Funny Mom Memory

I was driving with my mom along the highway this afternoon and the raining was pouring down.  I had this flashback to when I was probably about 9 and we were driving along the same highway, my mom and the then 3 kids, and it was also pouring with rain but her windscreen wipers decided to pack up en route.

I reminded her of this while driving this afternoon and commented that I remembered how scary that was and that she had reassured us that she could see fine and that we were not to worry.  

After telling her the story today, she laughed and said she vaguely remembers and she was pretty scared herself.

*****

In 2005, My Man, My Girl and I went to Europe for the first time and My Girl was about 11. Due to a bit of a planning glitch we ended up in Alicante later than we expected and couldn't get to Calpe by train as planned. We had to find a taxi driver to take us. He spoke no English and we spoke no Spanish. After vigorously pointing at maps we got into the taxi and off we went. Driving on the wrong side of the road (to us), at a million miles an hour (it seemed), during some festival, my daughter sitting next to me asked anxiously "Are we going to the right place? Does he know where to go?" I reassured her that he lived there and knew exactly where we needed to go and that everything would be absolutely fine.

At the same time I was busy sms'ing my mom back home "Mom, I don't have clue where we are and if this bloke even knows where to take us and he drives like a lunatic!"  Within a minute I had received an sms back from Mom saying: "It's going to be fine Lis, he knows the place. These are the stories that make great memories one day. Don't worry about it, everything is going to be fine!"

It was fine and it did make for a great memory.

PS. I have to add that My Man, as always, took everything in his stride and wasn't in the least bit concerned about anything.

The Wordpress Blues

I am having a huge issue and I really need a solution.

For about two months now I am unable to comment on any Wordpress Blogs.  It's never been a problem before and now suddenly WP wants me to log into my WP account before I can leave a comment.

I think if I can't get this sorted out soon, I may need to create a "Fake" Wordpress Blog just to comment from!

Eish!! Any suggested solutions will be appreciated!


* the next day: I left a comment on our School's WP blog and it worked. Since I am the administrator of that Blog, I know that I have not installed any of the latest plugins and upgrades.... maybe this could be a problem if one has?

Journeys & Destinations

We were in McGregor over the weekend and I took this photograph at the top of the mountain overlooking all the surrounding valleys.

The journey up the mountain was beautiful and unspoiled and the destination was worth every moment of the trip in the car. However, as I looked at the sign, I thought to myself (not about life so much, but more about waiting!) ... "I really do love the journey.... but sometimes getting to the destination is really good!!"

Possibly, Woe is Me?

Beware... this may come off as a "Woe is Me" post.
It probably is.

I am feeling sorry for myself. First off, we sold my car, and to put a stop to all the questions, here are the answers:
1. It was a petrol guzzler.
2. Yes, we will get another one.
3. I don't know when.
4. I don't know what make.
5. I don't know.

That, in itself doesn't make me feel sorry for myself, it's actually quite interesting realising how much one relies on their own transport, and I am thankful to family and friends for their offers to help, although, with the exception of my ride to school and home, I have not asked anyone to take me anywhere.

What I REALLY WANT to do, is haul that bicycle out of the garage and use that - because, I think this will solve the reason why I AM feeling sorry for myself.

The main reason I am feeling a bit miz, is that I had gotten so into going to gym, and it was going so well and I realised how much I enjoyed running again. I got to the place where the treadmill wasn't enough, and went back to the street.  Together with some friends and colleagues, we ran three times a week, and did a couple of races, but the BIG race that I really wanted to do was the one through the historic part of our city.

Long story short, ( a bit late for that now I think!), about 2 weeks before the race, the arch of my right foot became an issue and was really sore, affecting my knee as well. I bought new shoes, thinking that perhaps I needed something better. It didn't help, I stopped running in the hopes that it would be better by the race, but it wasn't. Then I slipped down my front step and twisted that same ankle. Not badly, I can walk on it OK, but if I turn my ankle in a specific way, its pretty sore.

I missed the race.
I was sad and just so disappointed.

I guess my frustration is just that I am not getting to run at all.

Which is why I need the bicycle.

I just need to get out there.

OK. That's all.
Sorry about the pity party.

It's (Not) Complicated

Then.....and now.

I was going through all my CD's to see what I could ditch and came across this that I had written in 2005 in the midst of a really traumatic "Church" time....   

How have You loved me?      (John 13:34)

 What kind of love is this….

                      That has no complications

                                                                    No

                                                            ‘ifs’ and no ‘buts’,

                                                  an unconditional love….
                                                       Its all ‘in spite of’

                                                 and not ‘because of ‘ us.

                 What kind of love is this….

                          That knows me so completely  —-

                                               When I Walk,

                                                      When I sit,

                                                                 And when I stand –

                                                 who has me in the palm of His hand.

 What kind of love is this…

                     That loves me through insecurities,

                                                             fears   and     a n x i e t i e s

                            Who sees all that I can be – so continues to bring change in me.

What kind of love is this…

That forgives every thoughtless word …

                                               Every selfish plan devised….

                                                                   Every action unrequired….

                                                                                 Every lust and flesh desire?

 What kind of love is this…..

                      That knows every hurtful word received

                                        and then each bitter thought conceived

ALL OF THESE THINGS YOU SEE…

                                And YOU challenge me – 
                                                     Just Love...     and let it go.

     …So...

 I give you the hurtful words received,

                             the doubts and disappointments,

                                              the unmet expectations, anxieties and frustrations…

 and I ask You Lord –   May I love as unconditionally

                                                        And forgive without exception

                                                                   May I accept others as they are

                                                                              Understanding our imperfections.

In short Father………Help me love others as You have loved me.

* * * * 

23.3.13

Reading this now I am just so overwhelmed with how faithful God has been in the years since. As traumatic as it was, He used that painful time to bring me into a freedom I may never have known otherwise, so I am thankful for it.

I came across this Thomas Merton quote today...
"The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not to to twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them."

Thought provoking words from a guy who had lots of wise things to say...

Tuesdays Laugh

Still in Genesis, the group last night were looking at the animals getting into the ark.  We discovered that God brought the animals TO Noah, he didn't go and herd them into the Ark. (Gen. 7:8,9)

At this point one of the guys said, "Just as well because all the female of the species would have been running late", to which I could not resist the reply, ".... and the men of the species would get lost and refuse to ask for directions!"

It's great to know that God has a sense of humour and probably had a good laugh with us!