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Last year for our wedding anniversary, Will and I took a trip to San Francisco. This year, we wanted to keep it simple and cheap so we went to stay on the lake in Rockwall, TX, a great place to visit if you want to relax in the sun near the water, spend time reading, and go fishing or sailing, etc. However, we didn’t get to do any of this because of the 17 mph cold winds . Oh well, that is what we get for getting married the first of March. Thinking back . . . it snowed for three days the week of our wedding; I was convinced that our wedding was going to be postponed. As for our anniversaries, they have always been accompanied by cold winds, low temperatures, ice or snow. At least this time the sun came out from behind the clouds, and if you sat by the glass door and looked out toward the sun glazing off the water, you could imagine a warm sunny day. That is . . . until you open the door and are greeted by chilly winds that have you running back inside. Mabey next year we should plan to travel south to warmer temperatures. Other than the temperatures, Will and I had a great time dining at The Oar House, going to the theatre, reading and relaxing.
Laughter is good for the soul. As children, my sister and I would stay up late, unbeknown to our parents, and make each other laugh so intensely that our bellies would ache. No one could make me laugh like she did. It is important to find things throughout the day to laugh about. Many believed that laughter has health benefits: it relieves stress, protects the heart, and boosts your immune system. E.E. Cummings wrote, “The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.”
Things that make me laugh:
- My husband’s goofy math jokes
- My brother-in-law’s dancing
- The Office , Reba & yes, I still watch Friends once in a while
- My grouchy dog, Callie
- My jokes (Sometimes only I find them humorous!)
- My father’s attempts to serenade me with Elvis songs
- Listening to the 5 guys I work with mess with one another (I grew up with 3 sisters, so working with 5 guys can be interesting.)
- Looking at old 80’s pictures
- Pedicures (My feet are extremely ticklish, and I can barely contain the laughter.)
- Dancing to 80’s music such as Funky Town, Another One Bites the Dust and Hammer Time (Oh, how music has changed.)
- Improvisational comedy
- Old home videos
- My husband mowing the lawn in his goggles
- Weight Watcher’s featuring HUNGRY, the orange furry creature, & Swiffer commercials
What makes you laugh?
I recently heard someone say, ” God promises a safe landing, but not a calm journey.” Life bring us challenges. We will all face physical, financial, or emotional challenges throughout our life. When these events take place in our lives, we often forced to make modifications within our lifestyle, and we must make the choice on whether to complain about our circumstances or to comply to seek Christ through the difficult times.
Psalm 119:71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.
Our visit to the nursing home this week truly brought me joy. I visited my new friend. Confidentially, I cannot disclose his name and so for this reason, I will refer to him as Robert. Robert has a permanent tracheotomy and is unable to verbally speak. Although it possible for someone to learn to speak through a trach tube, it requires intensive therapy; he is not capable of this yet. It can be challenging to hold a conversation someone who is unable to verbally speak, but if you care enough, you find a way. I learned that he loves to read the Bible, specifically the Book of John. I read through John 3, and then we prayed for him. My prayer for him is that those around him will be attentive not only to his medical needs, but also his emotional and social needs. I can only imagine the loneliness, frustration and isolation he may often feel due to his inability to fully communicate with those around him. I hope that our visits will be of some comfort to him and others living there.
For those of us who grew up in the 80’s, we remember playing Atari video games with our friends for hours and eating Whatchamacallits, Willy Wonka’s and fireballs while big hair band music on cassette tapes blaired from our jamboxes. My sister and I were not privledge to have a video game unit, but all of our friends did. We would sit and play Donky Kong, Pac Man, Ms. Pac Man, and of course my favorite, Frogger. Today, Marian and I were attempting to pull out of a parking lot and had been sitting there for some time. As I pulled out to dodge approaching cars coming in both directions she exclaims, “And who said Frogger wasn’t educational!” Well . . . we thought it was funny! (Twin humor) What do you remember about the 80’s?
Last month my Pantego Home Group made a commitment to minister to those living in Heritage Oaks Nursing Home. This Wednesday will be our first visit for 2009, and I am eagerly awaiting. Why a nursing home? Because they are too often the forgotten ones. Because they too need emotional & social nourishment, and need to know someone cares. And for those who have not come to understand Christ’s love, maybe we can give them a glimpse of it before they go. We pray that God uses us to change hearts.
David Daniels, Pastor of Pantego Bible, once stated in a semon, ” When you take care of other’s physical and immediate needs and serve them, it allows them to see sacrifice and love and gives them the opportunity to see their life long-term and they can be led to God. When we serve people , we live out the life of Jesus. Jesus was a servant. It makes people want to seek Christ.”
I have probably mentioned in a previous blog that Will and I go on a date after work every Friday. It is a great way to wind down at the end of the week and reconnect with one another. We always get a bite to eat first and then, either rent a movie, go to the movie theater, or sit and talk at Starbucks, etc. A few times we have even gone to the grocery store to get our grocery shopping done to free up Saturday morning. I know, sad isn’t it? Others, may not think our dates are too spectacular, but we like to keep them simple, cheap and relaxing. This afternoon, we had what I would consider the perfect date . . . dinner at McAlister’s, a well-known deli from back home in TN, and a trip to Borders. I love sitting in bookstores and rumaging through all the books in the biography & history sections. Can we do it again next week, Will?
What do you consider a perfect date?
I was so greatful that I was able to sleep in this morning due to the icy roads. For some reason, I just didn’t feel rested when I woke up. Possibly because . . . at 11:00 pm last night, we received a phone call from one of Will’s coworkers informing him that school would be delayed two hours (Will teaches school). At 1:00, we received another phone call with an automated message stating school would be cancelled. Then at 2:00, the sleet began hitting our bedroom windows and wind started whistling through our vent on top of our house, and for an hour, all I could hear was an annoying thump, thump, thump as the air vent rotated. I brought it to Will’s attention when it began, and we sat in the dark and discussed whether it was our airvent or heater. They both sit in the same general location in the attic. When the heater finally came on, we both sighed with relief in unison. I tossed and turned until 5:00 am when Will’s alarm went off. Then, the phone calls and distractions began again, and I sandwiched my head between two pillows to tune down the noise. Ahhh, those last two hours were great. There’s nothing like a couple more hours of unscheduled sleep.
NorthWood Church in Keller, TX, has been presenting a marriage series called The Marriage Portrait. They showed this video in the service last Sunday. Need a laugh or reality check- watch this video. Click on the picture to view.
