I have a short time to write and a lot on my mind. Got church in a while, and been to church twice today. Once for our regular service, and second to see a old family friend baptized and third for our regular evening service.

Thoughts crash through my mind like waves against the shore, and sometimes they rage, sometimes they are quiet, silently seeping up onto the beach. Sometimes my thoughts do not demand vocalization, but sometimes they do. Today, they do.

Why can't people just leave people alone? Why do they think that just because you are not married, or have kids that your life is not complete? Recently I was asked if I wanted to be " fixed up" with a good guy and my response was "No." But yet again here is the same person pushing for me to be "Fixed up." And my response is still "NO!" Can not a person be content exactly where they are? Surrounded by family, good friends, and people who make up your life? Why is there such a need or desire in people that pushes others to get married? I know there are people out there who are happily married, and I am very glad of it believe you me, I am. But for those of us who are not married, and are content with their lives, Just leave us alone for goodness sake.

Don't be a person who insist that everyone has to be paired up in marriage. Sometimes, Marriage is not for everyone. So just leave it alone okay?

Now, who I am referring to will never read this blog, but for those who might read it, and some of these musings describe you, STOP IT. Some people just want to be left alone to live the life they have, married or not, kids or not, and are content with the life they have.

Thank You, and please just let those of us be who are happy being single, and are really meant to be in the "Not Married Crowd."

How did we get here

I haven't been blogging much lately but many things have run through my mind. Thanksgiving is now over and I went shopping on Black Friday and survived. Amazing. Yet, I can't help but feel the pull of all the Christmas decorations around homes, and in stores, pulling me to my dreaded state of mind for this season.

I am not much into the commericalism of Christmas, I hate the hurried rush for everyone to get their decorations out and that it must be done right after Thanksgiving. I heard the other day from someone, " I have so much to put out, I need to get it up early in order to enjoy it." It is the quest for more that leads us to not enjoy what Christmas is meant for.. The birth of our Savior. Did he rush around Bethleham looking for the perfect gifts, I sorta doubt it, did he worry if he had all the current rave of decorative lights strung up around his home? It sounds sorta lame to me to even begin to place Jesus in that sort of Idealism.

He wasn't worried about gifts, he gave the greatest one of all.. Himself. He wasn't worried about lights, He is the brightest light in all the world. He didn't have all the shiny decorations from Christmas's past, or Christmas present placed about his home, He doesn't need them, He has all the stars in the sky, the moon to shine around him and illumminate his world.

Hence is my thinking, Why do we need all these decorations to celebrate the birth of Jesus?

I wonder sometimes, and I have no answer. Yet, I see the lights, the shiny stars and the moon shining up above, and I wonder, isn't this enough?

This year, can we try to celebrate the Real Reason for Christmas, and think for a moment, is this what our Savior would do?

I am ever grateful for his birth, that he loved me enough to come to earth as a babe, and to grow to manhood only to die at 33. Happy Birthday Jesus.

Looking Back and Facing Forward

This past week has been busy, by that I mean things have progressed rapidly past me. I am somehow standing in the middle of the road, looking backward at the curves and twisting pavement left behind. I have been pondering in my head and heart just what to do with my life.?? And those thoughts have turned me once again back to days gone by. I travel back to fifth grade, where I had a student teacher that loved for us to use our imaginations and produce stories. Stories that were about anything we wished, we had control of the topic. And though I am sure my fifth grade mind was not all that creative, I dove in head first, maybe even feet first, to see how fast I could get wet.

And now I fast forward a bit to my current vocation, being in the medical field of sorts, working in our local, and brand new hospital. Somehow, I took a few different paths, wasted a lot of years working hard physically in factories, and also putting my health at risk. So I am faced with the decision once more, am I staying in the medical field, or am I moving back to the love of my youth? And again I seem to be jumping feet first, a little more hesitant than I was in the fifth grade, but jumping none the less. I changed my concentration today from Physical Therapy Assistant to of all things, Journalism. Before I had the student teacher in fifth grade, I never thought much of writing. But after a few of my creative stories, she rapidly encouraged me to move on and continue to write more. Maybe I wasn't so bad after all?? lol. Maybe I was. ? But just the same, either or.. I have loved to write down things, feelings, etc ever since that year. I have kept journals, I have half heartily kept them. And even though most are very personal, I still keep them, and read them from time to time. And I look back to that little girl I once was and remember her zest for story telling, and I smile. Maybe I won't make a good writer, but ya know it really doesn't matter much, because published or not, it's a part of who I was, who I am, and who I am yet to be.

So watch out, let's hope I don't make a huge splash and flop.

I Could Be Napping...

http://lifeaccordingtome
On this sunny, breezy Fall day, I could have taken a nap. I should be doing my homework, and I should have already gotten my ironing for the week finished. But, I helped my Gramps caulk our outside building, to keep out the rain and dampness, and I brought in my winter clothes while putting away my summer ones.
This weekend made me realize how old I am, I am not some twenty something young girl, who can go traipsing over rock and hill without pains. I don't actually know how many miles we hiked this past Saturday, but according to my right knee, a wee bit too long. Granted it has been a while since I have been hiking..and granted it has been a while since I climbed over rocks or through some rocks in one spot and my body is not as limber and giving as it once was. You would think that at forty you would still have that limberness, and stretchability in your body, well quite frankly, I don't. Much to my surprise, on the way back down the trail my right knee began to hurt, and each step became painful. But I trod on, just a wee bit slower than the rest of the group.
This was a outing for the teens in the church, and five adult ladies whose ages range from fifty something to thirty something, who would still like to think that they are not too old to be hiking in God's beautiful creation with young ladies who still can bend and twist without much pain. Ha ha.
Anyway, we have very few teens in our congregation, but one of the girls invited another girl, and we thought a few of the boys would show up. Though, I think we would have bitten off way much more than we could have chewed with them along. So here we go, walking along the trail, looking at the beautiful colors of the Fall leaves, the brilliant colors: orange, red, and yellow, the roaring sound of the water beside us, with it's nature ebb and flow. Our goal was to reach a place called the Laurel Falls, or the bottom of the falls, which seemed such an easy task. Little did we know that after hiking upward for what seemed five or six hours, in reality was only one and a half, we decided we had taken a wrong turn somewhere. So we stand perplexed about what to do next, standing there on a narrow path, and talking peaceably among ourselves about what to do next. One of the young girls did not have much experience hiking, and was for the most part, quite tired. The rest of us agreed that we should turn back, make arrangements to come back again and find out where our path led us astray. So turning to go back down, the hardest part of hiking in my opinion, we go back the way we came. And for protection purposes, the one young teen gal, Sue was much over joyed at the prospect of returning back to our parked cars. However, I wasn't the only one of the bunch who suffered injury, Sue, our feisty young teen, who began to sing Michael Jackson songs, and give it her best shot to dance like the singer, who recently has passed on, fell on rocks, on her knees and catching herself by her wrist. Ouch!
We made it back to the cars, and drove single file out of the park, each separating after reaching the main road, and going to do different things, one to pick up pizza's for the group, one to turn on the ovens at church to cook the cookies and stuff that was waiting, and one to go and get items that were forgotten .
We had every intention of having a quick hike, seeing beautiful waterfalls, and spending the afternoon cooking for our Pastor, and some of the elderly people in our church. It turned out to be something of a different nature, one because we had forgotten several item to cook with, and a certain person's cookies, that were supposed to harden and make nice oatmeal chocolate cookies, didn't turn out so well. But there was much fun during the hike, we acquired lots of pretty photos, we got to be together for an afternoon of joyful fellowship, and we did a good deed for those who received the baked goodies. All in all, it was good, and I would do it again, without the pain in the knee mind you, but I would rather be out living life, than sitting on the porch wishing I had.
Thank God for the beautiful scenery he places before us, and may we each decide to bask in it as often as we can.

Life, Death, and how they connect us

Today I shared in the celebration of the passing of a very dear lady, Ms Nettie Hafer. My mom was a caregiver to this dear lady, and so much more. After ninety-seven years upon this earth our Lord called this woman home to dear ones gone on before her, and to allow her painful body that she had on this earth to have a new pain free one in Heaven. I don't often speak of such experiences, because simply it's not a thing most folk like to hear about. Since I really have only one other person who reads this.. I figure what the heck.. why not.
Several times this year I have been to funeral homes to pay my so called respects, some to friends who have lost family, others to family that have lost loved ones and as today to celebrate the life of Ms Hafer. I met her a few times, and though my mother worked for her for six years, I really didn't know Ms Nettie, but, I heard a lot of stories from my mom, and Ms Linda, Ms Nettie's daughter, with whom I work.since only knowing this dear person for such a short time, I only knew the lady behind the thick, grey hair, the painful body aches, and the loss of hearing that age brings on. Ms Nettie couldn't see well nor could she hear well, but she had a mind that was still sharp and for ninety-seven that is pretty darn good.
But instead of going to a funeral home and finding an open casket waiting for me, I went to a Methodist Church and found wonderful pictures of Ms Nettie from various stages in her life. She was a very beautiful woman, in fact, several of the family and friends commented that her granddaughter, Wendy, looks a lot like her. Which is nice to hear, since Ms Nettie seemed to be a timeless and classy sorta gal. She knew how to dress well, even if her clothes were not brand new. She still looked very classy. Mom always commented how pretty her hair was, and how very thick it was, even for a woman of her age.
So I say that instead of going to a dreary funeral home, I entered a nice church with stained glass windows, arches and moldings that were decades old. It was a nice and welcomed change from the norm. A memorial service is far different than a funeral on any given day, and I for one would much rather celebrate the fact that someone was going to a better place than to think of much harsher realities were in store. I do realizenot all people go to a better place, but I also realize, that was their choice. And I am forced to realize my own choices today... I want to join my family and loved ones who have passed on into eternity before me.. to fellowship with them once again in the brilliant light of our new Son. The Good Book says that sunlight is not needed in heaven because the brilliance of God's glory lights up the heavens. What an amazing concept and how can people not want to see that glory?
Ok, so I did get off track a bit, but still, here I am typing away, and thinking of how even if we think we know someone, Do we really? I would have to say NO! Our pastor said the same thing tonite during service to make several points, of course, that I won't bore you with, but when you truly think about it, We do tend to think we know people we are close to, whether it be friends, family, or our neighbors. We do think that because we talk to them, and we know things about them, but deep down, we only know what they allow us to know, not really who they truly are.
So I say this all to say this... Ms Nettie wasn't someone I knew.. I was merely someone who knew of her, but I know she led a full life for ninety seven years, that she was well taken care of all her life, that she enjoyed friends, and she enjoyed music. And so, I leave you with this thought.. at the end of the day, possibly the end of our lives, what will someone know about YOU?

Journey's Traveled

Yesterday was a wonderful Fall day. I took a journey down a path I have never traveled before. I went to Dahlonega, Ga. Now most folk when you say the name of the city, would sorta look at you funny, and cock their heads to one side, and say" Dahlonega, why in the world did you go there?"
And to be honest, I would have to say, that before going to that quiet little town, I would have said the same thing. Why did I go there?
Well the answer sure does bring various answers to that question, like I originally went there for a concert, but what I actually got from the trip is so much more.
This is a town that has a small college there, it has a town square, with all these quaint little shops, restaurants that have delicious smells that greet you on the sidewalk, and friendly people that remind you that this is what small towns are all about.
Yes, I saw a great concert last nite, and heard two great ladies sing. But I was also reminded that, in towns such as this, lives people that still say hello to you as you walk down the street, towns where, people take pride in it's little small square, and towns where you feel like you just stepped off your own front porch.
Listening to one of my favorite singers was a plus, hearing her tell her cute and funny stories, priceless, and listening to her talented husband accompany her on her acoustic guitar that just catches your attention, makes your leg move in time and rhythm of the music, and gives you such a complete feeling of contentment like nothing else truly can.
Jennifer Daniels is this great artist I speak of, and her equally talented husband Jeff plays the electric guitar and mandolin. And just as they accompany each others musical talents, from your seat, if you pay very close attention, you can equally see how they accompany each others lives. When they are on stage, Jeff watches Jennifer very closely, and sometimes when he is not playing with her he will wander off stage and watch from a seat, and you see Jennifer look for him in the crowd, and a small, faint smile graces her face. And you know, that the music isn't just the only thing they have in common, but you feel the deep respect they have for one another, the love that they share, and the need to be with the other, even if its from a small seat in the back of the building. Jeff is a quiet sorta guy, but you can sense the admiration he has for his singing wife and that he enjoys listening to her play and sing their songs on a deep emotional level.
Sometimes, you have to leave the quiet walls of your home, travel down paths you never thought you would, find these quiet, quaint towns nestled in the mountains to remind you, to.. from one of the opening acts songs... simply..."LIVE LIFE." Sometimes we get caught up in our lives that we forget that we are actually living them. We fall into routines, ruts, and get lost some where down the paths we travel each day. We need a few bumps in the road, winding curvy roads to wake us up.
I for one am awake today, even after very little sleep, the journey was a longer one that normal, and I arrived back at home pretty late yet, my thoughts are alert, my mind set on enjoying life as much as I can, to love those around me fully, and to live as if its my last.. it very well could be.

That Time of Year

When I hear the phrase," It's that time of year again," I think of cool brisk mornings, fire on the mountains outside my window, heavy frost on the ground, and clear, blue skies filled with puffy,white clouds.
It is also that time of year, when different seasons of sports is taking a front seat and a few others are taking a back seat to popularity. Like baseball season is closing, football season has begun, and many of the colleges are beginning to practice basketball, and get geared up for another long season. My niece plays basketball, I enjoy going to her games tremendously, and for a few brief days, we the family, were not sure she would be on the court this season. But God is good, and he has answered prayers, and she is back out there practicing with her mates, a bit slower than normal I would guess, but still she is out there giving it her all. Much will change this season, a new face will be on the bench next to those ladies, and as of now, I do not know who it will be, but a new coach will take their seat next to those ladies in the red and white uniforms. And it will be an interesting season, no doubt, change always brings about interest that is peaked in the hearts of those involved.
And the cool nites, so crisp, so clean, welcome me as I come home either from church, school, or work. It welcomes me as an old dear friend, and I stop sometimes, take a look around, and bask in the favorite time of year, Fall. Soon, the leaves will turn, and they will begin to fall from the trees, and my emotions will get the best of me, and I will yearn for long drives that pull me along country roads, some known, some unknown. I look forward to this time of year from the first really hot day of summer, when the heat is boring down on you, making every inch of your skin sticky, and I let my mind wander, to the cool days that will slowly find there way to me, those crisp and cool days of Fall. Ah, I can see the bright colors already, though they have yet to be seen in the trees, the brilliant reds, bursting orange, and the pale yellow that brings those mellow feelings to my heart. Days gone by that I remember when we would pile up the raked leaves, run as fast as we could, jumping as high as possible and landing in those crunchy leaves. Only to rake them up, and start all over again.
Fall is the best season of all. It's my favorite season of all. And as it is slowly coming to my neighborhood, I smile and throw out my arms to welcome it home.