Summer heat

 

WHEW! That Ohio Valley humidity is getting pretty rough. I used to love summer, but I am now more a fall kind of girl. Sweater weather kinda of gal. Yesterday was the day I realized it for real.

So yesterday I participated in a local, community mission. (to read more about that, go to my other blog, onemission4him ). Well, we walked in the middle of the afternoon all over neighborhoods...in the heat. I think I had sweat in places that usually don't sweat! After about 3 hours, I started to get a little woosy. I really never feel that way and the heat usually doesn't get to me, but I am noticing that I cannot tolerated the extreme heat any more as I get older! 

It has literally taken me all day today to recover! I don't like feeling this way and I really don't like what comes with getting older. In my mind, I am still 26! I just can't do anything like I did when I was 26. And the changes with aging not only show with stamina, but with changes in my body. I have wrinkles in my neck! What is going on! 

I am grateful for air conditioning and fans! That has help throughout summer and the heat. And I have to learn to take breaks. That one is hard. I just push myself to keep going and now I need to learn to pace myself. I think that is something we all need to learn. If I started this earlier in my life, I wouldn't feel so guilty about it now when I try to take care of myself. So my advice, start early!

What I do like and will miss about summer is the longer days. I really don't like how it is now starting to get dark at 8:00pm. I like for the longer days when the sun is out. I think I get my second wind around 7:00 and Riley, my dog, expects a walk around 8:30. Well it is too dark now, and scaredy cat me, I won't go walk down the street in the dark! At our new neighborhood we live in now, there are a lot of wildlife, including foxes. I really don't want to interact with them in the dark. And who knows what else may be lurking in those empty fields.

I hope everyone survives the change in season coming up. I will push through it! Like, do I have a choice! haha.

2 Corinthians 4:16; Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

Isaiah 46:4; Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

Love to all,

Life is GOOD! And hard.

 

LIFE IS GOOD! Can you say that? Life is good. I have so much to be thankful for and I can say, that Life is good. 

Today, it was hard. For both me and my daughter. You see, I got my hair cut. So did she! Well, I couldn't take the long hair anymore. If you have been following me, I used to have really short pixie cut. Then about a year and half ago, I decided to let it grow out. I usually will last about 3 months then I get it cut again. My family used to bet on how long I would last before I got it cut! This is the longest I have gone. But I have taken all I can take with the long hair... hair in the sink, floor and shower drain...yuk. Trying to style it every morning and hope the curls work each day! One good thing with long hair that you don't have with short is if you have a bad hair day, you can use a clip or barrette in it and it will look fine. Short hair will be a hat day. Nothing else.

Well, I got it cut. And when I got home, all I can say is that it WAS NOT LIKE THE PICTURE I SHOWED THE HAIRDRESSER! I was near tears.  It was not what I expected and I could not get it to style right. Luckily, my hubs is a man that can do anything. You see, he used to cut my hair before I decided to let it grow out. Well, he came swooping in and saved me. My knight on the white horse. He cut, shaped and styled my hair and now it is all better. He is so amazing!! I just love him!

But....my baby girl. Her haircut was also not what she wanted. It is so hard when she is on the west coast and I am on the east coast and all I want to do is go to her house and hug her and help her through all her hard times. She was in tears...and I can relate. When you get your haircut and it isn't what you want or expect, especially when it is shorter than you wanted, it is hard to see what you can do. All I could do is facetime her and see her hair. I think she can do a lot with it, but again, when it isn't what you wanted or expected, it is hard to get past the shock. She will figure it out and she is already beautiful. 

So, life can be good, it can be great, but it is also hard. Sometimes harder than others, but when your in the moment, all you can do is just breath and get through it. Sometimes it involves tears, no matter how small or big that hard time is.

BUT GOD, he is with us. He will comfort us. He will guide our heart and minds throughout it all. Even if it is a haircut that wasn't what we wanted. You see, nothing is too small or too big for God. He hurts when we hurt, no matter what the situation. 

Psalm 86:15; "But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness."

Psalm 139:14 states, "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well"

Deuteronomy 31:8 “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Love to all,

LOOK!

 LOOK! 👀 Just stop and look around you. Take Riley, my beautiful boxer, for example. When she is outside or we are on our walks, she stops, smells everything and looks at everything! And I mean EVERYTHING. Maybe we should take her example in each of our lives. 

When things don't feel like they are going your way, focus on your small wins. For me this past week, just when I was not expecting it, I got noticed and paid a compliment by a patient to one of the managers about the help I gave them on their discharge from the hospital. I feel like it is just my job, then you have this one person that feels your job was more than that to them. 

I also got stopped in the hall by someone who I had hired as a new nurse before I left my management job. First, I was caught off guard because they remembered me. And I hate to admit it, but I did not remember them at first! (My memory is horrible!) I was not expecting that. I didn't really work with them, just hired them. Second, it caused me to stop and think about the impact I had on them. I mean, I gave them job, trusted them to be part of that nursing team. And they are still there, loving their job and making a difference. 

So remember, what you do, what you say, people remember and it makes an impact on them. It can be a positive thing, but your words and actions can have a negative impact on people. Be aware. 

I say to my myself and will tell you: Look at what the Lord has done. I look at things in my life, you can look at things in your life. They do not have to be big events, just small wins. 

Then....Show others, tell others. Stop and look around you, smell the flowers, look at the beauty that has been given you. Enjoy the small things.

Ephesians 5:20 NLT; "Give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."     

1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT; "Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus."

Love to all,

I'm not crying...It's the onions!

Well, I'm a little sad. Yes it looks like I'm crying, but y'all, it was those strong onions! They say vidalia but I don't think their that sweet!.

Yesterday was the last of the pickle making. I can't believe that it is already over. Pickle making is only about 2 months and it went fast. And I can't believe how many cucumbers my little garden made!! It was awesome for a first time garden. I hope it pulls through next year. I mean, this year I didn't think there was ever going to be pickles. The first batch of plants died off and I had to scurry and find some plants to replant and start the garden over.  Just look at when we started and then yesterday with the last pick of the garden. It came a long way!

And the last day of canning, we got 33 pints! A great way to end the season. 

So here are the totals: drum roll please.......177 pints total made!! whoo hoo! And I can say no trips to the ER this year. But I did burn my finger on the hot water the last day! 

I want to give thanks to everyone that supported me, donated for my mission trips and prayed over me. It means a lot to have this support. 

I will continue to make pickles every year. I just love to do it and even though I don't make a lot off of them, It is something that I can do pretty good, so people tell me. And I like to bring joy to others too. 

I have to give a big thanks to my late G.ma Wix whose recipe I use. (even though it took me a few years to talk my cousin into giving it to me!!). 

So for now, I will enjoy my pickles, as long as they last, with my dinner. I am sure they won't last the year! Especially with my dad eating the whole jar when he opens it! 

Psalm 7:17: "I will give thanks to the Lord to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High."

Psalm 9:1, which says, "I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds."

Psalm 136:1: "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever."

Love to all,

Helping me stay young, I think!

 Yep that's me when I was a toddler. Wasn't I soooo cute! And I need to remember how sweet and adorable I was as I work with the kids at church. 

But, I want to say to myself, what was I thinking! I mean, I started volunteering with the kids on Wednesday nights. I showed up this past Wednesday, our first time since breaking for the summer, not knowing what my "job" would be. Well, boy did I find out. 

Our ministry director gave me a book and said I was the kindergarten teacher. Well, I guess that is what I get for saying, "use me wherever the need is."And she did. But if I have learned anything from all the mission trips I have taken it is to BE FLEXIBLE! So I will.

Then I met my class. There is only 4, thank goodness. But LAWD have mercy! Energy does not explain what is happening in this class. They have so many words and can't sit still for a second. This is going to be a challenge for sure. The last 20 minutes of our time we are outside or in the gym. I am almost thinking that maybe this should be the first part! But we went outside to the playground area. I tried to play with them and they looked at me like I had 4 heads. What I thought I was being funny, they did not! I do have my work cut out for me with these kids. They are a tough group to win over.

I wonder if I was like that when I was young. I don't remember my kids being that way.

Luke 18:16; “But Jesus called the children to him and said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.’”

Matthew 18:3;“And he said: ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.’”

Love to all,