Great quote

We visited a church in the metroplex today, and they had a visiting preacher. You always take pot luck when you visit like that. But we had a great service and a great sermon, and one quote sticks in my head. Ok this is a rough approximation of the conversation. Dan Rather was interviewing Mother Teresa. He asked her, "When you pray to God, what do you say?" She said, "I don't say anything at all, I just listen". So he asked, "So what does God say?" and she replied, "He doesn't say anything, He just listens". To me that makes so much sense.

We were hoping to have a short getaway into the mountains for the coolness and beauty, but didn't have enough time, so just headed east a couple of hours to do a little shopping and relaxing and EATING. We try to eat in restaurants that haven't made it to Abilene yet. We also explored the neighborhood where our son and daughter-in-law are about to move, and ate at a little place near their new house that they probably will think is quaint. They are in New York, having a great weekend mostly at no cost to them. Staying with a friend who lives there and flying with free tickets.

Our other son has returned while we were gone. He had a summer semester at an archaeological dig in a ghost town in Colorado. He hopes this is what he'll end up doing for a living. Can't wait to hear all about it, and see his pictures.

Tomorrow evening I'm going to push myself into another experience that will be good for me, hopefully in more than one way. I'll do a singing audition for the director of the local community theater. I think that the current play he's taking auditions for will not be one that I can fit in, but the audition itself will be really good for me, and the director is said to have a great memory and might call me if he needs my particular voice and look later.

Solitude

I have friends and acquaintances who can't seem to get enough of partying. That's ok, but not my favorite thing. Now that I'm an "empty-nester" I am enjoying peace and quiet more and more. No TV. Hope the phone doesn't ring. Quiet music in the background (either classical or Christian). A good book or pad and pen. Or nothing. Quiet dinners with Hubby.

Yesterday was one of those soul-refreshing times. A whole day off work. A whole afternoon at the State Park to enjoy the quiet. It was a wonderfully cool July day and not another person was out walking in the rain that I could tell. The deer loved it and grazed out in the open, enjoying the safety of the park. Those fawns are so cute. I took the nature trail that is so familiar to me. My umbrella not only kept me dry but fended off those pesky spider webs. For that leg of the journey, that's all I carried. I found a slightly soggy bench half way and just sat to listen. So many birds! An occasional armadillo foraging for whatever it is they forage for. I can't say that God talked to me, but just to be in His presence is awesome.
I congratulated myself later on my ability to find shelter from the increasing rain. One of the restrooms has a large back porch, and that's where I parked my lounge chair. My Bible, my current Yancy book, a snack and Emmaus Agape craft in my bag, I settled in. Still no people around. I'm telling you, it doesn't get any better than that. For a while.
Five hours after I arrived, three more nature trails, 10 needlepoint crosses completed, one book nearly finished, and I was ready to leave. I think maybe my tank is full for the time being. On ordinary days I don't ever seem to have enough time for just sitting and thinking and listening to God, though.
I don't think I'll ever convince those friends and acquaintances that solitude is refreshing. Maybe they don't want to hear what God says...

Interesting day

Interesting day already today.
I have the day off work. Usually try to take a few off this time of year just for myself.

My hairdresser overslept and I couldn't get my hair cut till this afternoon and it was free! What a nice surprise, although I was so worried about her for over an hour this morning. Praying for her and realizing all that I don't know about her. She always asks questions and doesn't say much about her own life.

Then lunch out with a girlfriend and she picked up the check. How nice. She had her reasons, and I'm not telling!
And it's RAINING! What a great gift from God in this dry and very hot summer.

My watch stopped running and instead of a new battery I think I'll go get me a new watch. Self-indulgent? Probably, but today just seems like the day for it. It's one of those "expecting a call from Dickie" days.

My speech has now been liberally edited by my friend the hospital chaplain. He is helping me prepare it for possible publication. It was strange to see my work revised and polished. It is better, but it does not sound like my voice. Strange....

We'll see if water exercise will help my back. Hubby and I can both benefit. Any exercise is better than none, and everything else hurts.

Back into voice lessons. Preparing for Classical Chorus auditions in a month or so. I am SO looking forward to singing in the chorus again.

IS ANYONE OUT THERE ACTUALLY READING THIS?

affirmations

Hey! You know, my back may just be getting well after all. Praise God!

I've gotta tell you about the speech I gave.
I had e-mailed Greg Taylor at Wineskins magazine, saying that this speech could easily be made into an article. He was instantly on that and said, that if I could meet an Aug. 15th deadline it would fit into the next issue. The theme is how we take our Christianity into the work place. Said for me to send in a few paragraphs so he could see where it's going. It's nice to already have someone have faith in my ability since I had an article published there in March 2002.

Then I gave the speech and everyone was very receptive and appreciative. Afterwards the hospital president said he loved it, and I told him about trying to put it in Wineskins. Well, those Baptists can't let us get ahead :) So the chaplain e-mailed me and then came over to my workplace and told me they want the manuscript to submit to the Baptist Standard!! THEN my boss called an hour or so later and told me I'm to give the same speech at the Nursing counsel (all the nurse managers) on Thursday at 2:00. I teased her and said only if they would feed me like I ate today.
What a joy to be affirmed.

I could easily get too big for my britches.

Especially if I keep going to fancy luncheons and celebratory dinners.

What an honor!

I found out that the speech I'm giving is to be in THE Board Room. The one with a huge granite table that was brought in and then the building built around it. Oddly enough all that separates it from my recovery is a regular wall. But it is like the distance from the gentiles' court to the Holy of Holys. I am getting really excited, and know I have a good speech ready. Like the guy in Jerry McGuire, I hope to have them in the palm of my hand by the end of the introduction.
They'll all be in tears and say "you had me from Hello". Or I'll get nervous and trip over my words and fall flat on my face.
I'm mostly just so honored that I was asked. It occurs to me that this could mean I'll be asked to do more public speaking if all goes well, and in recent years this would have been probably my worst nightmare.

One of the purposes or goals of a Walk to Emmaus is to train Christians for leadership. I guess this is happening, since my walk in 1998, even though the increase in my comfort with leadership has been sneaking up on me.

speech

I was editing my speech with pencil just before sleep last night and just after I turned off the light i remembered one more word that really needed changing, but didn't write it down. I thought it would be so obvious this morning that I'd never forget it. I hate it when that happens. Like having a great dream that would make a terriffic movie, waking up half way and not writing it down. Gone in the morning.

Blessings

Words cannot express how AWESOME worship was this morning. So MANY blessings! So many people who love me and are loved by me. God is Good! All the time!!!
We had a sermon that moved me more than I can tell, regarding Jesus inviting us to his table. Then communion at the front. Then a good friend gave her testimony in class and 2 friends were back in town--one after a long stay at the cancer hospital, one who just finished a series of "3 weddings and a funeral". Literally. This spring 3 of his children got married and his wife died. Not in that order, but emotions far deeper and higher than I can imagine

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Well, I broke down and got some of those weird coil athletic shoes yesterday. I'll wear them for a few days to see if they help. They're supposed to really be good for people like me who work on hard surfaces all day, lots of standing and walking, and who have bad joints. If they're not perfect I can have them adjusted. For the BIG $$$, they BETTER give good service, and the shoes BETTER help!

Went dancing last night, and after several tries I think we got the Cha-Cha down. But both of us are so not used to just going to the flow of the music. But I was so encouraged that I had no additional back pain and no knee pain.

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Final editing of the Board of Trustees Committee speech is to be done today. I have to have it in the final form early enough to semi-memorize it by Monday night. I'll work in a statement at the last mentioning the Hospital Mission Statement. I'm trying to say what they want to hear as well as what's on my mind.


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Met someone at church this morning who mentioned he used to lead singing at Highland years ago. I am always on the lookout for new singers for the Classical Chorus, so now I have another prospect. He's interested. Time will tell... Auditions are in August. Glad I don't have to be the one to choose members. I just try to get them to the auditions and let it go from there.
I am really ready to start singing again. I'll have my first voice lesson of the summer on Wednesday, and get back in shape. I have to audition briefly for the new director, too.

nap time

moving

so many things on my mind today.
A friend is moving out of the house she bought from my in-laws only a few years ago. We all thought she would be there forever. I'll go help do some packing this morning, but I'M not moving very well. Still so stiff in my back. If I thought I could just do what I want and put up with excruciating (momentary) pain and not do any damage, I'd probably do a little more than I am right now. But there's a synovial cyst on L-3 which could enlarge with more inflammation, and would require surgery because the pain could be even worse than the ruptured disc in 1990.
I hope her house hasn't sold yet, because a friend at work is house hunting. It would be perfect for her.
Then Hubby suddenly asked last night if I would like to think of moving to a smaller house when we retire, or even before. Took me by surprise, because he's always been so adamant about staying here until they drag us out. We could just have a little patio home and rent this one to college kids. The whole neighborhood is going that direction. That would easily pay our new mortgage payments.
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Tonight we're going to the Learn to Dance Club and learn the Cha-Cha. Hope it doesn't require too much maneuvering of my back. It's always a lot of fun, tho. If Hubby and I don't fight about which one of us is leading.

ouch

the jury's still out on my fragile lower back. I had such good luck after the surgery in 1990, then the last 7 months with unpredictable pain. not debilitating, just sporadic jabs of pain when i have to lean over. Bummer..
now if i can just get blogger to publish this i'll have accomplished something. watch out-- if you take a hiatus from blogging it takes forever to get them to start publishing it again.

oh, my achin back

Had another facet injection in my back yesterday, and today I think he hit exactly the right spot. So I automatically have another day off work which could be really boring, but I do have that speech to work on. Must go back and rest in the bed. Sitting up is not what the doctor ordered. ss

Bloc

I don't yet understand blogging, probably never will I guess. Apparently if you don't regularly post updates on your bloc, the blogger in the sky forgets you're here. I have written a new post and it doesn't show up on my blog if someone else accesses it. I'll let it go a while, see if they wake up. Then get in correspondence with the powers that be again to make my comments public.

Christian nurses

I've been selected to give a speech at the luncheon for the Christian Life Committee of the hospital Board of Trustees. While I am very honored to be asked, I'm really nervous about it, and wondering if I have anything new to say. My topic is " How nurses help patients get through tough times". In one sense this is a very easy topic-- I know very well what I do on a daily basis to help my patients. In another sense, it's difficult to discuss this topic. Everyone already knows what nurses do to help. I've got to come up with creative and inspirational ways to say what I need to say.
Any one want to help me? What do Christian nurses do to help their patients?