It's Worth It!

Well, I am still trying to figure this thing out. Details bother me and I just want to get on with the real thing so I guess I'll just write and hope to figure out some of the other stuff later (like how to post pictures!). In the meantime, I hope someone out there is enjoying my writing for I still don't know why there are problems making comments. I just kept trying till it worked so you may have to use some persistance, too. Signing in as anonymous worked for me in the end. So all's well that ends well.



I love the blue, blue Kansas sky! We may not have mountains, lakes and trees but you can't beat our wide-open sky! The sun was shining this morning and beckoning me out for a walk. I donned my coat and gloves and tripped out the lane. It was a lovely morning but I soon got bogged down telling God about my problems, which seem many and huge right now. As I trudged along with my nose to the ground, I suddenly thought to look up. What a gorgeous expanse of blue sky stretching in every direction. I strained my eyes to see if I might get a glimpse of God smiling down on me and wondered how far up there He really is? But is He "up there" or is that just some illusion we have? Whether He's up there or not I KNOW He is down here with me. And God who made the big, huge sky is bigger yet!



I heard the song "When I Get Where I'm Going" this morning. This is one of my favorites and I hope to have it sung at my funeral. No, I'm not trying to be morbid, just planning ahead. I'm going to post the lyrics here:

When I Get Where I'm Going

by Brad Paisley

When I get where I'm going

on the far side of the sky.

The first thing that I'm gonna do

is spread my wings and fly.

I'm gonna land beside a lion,

and run my fingers through his mane.

Or I might find out what it's like

to ride a drop of rain.

Chorus:

Yeah when I get where I'm going,

there'll be only happy tears.

I will shed the sins and struggles,

I have carried all these years.

And I'll leave my heart wide open,

I will love and have no fear.

Yeah when I get where I'm going,

Don't cry for me down here.

I'm gonna walk with my granddaddy,

and he'll match me step for step,

and I'll tell him how I missed him,

every minute since he left.

Then I'll hug his neck.

So much pain and so much darkness,

in this world we stumble through.

All these questions, I can't answer,

so much work to do.

But when I get where I'm going,

and I see my Maker's face.

I'll stand forever in the light,

of His amazing grace.

Yeah when I get where I'm going,

there'll be only happy tears.

Hallelujah!

I will love and have no fear.

When I get where I'm going.

Yeah when I get where I'm going.

Life

I've been printing church calendars, helping Ann make New Year's Cookies and forgetting the laundry in the washer. It's too cold to hang it out, anyway, so there's no rush. It's a bright, sunny day but the thermometer hasn't even hit 20 degrees.

Yesterday I went to the grade school spelling bee. Although I sometimes read about spelling bees, I don't know when I've ever seen a "real live" one. I enjoyed it immensely.

As I walked in, there was an underlying current of excitement. The air was filled with excited chatter. I found a seat beside Kyle, my best friend. (At least, that's what he called me the last time I saw him. Rest assured, he is only four, but quite charming, I might add.) The children took seats at the front of the room. Will announced the rules of the game. And then...they were off for a trial run. At first it was easy words like "dog" and "hog", but soon the real business of spelling began. Some plunged right in and spelled their word with a rush. Others started and then stopped halfway through to rethink the correct spelling. Some made awful faces hoping that would help conjure up the word in their mind. They would look at the floor in hopes of seeing it spelled out there.

The words got harder and harder and one by one the students dropped out. We sat on the edge of our seats and silently cheered the remaining ones on. At last there were only two boys left, but alas! one misspelled word and Shawn was the winner! Loud clapping ensued while he sat up front trying to hide a smile. He took a bow and we clapped some more.

But the spelling bee wasn't over yet! Will asked for volunteers from the audience to compete against the last three contestants. (No, I didn't volunteer. I'm only a good speller with a dictionary in hand.) Heather (a highschooler), Andrea (a teacher), Elizabeth (a grandmother) and Keith (a young father) took their places up front. Anticipation was mounting as one by one the words were shouted out and spelled back again. One down, two, three and four until at last only Shawn and Keith were left. Shawn missed a word and it was passed to Keith but he missed it as well and so the competition continued. The end was in sight and after a long battle Keith was the winner. Ahhh! that was fun!

I went home and called two friends and then went up to make supper. Chicken noodle soup, peas/carrots and biscuits were on the menu. I enjoy cooking but often get busy with other things and so it's easier to just let mom do it.

After supper we played a couple rounds of Dominoes for this is the one game that Dad likes. When I tired of that, I went downstairs to read and then off for an early bedtime. I won't tell you what time I went to bed but by 7:30 this morning I had 10 hours in so thought it might be time to get up.

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

What Counts

"It's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." -Abe Lincoln

I came across this quote the other day and felt encouraged, especially since I was feeling like the years were catching up with me. But how in the world do you put life in your years??

My nephew likes to buy candy. Oh, he doesn't buy it for himself, at least not for the most part, but acquires it to use to his advantage against his elder brother. He learned of his weakness/craving for chocolate and if he hits it just right is sometimes offered exorbant sums for a candy bar.

His mom, who has become streetwise (or shall we say child-wise), at times gets the benefits of her chocolate loving sons, as well. She has her own secret stash of candy, which is produced at the most opportune times. She, however, prefers exchanging chocolate for a foot massage, rather than loonies.

I must say I rather enjoy chocolate myself and like to have some on hand "just in case" a craving hits. What a waste of time and money to have to drive all the way to town just for some chocolate! Of course, that wouldn't be a problem if my nephew lived nearby. I'm sure I could obtain some from him if I named a high enough price. I never thought of such a thing, when I was a child, as making money reselling candy bars to my brother or sisters. Shoot! I could've been a rich woman by now!

Well, money isn't everything and neither is chocolate, but a little of either is rather nice now and then. I have some chocolate setting on my desk right now, as a matter of fact. I eye it every now and then and sternly tell myself I've had enough for one day.

This sounds like the life in my years is chocolate but it's really not. I think enjoying the little things every day is what makes life good. Living for the moment instead of regretting the past and dreaming about the future.

So...what puts life in your years??

Late?? or on time

Saturday morning I was feeling low enough to walk under a duck with my hat on. A dismal failure. Lonely and alone. Frankly, there didn't seem to be much joy in life. I poured it all out to God and after some time I felt a measure of peace.

A few minutes later a friend stopped in unexpectedly with a belated birthday gift. She apologized profusely for it's lateness. I assured her it didn't matter and delightedly opened the package.

After she left I got to thinking. Late. Was that gift late or not? The more I thought about it the more I thought, That was perfect timing! God knew how much I needed encouraging THAT VERY DAY! He is right on time even though it may seem late to me.

Some days I can't see it. Nothing seems to make sense. I whine, cry and complain in frustration that NOTHING is happening. And yet...when I stop to think about it I KNOW that God is still working and He has a plan in everything that happens to me.

"It is good to have an end to journey towards; but it is the journey that matters in the end." -Ursula K. LeGuin

Something New

I wanted to try something new this year so I'm going to try doing a blog. It may last and it may not. If I'm not having fun I'll quit doing it, for why do something if it's not fun?

Right now I feel more like going outside and enjoying the fresh air and warm sunshine than sitting down in the basement writing this post.

I was out for a brief space in time this morning to hang out the laundry. In fact, I was quite pleased with myself to think I had been out for breakfast with a friend and had two loads of laundry (one flapping in the breeze on the washline and the other dried in the dryer) done by 9:30. I might add that this is my day off and that is what makes it so unusual. I often like a more leisurely start to my day when I don't have to work but this morning I felt like the energizer bunny so I made the most of it because I doubted it would last long.

So long...I'm off to enjoy the sunshine!