My Jazzercise Hero

I’m not an athlete, but I’m into Jazzercise. It’s more my speed, less competitive and pressure filled than most gyms. On Saturday morning, I went to my local class and commented to a woman next to me that I am always cold at the beginning of the class and leave my jacket or sweatshirt on. She agreed and said she did the same. As we chatted before class began, Carol (new Jazzercise friend) admitted that she was 83 years old. The shocked look on my face must have said it all, but I felt compelled to say “no way, you can’t be 83!” Carol told me that she had been a competitive swimmer and a dancer when she was young, and when she tried a year ago to rejoin a swim group at a local rec center, she discovered that she wasn’t as nimble in the pool as she once was. A friend suggested Jazzercise and here she is.

Carol does not look 83. She doesn’t act 83. She kept up with the entire class, including the floor exercises, to the very end of class.

Wow–I hope I am as active as Carol when I am that age. As a result, Carol is active, continues to drive, live in a cottage in a retirement community and everything you hope you could do at 83.

Her life is a lesson in how to age gracefully and that keeping fit is very important to longevity.

Hope with skin on

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, or as the popular song goes. I attended a Women’s Christmas Brunch over the weekend, hosted by one of my dear college friends. Every table was decorated with lavish, creative Christmas decorations. The food was great, the company enchanting, the music uplifting. And then the speaker began her talk. She held the audience captive in her message about Christmas, focused on hope. She gave example after example of how she was at the end of her rope and God brought someone into her life to bring her hope, connect her with a job, or help dear friends in their journey of international adoption. She described these people as being “hope with skin on” and then also drew the illustration of Jesus being our hope. That He came to earth as “hope with skin on”.

As she talked, I began to realize how many people in my life have been “hope with skin on” as well. My dear friend who gave me the ticket to the luncheon. My two wonderful daughters who continue to love and support me through this season of my life. The appliance repairman that fixed my dryer for free last summer. Friends at church who don’t say anything but just give me a hug anyway.

I want to be hope with skin on to others. I’m praying that God will use me to encourage and uplift others, while others are encouraging and uplifting me in prayer.

Taking out the Trash

OK. I have to admit it. One of my least favorite parts of being newly single is dealing with trash. I’ve been dealing with trash at my house in the country and my house in Carrollton. And, come to think of it, I take out the trash when I work my part-time retail job too. Seems like everywhere I go, I have to deal with trash.

Today’s trashy moment came when I was putting up the Christmas storage boxes in the attic. We typically take them down, of course, to decorate, but then put the empty storage bins back up in the attic during the month of December. I thought, “hey this won’t be a big deal because they’re empty.” But they were awkward and bulky to carry up the rickety stairs leading to the attic. While I was up there in the attic, I noticed all the other junk that was there. I ended up throwing out 5 boxes of old books and old paper records, shredding sacks and sacks of stuff from almost 30 years ago. My trash bins now are overflowing — both the recycle bin and the regular trash bin.

Not that this is all that unusual, but the thought occurred to me today that I have dealt with the trash from the end of my parents’ lives and the trash that represents the end of my marriage. Doesn’t really seem fair that all around me, the cleaning up of loose ends seems to fall to me.

But in a way, this cleaning out process is rather freeing. It made my heart a bit lighter to have that sense of accomplishment in cleaning out a corner of the attic. It’s rather symbolic that as I wipe out those cobwebs, I take a baby step toward letting go and another baby step toward a new life.  It reminds me that good memories of my parents, of the sweet beginning of my 29 year marriage, will always be there even if the paper is long gone.

Leftovers and Recycling Bin Overflow

As everyone is dealing with Thanksgiving leftovers I began to think about the leftover items from my married life.

Yesterday my daughters started assembling the Christmas tree. As I was unpacking all of the boxes of decorations, I came across a box marked “Christmas Cards 2009.” I opened it and saw the remainders of the last time I had sent out personalized Christmas cards. The return address labels and the beautiful cards I had chosen that year, with all four of our names on them.

I took the whole box out to the recycling bin, knowing that I would never use these cards again. And my heart, once again, began to ache for what was.

Then my youngest daughter asked me to find the Christmas stockings so she could hang them up. When I found them, there it hit me again. Stockings with each of our names on them, and only 3 of them to hang up. Sent the fourth one to the former spouse so that he could use them in his office.

And today, as I was cleaning the floor of my closet, I see the box with all the mementos from the wedding almost 30 years ago. All the rest of the blank thank you cards I didn’t use at the time but I was sure I would use in the future. The beautiful, ivory engraved “Mr. and Mrs.” notecards, just like the ones my mother had. Funny how I always thought I would use them but I never did. And now I guess these will also go in the recycling bin.

And then I look and notice see my wedding portrait and photo album. It’s not appropriate to showcase these in my home anymore but I can’t seem to bring myself to throw those away. At least not yet.

I heard recently about a program for recycling old wedding dresses into burial dresses for stillborn babies. This may be the best use for my well preserved wedding dress still in my closet.

Suggestions for these and other “leftovers” are welcome! And throughout this rather dreary day, I am blessed.

Career Craziness and the Great Recession

Are we still using the term The Great Recession? I haven’t heard it used recently but it still feels like I’m in the middle of it. Lots of twists and turns in my career during the last 7 years. I find myself on the job hunt once again.

Dusting off the old resume, spiffing it up with a new design, and settling into a month following the end of my latest contract job.

I won’t lie–there are have been moments of sheer panic. Gut wrenching panic. But then God’s grace covers it all. I continue to put one foot in front of the other. Leave no stone unturned. Heck, I’ve even networked as I work my part-time retail job. I met a woman last night who was interviewing as an executive recruiter and was looking for the perfect outfit for her interview today.

Which leads me to the next question. Why do people, and especially women, put all the time and effort into perfecting their resume, going to networking events, applying online, and doing personal networking, only to wait until the last possible minute to find the right clothes for the inevitable interview? One evening I sold an expensive suit to a young, 20 something woman who had an interview at 10 am the next morning. The slacks were too long, even with the highest heels. Luckily the tailor at the mall does simple alterations while you wait. But truly, my advice to job seekers is to put as much effort into your appearance as you do to the rest of your job search. Have an outfit ready.

Some days I feel like one of those plate jugglers. You know, like the ones that used to be on the Tonight Show or a variety show like The Ed Sullivan Show (and I know I am dating myself here). I see a job listing and think, hey I could do that. Spend a few minutes on the online application, whip out a cover letter, and while I am surfing the company’s website for more info, I get another email with yet another job posting that sounds intriguing. So I spin that plate while waiting for my password to be reset for the other site. Then my phone rings with a call from a recruiter with a very heavy accent about a contract job. So I stop and spin that plate for a while.

There are some days that I just want to quit spinning those plates and just sit and breathe.

God continues to provide people in my life to encourage me and pray for me and that makes all the difference. God continues to show me, in small ways and big ways, that He has my life in His hands. Last Sunday’s message at church is a prime example. The Principle of Pruning was such an encouragement to me. Pruning is designed to cause us to bear more fruit in our lives. God doesn’t prune us because we have done something wrong, but because we did something right. There’s so much more. Listen for more at http://www.fbcc.org/sermons/

Through all of this, I am blessed!

 

 

Turning the Page

Turning the page. Sounds trite, I know, but it is the best way to describe where I am in my life.

This blog is a hybrid online journal and online testimony of what God has done and continues to do in my life. I have learned so much during the past few years and I want to share.

You’ll read here all about the ever-present career direction and job search, the empty nest phase of life, life after divorce, wedding planning as the MOTB (mother of the bride), and most of all, my walk with Christ.

I hope it blesses you. Through all of the struggles of my life, I am blessed.