Trekking with Me

I am part of a writing group.  My first challenge - is to write about school lunch.  What comes to mind when you think of school lunch? My mind travels back to my elementary school cafeteria, with it's speckled, shiny floors and columns of tables filled with kids chattering away.  Glowing light flowed through the long windows which lined the clean, boring creme-colored cement block walls.  A stage was on one end, usually with a dark heavy curtain pulled to hide the empty area. The serving area was on the opposite end.  That was where I would see a lady who attended my church; she always had a warm smile for me, under her tight graying bun hair, covered with a spider-web like net and a small paper cap.  Her name was Mrs. Hogan; in typical southern fashion, I called her by her first name, Selma, always with the respectful southernly title of "Ms." The cafeteria always seemed so very loud, so much so I would put my fingers in my ears.  A line of kids ...

Happy New Years!! So what in the world happen in 2016.... Dear friends got married... and had a baby in ONE year.... that seems almost magical to me especially that she was over 35... there is hope for me???  Marriage is still a hope but I am doing alright single.  Just for your information - free of charge! I had lots of family adventures which included Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Kansas City and South Carolina. Health and Simplification... A 5k and a 10k were completed!!  Cooper Bridge run -5th year!!  Martin Luther King Run - First and training for second. I completed my first WHOLE30!  This was an amazing experience and I am starting my second one tomorrow!! " The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying up! " - WHO KNEW but this truly has transformed my life! I have embraced the process and since November I have gone through my clothes, jewelry, toiletries, filing cabinet, and miscellaneous trappings! Through this process, I have created a beautiful, or...

So this past month I embarked upon an adventure: I have been been doing a body-reset program called " Whole30 ".  The program is very intense, with straight-forward guidelines: basically you have NO sugar, No grains, and No dairy, for 30 days. When I first realized what it was about and what you were suppose to do, I was like " NO WAY! I could not do that! "  Yet, always the cheerleader for health and holistic living, I proclaimed to my friend who was saying she was going to do it, " I will do it with you to support you! " September 30, after 10PM I ate my last 3 Tim-Tam cookies, fully dunked in a creamy cup of tea, saying a sweet farewell to sugar, grains and dairy-laden drinks for my next 30 days!! And what an adventure it has been.... Typical Whole30 breakfast: I have always eaten eggs and coffee,  but now I was omitting cheese, toast, and cream!! ...The first 48 hours I experienced flu-like aches, crankiness, headaches, as my body screamed...

It's been since August that I have posted.  Unusual for me to take such a hiatus from blogging.  I have been under a bit of stress, and to be honest, wrestling it through with myself, and the Lord. I feel like the proverbial tea bag in hot water.  My circumstances have heated up and it's causing not such good stuff to come steeping out.  Frustrations, anxiety, stress; add physical exhaustion in the mix and it just isn't a pretty picture.  I don't like what I look like when the "water heats up"... but I also know that it is in these "trials like fire" that my faith is strengthened, ugly dross comes to the surface to be washed away bringing growth and transformation.  It's uncomfortable to say the least, it is hard, I have cried my share of tears in the last weeks.  2 Corinthians 4:7-10 comes to mind:   But we have this treasure in  earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of  the power will be of God and not from ourselves; ...

This past weekend God did something that I don't want to forget.  If your life was written as a biblical account, how would it sound?  This past weekend would have been a "God-Moment" for sure in my account. As you know if you have been reading my blog, I have stepped back into the classroom; with that comes new and old ground.  The old ground is not necessarily my best moments, and honestly, feelings, I did not want to repeat.  But, in a God-like fashion, He gives redeeming experiences, to reframe, so-to-speak, things that seemed painful yet hold eternal treasures of joy and beauty.  Not sure if that makes any sense to you - but I guess I am trying to say, sometimes the things, times, relationships, or experiences that have caused us deep pain are places we need and must revisit in the power of God, to know true healing.  Just a tid-bit from my counselor heart and mind.  And since I am living it... It's simply testimony to His glorious work in me. ...

If you have been following me here, you will be well aware I have been neck-deep in a huge renovation project.  This last week, it has about done me in! I don't know if I am receiving some physical notices that I am getting older... but every part of my body is "powerful worn out" (know where that quote comes from??)! Since I am in the renovating mindset, I thought it was time to make some updating changes on my blog.  I wanted to add a few gadgets to make it more interesting, give me some better feedback, and freshen it up a bit.  As you can see the "gadgets" are on a slide out thing to the right of the screen: notice I have added a "Popular Posts" gadget.  You will also notice there are some feedback and sharing tools for you! I also added a few links to my "about me" page, if you are just coming through for the first time (or have only visited a few times), stop by and let's officially meet! I would LOVE more feed back, so plea...

Summer is approaching.  I have two weeks of teaching left.  FYI - God blessed me with a long term assignment working in a middle school classroom.  He takes care of me like that! These past few weeks have been pretty good, then this most previous week HIT.  It was about the longest week of my life, or it seemed like it.  My students seemed to forget the normal procedures; chaos broke out in my classroom like a bad case of teenage acne.  By Wednesday I arrived home in quite a tizzy. As I tried to see through my flustered emotions, it was fuzzy as to the actual root of my frustration.  It was more than a crazy classroom of pre-adolescence!  Realistically I had been trying to hold a rising issue under water with one hand. Then I realized... It's MAY: May is NOT my favorite month as stated in previous  posts.    I am facing some major shifting in my relationships.   Friends and acquaintances that I had not the time...

I have made a new discovery. I like raisins. Raisins and I have not always had an amiable relationship.  I enjoyed them in breads, homemade GORP, or in cookies, but standing alone, we tended to keep our distance.  Though, I would try to befriend them, as they are full of iron and said to be good choice snack, yet we never really hit it off.  I thought I stumbled on one kind that I did enjoy, golden raisins, but not enough to remember them at random. Anyhow, a several weeks ago I was shopping at Earth Fare; now you must know, a trip to Earth Fare is not just any grocery shopping experience.  I enjoy it with every sense of my being, it is medicine and joy to my soul to just think about going to Earth Fare.  Indeed, I love it!  But, the fare's at Earth Fare, make these trips infrequent and sporadic.  Still, it makes my heart smile simply to walk through the wonderful place. So, my last visit to Earth Fare, I happened upon some raisins at a good pr...

I want to remember this List. I feel like I have been doing a LOT of squirming lately.  I am feeling pretty uncomfortable.  Big things are feeling shakey: my work (though I am VERY thankful for daily work) is not stable, an insignificant income.  I feel a lack, an obvious leak in my bank account.  With that anxiety rises as other buttons are being pushed - a little disconnectedness, a bit of aimlessness even though very busy days, fatigue that brings on a weak immune system causing a sinus cold laying me flat for longer than I enjoy.  Thoughts succomb to physical, emotional and mental weakness that sound very much like, "what am I doing? What is my purpose?" I hit a hard place in my soul, a place where my grip on things and places, people and money is exposed; an utter desperation rises for security, significance, and purpose.  How quickly my flesh seeks comfort in temporary thi...

Ever been anxious about something?  Anxiousness is really a vague cloud of worry over something you can't do anything about, or even positively name: it is a cloud of fogginess!  Fear wrapped in a desire to control something that you cannot control. Yesterday a thought was pestering me something fierce.  A vulnerable nerve was exposed and being teased with an action.  At first, I started playing with the idea, but just like a little child being teased with something he/she cannot have, it started to get all frustrated, flustered and worked up. I began to pray through it, and even called a friend to check my thoughts out with her.  It is great to have Jesus-loving friends who love you enough to remind you you are weak and about to do something stupid if you give in to it! I did not actually speak to her but left a message, just asking for prayer. After hanging up, I went about my day which involved some hard hot work in the yard.  It's great therapy, p...

It's the day after the Fourth of July.  As afore mentioned in previous posts, I love this holiday.  This year it unfortunately fell in the middle of the week: no long weekend.  I still enjoyed meeting up with dear friends, met new friends, enjoyed yummy food, and watched fireworks from a distance, a greater distance than last year.  I enjoyed soothing a little girl who was scared of the loud explosions in the backyard from inside the house.  Nothing quite like a few snuggles to vanquish little fears and big tears.  It did my heart a world of good to meet the need. After saying good-bye to the partying people, I had to head home to see to my other baby, my black furkid who turns into a chicken with the first snap, crackle and pops in the neighborhood.  Fortunately, I am doggie sitting, so I loaded her up and we headed over to my friends beautiful home with two very happy golden retrievers.  What a night: at one point, one of the retrievers climbe...

Midway now through June, and it is summing up to be a very extra-ordinarily pleasant June for South Carolina.  The weather has been sweetly milder than the normal sticky, sweat inducing, 95 degree smothering heat.  Thank You LORD!  It feels delightful!  So enough about the weather... This month I decided to take on a little financial challenge.  These last four years, my income has been very, shall we say, fluid?  More has been flowing out, and what has been coming in has been more like a drizzle.  I can say I have lacked for nothing; though I could do without a few panicky moments and sleepless nights when fear grabbed me by the jugular.  God is faithful.  I am content and amazed how little one can live on.  Being single does have it's advantages in this regard. Entering this summer, I prioritized my days to complete my internship.  I don't get paid for that, but it is priority number One.  I can see the finish line!! It i...

Several years back I discovered some wonderful children's praise & worship music which set words of Scripture to music.  They were called  Hide'm In Your Heart ; by now I am sure there are more.  One of the verses he put to music was Psalm 56:3, "When I am afraid, I will trust in You." It's a sweet little catchy tune, and I find I sing it to myself frequently. Today was one of those times.  It's the end of May, my work in the public schools is finished, I have lots to focus on in the next eight weeks, yet my financial flow will change, my next step is unknown and this can cause a level of insecurity and fear to rise.  Its pretty normal for all of us.  Yet today,  as I felt that vulnerable feeling pushing it's way into my soul, I sang this little verse, and turned it into a prayer. "Lord, I am afraid because of this shift; I will trust You to provide, guide, and sustain me in these next few weeks of the summer. Thank You that You are bigger...

After writing the previous post, I woke early the next morning (this has been happening every day since I returned home from PCS).  My mind and spirit were churning over something I forgot: the first step when coming to meet with Abba.  Not sure why it's taken me a few days to post it: Invite Him to come. Ask Him to come.  Then, wait.  Do nothing.  He will show up. Then Open the Word... get your pen and journal ready. It's pretty simple. Be Blessed!

Wednesday I woke up very cranky: well that's probably an understatement to be honest.  I was not happy. I had to rise early, be on someone else's schedule, to do what I normally do just fine on my own.  I fought my attitude as I took a shower, praying against the foulness swelling up in me over what should be a pleasant, delightful experience. After opening my Bible to get my "normal" quiet time reading in, I read about David dancing before the LORD, and his wife, Micah, despising him in her heart.  Not thinking much of it, I dressed and shoved my belongings into my backpack. Still unable to push the complaints from fogging up my mind, I headed for the assigned area where we were to meet at 7:00AM.   I was a few minutes late.  I felt like Yo-Sammity-Sam grumbling and cursing as I walked to the meeting area where we were to have "Time with Abba" together.  I felt like I was in kindergarten or something.  I did not need to be taught how 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 ...