As stated in previous posts, I am not a fashionista. I am not a diva of the threads, nor am I one which keeps up with the latest in trends of fashion.
However.
Today...today I believe I have set my very own trend. And I truly do believe it will run like wildfire across this nation; yea verily, unto the ends of the earth.
Today I wore two different shoes.
To work.
And I didn't even notice until I went to attend to delicate matters in the Ladies' Room. Where, upon being in a position which afforded me a clear view of my feet, caused women from all over the building to come a-runnin' to see the cause of the anguished cry from Stall #3.
It was a moment of great pride and personal dignity. Oh yes it was.
Because attached to the bottom-most extremities of my body are two dissimilar objects. Oh, both are sandals, true. And both are black. But that's where the similarity ends. The two are as different as ... well, two different sandals can be.
Honestly. Methinks I OD'd on my stupid pill today.
Sheesh.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Sunday, August 19, 2007
I'll Take A Shot...Or Fifteen
Those of you who suffer migraines have my sympathy, my empathy, and my whatever other -pathy there might be.
Last Thursday, despite the best efforts of my neurologist and my ongoing medication regime, the ol' Migraine Monster reared up. I was able to ignore it for Thursday by, well, IGNORING it. Friday seemed to be the day for migraines, however, since one of my employees called in sick with one and another came to work with one, and then I ended up taking an Imitrex to stave off the MM from the portals of my upper appendage as well.
Then came Saturday.
Third time being the proverbial charm and all, the MM tried once again to spew his venom. He caught me mid-car ride to my part-time job, so I swallowed an Imitrex dry and hoped for the best. That was about 1 p.m.
By 2 p.m. I knew I was a goner. Luckily, I had The Girl with me to drive. She wanted to get her eyebrows done at the place just up from the theater where I had to work. We left the theater, went to get her brows waxed, and got home in time for me to lose my scrumptious lunch to the nausea that accompanies these wonderful bouts with the MM. I went to bed with a heating pad on my head and tried to sleep the night through, missing both my nephew's and my mother-in-law's birthday celebrations.
When I woke up this morning and the MM was still alive and well, I knew something had to be done. Not only was I still pukesome, but my cabesa hurt like gangbusters. The MM had moved from the right to the left eyeball, and seemed to delight in jabbing something akin to a red-hot screwdriver through my eye.
We know nothing if not how to party here at Casa de Singer.
So as soon as the Hubster got home from work, it was off to Urgent Care. Oh yes, I could've called the neurologist and given him the story of my woes, but then he would just suggest a short stay in the hospital so they could pump me full of drugs other than painkillers, and it would end up costing an arm and a leg.
So I went for the quick and easy out.
The doc took one look at me and immediately turned off the lights in the exam room. Now, some people might have been offended at that, being as it could be he just couldn't stand the sight of me, but I prefer to think of it as kindness on his part. Because when the MM has hold of your eyeball(s), the last thing you want to see is any kind of light.
And so I got not one, but two shots. One for the pukiness, and one for the pain. And I had unholey underwear on this time, which made it all the better. You can't say I don't learn from my mistakes!
The MM is quieted now, but still lurking in the shadows, kind of like Satan does. They're a lot alike, those two. Satan also comes out to attack the weak spots in me. He prefers the darkness of my soul, rather than the light where his evil deeds can be seen. He causes pain and wreaks havoc whenever and wherever he can. But when the Great Physician appears, he's quick to run and hide!
Are there Monsters in your life as well? Let 'em know who's boss...the One and Only Lord of Hosts!
The great Physician now is near,
Last Thursday, despite the best efforts of my neurologist and my ongoing medication regime, the ol' Migraine Monster reared up. I was able to ignore it for Thursday by, well, IGNORING it. Friday seemed to be the day for migraines, however, since one of my employees called in sick with one and another came to work with one, and then I ended up taking an Imitrex to stave off the MM from the portals of my upper appendage as well.
Then came Saturday.
Third time being the proverbial charm and all, the MM tried once again to spew his venom. He caught me mid-car ride to my part-time job, so I swallowed an Imitrex dry and hoped for the best. That was about 1 p.m.
By 2 p.m. I knew I was a goner. Luckily, I had The Girl with me to drive. She wanted to get her eyebrows done at the place just up from the theater where I had to work. We left the theater, went to get her brows waxed, and got home in time for me to lose my scrumptious lunch to the nausea that accompanies these wonderful bouts with the MM. I went to bed with a heating pad on my head and tried to sleep the night through, missing both my nephew's and my mother-in-law's birthday celebrations.
When I woke up this morning and the MM was still alive and well, I knew something had to be done. Not only was I still pukesome, but my cabesa hurt like gangbusters. The MM had moved from the right to the left eyeball, and seemed to delight in jabbing something akin to a red-hot screwdriver through my eye.
We know nothing if not how to party here at Casa de Singer.
So as soon as the Hubster got home from work, it was off to Urgent Care. Oh yes, I could've called the neurologist and given him the story of my woes, but then he would just suggest a short stay in the hospital so they could pump me full of drugs other than painkillers, and it would end up costing an arm and a leg.
So I went for the quick and easy out.
The doc took one look at me and immediately turned off the lights in the exam room. Now, some people might have been offended at that, being as it could be he just couldn't stand the sight of me, but I prefer to think of it as kindness on his part. Because when the MM has hold of your eyeball(s), the last thing you want to see is any kind of light.
And so I got not one, but two shots. One for the pukiness, and one for the pain. And I had unholey underwear on this time, which made it all the better. You can't say I don't learn from my mistakes!
The MM is quieted now, but still lurking in the shadows, kind of like Satan does. They're a lot alike, those two. Satan also comes out to attack the weak spots in me. He prefers the darkness of my soul, rather than the light where his evil deeds can be seen. He causes pain and wreaks havoc whenever and wherever he can. But when the Great Physician appears, he's quick to run and hide!
Are there Monsters in your life as well? Let 'em know who's boss...the One and Only Lord of Hosts!
The Great Physician
The great Physician now is near,
The sympathizing Jesus;
He speaks the drooping heart to cheer,
Oh! hear the voice of Jesus.
Sweetest note in seraph song,
Sweetest note in seraph song,
Sweetest Name on mortal tongue;
Sweetest carol ever sung, Jesus, blessèd Jesus.
“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.” Matthew 9:12
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Drinking At The Spring Of Living Water
For the next few days in our area the highs will be around 100 degrees F.
That's no joke, folks.
Two people have already died from the excessive heat, and before it's all over there may be more. The not-for-profit agency for which I work is getting calls out the wazoo for fans, air conditioners, help with utility bills, and just plain HELP during this very tiny taste of hell on earth.
Since I work in a midtown area, many of the people who live close to our building are poor. Most live in high-rise apartments, many without air conditioning. Crime and drug use are both well-known in this part of town... almost as much as the poverty.
During the day, even though we run a benevolent organization, we keep the doors locked. Employees enter with electronic passes and take care to keep outsiders outside until we can ascertain their safety to the general population. Even at that, we've had to install a panic button at the receptionist's desk. People have been known to get loud and threaten violence, even though no one has been harmed as of yet.
Because of the great heat tempers tend to flare easily. Groups of men who congregate on the corner to converse will, at times, end up fighting. Worst case scenario, someone ends up dead. Drive-by shootings are a daily occurrence in this neighborhood. The temperature escalates everything, making it all worse.
This kind of heat is not our friend.
Today we decided to do something about it.
We put a tank outside the front door on the sidewalk. We filled the tank with ice and liter-sized bottles of water, then put up signs.
BEAT THE HEAT WITH A FREE BOTTLE OF WATER!
HELP YOURSELF!
It was amazing.
Hot, sweaty people who walked by stopped and did a double take. They'd look around to see if anyone was watching, then they'd take a bottle, waiting to see if anyone was going to call them down for it. When nothing happened, a big smile came over their faces as they walked off.
Several people came by multiple times. Some people took five or six bottles of water each. Some of the kids on the corner used it to have a water fight and cool off. A metro bus stopped not once, but TWICE, outside our door to let people off to get a bottle and get back on. I later found that poor people sometimes ride the busses in hot weather just to stay cool. Kids on bikes came by. Workmen came by. Young people and elderly alike were able to quench their thirst. Delivery people cooled off with a cold drink.
Yes, there were those that took advantage. There always are. But that didn't dampen the joy we felt at being able to offer a little bit of relief to someone who needed it. In the end, we were able to help others...to show God's love. And that's all that matters.
So tomorrow, and as long as the heat remains in the triple digits, we plan to do the same thing. Because who knows? Some day they may thirst for more than the water in a bottle.
But this could be a start.
John 4:13-15
Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."
That's no joke, folks.
Two people have already died from the excessive heat, and before it's all over there may be more. The not-for-profit agency for which I work is getting calls out the wazoo for fans, air conditioners, help with utility bills, and just plain HELP during this very tiny taste of hell on earth.
Since I work in a midtown area, many of the people who live close to our building are poor. Most live in high-rise apartments, many without air conditioning. Crime and drug use are both well-known in this part of town... almost as much as the poverty.
During the day, even though we run a benevolent organization, we keep the doors locked. Employees enter with electronic passes and take care to keep outsiders outside until we can ascertain their safety to the general population. Even at that, we've had to install a panic button at the receptionist's desk. People have been known to get loud and threaten violence, even though no one has been harmed as of yet.
Because of the great heat tempers tend to flare easily. Groups of men who congregate on the corner to converse will, at times, end up fighting. Worst case scenario, someone ends up dead. Drive-by shootings are a daily occurrence in this neighborhood. The temperature escalates everything, making it all worse.
This kind of heat is not our friend.
Today we decided to do something about it.
We put a tank outside the front door on the sidewalk. We filled the tank with ice and liter-sized bottles of water, then put up signs.
FREE WATER
BEAT THE HEAT WITH A FREE BOTTLE OF WATER!
HELP YOURSELF!
It was amazing.
Hot, sweaty people who walked by stopped and did a double take. They'd look around to see if anyone was watching, then they'd take a bottle, waiting to see if anyone was going to call them down for it. When nothing happened, a big smile came over their faces as they walked off.
Several people came by multiple times. Some people took five or six bottles of water each. Some of the kids on the corner used it to have a water fight and cool off. A metro bus stopped not once, but TWICE, outside our door to let people off to get a bottle and get back on. I later found that poor people sometimes ride the busses in hot weather just to stay cool. Kids on bikes came by. Workmen came by. Young people and elderly alike were able to quench their thirst. Delivery people cooled off with a cold drink.
Yes, there were those that took advantage. There always are. But that didn't dampen the joy we felt at being able to offer a little bit of relief to someone who needed it. In the end, we were able to help others...to show God's love. And that's all that matters.
So tomorrow, and as long as the heat remains in the triple digits, we plan to do the same thing. Because who knows? Some day they may thirst for more than the water in a bottle.
But this could be a start.
John 4:13-15
Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Oh Dear, She's Getting Serious Again...
On the homefront there's been somewhat of a problem of late. I've been hesitant to mention it, being as I always hate to bring the few readers that dare to darken my door down, but it needs to get out in the open so I can move on.
I've been in a bout of depression for about a month or so. Oh, not so you'd notice on the outside, but on the inside my world has been pretty much bottoming out. Hence the lack of posts. Hence the lack of attention to what I eat and how much. Hence the return of Mt. Washmore, the cobwebs, the unorganized schedules, and the unfixed dinners for my family. Hence the utter shambles of our financial state at the moment.
This is something that hits every so often. It's never pleasant, and usually comes on after some sort of major stressful event. In this case it was a reopening of old wounds with my father. Wounds I thought had healed and scarred over managed to break and bleed profusely during the vacation time I took in July.
It wasn't pretty. As a matter of fact, this was one of the worst episodes I've had. It even got so bad at one point that I had to go to the doctor for help in dealing with the anxiety involved with the situation, and that's saying something. It hasn't been that bad since 1999. 1999 was a very, very stressful year.
I've been praying about this for a long time, asking for God's help in dealing with the situation I've gotten myself into. While I know God can and does handle things like this, especially the financial part, I have such a hard time letting Him do just that.
I mean, why would GOD want to waste His time fixing something in me that will just break again? That's what I think every time I consider giving the weight loss to Him.
Why would God bother to fix my discipline problem and help me to get back on track with the house? He knows I'll just screw it up and let it go again...and again...and again... Let's face it, my follow-thru track record is certainly less than stellar at this point. So why should I give it to Him?
And then there's the relationship with my father. Never great, and sometimes downright bad since I now see him through the eyes of a grownup. A man who doesn't forgive... doesn't forget... and is what Joyce Landorf would label an "irregular person" down to the last detail. I have prayed for him until I can't even find the words to pray anymore, forgiven him for countless wrongs and hurts, and yearned for his transformation to a child of God almost as much as I have yearned for his approval (read LOVE) throughout my life. So far, nothing. If I give that to God, what's going to keep me from being hurt again?
And then today, without warning, it happened.
God, in His great and wonderful love for ME, broke through during the church service I almost didn't attend.
Today's sermon at church was all about the worship experience. I've been struggling with that as well for a while, I'll admit. You see, my pathway to God has always been through music. Of late, due to many circumstances, my worship has not been what it should be.
But today... today I found out what true worship is.
Worship is doing all things to the glory of God. ALL things. Worshipping Him through eating right, submitting myself to HIS plan for my body. Worshipping Him through keeping my family well-fed and in a clean home, with clean clothes to wear. Worshipping Him by trusting Him with the situation with my father, and every other situation in my life. Worshipping Him by submitting to HIM in all things, for HIS glory. Bowing down to the One who gave me life by doing His will for me.
And so tonight I'm doing laundry. I have planned what we'll have for dinner tomorrow night. The kitchen was cleaned today. And I'll be sending my father an email to let him know we're all here and OK. God will handle the financial part, and I'll handle my part.
The worship of my God.
Psalm 95:6
Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our maker...
I've been in a bout of depression for about a month or so. Oh, not so you'd notice on the outside, but on the inside my world has been pretty much bottoming out. Hence the lack of posts. Hence the lack of attention to what I eat and how much. Hence the return of Mt. Washmore, the cobwebs, the unorganized schedules, and the unfixed dinners for my family. Hence the utter shambles of our financial state at the moment.
This is something that hits every so often. It's never pleasant, and usually comes on after some sort of major stressful event. In this case it was a reopening of old wounds with my father. Wounds I thought had healed and scarred over managed to break and bleed profusely during the vacation time I took in July.
It wasn't pretty. As a matter of fact, this was one of the worst episodes I've had. It even got so bad at one point that I had to go to the doctor for help in dealing with the anxiety involved with the situation, and that's saying something. It hasn't been that bad since 1999. 1999 was a very, very stressful year.
I've been praying about this for a long time, asking for God's help in dealing with the situation I've gotten myself into. While I know God can and does handle things like this, especially the financial part, I have such a hard time letting Him do just that.
I mean, why would GOD want to waste His time fixing something in me that will just break again? That's what I think every time I consider giving the weight loss to Him.
Why would God bother to fix my discipline problem and help me to get back on track with the house? He knows I'll just screw it up and let it go again...and again...and again... Let's face it, my follow-thru track record is certainly less than stellar at this point. So why should I give it to Him?
And then there's the relationship with my father. Never great, and sometimes downright bad since I now see him through the eyes of a grownup. A man who doesn't forgive... doesn't forget... and is what Joyce Landorf would label an "irregular person" down to the last detail. I have prayed for him until I can't even find the words to pray anymore, forgiven him for countless wrongs and hurts, and yearned for his transformation to a child of God almost as much as I have yearned for his approval (read LOVE) throughout my life. So far, nothing. If I give that to God, what's going to keep me from being hurt again?
And then today, without warning, it happened.
God, in His great and wonderful love for ME, broke through during the church service I almost didn't attend.
Today's sermon at church was all about the worship experience. I've been struggling with that as well for a while, I'll admit. You see, my pathway to God has always been through music. Of late, due to many circumstances, my worship has not been what it should be.
But today... today I found out what true worship is.
Worship is doing all things to the glory of God. ALL things. Worshipping Him through eating right, submitting myself to HIS plan for my body. Worshipping Him through keeping my family well-fed and in a clean home, with clean clothes to wear. Worshipping Him by trusting Him with the situation with my father, and every other situation in my life. Worshipping Him by submitting to HIM in all things, for HIS glory. Bowing down to the One who gave me life by doing His will for me.
And so tonight I'm doing laundry. I have planned what we'll have for dinner tomorrow night. The kitchen was cleaned today. And I'll be sending my father an email to let him know we're all here and OK. God will handle the financial part, and I'll handle my part.
The worship of my God.
Psalm 95:6
Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our maker...
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