I Quit!

Believe me. I say that in the best way possible! In a time of economic uncertainty, I'm more grateful than ever for my job. In fact, we had a staff meeting at work on Monday that was prefaced by a visit from our company's CEO. More than one person was a little nervous that there would be downsizing. Not so. He had some interesting things to say- about the economy, the state of our jobs, and even some investing tips.

Let me begin by saying that I'm not normally a quitter. I can't even quit reading a book once I begin. I feel an overwhelming compulsion to finish what I started. I don't necessarily mean in one sitting, but I can't just put it aside. Ask my Mom about Anna Karenina. The quitting had to do with the conversational French class that I've been taking. I was in way over my head! The hint about a "conversational" language class is that it assumes that you've already studied the language and are just needing a brush-up. Oops! That wasn't real clear. I have taken a beginning conversational French class that was painfully elementary. Seriously. A third grader would have been bored. Apparently the jump to intermediate was bigger than anticipated. Last time I went to class we had "graduated" to an entirely French speaking class. Haha...when the professor speaks for 10 minutes and you understand 2 words, that's the first clue that you should just quit wasting your time and go to the Y instead. That's what I did this evening. It was so liberating!

My last post talked about the fact that I was barely treading water. Let me say the next part loud and clear. God is Good! There have been lots of bits of scripture that have spoken volumes of encouragement and blessing. For numerous reasons, things are looking up. That's a great thing to be able to say since the beautiful leaves of Autumn have fallen away, it's getting dark earlier and earlier every day, and the thermometer currently says 37 degrees. Probably all 3 people that read this will want to smack me, but I'm one of the crazy people who is actually sincerely enjoying the drop in temperature. I love winter! Bring it on.

Treading Water

That's what I feel like I'm doing this week. I wish there were a way to type while I'm driving because that's when my thoughts have been the most organized and decipherable. Life has simply caught up with me. By the time I'm done with work and the expensive errands (dentist-need a crown; garage-brake service, oxygen sensor , oil change, yada yada yada) I've been running lately, I come home and am ready to fall into bed.

My cheerfulness has nothing to do with the election. I'm honestly just glad it's over. The ads, arguments on facebook, heated conversations in the break room at work, and constant news coverage were just a tiny bit excessive. Not a whole lot, just a little. I was pretty upset with the fact that my vote didn't seem to count due to a clerical error. Apparently I voted by absentee ballot even though I didn't request, receive, or complete one. Hmmm.....I filled out a "provisional ballot", but the guy that "helped" me was so scatter-brained and unorganized that I sincerely doubt that my paper ballot will even make it to the election board let alone get counted. I'm going to follow up in the next couple days as soon as I have time at work or get out early and don't have to go spend $300 at Saturn of FW. Convenient that the hours to call with questions re: my ballot are 8-4:30.

So...I've not posted much lately. This is not exactly an upbeat few paragraphs. It's just honest. I'm worn out and not doing a good job of catching up. One of the best things I've read in the last couple days is this.

"I will lie down in peace, and sleep;For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.Psalm 4:8"

That's what I need to do. Go to bed and sleep in peace. Thank you, LORD, that You have a brand of peace that has nothing to do with the economy, jobs, leaders, or any sort of stress life can throw at us. In the morning I'm going to find the right side of the bed, make a list, and tackle things one at a time. That usually works best. Do what you can. The rest will be there tomorrow.

raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens...

So I've been tagged to share a top 8 list for a few different topics. Here goes. The order they are listed is not necessarily in ranking order.

8 things that happened yesterday
1. Ruby (the dog I'm watching) did NOT wake me up to go out at 3:30am.
2. I took a dog to the groomer for the first time in my life.
3. I went to work.
4. None of my patients passed out. (We had quite a week, let me tell ya!)
5. My car got vacuumed.
6. My tires were checked and filled with air.
7. I spent 45 minutes leaning on the jewelry counter at Wal-Mart while I talked on the phone with my brother who lives in Virginia.
8. Once again, I managed to stay up way too late even though I had to be up at 5am on a Saturday.

8 favorite places to eat
1. My mom's kitchen for breakfast on a Saturday morning.
2. The Cheesecake Factory.
3. Munchie's on Taylor.
4. A restaurant in a castle ruin on a mountain overlooking the wineries of the Rhine River valley.
5. Jamaal's Pizzeria in Monrovia, Liberia. (For Lebanese food, not pizza!)
6. The dining hall on the Africa Mercy. (more for the company and the view than the food.)
7. Somewhere in the woods when I'm backpacking with family or friends, especially Mom and Laura.
8. Italian, most anywhere. Carraba's and Casa's rank high.

8 TV shows I love to watch
1. Bones
2. Jeopardy
3. Magnum PI
4. Wings
5. Baseball (if the Tigers happen to be on)
6. I Love Lucy
7. CSI
8. Amazing Race (I'm not a big fan of reality, but I get sucked in b/c I want to see what's going to happen)

8 things I'm looking forward to
1. Having eyes that can handle seeing God's Glory.
2. Going to Florida for a week after Christmas with my family.
3. Going to bed in a few minutes.
4. ?Coffee with Mary and Heather if it works.
5. My next trip to who know's where.........San Francisco, Australia, New Zealand, Scotland. Plans to be made!
6. Being an aunt in February!
7. Celebrating the 60th birthday of a friend's mom who has stage 4 cancer.
8. Church tomorrow morning.

8 things on my wishlist
1. I wish I were fluent in at least one other language.
2. I wish I could return to the Africa Mercy.
3. I wish I could be in touch with one of my patients from Liberia. I still wish and pray for healing for her almost every day. I don't wish that my heart didn't hurt for her b/c I need to be reminded to keep praying.
4. I wish I were married to a Godly man.
5. I wish I lived closer to my siblings and/or parents. I miss them.
6. I wish that I would more consistently see people the way Jesus sees them.
7. I wish we had politicians that I could vote for and feel good about it.
8. I wish my dad felt better.
I have to admit I have more wishes, but I don't want to stray from theme.

8 friends I tag
1. Sarah Daphne
2. Sarah Jane
3. Rosetta
4. Mary
5. I wish I had more blog friends who hadn't already been tagged!

If you're not a blogger yourself, feel free to put your answers in the comments section. I'd still love to hear what you have to say.

I'm still here!

So...even though my cousin Mary just moved and has 3 little boys, she's been finding more time to blog than I have. I was kindly informed that tomorrow marks 1 month since I've posted. This will meet the requirement, but not really say whole lot.

I've just not had much to say lately. It's occurred to me that I have not been writing much, but the inspiration has just not been there. I'm going to Bible study at church on Monday's. Since I help lead a group, I think I maybe spend a little more time preparing for that than I would if I just attended. I'm also taking a French class that's kicking my derriere! (That's not a word we've covered in class, but it definitely has French flavor.) I'm also dog-sitting for 2 weeks. That doesn't really sound all that time-consuming, but I was signed up to take Ruby (that's the dog...Cairn Terrier.......same kind of dog as Toto....hence the name Ruby......as in, the slippers). Anyway...I had to take her to the groomer, and have had to do a few other things that have required more time than usual, not to mention going back and forth to my house b/c I keep forgetting things that I need to take with me to Ruby's house.

All this to say, I really don't have much to say. Sorry for the drought. Sometime this weekend I intend to tell you all 8 things. I've read a few of yours and will work on my own, but I have to get to bed so I can get up at 0500 to go to Chicago tomorrow. Long story, really more of a necessary trip than a fun trip, but it should still be a good day.

Back to the 8 things. You know, I've gotten 4 different emails with the get-to-know-you theme going. Now I've been tagged to list my 8 things. It seems like we crave time with each other and more intimate knowledge of each other's wishes, hopes and dreams. I like the idea. I wish, though.....here comes one of my wishes.......that we could sit down over coffee a little more frequently and just talk with each other rather than type out our 8 things. Don't get me wrong. I like the idea. I enjoy them, and I plan to participate. I just crave the quality time (yes, I've read "Five Love Languages"), and think it would be more fun in person rather than bonding with my laptop. That's one of the things I miss about the Africa Mercy. There was more time to just be with people.

Thanks for checking in Mary.

My Faith Shall Be My Eyes

Heaven has been on my mind a lot lately. I have three friends who are all observing the anniversary of their mother's early death. Two, not related, each lost their mamas 20 years ago. I knew one of the mama's. The other one I did not. I also have a friend in the UK who lost her mum 10 years ago. I can't pretend to know how it feels. I have not lost a parent. My Dad has struggled with poor health pretty much all of my life. Considering the fact that I'm pushing that mark between 30 and 40 (notice I just didn't really want to type out the actual numbers:), that means he's been struggling for a long time. It's still not the same.

I may have said this on here before. I can't remember. Other than salvation itself, one of my favorite "perks" of following Jesus is the knowledge that our loved ones who also know Him will join us in eternity. That's such a comforting thought.

Please, know that I am in no way downplaying the hurt and sadness of missing someone you love while you remain here on earth and they have gone before. I'm sure it's a pain that's there for the rest of your earthly days. I think it took 10 years before I finally quit picking up the phone to let Grandma Katie know some piece of interesting news. Literally. I picked up the phone, dialed a couple numbers, and then realized she probably wasn't going to answer. Missing a parent would be more far more acute, I'm sure.

I'm going to share a very personal dream I had when Grandma died. For a few days we had all been spending time together waiting for the funeral. There was an extra day of calling hours as we waited, in part to allow time for a family member to return from another country. As some of the cousins reminisced, we speculated about whether she could see or hear us. The night before her funeral, I had one of the most vivid dreams of my life. Grandma Katie was talking to me. I could see her face as clearly as I had my whole life. I asked her about the questions we had considered. She said that it wasn't all the time, but if she really focused in, she could see and hear whatever we were doing. It was clear that she wasn't omnipresent as God is. She could only focus on one at a time. Her final words in the dream were the most profound. She gave me one of her wide grins that lit her entire face and said, "but I can reeeeally hear you singin'!" You see, Grandma loved to sing and to hear her family sing. She would slide from alto to soprano and back again. Often she wasn't exactly on key, but she let it rip! Of course that's what she would focus on if she had the ability. Often when I sing, especially when it's about Heaven, I smile with a tear knowing that she's listening. Granted....this was a dream. I feel, though, that it was also a gift. When I shared it with my other grandparents, my Grandma Eichorn quickly agreed it was a word from the Lord. I tend to agree.

So....like I said, I've been thinking about it a lot lately. Without any searching on my part, two forms of media have really struck me this last week. One a poem, the other a song. If you at all have time after reading this long post, listen to the song, but also walk away pondering the poem. It's true that Heaven will be a joy that we can't imagine. As the poem points out, though, we aren't there yet. We can long for it, but I've been very challenged this week with the fact that while we long for the peace and freedom from heartache that is Heaven, we still have work to be done here.

Here's the song. The poem is below.

Breathless Tales

I would rather

clutch my invitation

and wait my turn

in party clothes

prim, proper

safe and clean.

But a pulsing hand

keeps driving me

over peaks

ravines

and spidered brambles.
So, I’ll pant

up to the pearled knocker

tatteredbreathless
and full of tales.

by Janet Chester Bly

Senses

A couple days ago I decided to go for a bike ride after work. It was one of those days that had been long and tiring. I didn't really feel like riding, but knew it would be good. After 9 hours on your feet, sometimes exercise of a different form, makes your tired legs feel better. I didn't really have much time, but I put a few books in my backpack to return at the library and set off.

Usually when I ride I take my iPod along. I did the same this time, but decided that I didn't feel like using it. You know those days when your senses just seem to be heightened? We've all had times like that. Last Wednesday was one of them for me. It seemed like my eyes, ears, and nose could barely keep up with everything they were taking in.

As I leave the complex where I live, there is a group of kids that are always playing outside. They were there, just like clockwork, laughing, shouting, cheering, mocking, singing, all of the things that kids do with each other on a late summer evening when they're soaking up the last of the warm weather.

Down the block there was a man pushing a lawn mower. There are few smells I like more than fresh-cut grass.

A block further, I found a father and son laughing as they rode their bikes in the other direction. It's not very often that one sees a father and teenage son just spending time together, but it's refreshing to see.

On the way to the library there's a 4-way stop that's a bit annoying to get through. There's a shortcut through a school parking lot, that I like to use. I still have to cross the same busy road, but there is traffic from only 2 directions rather than 4. So there I stood, straddling my bike, waiting for the traffic to clear. After I waited a couple minutes, a big white truck on a lift kit with a roaring muffler rolled to a stop in front of me. The diesel fuel was noxious and the muffler grumbled so loud it was hard to hear myself think. He sat there in the middle of the road like he was turning into the school parking lot. I moved over to be sure I didn't get run over and waited. There was no oncoming traffick, but still he didn't turn. I looked up to see if his turn signal was on and finally looked up at the cab. He was waiving for me to go. Here I had been thinking he was paying little attention, only to realize that he had stopped a line of traffick to let me through. A night in shining white armor?

As I cut behind the grocery store, the odor of the newly sealed asphalt was so strong it nearly burned my eyes. I'm pretty sure the gummy tar left some residue on my tires as I squished across the parking lot.

Just as I was thinking about the variety of things that I had smelled in just a short ride, I nearly spilled my graham crackers (that's a polite term for losing your lunch, for those of you that don't know my cousin Mary:) as I rode past a wall of dumpsters. Go figure. I'm sure a grocery store can work up a pretty good stink when they throw out expired wares.

The next thing I smelled was high on my list of favorites. Books. Old books. New books. Used books. My nose is happy every time I walk into the library. The only thing better is Barnes and Noble where they combine 2 favorites, books and coffee.

On the way home, there were some leaves blowing across the road. I don't know why. Fall has not fallen. Few leaves have even turned. Maybe they were there just for me and my olfactory delight. If they would have been burning, I would have had to slow down to take it in longer. Stop and smell the roses.......stop and smell the burning leaves.

Finally, I got home, put my bike away and headed out again for a take-out hawaiian pizza at B. Antonio's. (Our church's school was having a fund-raiser, so I had to do my part:) Mmmmmmm.....what better way to top off the afternoon than with ham, pineapple, bacon, and cheese?

Sometimes all it takes is the simple things to take your mind off a less than perfect day. God knew what he was doing when he gave us multiple senses. I tend to use them without consideing their value. Every once in a while, it's good to be reminded.

Help

I could use your help praying for several people I know. Some of the situations are pretty sensitive. Some would just feel conspicuous if they were mentioned by name. Let it suffice to say, I can quickly list off unneccessary drama, illness, marriages in need of Divine Intervention, parents hurting terribly for their adult children, big decisions to be made, and people just plain hurting. The list is a mile long and probably none of us need to walk a mile to find the same situations in or near each of our own lives. Some days are easier than others. Some days you just need to let people know you could use your help. Today it's not so much me that needs the help but lots of people I care about. So......thanks in advance.

Psalm 59:16-17
16 But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.
17 O my Strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God.