The First Sixtieth

60th Birthday

There are several of my friends who are turning 60 this year.  The first one, Janet, has a birthday on January 7th.  Yesterday Janet's daughter had a surprise breakfast gathering for her in her honor.  As it turned out, it was not a surprise.  A few weeks ago Janet began expressing to her daughter NOT to plan ANYTHING for her birthday.  She said it over and over and with such enthusiasm that her daughter began to feel she would be "in trouble" if she did.  So A admitted the event to her mother.  I don't think A had to tell Janet all the details, like who was attending, but enough to settle things down and get the ok for the event from her mother.
When A arrived with her mom and and Janet's only grand daughter, Janet had a huge smile on her face.  She was thrilled, it appeared to me, at the gathering of all the friends who had turned out to celebrate her birthday.
To my surprise, I knew all but two of them and I had heard of them but had not met them previously.

The 60th Birthday Gathering

 Some of the rest of us had been on trips together with Janet.  There was no one there who knew Janet less than 10 years (except her son in law and grand daughter).  The rest of her friends attending were admittedly "old" friends.  These were friends she had met through reading and books, music, work-design, and some she'd met through other friends.  I believe, of the friends there, I had known her the longest (although she has friends she had known longer than I, they were just not able to attend).  I've know her 32 years.  I met Janet when her daughter, A, was 3 years old.  A is now 35 WITH a 3 year old of her own. Isn't life something.  We worked together in one of our first interior design jobs after we had both graduated from college.  We were fast friends.
Through marriages, divorces, marriage and divorce again, we held each other up.  Through births and deaths we have been there.  Through agreeing and disagreeing; through thick and thin, through hell and high water, we are still friends.  Thirty two years requires a lot of growth and a lot of change.  It has not always been easy.  I believe however, God puts people in your life for a reason.  Thirty something years ago, in a job we both disliked, God saw fit to put us there together.  I'm so glad.  What a blessing she has been to me!  She has made a difference in my outcome and I thank God for her.
While I ended up in social work, Janet has gone on to be a fabulous interior designer who has changed the lives of other people through her ability to see something from nothing and to create something awesome out of someone's dream.  She has incredible vision and amazing talent.  She does such an amazing job, her clients become her friends.  They also come back and use her skills again later!  Both those things say a lot.  She is generous with her knowledge and her resources.
To one of my best and "oldest" friends, Happy 60th birthday...may you have many more and may the best be yet to come!  xoxo

Janet, Paula, Me.  This is three of us, October 2007.  We've been around the block together!  That's me with seriously short hair and no make up and about 20 pounds heavier.  My friends don't seem to have changed a bit.  Check out these photos from yesterday...

Me, A, Jane, Janet and Paula...we are family!

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

New International Version (NIV)

⁹ Two are better than one,
    because they have a good return for their labor:
¹⁰ If either of them falls down,
    one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
    and has no one to help them up.

I pray God moves us all "forward" into the next steps of our lives, together!

Encourage One Another, continuing the journey on fresh paths.
Blessings and love to you, xoxo, happy trails!

Words From Joel Osteen

Occasionally I watch Joel Osteen.  He was recently on and in Guideposts Magazine (a magazine my mother loved and always ordered for me).  I've been trying to watch Robert Morris at Gateway Church in the Ft Worth area on Sunday mornings.  They have a live broadcast.  However, Robert Morris has been on vacation for several weeks.  He'll return next week, thankfully.  I turned on Joel this morning who was speaking about healthy homes and to husbands and wives.  It was a great message.  It was about husbands and wives honoring each other, building each other up, speaking words of encouragement, appreciation, thankfulness.  Pour in honor.  Approve of your spouse.  Build them up.  Do not push your spouse down.  Be generous and free with your love.  People never get tired of hearing how much you love them.  Compliment your spouse.  Start their day by complimenting them.  Don't compare your spouse to someone else's.  Find the good things in each other, whether small or few, and speaking them out so your spouse hears you love them.  He spoke about listening with your eyes (as well as your ears), looking a each other when you speak, giving your undivided attention so they feel and are heard.  When you talk about the good, you draw out the good.  Focus on and magnify their good qualities.  How husbands treat their wives has a great impact on  how children respect and honor their mother.  Treat your husband how you want a wife to treat your son.  Treat your wife how you would want a husband to treat your daughter.

These are the words that he looked into our eyes and into the camera and said at the end.

**to the husbands**
"Your first mission field is your own family, bless your family, speak a blessing over your family, over your marriage. You are men of valor, men of honor, men who rise up like Solomon and bless their wives, men that make their children a priority, men that speak a blessing over their family.  
**to the wives**
"you are a woman of faith, a woman of honor, a woman who keeps pouring the honor in, I can say Like Solomon, there are many beautiful women in the world, but you excell them all, you radiate strength, beauty, intelligence, dignity, you are one of a kind (I LOVE THAT).  
**to both**
Make sure you are taking care of the gifts God has given you, they are not always going to be here, Be generous with your words, I love you, I'm proud of you, I'm glad that you're in my life, express love on a daily basis." 

While it's too late for me, if your married, or not married yet, and you get a chance to listen to this particular sermon by Joel, Healthy Families, do it.  It could make all the difference.

Ephesians 5:33

However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Encourage One Another, continuing the journey on fresh paths.
Blessings and love to you, xoxo
REMEMBER...a blessing is not a blessing until it is spoken!

Thanksgiving Photo Op

Blessing abounded the last few days as we gathered for Thanksgiving.  Friends and family alike came together for a good time.  I love my family so much and I love it when we are all together.  I am so thankful for my parents and how they taught us to love God, our family and our country.  There are no holidays when we do not think of them.  Love you mom and dad!!

I took a few photos while all together for TG.
These are the people I love most in my life!

So cute!

"I wanna run!"

This makes my heart happy!

Thank you Jesus for  another perfect day filled with love, family and thanksgiving!

Psalm 69:30
I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.

Encourage One Another, continuing the journey with fresh paths.

Blessings and love to you.

Pieces of Home

When I first saw this little house I hoped to rent, my first love was the front porch.  And as you can tell by numerous posts, I love sitting out on it.  Some years ago we lived in a house that was built for my daughter's great grandfather.  That is the home she grew up in.  It had a fabulous front porch.  When we moved into that house there were a couple of rockers and a swing that were there on the porch when we got there.  They were very old even then.  There they remained for the 24 years we lived in the house.  When we moved out, the rockers went too.  The swing remains there to this day.  The rockers were put in a barn, not covered, not cared for.  I recently went there to try to reclaim them.  I rinsed one off and determined it was still in fairly good condition.  The other one, sadly, was not.  Yesterday I brought the good one "home".  I'm writing in it this morning.

I got this immediate feeling that "now, it (the porch) is complete".

As I looked to the left I saw the little table and chair set that had been at my parent's home when both of them were living.

It's nothing fancy.  It's plastic in fact.  It has good memories.  I can visualize them sitting outside in these after working in their yard.

As I look to the right, I see the rocker set that I've been "porching" in for almost 2 months now.

My sister and brother in law gave these to me from off their porch/patio before I left Midland.  Lots of good times were shared on that patio with them.

So now my porch has pieces of my family on it, pieces of my life on it, pieces of my loves on it.  And now they are "home".

Ephesians 3:14-16

New International Version (NIV)

A Prayer for the Ephesians

¹⁴ For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family^[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being.

Encourage One Another, continuing the journey on fresh paths.

Blessings and love...

The Shadow Over Moving Day

9:00am.  Moving day. The movers are late. Any other day it would not matter. But today I'm in a hurry.  Today, moving day, is overshadowed, as today is also the day of the memorial of my beloved son in law's brother who died Thursday ,a sad, tragic death. Ross' soul and his spirit and his heart were so sad. Sometimes people are just born that way or sometimes they develop that way. I don't think anyone is really sure why. But it is so hard for them to live life in this world. They search and seek happiness and relief from that pain the feel emotionally, and find it impossible to live life on this earth. Few people know this feeling. Few people understand it.  Most often they are unable to find it, that peace. Finally they give up, they surrender, they make a choice to not do it anymore, and they leave this world. Ross chose this last Tuesday.  Ross, may you be at peace now and rest in the arms of Jesus.   Today, and this week, my heart breaks for those hearts already broken, those that loved him for years and lost him this week. And Lord I pray you hold them close, comfort them as only you can. Only you Lord! May they reach for you, feel you, and accept you reaching back.  

                                       

John 14:26-27

New International Version (NIV)

²⁶ But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. ²⁷ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Encourage One Another

Continuing the journey, on fresh paths.

Wow, Talk About Perfect Timing

My daughter writes a blog.  This scripture was included this week.  While she did not include it for me, it was truly meant for me.  The timing couldn't have been more perfect.

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.

1 John 2:15-17

In preparation for my move back down south, closer to my daughter, grandson and son in law, I have been going through everything I own in order to "purge, case off, chuck, deep-six, ditch, dump, 86, exorcise, fling, pitch, purge, reject, scrap, shed, suck off, throw way, throw out, toss, unload, jettison, junk, lose and dispose" of everything I possibly can so as not to overflow the house I am moving into.  And it has been hard!  I've been through every box I brought out here over 5 years ago, some I've been through before, some not.  I've been through every picture/photo envelop and photo album I've owned since about Junior high.  I've been through every card I ever kept and every card and letter my mother EVER received.  I lived each event, happy or sad, over again.  I've been through newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, file cabinets, cedar chests and storage units.  I've gone down to the bones.  And I've thrown out tons of stuff.  Boxes and bags of stuff have gone to the dumpster.  Boxes and racks of stuff have gone to the resale shop.  I've wrapped things back up and put them in the "too go" box zillions of times even though I really wanted to keep it.  It's stuff I've gathered, loved and owned for a little while or a long time.  It's been my grandmother's, my mother's, my daughter's, my daughter's grandmother's, my friend's, and my own.  Some treasures, some not so much.  I learned a few years ago when my father died and we were able to acquire VERY little of what belonged to him from his wife at the time, that "stuff is just stuff".  What really matters is the love and the memories that go with those things.

^{Matthew 6:19} “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy,and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

So this is just another lesson along that same realm.  In the big picture, all of that stuff, what I've kept and what I've thrown out or gotten rid of, really doesn't matter.  What does matter is that I have all the memories that go with those things.  And what matters even more is the memories I'm going to make with my daughter, my grandson (who you know I adore), my son in law and the rest of my family, my sister, my brother in law, my nieces, my loved ones and my friends in the rest of my life.  After all, remember I am "continuing the journey...on fresh paths".  I'm going to be "refreshing" things, getting some new things, starting with some other things, and making some new memories.

So here's to leaving the past behind, the "starting over" of sorts, only it's more like starting fresh, like after a rain when everything is cool and glistening, shiny and clean.  I'm following you God.  Your in my lead.  Bring it on.  Once again, I'm stepping out of the boat!

^{Matthew 14:25} Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. ²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

²⁷ But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

²⁸ “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

²⁹ “Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

³¹ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said,“why did you doubt?”

³² And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. ³³ Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”


Encourage ONe Another

Nothing Quite Like the Sound

Nothing quite like the sound of quiet gentle rain falling on leaves.  Sweet.  Relaxing.  Rare.  An hour of listening.  Slowly the house starts to wake with other sounds, creaking, clanging, jingling dog tags and whispers.  Doors start to open, coffee starts to perk, voices get louder and the baby starts to stir.  The house becomes alive with family.  I love the holidays.  I love my family.  Nothing quite like the sound.

Encourage One Another

Anyone Interested in a Follow Up?

This is the email I sent back to my friend the evening of the first email, retirement day @ 10:30pm.
"This is the first moment I've had to sit for a second and let you know how the day went.  Once I got it out of my system to you I prayed every moment before leaving the house that I would not cry.  I prayed once I got to work.  I dropped a couple of little gifts and some cards off to my friends before 8am so they would be at their desks when they arrived at work.  Then I didn't cry anymore.  I spend an hour or so getting some old adoption stuff, addresses of families, names, photos etc off my computer.  I heard from two of the adoptive families I still keep in touch with...sweet sweet emails.  Had a big lunch with friends from work, they invited me; my boss treated me.  I went down at the appointed hour with my best work friend to the party.  Several were there but many more showed up.  We kept waiting on my sister, who was about 15 minutes late.  All the sudden she walks in the door.  I hug her and sit back down.  She acts a little funny, then comes to sit down.  I look around and my fantasy comes true.  Little Hays comes toddling thru the door!  and J (my daughter) and J (X husband) follow.  It was truly wonderful.  I felt so blessed.  We spend the evening together and they are leaving after breakfast in the morning.  Overall, its' been a great day  Them being there kept me focused off the actual leaving the office for the last time...shutting down my computer...leaving a forwarded voice mail.  John stayed til I left and walked out with me .  In my apartment later I hugged him and thanked him for coming and he told me he knew it was where he was suppose to be today!  So, there it is

A good day after all.  I have a downstairs full of sweet gifts and cards and saw a room full of people who wished me well me well and my condo filled with people I love, my family.

God is good."

So there you go.  The day could not have been much more perfect unless my bnl had been able to be there too.  He was out of town.  I am blessed though and the day was too.

We all had breakfast together day one of retirement then my family went back south.  It was wintery outside went to feed my pony (not nice enough to ride) and then I lit my fireplace and unpacked boxes the rest of the day.  My sister invited me for chicken and dumplings and the World Series that evening.  Another good day.

More about retirement in the days to come.

Encourage one anohter

Can I Just Say a Word?

About sisters....  If you don't have one, you don't know what you are missing.  But you are missing a lot.   Your missing the closest blood relative you can ever have.  Your missing an opportunity for a best friend.  Your missing an opportunity to have someone support you and love you no matter what.  That's what I've got.  A best friend who loves me no matter what.  She offers before I ask.  She knows before I do. She remembers something in your history when you don't.  She blesses me with her love all the time.  She's just there.  Once you lose your parents, she becomes your life line...what connects you to the rest of the world.  She connects you to your past.  She's a reason you are here.  I wouldn't trade mine for all the money in China or anywhere else for that matter.  She calls me "Sissy".  I call her "Sissy".  I just love her, with all my heart.

Encourage one another!

Flash From the Past

"I believe I am passionate about 4 things, faith, family and friends.  I grew up in a very close family who had strong spiritual values.  I have carried these with me throughout my life, though sometimes being more committed to them than others.  When things have been difficulty for me however, my faith, family and friends are the things that have carried me through them.  My family and I remain very close and they have been and always will be an important part of my life.  I also believe that life is much better with friends in it; friends you can laugh with, share with, cry with, pray with and play with.  They do not need to be friends with all the answers, just friends with great listening ears. 

I am also a good friend and listener, and try very hard not to give advise.  If you and I become friends, you can count on me to be dependable and trustworthy.  I hope you will be also!"

I found this statement in some old emails I was going through.  Initially I had no idea who I had written it to.  After thinking about it a while, I think it is a statement I put on some dating site, some information about myself.  I find it odd that I put "4" things I was passionate about and only then listed 3.  The other thing I'm passionate about (as there really are four) is horses.  You probably read about that in a previous blog.  Since I wrote this sometime in them middle of 2007, I have lost my father, a huge piece of my family.  However, I have gained a grandson.  I believe my faith remains strong, although there is always room for growth there and I hope it grows in abundance.  Overall, the statement remains true.  I believe I am a good friend and I still cherish the most important things in my life.


Encourage One Another