Trekking with Me

Oh goodness!! I sit here in my cozy quiet room, "oatmealing" after a long Monday. I feel so stirred with joy, happy energy... yet not enough energy to actually go running or anything.  But... I do want to write.  It's been so long that my normal writing juices are not really flowing but I can't let this blog go dormant week-after-week, month-after-month! So... I will start with my " Golden List " theme I have used on occasion to see how it goes.... 10 Things I am thankful for Today.... 1.  I am so thankful for rainy days...weeks... well, it's been rainy and grey so long around here lately that we are beginning to called it "Seattle of the South!"  But...something about rainy days just feels cozy and romantic and I am embracing that!! 2.  Change of Seasons... This year I have noticed more how darkness falls so early...and, I have fallen in love with the soft lights of the city, the reflection of the lights on water, the way dusk quiets the...

My soul is so grieved over the loss of Robin Williams. It seems so odd that I would feel such grief over someone I did not personally know.  I know many grieve this loss, and deeply so. So this morning I stopped and asked, why does this affect me so? He connected with my soul. There was something in Robin Williams , the characters he brought to life, that connected with something in me.  He made us laugh indeed, but his dramatic performances also made us feel, there was such an authenticity in his characters.   Some of my favorite films were Patch Adams , Good Will Hunting , Awakenings .   Some of his roles were not exactly where I stand on my values and convictions, so I can't endorse everything ethically and morally.  Sadly and obviously, the spiritual state and direction of our culture is expressed in the arts.  Yet as an actor, he was able to embody and connect us to the cry of the human soul; he voiced, questioned, made us feel, ask and...

Good Morning! It's a lovely quiet morning, and I am soaking in every little second of being home, on a Tuesday, with no real demands, agenda, project, job or responsibilities screaming down my neck.  For now, that is... and I love it. I even slept well last night.  Which is a gift, since REST is from the Lord.  Yes, I must admit anxious nightmares have been flickering through my nights, stirring me to action, as school is about to start up again.  It's my minds way of dealing with fear of "oh no, it's just around the corner" and I will have to face the end of these lovely do-what-I-want-to-do days in a week. What a gift this summer has been! It has been a full, very productive, eventful, surprising summer!  From summer house projects, family time, reconnecting with old friends, trips all over, meeting and making new friends, to leisure mornings like today: Thank YOU Jesus for refreshing my soul! "Refreshing" is the word that my soul has repeated...

Ahem.  I turned 40 this past week.  I missed blogging on my actual birthday but its good I did not blog because I have been an emotional mess this last week. Confession: it's been hard swallowing this one. With this past week being my first dip back into teacher land and my BIG birthday tucked in the middle, I was a little emotionally overwhelmed.  I still have not wrapped my brain around it. Just being vulnerable here! I was tremendously blessed through lots of cards, birthday wishes, calls, and even a visit from my parents as well as a series of comments on Facebook regarding the significance of the number 40, especially this one: I'm hearing that after 40 years of gathering/experiencing/processing/feeling/digging.....you are ready for a new era - an era of refreshing/being refreshed/walking in your true identity. Because nothing is wasted, and all that you have already walked through will be empowering you to live in the Spirit and listen to Him as you neve...

Oh Fall, how I love you.... It's God gift to me to live in South Carolina.  I never thought I would love living somewhere so much.  Sure, people make a place wonderful and God has definitely blessed me with a sweet community of friends.  And, yet, He has also blessed me with delight in the place. Growing up in Florida was great.  I went barefoot most of the time, wore shorts and tanks or my swimming suit 90% of the time and liked it.  But I have to say, experiencing a change in seasons, the sweet smell of spring, or brightly colored leaves falling as you enjoy a walk through the woods or the smell of a wood burning fire wafting through the neighborhood and sometimes a snowfall, is serious joy to my heart.   My wardrobe is definitely growing to meet the need, though I could do with some more warm layers. This Fall was even more accented with a Pumpkin party I co-hosted.  I was inspired by my sister in love in Florida, a native Colorado gal....

Hello To those who read my blog!  It's been a few weeks since I returned from Costa Rica.  A new season has begun and I am getting my footing.  No longer a student, I am back to work (substituting) Monday through Friday, embracing what God has for me each day. My new normal is very nice so far.  I like the freedom, flexibility, and variety I have in my schedule.   I have a new appreciation for everything, odd, and random, such as: The order we have in our society.  If you have traveled overseas, you will understand this appreciation. Groupons!  I just returned from a two-hour kayak excursion from a groupon I purchased earlier in the summer.  It was great fun which I enjoyed with my friend, Shayna.  She works with the Navigators and I like her very much. This is her chowing down on her juicy peach for lunch on the water :-) We had a very deep conversation about our favorite fruits, and I most decidedly came to the conclusion that peac...

I was recently blessed with a trip up to New England to celebrate completing my M.A.  My dear friends,  Tracy and Jamison , treated me to a trip so we could all be together again.  We had a wonderful time together and only wish we could have squeezed in a few more things.  We spent most of our time in Connecticut ("Connect - I - Cut" ~Thanks Tracy!), of which the capital is Hartford (a fact I will never forget thanks to my seventh grade social studies teacher).   Everytime we said "Hartford," I started quoting, "In Hartford hurricanes hardly ever happen..." in an ever-so-british accent.  (Name that movie!)   We also had a little surprise thrown in from sweet Tracy: one night in Newport, RI.  Everywhere we went I was in awe of the deep luscious foliage and the brilliant hues of the waters.  Add to that, sailing related paraphernalia was everywhere, my sailing soft spot was itching something fierce. Here are a few moments I captured...

What Made This Weekend So Blessed? 1.  The beauty of the ocean, the sound of the wind and the waves refreshed and heals the soul. 2.  Spending quality time with other women who love Jesus, share deep, and laugh hardily refreshes and heals the soul. These are a few of the main reasons this weekend was so very blessed!  These ladies are precious gems; I am SO VERY thankful God has put them in my life!  Love Each One Of You! 3. Waking with the sweet sense of warm, loving company is one of my favorites!   I was very, very aware of this facet this weekend.  My heart has been hungry for safe, warm, embracing relationships: it was poured over me in abundance --- This Is Very Refreshing and Healing to the soul. 4.  A hearty power walk on the beach exfoliated my barefeet and burned up excess calories - This was very... good for my thighs and buns... and feet! :-) 5.  Driving someone else's car! Thank You Belinda :-) I like to ...

With an estimated 44,000 people registered for the Cooper River Bridge 10K Run, Charleston was packed with people.  I guess I did not realize it was such a big deal,  I was amazed at the numbers of people!  You could feel the swell of excitement!  Races are so fun!  We left our boat at 5:25AM to get into the shuttle lines by 6AM.  After some sort of stall with the start of the race -- it should have started at 8, they did not blow the whistle until 8:30.  My Group (wave) and I crossed the START LINE at 9:36AM!   This Bridge is GI-Normous! Those cables are like the size of a good thick tree trunk.  Almost at the TOP of the bridge!! I ran most of the race, which was good for me.  I am not the runner I once was a few years ago, so I was proud of my time (1:21:46), I ran about 75%... it was GREAT! After the race, it was time to sail!  My first time on "the big waters" - we stayed mostly in the harbor area as we did not have ...