Jimmie and LaRue...

I am older than my parents were in this picture.  I remember when I realized that I was older than my Pastor.  I have been struck with the passing of time and how stuck I was in dreaming ahead and not preparing for the days when I would be on the North side of 50.

The last few years have been very educational.  I have experienced Caregiving.  I have had to find who I am from who I was.  It has been an intentional direction to work on preparing my children for what they will need to know in the future for me.

There are so many in our families who are blindsided by sickness.  Having an idea of ones options takes away so much of the stress.  It isn't being negative to be prepared.  It is smart to look forward to our future.  I believe God has a plan for me and if I am aware of some of the choices or pitfalls or possibilities, I am good.

Check your family, your friends, etc. and with the best of your ability, guard them.  Look for signs of depression or fear.  If you know they are good at hiding their feelings, keep watch.  Love is a gift.  Share your love with those closest to you.

Jeremiah 29:11

Passing of Time: Maggie Valley -(from Facebook)

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I saw this on facebook.  It reminds me of the first time I looked into a mirror and saw the passing of time.  In my mind, I still looked like the left half of this tree.  In reality, I was changing to look like the right side.

Time passes.  That is a sure thing!  We cannot stop the sun from going down and coming back up. All the Botox and plastic surgery in the world cannot erase the days that we live.  Eventually, they will catch up to us and the leaves will fall off.  Gray will replace brown.  Eyesight fades.  There is an ache in the spot that once won the race.

Looking back can fill us with regret.  So, do good while you can!  If you find that there is more behind you than ahead, make the most of those days. If you have a loved one who is a caregiver, or know a caregiver, see where you can help them ease the passing days.  Love while you can.

Remember Jeremiah 29:11.  This promise is as much for the right side as it is for the left!

THE HOTEL GALVEZ

The Galvez.....

Located across the street from the Hotel Galvez is my favorite spot in Galveston.  Murdoch's is a souvenir shop that has been on the seawall for many years.  It has a breeze way that allows the breeze from the Gulf  to erase the tension and stress from my mind as I sit in the Adirondack chairs placed on the deck, between the two shops.

The pictures are of the Hotel and the breakfast buffet served in the dining area each morning.  It was delicious and plentiful.  There were omelets, fruit, muffins, donuts, bacon, potatoes, anything you might want,  The coffee was great.

There are some pictures that cannot do justice to the real thing.  Visiting this historic landmark hotel was a highlight of my life.  Visiting it with a friend who enjoys the water as much as I do, made it even more memorable.

When life gets difficult, pull out the picture albums.  Walk back in time to a place that spoke peace and comfort to your soul.  God has given us many inventions, and photography allows us to move around the past while in the present.

I can still smell the coffee, taste the scrambled eggs and bacon while sitting here in my chair.  The beach was wonderful and Murdochs as busy as ever.

Simply good...

Iceberg lettuce is underrated.  Take a hunk, put blue cheese with walnuts over it and it becomes a completely different thing.  It is delicious and easy to make.

Life reminds me of iceberg lettuce.  It is often uninteresting and not too much sets it apart.  It is inexpensive and filled with little taste or flavor.  Humdrum is a word that can be used to most days.  That is where dissatisfaction sets in and people make bad choices because they have not added the dressing to their day.

There are times I like a slice of iceberg, just by itself.  Most of the time I prefer a little dressing.  It is found in my loved ones.  Their lives add something special to mine and when I see the influence of our heritage, well, it takes on a flavor all of its own.

May God dress your day with love, faith, hope and healing!

Green Grass

 If you are short, you prefer a little added height to reach the top of shelves.  If you are long, you wish that a couple of inches had not been added.  My mother was almost 6 feet tall and her brother was about 5 foot 9 inches.  They envied each others stature.  Mom wanted to be his height and he wanted to be hers.

Isn't that like life?  We look at other people and think what it would be like to be them.  We imagine they have perfect lifestyles and everything is great in their circle.  If we only knew that they are looking at our lives and thinking the same about us.

The next time you wish you had someone else's life, look a little closer.  Not at theirs, but at your own.  God has placed you where you are for a purpose.  Wrap your arms that kid that is attached to your hip.  Tell each person in your family how much they mean to you.  

Stop looking around and focus.  They are right there on the sofa, or in the big chair, or in their bed....

The Plan...

When I review my life, I discover that most of what I thought would happen, didn't.  Then, I notice that those things that did happen, happened for a reason. Out of some choices that I should not have made, has come some of the greatest blessings. Once I recognized why I should have made another choice, and got on track, things fell in place.

Then, there were the choices I made that I knew were right and fell into God's purpose for my life.  Were they easy?  Some were.  Did I question outcomes?  At times, yes.  But, when you know, you know and the outcome is as it should be.

God has blessed my life with many wonderful things and my grandchildren are at the top of the list.  Timothy and Chasity, two of my kids, have made me glad that I am part of the family of God.  I talk a lot about Jeremiah 29:11 and God's plan.  I do so because I I have witnessed how much God loves us and  the lengths He has gone to to give us a hope and a future!

Above and Beyond

I want to express my gratitude to the Military family and friends in my life.  I am grateful that I have a group of men and women who take time out of their lives to serve our country.  I was a part of the Vietnam generation and feel so sad that those soldiers were so easily dismissed by so many.  They deserved the same welcome home that those from other wars had received.

While touring the Lexington, I was impressed with how much they were able to put into such small places.  The cots were especially tiny and I was amazed at how the head was merely inches from the feet of someone on the other side of that thin wall.  They probably only slept in the bunks and were not confined to them for long periods of time.  Hopefully...

God has been so faithful to keep His promises to me.  When I reflect over events that have transpired, I realize how His hand has been close, even when I made wrong choices.  

Thank you to God for His care and to our military for doing their jobs of  protecting me and my loved ones.