I was thinking a few days ago, that it was about this time of year that I started up at Spaces. It was just before the New Year 3 years ago. I had started fooling around with the place a few months prior to that, but I had my permissions all closed up because I was afraid of cyberstalkers. I had heard all the usual horror stories about all the nightmarish things that had happened to people who had met people on line, and I was some pretty nervous about being on a networking sight of any kind. I found the place quite by accident, or so I thought, and I had to put it in my Favorites to find my way back. But I felt that the Lord was telling me I needed to open it up and let people in. I questioned as to weather it was really the Lord, and when I finally decided it was I took my permissions off of private and within 24 hours I met my first friend - Robyn. Robyn is an animal lover like myself, and a very kind lady and we have been friends ever since. I didn't realize that you could meet 'nice' people. It wasn't too long after that that I met a beautiful Christian lady name Nita, from way across the pond. I've been truly blessed and inspired by her relationship with her Lord, and it has driven me to make not the odd adjustment in my own walk with Him. Not long after that I met another lovely and gifted lady named Lisa. She takes some of the most breathtaking photographs I have ever seen. And she lives not terribly far from where I live, just a couple hundred miles or so. From Lisa I learned to see the beauty that is around me if I just open my eyes. If any of these people ever found out where I live, which wouldn't be that hard, and I found them on my doorstep sometime knocking on my door I would be overjoyed. *hinthint* I'd probably be too excited to open the door.
Since then I have met lot's of nice people on Spaces. And then one spring morning - early - I couldn't sleep, so I thought to myself that I might as well get up and not sleep as lay there and not sleep, so I got up and went on the computer. I found there an invitation from another Spaces friend named Amanda - Nita's daughter - to join her on Face book. Face book. I had heard of Face book, but didn't really know what it was. So I did. She must have just sent the invite, because right away she sent me a message - "That was fast". I immediately started looking around on Face book to try to figure out what it was all about and I found a lady I knew. My President/Manager. A very nice lady named Norma. I said hello to her and before the day was over she had confirmed me as her friend. It does take me a while to figure things out sometimes, and it was the beginning of December before I really got into the swing of Facebookism. But I found lot's of my Spaces friends, and I have made many new friends too.
So I salute my Friends - the people the Lord knew would make my life a richer place. His year end/year beginning gifts to me.
Now here it is, December again, just before the New Year, and here I am trying to figure out Blogger. I wonder what is in store for me here. I'm finding it quite different from either Spaces or Facebook. And I'm still working at getting it figured out, but as I reflect on my past experiences in cyberworld, I think this must be a good place for me to be.
I think of how far I've come - from being afraid of what might be out there, to looking for what is out there. From being a computer illiterate that didn't want to use a computer because I was afraid I was too dumb to learn to sitting down on purpose and staying with it until I get it figured out.
And what strikes me even more, is that 3 years ago, when the Lord was trying to get me to open up my permissions on Spaces He saw today as clearly I saw yesterday. He saw the friends that were out there in the wings while I was keeping the permissions locked on private. He saw the things I would learn that would make my life better while I was afraid to step out and take the chance. Should I dare to trust Him with a brand new year? with what's left of this one? with tomorrow? Maybe that's why all these things have been coming to my mind. In this thing called life, there is new territory to take, to boldly go where I've never been before. Sometimes it just looks like one big black hole. Sometimes it's hard to see where you're going one step at a time. Until enough time passes and you look back. And I didn't even know I was going anywhere.
Have a great weekend.
Much love to you ...
About Me
- Katherine
- Mainly I blog about my own experiences. The ups and downs, highs and lows. Things that encourage me to keep pressing toward the prize. People are basically the same. No one's life is a bed of roses all the time. I hope the Chronicles of my own spiral upward encourages you and challenges you. God bless you and thank you for visiting.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010
The weather outside is frightful. Well, ok. Maybe not frightful exactly. But I'm glad I don't have to be out in it, or travelling. I know a lady that she and her husband head for sunnier places this time of year, Arizona or someplace like that. Driving. I hope they have a safe trip and have driven out of this snowy, blowy weather we are having today. And I also hope it clears up a whole lot more than this by next week. I have a dentist appointment and if it isn't any better than this I will have to cancel again. I had an abscess and I was supposed to get my tooth pulled and for one reason and the other I was never able to get in. That was September. Yikes. It re-infected again a week or so ago and this time it hurt like a booger. If I have to cancel again, and God forbid, it re-infects again, I can't imagine what the pain will be like. I don't even want to think about it, so I will just pray for good driving conditions.
My cat has not been acting like herself the last few days. Yesterday was much better. Today she is acting kind of weird again. I pray frequently for pets - mine and other peoples. The Bible says if we pray according to His will then we know He hears us, and since we know He hears us, whatever we ask, then we know we have the thing we desire. Maybe it's time to start praising Him like His Word is true, instead of asking over and over like God has gone deaf or something. Hmmmm ... (But, if you don't mind, if you pray for animals, would you talk to the Lord about Blossom for me. My life without her would be very empty now, even tho I have lot's of other pets. They are my fur-kids).
Last night was the Community Christmas Banquet. I am a member of a volunteer organization called The Royal Purple. We cater and earn money to give to people and causes that need help, among other things that we do. And they will pay for the tickets for any member that wants to attend, so Mom and I have gone the last 3 years in a row.
Last night was the usual. Some people dressing to the nines, some people coming as they are, and some, like me, dressed somewhere in between. Last year our table was directly under a giant air conditioner, which some moron turned up, it felt like, as high as it would go. Then something went wrong with the controls and they couldn't get it turned off. It was almost -40 last year. Who turns on air conditioning in -40??? Duhhhhhh. If you're too warm all you have to do is go stand within 6 feet of the nearest door. That will cool you off awfully quick. Needless to say, I thought I was never going to warm up again, but I did. And I was fully clothed - nothing scanty for me. So this year I wore a warm 3/4 length Nordic sweater and dress pants and sensible shoes. I was not the fashionista of the ball, but I was more or less comfortable. But I digress.
Last night was the usual. Supper was 1/2 hour late, I was hungry when we left home at 5:30, and chow time ended up being 7:00. I'm used to eating at 5:00. I was ready to eat the food, the dishes, the table, anything that moved or didn't move. To my shame I ate way too much, although thankfully I had no serious incidents afterward. I did repent though. I'm digressing again.
Last night was the usual. Go, watch people drink themselves under the table, and eat, and be glad when it's finally late enough to come home. About 9:00. That's not late, it's just late enough when you're watching the clock tick, and when you're watching people get tipsier by the minute. I suppose that is why some people attend. To drink. And drink. And drink. I asked Mom why we attend this annual bash. We don't really fit in. And neither of us find watching people get drunk and stay drunk a wonderful spectator sport. She said she was wondering that too. However, she did point out that I didn't have to cook it or clean it up afterward, and we didn't have to pay for it. I guess there is always a silver lining. I imagine that by this time next year all will be forgotten and I will be scrambling to find something 'in-between' to wear to the annual gala event.
My real problem with all of this is that I am very uncomfortable in social gatherings. I am self-conscious about what I am wearing, how my hair looks, how my make-up looks, how I look, etc. I'm not a great conversationalist so it's not like I spend the evening acting like the local social butterfly. Mostly, I just sit there and wait for the thing to finally come to an end, so I can go home and clean up the bathroom I left looking like a war zone with all that make-up and clothes laying all over the vanity and the floor.
My lifestyle isn't real high class. I'm like most people. I cook, clean, take care of Mom (sort of), take care of pets, clean kitty litters, shovel snow (sometimes). Like most people. I haven't got the time or the money, or the energy or the desire to keep my hands perfectly manicured and my gel nails done right. Actually, I've never had gel nails. So since my hands look pretty rough most of the time, I thought I would get some of those glue on nails and go to the Christmas bash at least looking like I care what my hands look like. BIG mistake. I've put those nails on before. Once you get the hang of it, it goes pretty well. I haven't used them in a long time however, and I kind of lost my knack I guess. I dropped more nails on the floor than I put on my fingers. Some of them wouldn't stick. Of course you know I glued my skin to the nail, and glued my fingers together more than once. That hurts. By the time I got all ten done I was in severe pain, I had glue stuck all over my fingers, and I was wondering why I wasted the money on this stuff. It did look better than my ragtag nails, but what a price to pay. I hope it's a long time before I put myself through all that again. I think from now on I'll 'stick' with nail polish. :)
My lesson: It hurts to try to be something I'm not. It takes a lot more courage to be someone else than it does to just be the person I am. And the BIG LESSON (drum roll goes here ... ): I desperately need to get myself off my mind, and relax at being the unique person God created me to be. And accepting the life He has given me to live, and living it like it's a gift instead of some bad script that needs re-written. I think He and I will have a much more abundant life when I have these lessons perfected in me. And maybe I'll be able to relax and have more fun too.
This has sounded a lot like complaining. I didn't mean it to. I meant it to be 'just saying'. But I am glad that I can see what I've been doing to myself. That's the first step on the long journey of learning to take me as I come and letting God make the corrections as He sees fit, with my cooperation of course.
Have a blessed and productive week. May all your trails be happy ones.
xoxo
My cat has not been acting like herself the last few days. Yesterday was much better. Today she is acting kind of weird again. I pray frequently for pets - mine and other peoples. The Bible says if we pray according to His will then we know He hears us, and since we know He hears us, whatever we ask, then we know we have the thing we desire. Maybe it's time to start praising Him like His Word is true, instead of asking over and over like God has gone deaf or something. Hmmmm ... (But, if you don't mind, if you pray for animals, would you talk to the Lord about Blossom for me. My life without her would be very empty now, even tho I have lot's of other pets. They are my fur-kids).
Last night was the Community Christmas Banquet. I am a member of a volunteer organization called The Royal Purple. We cater and earn money to give to people and causes that need help, among other things that we do. And they will pay for the tickets for any member that wants to attend, so Mom and I have gone the last 3 years in a row.
Last night was the usual. Some people dressing to the nines, some people coming as they are, and some, like me, dressed somewhere in between. Last year our table was directly under a giant air conditioner, which some moron turned up, it felt like, as high as it would go. Then something went wrong with the controls and they couldn't get it turned off. It was almost -40 last year. Who turns on air conditioning in -40??? Duhhhhhh. If you're too warm all you have to do is go stand within 6 feet of the nearest door. That will cool you off awfully quick. Needless to say, I thought I was never going to warm up again, but I did. And I was fully clothed - nothing scanty for me. So this year I wore a warm 3/4 length Nordic sweater and dress pants and sensible shoes. I was not the fashionista of the ball, but I was more or less comfortable. But I digress.
Last night was the usual. Supper was 1/2 hour late, I was hungry when we left home at 5:30, and chow time ended up being 7:00. I'm used to eating at 5:00. I was ready to eat the food, the dishes, the table, anything that moved or didn't move. To my shame I ate way too much, although thankfully I had no serious incidents afterward. I did repent though. I'm digressing again.
Last night was the usual. Go, watch people drink themselves under the table, and eat, and be glad when it's finally late enough to come home. About 9:00. That's not late, it's just late enough when you're watching the clock tick, and when you're watching people get tipsier by the minute. I suppose that is why some people attend. To drink. And drink. And drink. I asked Mom why we attend this annual bash. We don't really fit in. And neither of us find watching people get drunk and stay drunk a wonderful spectator sport. She said she was wondering that too. However, she did point out that I didn't have to cook it or clean it up afterward, and we didn't have to pay for it. I guess there is always a silver lining. I imagine that by this time next year all will be forgotten and I will be scrambling to find something 'in-between' to wear to the annual gala event.
My real problem with all of this is that I am very uncomfortable in social gatherings. I am self-conscious about what I am wearing, how my hair looks, how my make-up looks, how I look, etc. I'm not a great conversationalist so it's not like I spend the evening acting like the local social butterfly. Mostly, I just sit there and wait for the thing to finally come to an end, so I can go home and clean up the bathroom I left looking like a war zone with all that make-up and clothes laying all over the vanity and the floor.
My lifestyle isn't real high class. I'm like most people. I cook, clean, take care of Mom (sort of), take care of pets, clean kitty litters, shovel snow (sometimes). Like most people. I haven't got the time or the money, or the energy or the desire to keep my hands perfectly manicured and my gel nails done right. Actually, I've never had gel nails. So since my hands look pretty rough most of the time, I thought I would get some of those glue on nails and go to the Christmas bash at least looking like I care what my hands look like. BIG mistake. I've put those nails on before. Once you get the hang of it, it goes pretty well. I haven't used them in a long time however, and I kind of lost my knack I guess. I dropped more nails on the floor than I put on my fingers. Some of them wouldn't stick. Of course you know I glued my skin to the nail, and glued my fingers together more than once. That hurts. By the time I got all ten done I was in severe pain, I had glue stuck all over my fingers, and I was wondering why I wasted the money on this stuff. It did look better than my ragtag nails, but what a price to pay. I hope it's a long time before I put myself through all that again. I think from now on I'll 'stick' with nail polish. :)
My lesson: It hurts to try to be something I'm not. It takes a lot more courage to be someone else than it does to just be the person I am. And the BIG LESSON (drum roll goes here ... ): I desperately need to get myself off my mind, and relax at being the unique person God created me to be. And accepting the life He has given me to live, and living it like it's a gift instead of some bad script that needs re-written. I think He and I will have a much more abundant life when I have these lessons perfected in me. And maybe I'll be able to relax and have more fun too.
This has sounded a lot like complaining. I didn't mean it to. I meant it to be 'just saying'. But I am glad that I can see what I've been doing to myself. That's the first step on the long journey of learning to take me as I come and letting God make the corrections as He sees fit, with my cooperation of course.
Have a blessed and productive week. May all your trails be happy ones.
xoxo
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