A lot of us are reaching that age where we are becoming the "adults" to our parents. This trip "home" to PA reflected that as my brother and I took charge of packing and making decisions regarding my parents house and home of 56 plus years. All 3 of the siblings were there, along with my SIL. I experienced a lot of emotions and learned a few things as well.
1. I never knew your appendages could swell that much from being on your feet so much.
2. It's really not a good idea to feed a dog, cat food. (Don't ask!)
3. I took two showers a day, and to be honest, could have probably done with a third.
4. Never thought I'd see the day when my brother would love a dog the size of my dogs head! However, I did fall in love with the little thing.
5. It's hard to have one person lead when the majority of us are A type people and people in leadership positions in our respective jobs! We made it work!
6. I had NO idea that we could actually pack up 85% of their house in 5 days!
7. I have never seen (and don't WANT to see) that many Precious Moments in my life!
8. My mom has a TON of "artsy" stuff! Any color thread you need, she had!
9. It's hard to throw away things you know your mom made.
10. I am sure it was really hard for my dad to watch us do what we did and let us lead. He showed a lot of trust and grace.
11. A house is just a building, but it was hard to walk away.
12. Family and close friends are all you have...treasure them. Work through the hard times, communicate and love.
13. Stuff is just stuff. Don't get me wrong, I took a lot of "stuff" to remember our life there and my mom. But ultimately it really doesn't matter.
14. I hate driving.
15. We all need to downsize.
16. Rest areas are creepy.
17. I have great respect for my younger brother who showed such wisdom, grace and compassion in leading my dad through the week, and who will be care giving along with his family.
18. I am thankful for an older brother who is currently living with dad to help him.
19. I'm pretty sure every part of my body hurt, including my fingernails, if that's possible!
20. I never want to do that again! But, for my family, I will do anything.
While I haven't taken the time yet to really process this past week, it falls in my top 5 list of toughest times. Getting older stinks! It does make me realize how precious time is, how much I love my family and close friends, and how God's grace is sufficient. Well, I'm still learning that one.
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Road Trip Musings ...
I'm in my hometown this week beginning the process of packing up my parents house, as we are moving my dad to live with my brother and his family....a blog for another day. But as I drove I had a few thoughts.
1. This drive is long and boring by yourself ..... it gives someone like me too much time on hand to think! Although the good part is that I also had plenty of time to prepare for what lies ahead.
2. Driving across PA is absolutely beautiful. I would attach a picture, but I am still learning the whole blogging thing and can't figure out how to do that easily! It's a very hilly and mountainess drive.
3. Rest stops are freaky places! I really don't care for them much, especially at night. Speaking of rest areas....
4. I became THAT person yesterday. Yep, I walked out after using said facility and on my to my car I see my shadow. Only it has something that I don't recognize attached. As I look closer....you guessed it! I had a long piece of toilet paper hanging out from my shorts! Oh well ... I will never see those people again. I now do the "toilet paper double check" before leaving the stall!
5. PA is notorious for its construction. I've been going back there for 25 years now and there is ALWAYS construction going on. On this trip, however, I saw a lot of signs and pylons. Not much constructing was going on, however. No wonder it's still going on after 25 years.
That's all I have for this round. Back to packing ...
1. This drive is long and boring by yourself ..... it gives someone like me too much time on hand to think! Although the good part is that I also had plenty of time to prepare for what lies ahead.
2. Driving across PA is absolutely beautiful. I would attach a picture, but I am still learning the whole blogging thing and can't figure out how to do that easily! It's a very hilly and mountainess drive.
3. Rest stops are freaky places! I really don't care for them much, especially at night. Speaking of rest areas....
4. I became THAT person yesterday. Yep, I walked out after using said facility and on my to my car I see my shadow. Only it has something that I don't recognize attached. As I look closer....you guessed it! I had a long piece of toilet paper hanging out from my shorts! Oh well ... I will never see those people again. I now do the "toilet paper double check" before leaving the stall!
5. PA is notorious for its construction. I've been going back there for 25 years now and there is ALWAYS construction going on. On this trip, however, I saw a lot of signs and pylons. Not much constructing was going on, however. No wonder it's still going on after 25 years.
That's all I have for this round. Back to packing ...
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Rules are made to be ...
... Most of my friends probably expect me to say: BROKEN .... And, well ... They'd probably be right, given my life of hating rules. But in reality, as I've grown older, I realize some rules are better off kept!
For example, the speed limit. I don't, for the life of me, understand a 55 limit. I feel like I could bike faster then that. But given my recent deluge of tickets, it's best for me to follow that particular rule.
Making my bed in college was one I never understood! Who cares if I made my bed or not! When I knew I was coming back from class to take nap before practice, why bother making my bed! I was just going to in-make it and to me...THAT was a waste of my time. The list of music I could and couldn't listen to ... Oh MYLANTA! A rule to be broken for sure! I certainly bristled when it came to rules. I didn't like someone telling me what I could and couldn't do. I didn't like the list of dos and dont's when it came to the Christian life either. As if following the "rules" would somehow make me more spiritual. So, I continue to break some and keep some.
Some "rules", I like to think of them as guidelines, are for my benefit ... both in life and in my walk with Jesus. But the one I chose to obey today was my doctor's (both of them) order of not driving more then 5 hours and stopping and getting out of the car every two. As I started the drive to PA I knew I wouldn't WANT to stop. One, I'm cheap (frugal) and didn't want to pay for a hotel, but also because I just want to keep going and get where I need to!
Three hours into the drive I knew WHY my docs told me this! I knew they would be right, but I also saw myself as some exception to the rule! LOL ... I'm sure that doesn't surprise my friends! My back and hip was killing me and I was stiff as a board when I got out of the car! So here I am relaxing in a hotel, in the middle of nowhere, listening to all the noises and trying not to freaked out by them. But my back feels a lot better!
My conclusion?: rules for rules sake = stupid
Some rules just SCREAM to be broken ... If I must!
Some we should obey to both save us from the consequences ... And heartache
For example, the speed limit. I don't, for the life of me, understand a 55 limit. I feel like I could bike faster then that. But given my recent deluge of tickets, it's best for me to follow that particular rule.
Making my bed in college was one I never understood! Who cares if I made my bed or not! When I knew I was coming back from class to take nap before practice, why bother making my bed! I was just going to in-make it and to me...THAT was a waste of my time. The list of music I could and couldn't listen to ... Oh MYLANTA! A rule to be broken for sure! I certainly bristled when it came to rules. I didn't like someone telling me what I could and couldn't do. I didn't like the list of dos and dont's when it came to the Christian life either. As if following the "rules" would somehow make me more spiritual. So, I continue to break some and keep some.
Some "rules", I like to think of them as guidelines, are for my benefit ... both in life and in my walk with Jesus. But the one I chose to obey today was my doctor's (both of them) order of not driving more then 5 hours and stopping and getting out of the car every two. As I started the drive to PA I knew I wouldn't WANT to stop. One, I'm cheap (frugal) and didn't want to pay for a hotel, but also because I just want to keep going and get where I need to!
Three hours into the drive I knew WHY my docs told me this! I knew they would be right, but I also saw myself as some exception to the rule! LOL ... I'm sure that doesn't surprise my friends! My back and hip was killing me and I was stiff as a board when I got out of the car! So here I am relaxing in a hotel, in the middle of nowhere, listening to all the noises and trying not to freaked out by them. But my back feels a lot better!
My conclusion?: rules for rules sake = stupid
Some rules just SCREAM to be broken ... If I must!
Some we should obey to both save us from the consequences ... And heartache
Friday, June 20, 2014
When we follow a man and not God...
I don't usually write about, nor post on FB or Twitter on controversial subjects. Believe me I often want to! I have waited awhile to see if the "urge" would pass, but last night got the best of me. I'm also not real worried, as most people don't read my posts! Lol
We don't expect horrible things to happen in our neatly packed thinking, churches and organizations. But they do....and when they do, we often respond with such surprise, denial and even anger ... Often anger at the wrong things or people. I, like a lot of people, have been reading about the sexual abuse and inappropriate behavior that has taken place in such organizations (ABWE, New Tribes, Bill Gothard, BJU, etc). What has shocked me the most is the denial that such "good people" would do such horrific things. Not just the denial, but the outrage at those bringing the allegations, as if somehow THEY are the ones who did something wrong. The ignorance in comments about how all the good these people and organizations have done will be somehow be ruined when "it comes out", or how it will ruin the perpetrator, or how God's work will stop, is unreal to me ...
All of these kinds of responses, I believe, is a result of blind, singleminded devotion, loyalty and following of a person and/or organization.....instead of solely on Jesus. Don't get me wrong, I believe in and am loyal to people and organizations. But when we do it so blindly that we deny sin that is so blatantly starring us in the face, then something is out of wack. I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about loyalty and what that looks like or what it should look like. I don't have all the answers, but I do know what it should not look like. All of us are in danger of allowing satan to get a stronghold in our lives and in the lives of those we respect. We can't be blind to that.
It's time to get our heads out of the sand...it HAS happened and because we still live in a sinful world, it is STILL happening. Abuse of all kinds is horrible and most people don't want to believe that Christians are involved in it, that somehow it's a sin that we are immune to. It's not.
By the way, God's work doesn't stop because we sin. If he did, then nothing spiritual would ever happen, because we all sin. God doesn't need us to protect his name. We do enough to hurt it.
On a positive note! God forgives and redeems! He chooses to use me/us to do HIS work and that is a huge responsibility. He forgives me everyday when I sin, whether it's selfishness, pride, etc. but there are also consequences to sin. I'll leave it there ...
We don't expect horrible things to happen in our neatly packed thinking, churches and organizations. But they do....and when they do, we often respond with such surprise, denial and even anger ... Often anger at the wrong things or people. I, like a lot of people, have been reading about the sexual abuse and inappropriate behavior that has taken place in such organizations (ABWE, New Tribes, Bill Gothard, BJU, etc). What has shocked me the most is the denial that such "good people" would do such horrific things. Not just the denial, but the outrage at those bringing the allegations, as if somehow THEY are the ones who did something wrong. The ignorance in comments about how all the good these people and organizations have done will be somehow be ruined when "it comes out", or how it will ruin the perpetrator, or how God's work will stop, is unreal to me ...
All of these kinds of responses, I believe, is a result of blind, singleminded devotion, loyalty and following of a person and/or organization.....instead of solely on Jesus. Don't get me wrong, I believe in and am loyal to people and organizations. But when we do it so blindly that we deny sin that is so blatantly starring us in the face, then something is out of wack. I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about loyalty and what that looks like or what it should look like. I don't have all the answers, but I do know what it should not look like. All of us are in danger of allowing satan to get a stronghold in our lives and in the lives of those we respect. We can't be blind to that.
It's time to get our heads out of the sand...it HAS happened and because we still live in a sinful world, it is STILL happening. Abuse of all kinds is horrible and most people don't want to believe that Christians are involved in it, that somehow it's a sin that we are immune to. It's not.
By the way, God's work doesn't stop because we sin. If he did, then nothing spiritual would ever happen, because we all sin. God doesn't need us to protect his name. We do enough to hurt it.
On a positive note! God forgives and redeems! He chooses to use me/us to do HIS work and that is a huge responsibility. He forgives me everyday when I sin, whether it's selfishness, pride, etc. but there are also consequences to sin. I'll leave it there ...
Sunday, June 1, 2014
Attics
I see myself as a pretty ... well ... Hearty woman. I like to camp, hike and enjoy the rugged outdoors. I love to work on landscaping and cutting my grass ... When I was allowed to! But there are a few outdoor animals that I do not like. Spiders, for example. Now that could be because of a bad childhood experience. Or the fact that I was teased mercilessly in 5th grade with pictures of spiders when my "friends" found out that I didn't like them. I think today that could be a form of bullying!
Snakes are another one I don't like ... Or cockroaches ... But fear of the unknown animal is the worst. So as I lay in bed tonight, playing on my iPad and I hear this rustling and scratchy movement above my head, I suddenly had the urge to bail from the bedroom and hit the couch! The attic entrance is quite literally above my head and I had this fear of some animal falling on my face in the middle of the night!
I have no cleaver or witty life application of unknown fear....probably because it is almost 2 am. But just the clear, cold fact that I am now sleeping on the couch tonight. So to the animal lurking above me....I hope you end up as a part of the food chain SOON!
Snakes are another one I don't like ... Or cockroaches ... But fear of the unknown animal is the worst. So as I lay in bed tonight, playing on my iPad and I hear this rustling and scratchy movement above my head, I suddenly had the urge to bail from the bedroom and hit the couch! The attic entrance is quite literally above my head and I had this fear of some animal falling on my face in the middle of the night!
I have no cleaver or witty life application of unknown fear....probably because it is almost 2 am. But just the clear, cold fact that I am now sleeping on the couch tonight. So to the animal lurking above me....I hope you end up as a part of the food chain SOON!
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