discovered new levels to our love that surpasses physical attraction and the mystic of getting to know each other some 14 years ago.
Love takes on various forms and we are very fortunate in that we truly like each other. A real bonus I think because we are the closest of friends and love to travel and entertain family and friends. Our family is so important to us both and we make family gatherings a real priority. We both enjoy the PBR (Professional Bull Riding), NASCAR, Colorado, Horse pulls at the State Fair, singing worship songs, and dancing. Dancing is how we met. Hubby was the teacher and I was the student. I was completely infatuated with his ability to glide me across a dance floor while smiling down at me the whole time. Our song is Keeper of the Stars by Tracy Byrd. We even named our ski boat "Keeper of the Stars".
God blessed me with hubbyman 14 years ago when I really needed a friend. I was a single mother struggling with starting life a new. When we were dating he fixed every broken appliance in my house (he was really working to impress me ;-), and played video games with my son. He sent me flowers every Friday even though he couldn't afford it. Yep, he swept me off my feet.
Honey, this is my tribute to you...the song, our song, that you used to sing to me while we danced. Happy Anniversary Sweetheart!

Keeper of the Stars by Tracy Byrd

It was no accident me finding you
Someone had a hand in it
Long before we ever knew
Now I just can't believe you're in my life
Heaven's smilin' down on me
As I look at you tonight

I tip my hat to the keeper of the stars
He sure knew what he was doin'
When he joined these two hearts
I hold everything
When I hold you in my arms
I've got all I'll ever need
Thanks to the keeper of the stars

Soft moonlight on your face oh how you shine
It takes my breath away
Just to look into your eyes
I know I don't deserve a treasure like you
There really are no words
To show my gratitude

So I tip my hat to the keeper of the stars
He sure knew what he was doin'
When he joined these two hearts
I hold everything
When I hold you in my arms
I've got all I'll ever need
Thanks to the keeper of the stars

It was no accident me finding you
Someone had a hand in it
Long before we ever knew

Growing old ain't for Sissies

Growing old ain't for sissies was the very recent conversation I had with my Mom and Daddy (pictured above) as we prepared for my Mom's his replacement surgery which took place this week. There was some anxiety about the pain she would go through and other health issues which would complicate her recovery. The decision to go ahead with this surgery was a tough one. It took many months for Mom to decide to go through with it and she nearly backed out more than once. She had already been through a hip replacement and has arthritis in both knees and her lower back. She has been in constant pain for a few years now causing her to live in the very small world of their home, unable to do the things she loves like flower tending, playing the piano, going out to dinner with friends. Yes, growing old isn't for sissies.

I was born when my mother was 19 and my Daddy was 23. That's their wedding day picture above. They looked forward to lives together and building a family of their own. They were married August 15, 1952. I came 2 years later while Daddy was in the Army (Korean War) and we lived in an attic appartment. Daddy brought me home in his Jaguar! They weren't rich, but Daddy loved cars and could rebuild engines, so he had a cool car as a young man. My mother was very beautiful, smart (honor roll in high school) and the life of every party. Our home was always filled with activity. Her friends would stop by for a visit (people did that a lot back then) and I loved to hang out with the adults who came to visit, sitting in a quiet corner of the room to hear their conversations.

When my mother was a young teen, she taught her self to play piano. She lived on a farm in the middle of Kansas and there was a barn dance every weekend. They needed a piano player so she learned. She could play honky-tonk Hank Williams music to Floyd Cramer's Last Date. She could sing beautiful harmony and write gospel songs. Truly a talented lady. As I was growing up she made every holiday special because she loved them so much. We celebrated the typical ones in the traditional way, but Mom also celebrated ALL the other smaller holidays like Valentine's Day and Saint Patrick's by decorating our home with home-made decorations and table arrangements adorning the dining and coffee table. And don't forget the homemade cookies and desserts! Mom loved to make her family treats for every season. We were her life!

I enjoy remembering my mother like she once was, because it is so hard to see her go through the pain of severe osteo-arthritis which has crippled her so much that she can't participate in the family gatherings and activities like she once did. This chronic pain has brought long bouts of depression and hopelessness to her. I miss the Momma I once knew when I was young, but more than that, I hate seeing her suffer. The body isn't built to last forever, but thankfully, through Christ, our spirits are. Thank you God for the blessed hope that in eternity there will be no more pain or sorrow.

Forever Friends

I recently was reunited with a couple of "forever friends" I had not seen in a decade plus. The joy of having these girlfriend-sisters in my life so many years ago has never been matched since. We served together in church ministry back in the 1980's and early 90's and shared so much through that work and in our personal lives, that when a new life course began in my life took me away from them, it left a whole the size of Texas that I continued to feel until recently. Thanks to Facebook, I was discovered through the proactive persistence of one, which caused me to look for the other. Within 48 hours, I was reunited with my dear friends. All three of us have experienced some BIG heartaches in the past 15 years, but no matter what, I still love these two women like sisters. Let me encourage whoever reads this post to look up the dear friends you have lost touch with. You may be surprised to find them missing you too and living in your corner of the world. Find them, have lunch, catch-up and reunite. I have a cheerful feeling down deep in my soul that makes me smile.

The Power of Influence

Let me tell you about my friend Emily. She is 80 years young this month and full of life. She is a writer of music and poems, an artist, and a musician who also teaches and plays keyboard in our church. Most importantly, she has a light surrounding her face that draws you to her and makes her an absolute joy to be around.

I met Emily a couple of years ago when my husband and I changed churches(big one to small one)and we were intrigued by her because she was playing keyboard with a church band (guitars and drums and singers) and their music was contemporary. I thought to myself, "I want to get to know her". "She has to be a very interesting person". Many months later, I joined the Praise Team and got to know Miss Emily, as she is so fondly referred to in our church. I found her to be very encouraging and extremely flexible. She could keep a smile even when the music leader wants her to transpose a song during rehearsal or change the tempo. This kind of stuff would send a lot of musicians out the door. But not Miss Emily. Anyway, I had not sang in church or in any public forum in many years and was a little nervous at the first few rehearsals. Emily told me that I had a pretty voice and she wanted to hear me sing more. That was a word I needed to hear. Because of her encouragement I continued to sing.

I also observed Emily in other ministry settings and noticed how well she related and encouraged everyone who was in her path. I could she how much she loves God and therefore loves everyone else making her the most precious person I have met in a long time. More time passed and the Women's Ministry asked me to help start a mentoring program. Through many weeks of study/training with a group of 11 women, I got to know Emily even deeper and asked her to be my mentor. Her response was priceless. She said "What for?". I chuckled to myself and thought, "I wish I was so humble". I shared with Emily that I needed her to share with me her secret. "What secret", she said with a puzzled look on her face. I told her that with all she has to do in a day (a wife, church web-master, keyboard player, piano teacher, and managing the church prayer chain, how does she still find time for her painting and writing? Her energy is amazing. But to be honest, I just wanted her influence in my life. She agreed to mentor me and we have grown to be very dear friends.

We had lunch yesterday to celebrate her 80th birthday (June 16th was the day), and I saw my opportunity to share with Emily what I have learned from her.
#1) Never let go of your inner child.
#2) Believe the best in people even when they let you down.
We got interrupted by an over-zealous waiter so I didn't get to finish, so here are the other 3 key learning's.
#3) Serve others and you will always have joy - even in the hard times.
#4) Take risks. Use your talents and skills to bless others. Stop thinking "I am not good enough". I need that lesson cause I lean toward the perfectest side....eek.
#5) Have a creative outlet and make time for it. God gave you talents and even if He is your only audience....well, that is why you were given the talent to begin with. To give it back to Him.

Thank you Miss Emily! You are a treasure and I love you dearly! Happy Birthday and may God grant you many more.

Relevent in the Real World

I experienced what true relevence is recently while on a business trip to Houston. As part of our annual "team-building" event, our group of about 100 people, were instructed to play a game of grocery scavenger hunt. We received a list of items which were each given so many points, were told we had to spend exactly $500, and get the most points to win a prize. We are a group of salespeople....so we know how to compete to win. We were assigned teams of 6-8 and were handed a newspaper filled with coupons, the cash, and the point list. We were dropped of at a local Kroger and the game began. Oh yea, we had to get the job done in less than an hour. Whew.

My team finished in 50 mins, spent $498. and had accumulated a huge amount of points because we were excellent shoppers, or so I thought. The competition was stronger than us and we did not win. HOWEVER, the blessing we received from our hard work meant more to us than winning the event and the prize! Allow me to describe:
We hauled about 5 grocery carts of food and staples to the second floor of the Double Tree Hotel in downtown Houston and were assigned a table where we placed our goods and the receipt for our work. Out General Manager then got everyone's attention (keep in mind there are at least 10 teams of 6-8). He shared with us that this exercise was to provide food for charity...we figured that out.....but guess what? Our purchases were for specific families of single-mom households that had been chosen by the local chapter of Big Brothers and Big Sisters, AND these families were at the hotel AND we would get to meet them and their children and bless them with our $500. worth of food. Oh my goodness, we couldn't have prepared ourselves for the blessing we were about to receive. One by one each Mom and her children came in holding posters they had decorated for us, identifying themselves via our team name. The children ran over to the tables and squealed with delight at all the food. At first they didn't know why they were invited to this event, but when we told them that this food was theirs to take come, well, they squealed and cried. A 12 yr old grabbed her Momma's hand and said "Now I can have a birthday Mommy". You see, they had no food at home and no where to get money from to buy any. The food stamps ran out and because Mom had been busy working, she didn't get the paper filled out to get the renewal. It had already been 3 weeks. So the little 12yr old didn't get a birthday of anykind and not much food to eat either for nearly 3 weeks. We visited with her Mom and she said she had just got a new job as a laundry lady for a nursing home and she almost didn't get to come tonight. She is so excited about this job because it is the best job she has ever had. Then she began to cry, saying "thank you so much", and I saw her bow her head and thank God as well. Then several of the men began opening up their wallets and giving these Mom's some cash to help out with other needs. Lots of tears were flowing by all.

I went away with a new vision of what relevence really means. I asked myself, what am I doing to make someone else's life better? Someone I do not know. Yes, I give regularly to my church and to various charities, but I want to do more. We all must do more. We have to get out of our church buildings and be Jesus to people without judging them and their mistakes. (More on that subject in a later post.) Let's get our hands dirty and do what we need to be doing to help someone who cannot help themselves. It's more than writing and sending a check. It's doing the work as well. A good question to ask yourself is, "How many people do I know outside my group of church friends". Is the answer is none, get out and get involved. At the very least, contact your local non-profits and volunteer. It will change your life!

Compass of Life - The Importance of Core Values

The world we live in is chaotic, full of fear, and filled with distractions and frustrations. If you allow yourself to get caught up in it, you are doomed to be afraid to the point of making stupid decisions, depressed because you have no hope for change, and unfulfilled because happiness cannot be bought.

I recently went through a trial that led me down to a darkened basement corner where depression, fear and frustration started to tip-toe their way in the recesses of my mind. A mental stronghold was trying to grab me by the neck, hoping to stop me from following through on what I knew was the right course of action for my life.

To explain a little further, I had been praying for God's help in making a possible life change that would free up more time to pursue a ministry opportunity I felt He had for me. Within that ministry opportunity lies my passion for music and creative writing. When I make the time to pursue these things I find great pleasure and fulfillment which I believe are a good sign that these are talents I have been given are to be used for a purpose. As I went through the process of making a life change, unexpected events occurred, and I became very scared that perhaps I was making a mistake or could even make matter worse by following through. I called on a few close friends to pray for me. It was then that I began to ask myself some important questions and out of these questions I found my compass which led me through this dark time and helped me to stay true to my values no matter what happened.
My compass values are:
1) Keep God 1st - Be obedient to His Word, having faith that He is in control of my life and trusting Him to take care of me. (this is hard...but necessary for peace).
2) Do the right thing - through honesty, humility and integrity.
3) Treat others with respect and dignity (whether or not they deserve it...who among us does?)
4) Be merciful and compassionate to others, especially when I feel I am mistreated or misunderstood. No one is perfect and that includes me.
5) Forgive quickly! Do not repay the evil done to me. God will take care of it.

Without these values (my spiritual compass), I cannot find my way out of darkness and fear. It isn't just knowing what the right thing to do is (most of us do), it is doing the right thing. Knowing doesn't equal doing. Be a doer and not just a hearer only.

By the way, the fearful circumstance I spoke of (above) turned out all right and proved to be a good thing for me. I grew in my character and witnessed the hand of God as He was involved in these circumstances and their outcome. And that is the most important thing.

Divine Intersections

My definition of a divine intersection is a event that has been engineered beforehand by God where your life and the life of another crosses and you both come away changed. This change can be in your heart, or in the path your life is on, but I believe that the greatest divine intersection is not what helps you or me, but what helps another.
I recently experienced a series of divine intersections while traveling on business. For the sake of brevity, I will only share my favorite. It seemed like a normal work day for me in Memphis. It has been a very long day and I was missing my husband so much. I was headed back to my hotel room after supper that evening and looking forward to reading my book and going to sleep. I stood in the hotel lobby waiting on the elevator, trying to be patient, as the elevator was particularly slow that night. I stay in this hotel frequently so I know when things do not go as normal and I thought to myself, "Good grief this thing is slow tonight". Finally the elvator door opened, I got on, pushed the button to go up, and then a man who appeared to be quite troubled in his spirit got on with me. I said "How are you this evening?" This man (probably in his 30's) shared that his little girl was very sick and would I please pray for her? I asked him for her name which he quickly gave me, and then I began to pray out loud for his little girl as the elevator door opened and kept praying as those doors closed. I knew I would never see him again. When I had finished my prayer I said to God "You are amazing!". I was waiting on a late elevator so God could place me and this man together so that I could pray for his little girl and bring this young father a cup of comfort. Amazing! The other amazing thing was I was a complete stranger to this man and still he asked me to pray for his dear one. How could he have known I was a Christian or had any faith at all? I don't wear a cross or label pin giving any hints to the fact that I love Jesus. I sure do hope and pray it was my countenance and not just his desparation that caused him to reach out to me.
The purpose for sharing this experience is that you and I never know when or where those divine intersections will come, and because we don't know what each day holds, we need to stay ready to offer assistance to whomever asks. My friends, we are all born from the same Creator God and His very nature is of compassion and mercy. Ours should be as well.

Good Advise for the New Year

A friend sent me this list today and I want to share it with you. Perhaps you already live this list and as a result have a fantastic life, but the Lord has been working with me on several of these for the past few years. I don't do them all regularly, but I have improved greatly on Nbr. 11. I believe that Nbr. 9 is my biggest challenge currently.....pacing myself. I have so many interests and things I want to accomplish before I leave this world that sometimes I take on too many things at the same time. In 2009 I have already decided what I will focus on and what will have to wait. I am learning how to prioritize and simplify my life. Less truly is more.

Here is the list my friend sent me:

1. Never borrow from the future. If you worry about what may happen tomorrow and it doesn't happen, you have worried in vain. Even if it does happen, you have to worry twice.
2. Go to bed on time.
3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.
4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.
5. Delegate tasks to capable others.
6. Simplify and un-clutter your life.
7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)
8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.
9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together.
10. Take one day at a time and pray about everything.
11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety. If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it.
12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.
13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.
14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.
15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday.
16. Carry an inspirational book and/or the Bible with you to read while waiting in line.
17. Get enough rest.
18. Eat right.
19. Get organized so everything has its place.
20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life.
21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.
22. Every day, find time to be alone.
23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray.
24. Make friends with Godly people.
25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand..
26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good 'Thank you Jesus .'
27. Laugh.
28. Laugh some more!
29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.
30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).
31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).
32. Sit on your ego.
33. Talk less; listen more.
34. Slow down.
35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.
36. Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before.

GOD HAS A WAY OF TURNING THINGS AROUND FOR YOU.
'If God is for us, who can be against us?'

(Romans 8:31)