First Saturday in May in KY!

 

The first Saturday in May in KY!! IYKYK! 

For those that don't know, well.......It means the Kentucky derby. Normal, regular life ceases as we know it and it is all about parties, bourbon and horses! I was born and raised here and I can say that I have NEVER gone to the derby. I may have partaken in a few parties, chow wagons and concerts though!

Don't get me wrong, the Derby can be fun, but it is also trying on your very last nerve! Let's take for example, traffic. Tons of people coming into the city for the derby, so many people. I am just trying to get to work, jealous and wishing I could be with those people trying to get to the horse track for the party!

Derby....humph! And all this celebrating starts 2 weeks before the actual derby! 2 weeks of when everyone's life is turned upside down....for horses. 

But there is also some crazy fun. Like this picture of the pink snail. This is to bring awareness of breast cancer. At one of the races, there is a breast cancer survivor walk. This pink snail is slowly sliming its way to all the cancer institutes. Today it has finally made its way to my hospital I work at. It is awesome! And breast cancer survival is near and dear to my heart. Why? Because I AM A SURVIVOR! And because so many of my friends and family are survivors too! If  you want to read my story and testimony of my trials and survival of this awful thing, go back a few years in my blog when I first started it. 

Even though I dislike this time of the year, I love where I live. Kentucky people are one of a kind. Everyone needs to experience a little KY in their life!

Psalm 95:2, ESV; Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!

Psalm 118:24; This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Love to all,

Necessary interruptions

                                       

We all have them. Interruptions. Sometimes they come at the worst times. You know those. Like when your trying to get your work done, and a co-worker wants to talk and all your thinking about is wanting to get out on time. Or when you just close your eyes for a nap and your dog barks....at nothing, just the air. 

But some interruptions can be an invitation. An invite for you to give someone your time. To give someone attention that they are needing. You don't know what that person may need, until you listen. It could be nothing to you, just a simple conversation, but to them, it could mean much more. Like alleviating anxiety for some news they received, or loneliness from just needing someone to talk to about their day or an experience. Have you experienced anything like that? I have and I know that those people that took the time to give me just a few moments of time and not just brush me off, made the biggest difference in my day. 

I saved a quote from a devotional I had a while back and it still speaks truth now. It is from the Desiring God website. They say "When our life in him (God) is healthy and vibrant, we not only ache to keep sinking our roots down deep in him, but also to stretch our branches out and extend his goodness to others."

We all will have many interruptions in our life. They may be small, but some are big. Some are good, happy ones, and some can be devastating. Whatever the interruption, your life will be changed and how you respond will affect those around you. 

So welcome those interruptions. You may be a blessing to others but you will also be blessed in the process.

Mark 1:29-45: Jesus is constantly interrupted by people needing healing.

Matthew 14:13-14: Jesus interrupts his solitude to minister to a crowd.

Acts 16:6: The Holy Spirit interrupts Paul’s travel plans to direct him to a new assignment.

Love to all,

It happened again!

 

I can't believe it, but I experienced it again. Let me tell you this story......

This morning, I woke up thinking TGIF. So glad this week is over. One more shift before I got the weekend. And I got plans with a friend that I just can't wait to do on Saturday. So today, I started like any other week day before work. 

• Up at the crack of dawn
• get dressed
• fix my hair (you wouldn't think it fixed from my picture!!)
• make coffee (so important)
• pack lunch
• 10 minutes on the vibrating plate
• take out dog
• go to work

Every day, my routine.

When I got to work, I was feeling a little overwhelmed. We all had to pick up extra patients and I was running behind getting over to the hospital to round on them. I was already late to the units. As I was walking over, which is like a 7 minute walk from our office to the hospital which helps me to get my steps in everyday, I started to feel panicky, stressed. And this little trek didn't help to alleviate any of that stress. I was getting upset at little things. Like the dang door to the stairwell wouldn't open for me, so I yelled at it. Like that did any good. I got stuck behind some visitors that were walking way too slow for me. The elevator took way too long to come pick me up!  So what did I do???

I prayed. And then I prayed some more. Then I just started talking to Jesus. Asking him to take this stress from me.  Asking him to carry me. To take this bad attitude. To fill me and give me his smile, his love to bless others. Guess what, HE DID. 

You ask, "well Autumn, how do you know God helped you or heard you?" I didn't hear him talk to me, BUT I immediately felt this feeling come over me. Kinda like when you get a cold chill and shiver, but it was a tingling all over my body. In my legs, my arms, down my back and even my head! It was crazy but I felt that for a good 3 minutes at least. This is like the second time this has happened to me, ever. God knows when I really need those extra boosts! After that, I realized how calm I was. I wasn't anxious or feeling short tempered.  

I was calm. My mind, my spirit...just calm.

And the rest of my day went well. I was able to get my work done, manage and juggle all the phone calls, and requests from my patients/doctors/nurses. And I got out of work 10 minutes early!! (BONUS!)

So when you feel anxious, restless or just not yourself. Call on the name of Jesus and let him take over. He still can do miracles. You just have to be open to "see" them.

Ephesians 3:19; "and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."

 Colossians 3:17; And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Love to all,