TrashTidBits

Question Was Asked

2009-10-10T10:52:00.001-05:00

I returned from a twelve day trip to NY earlier this week. Arising to Excellence Ministries held a regional conference in Watertown and Susan Brown (Ministry’s President) had several other ministry events there too.

During the trip I had many opportunities to talk about God’s calling on my life to serve Susan as her armor bearer. One person asked the question “What is the greatest lesson that you’ve learned serving as an armor bearer?” It was a question that I wasn’t expecting and didn’t really have an answer. It was a question that caused me to meditate. I found myself seeking the Lord for His answer. Lord what is the greatest lesson that You want me to learn as an armor bearer? His answer: be a servant.

I’ve read the book titled “God’s Armor Bearer”. It is written by Terry Nance and there are two volumes. I highly recommend the book for anyone that God has called to be an armor bearer.

Terry writes on pages 15 & 49:

“The spirit of an armor bearer is the spirit of Christ. It is the heart of a servant.”

“As an armor bearer, you have a called ministry to serve the general of God’s army.”

The greatest lesson that I’m learning is to develop the spirit of Christ within me so that I may serve the general of God’s army that He has appointed me to. Terry also shares on page 51:

“God-called armor bearers are there to support the leader and help fulfill the vision God has given him.”

Learning to develop a heart of a servant means that I lay down my vision and help Susan fulfill the vision God has given her. Susan’s vision is to proclaim hope, healing, and restoration to people across the world. I am on board with this vision, but I sometimes fail at laying down my vision of how to get there. This is where I’ve been challenged the most. I must admit there have been times that I haven’t always made Susan’s vision of how we get there a priority. My own will has gotten in the way and clashed with Susan’s will, and ultimately God’s will for me to be an armor bearer.

It is comforting to know that Christ was challenged just as I have been. God’s vision for salvation was for Christ to be a sacrifice for the sins of the world. Christ’s prayer before He was betrayed indicated that He was challenged to lay His vision down of how to accomplish this:

“My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want Your will to be done, not mine.”

Matthew 26:39

In spite of Christ’s challenge of laying down His will for the Father’s, He did the Father’s will because He understood the impact of His choice on eternity.

Acts 9:3-19 describes Saul’s experience when the Lord called him to serve the Lord. When the Lord called me to serve as Susan’s armor bearer, my experience was similar to Saul’s. There was no room for doubting that the Lord had called me since I experienced a visitation from the Lord like no other time in my life. I clearly understand, now, that this was necessary in order for me fulfill God’s calling in my life as an armor bearer. Being an armor bearer is not easy. Yes there are many rewards in serving another’s vision, but there are many challenges too. It is during the challenging times that God reminds me of the time when He spoke His will for me. I hang onto His purpose and vision for my life in order to continue serving Susan’s vision.

The greatest lesson of developing the spirit of Christ within me is learning how to walk in God’s will for my life and understanding that my choices are impacting eternity and people’s lives. I only want His will to be done and not mine. This means that I continue serving Susan, laying my vision down for hers, and trust God to use my service to impact eternity and people’s lives.

I am humbled by the fact that God would call me to be an armor bearer and serve Susan. This past year has been the best and happiest year of my life. There is no better place than to be serving the living God and knowing that I’m doing what He has called me to do. Thank you, Lord, for trusting me and giving me an opportunity to serving Your will and not mine.

Trusting

2009-03-22T17:04:00.001-05:00

“Do you trust me?” These were words that I the Lord asked me when my bosses told me that Tribal Administration would not be renewing my teleworker agreement. I was initially shocked by the news since things have been going well with the teleworker arrangement.

I moved to Texas in August (see here) to learn more. I was able to continue working for the Tribe through teleworking. Many people asked me why I kept working for the Tribe when my experience and qualifications would make me an excellent candidate for employment in Texas. My response was always because I never felt released by the Lord to look for other employment. I feel released now because I don’t feel the Lord leading me to move back to NY, which is required for me to keep my job with the Tribe.

My current teleworking agreement is good until July 31. I’ll continue working for the Tribe until then. I’m also applying for jobs in Texas as the Lord shows me opportunities for employment.

In the natural, it makes no sense for me give up a perfectly good job in today’s current economic turmoil. But, I’m obedient to how I feel God leading me, which is to remain in Texas and not move back to NY.

My answer Lord..yes I trust You.

Surviving my First Tornado Warning

2009-02-15T23:34:00.001-05:00

I got to experience my first tornado warning last week.

Paul called me and asked “do you hear the tornado sirens?”. I said “no, how long have they been going off?” “Awhile”, he said. He also shared with me that one tornado hit an area not too far from where he lived. He advised me to take cover.

I then started to plan out my “take cover” strategy. Things needed while I’m in cover – laptop so that I could stay in touch with the world around me. That is all I initially cared about. I then came to my senses and decided that having some blankets with me might help. After all, I’ve heard people with more tornado experience than me say you need mattresses, pillows, and blankets. Next decision to make: where in my apartment do I take cover? Paul had suggested my laundry room since it is in the middle of my apartment, away from outside walls, and would shelter me from any broken glass. One problem with the laundry room – it is the happy home to my hot water heater, which sits overhead on a shelf. I have visions of winds whipping through my apartment and tossing that puppy on me. I don’t care how may blankets and pillows I have, having a hot water tank heaped on me doesn’t sound appealing. Being a tornado novice, I did the next best thing – I stood outside my laundry room door, with laptop in hand and my blankets surrounding me.

As I sat there, I wondered:

How would I know it would be okay to resume my normal activities?
How would I know that a tornado wasn’t getting ready to sweep away my apartment complex?
Would these blankets really protect me from the tornado?

Since I didn’t have any answers for my questions, I kept my eye on my laptop screen watching Twitter updates from other people located in the area. I learned a lot about the tornado warnings from other people’s tweets. After a few minutes, Paul called to let me know that the warning was lifted. It was a good thing since I still couldn’t hear the sirens to determine when they had stopped, nor could I hear the hard rain that was coming down; I guess my apartment is shelter pretty good.

Yes, I survived my first tornado warning, but I still don’t consider myself an expert in figuring out my personal take cover strategy for the next one. I have come to the conclusion that covering myself up in my garden tub is a better than my laundry room and that I would rather drive in a blizzard in NY than wait for a tornado to pass by.

Serving Christ for His Eternal Purposes

2009-01-28T09:00:00.001-05:00

This past Sunday I listened to a pastor share a message entitled “Serving Christ in the Light of Eternity.” This message was shared since the church was sending their long time Assistant Pastor to another sister church to serve as the lead pastor.

Two key points of the message that brought understanding to me regarding my recent transition included:

Human hearts have a longing for permanence. This longing is strained by change, by growth, by separation, and most critically death.
We must say goodbye to an old season in order to see a new season come. Or, better stated: must give up in order to go up.

I must admit that I longed for the stability and permanence that I felt living in Northern New York when the Lord called me to move to Texas last year. Life was good for me in NY. I was a member of and serving in a wonderful local church. I was near family. I owned a home nestled in 20 acres of woods. I had a wonderful network of friends. Yes, life was good for me and I couldn’t imagine it being better. What I discovered, is that it could be better, but I had to say goodbye to the old in order for the new to come.

Saying goodbye to the old was a challenge. I can see where the transition started a few months earlier before the Lord even spoke to me about moving to Texas. God showed me that their were things that I had to let go of: wrong thinking; material possessions that would hindered my progress forward; relationships that were unhealthy; and things that I loved doing. It was a slow process of letting go of these things, but I can see now that it was necessary in order to serve God in the capacity that He has called me to do.

Yes, I am in new season and it is better than what I could possibly imagine. For once, I know and truly feel that I am doing what God created me to do. I’m so thankful that I released my longing for permanency and let go of the old to experience the new. There is truly no better place to be than this – serving Christ for His eternal purposes.

What My Obedience to God Costs Other People

2009-01-19T10:40:00.001-05:00

The title of this blog is actually a title to a devotion that I read last week from my daily devotion entitled “My Utmost For His Highest” written by Oswald Chambers.

The first paragraph reads:

If we obey God it is going to cost other people more than it costs us, and that is where the sting comes in. If we are in love with our Lord, obedience does not cost us anything, it is a delight, but it costs those who do not love Him a good deal. If we obey God, it will mean that other people’s plans are upset.

Later in the devotion it reads:

We can disobey God if we choose, and it will bring immediate relief to the situation, but we shall be a grief to our Lord. Whereas, if we obey God, He will look after those who have been pressed into the consequences of our obedience. We have simply to obey and to leave all consequences with Him.

Last year the Lord called me to serve in a ministry, Arising to Excellence Ministry. There was no doubt in my mind that the Lord called me to serve. I knew that I was obedient when I moved to Texas where the ministry’s main office is located.

I went through many changes in my life as a result of my obedience, but I delighted in them since I knew that I was doing what God called me to do. I also realized that my obedience caused me to change my focus in life, which is to serve the ministry in the capacity that God has called me to do. This means that my priorities have changed; things that used to interest me no longer grab my attention and my focus is being diligent to do the Lord’s work.

I never really thought about the cost of my obedience to others. As I read the devotion, I thought about the people who have been impacted the most by my obedience: my mom and dad who have always had me living near them; my local church in NY who released me to serve in this new calling; my friends in NY who no longer have the contact with me that their accustomed to; my NY employer who agreed to a teleworker agreement which allows me to continue working for them; and the ministry in Texas.

I will probably never know the depth of impact that my obedience has had on these people. A part of me would like to concern myself with the impacts, but I know that in doing so, I would be disobedient, lose focus on what the Lord has called me to do and cause grief to the Lord - something that I won’t do. I can only pray that the Lord will look after all of these people and help them process the consequences of my obedience.

Twittering and Traveling

2009-01-03T09:21:00.003-05:00

It is hard for me to fathom that January is here and it is time for me to return to NY. For those who don't know, I am working for the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe, which is based in upstate New York. When I say upstate, I'm not talking north of New York City or Albany, NY, but north of the beautiful Adirondack mountains near the US-Canadian border. It is snowy and cold there this time of year and I must admit that I've been spoiled by the warm temperatures of Texas - it is suppose to be in the 80's today. Anyways, so much for my bunny trail here.

Under my current teleworker agreement with the Tribe, I spend one month in TX working from my home office and one month in NY. I am in the process of renegotiating my agreement and am hoping that after this month I'll be able to work 2 months in TX followed by 2 weeks in NY. This will be a much better arrangement for me.

My weekend plans include laundry, packing, and finishing up the last minute details here at home. I'm also hoping to spend some time at the beach today since it is so nice here. I'll try to bottle some of the nice weather, take it to NY with me, and let it out for all my friends and family there.

You may notice on my side bar (to the right) a new link: Twitter Updates. I am able to post twitter updates through my computer and cell phone. This means you can see what I'm doing at any given moment of time by coming to my blog and looking at my Twitter Updates. I'm planning on updating on Monday as I fly back to NY..so check the updates to see where I am.

To all my friends and family in NY, I am looking forward to seeing you all and I'll try bring some nice weather with me.

I Got a New Harley for Christmas

2008-12-21T14:36:00.006-05:00

Susan and I were out "wheely shoppin" a few days ago when we saw a purse store. The sign read "Buy one, get one free" Being the sound women that we are, we entered the store with intentions of finding a good buy, at least I did; little did I know that Susan had other intentions.

The first time that Susan came to NY last year I teased her about her purse being a "Harley purse." It was black with a huge silver cross on the front and silver beads all over it. Just to prove that I know what I'm talking about, I've included a picture of it below. What do you think - "Harley purse", right?

One day I threw her purse over my shoulder when I was visiting her this past winter. I boldly said to her "I might have to get me "Harley purse", this feels good!!" Later in the year I ended up getting the "Harley purse" as a welcome gift to TX. I was so excited to have my own Harley!!

Susan recently kept telling me that I needed a new purse since I'm wearing the "Harley purse" out. The strap is unraveling around the edges, the zipper handles broke off, and the straps connecting to the body are worn and breaking.

When we entered the purse store the other day, Susan was actually feeling pretty good since she figured that I'd show her the purse that I liked the best and come back later to purchase it for me for Christmas. She forgot one characteristic about me, though. I'm the type of person that I'll buy something if I have a need, it is the right price, and I like it. Guess what? I found a purse that I liked and bought it. Upon leaving the store, Susan shared with me how I had foiled her plans for my present.

I like my new purse. It sort of looks like the "Harley purse", but I will always treasure my first Harley since it is special me.

I think Susan is out Christmas shopping for me right now. I wonder what she'll get for me? I told her she could get me another purse. A women can never have too many purses, right?

Time Passes

2008-12-20T10:37:00.005-05:00

I've had a desire to post something on my blog for the past few weeks, but not really knowing what to post. I guess I'll just recap some of the highlights.

I have a new computer activity. It is called Twitter. Twitter is a great way to stay connected with family, friends, and other people for people on the go like me. I have made many new friends in the past few weeks by connecting with people through Twitter. I am also able to stay in touch with a few of my friends in NY through Twitter.

I am also on Facebook, which is much like Twitter, but it offers more services and opportunities to post pictures.

I am getting ready to spend my first Christmas and New Year in Texas. I am excited to be here. I bought a tree and Susan guided me in how to decorate it. She actually said that I graduated from Decorator 101 and I'm ready to study Decorator 102. For those of you who don't know, I am a bit "decorator challenged" I don't like decorating and it is not my gift. When I was in NY, I used keep all my ornaments on the Christmas tree, place a garbage bag over it, and store it until the following year, when I would place it in my living room, take the bag off, fluff it a bit, and be happy with it. As a graduate of Decorator 101, I promised Susan that I wouldn't do this anymore. It is tempting, but I'll be good this year and store my ornaments and tree in a manner that is fitting to be a graduate of Decorator 101.

Grapevine is known as the Christmas Capitol of Texas. I've enjoyed many of their light displays in downtown Grapevine and also visited the "Ice at the Gaylord Texan" event. I got to wrap myself in a huge parka and walk through the ice display, which was maintained at 8 degrees. It was beautiful.

I have been helping Susan a lot since she is recovering from a broken leg. Our most interesting activities have been "scooter walking", "wheelie shopping", or "shopping hopping". These are activities where Susan either uses her scooter, wheel chair, or walker to get around. We've had some interesting experiences. I tease Susan and say "I can't wait to hear how you will use this or that in your upcoming teachings." I know that I will see some of these experiences in her books, messages, and teachings.

I've also joined a local fitness club, LA Fitness. My primary reason for joining is to use the pool during the winter months. The club is located less than a 0.25 mile from my apartment. I go during my lunch hour, swim laps, sit in the hot tub, and take a shower all within an hour. Swimming is one of my favorite fitness activities since I get a total body workout.

That about sums up my life for the past few weeks. Hope you are well.

A New Fitness Activity

2008-11-28T11:10:00.004-05:00

I have found a new fitness activity that is guarantee to keep my body in tip-top shape. It is called scooter walking. If you want to try it, here is what you need:

A friend or family member that has a broken leg;

One red scooter with a speed control that goes up to rabbit speeds;

A sling to hold your friend's or family member's broken leg in the air; and

A pair of good walking shoes.

Once you have everything, place your friend or family member on the scooter, tell them to adjust the speed control to rabbit, and then try to keep up with them. Do this for a week for 30 minutes per day and I guarantee you that you will get fit.

It is Collection Day!!

2008-11-15T19:37:00.006-05:00

I normal don't work on Saturdays, but I do on special occasions. Today was one of those special occasions: a household hazardous waste collection day at the Tribe's transfer station.

Residents from the community were allowed to bring all their household hazardous wastes to us and we would take out off their hands. We had car and truck loads of stuff that came in. Some of the stuff looked really nasty and smelt bad too. That didn't stop me and all of the other workers lending a hand to make sure that the stuff gets properly disposed. You see, more than likely all this nasty stuff would have been improperly disposed if we didn't hold this collection day. I sure feel good at the end of the day when I know that I've done something that helps protect the environment and the health of people in the community. Here are some more pictures from the day.

Storage drums for waste oil, flammable liquids, and other nasty stuff.

Stuff waiting to be sorted.

A trunk full of paint.

Paint ready for disposal.Teres and me taking a break from our duties.

Bugs in My Salad

2008-11-11T17:18:00.003-05:00

I have the awesome privilege of staying with the Ramers when I'm in NY working. During my stay in September, I asked the Ramer children where the locust were in the salad at every meal time? This question arose based on a conversation we had one night regarding the food that John the Baptist ate. Emily and Josiah would search with excitement to find the locusts in the salad, but would never find any. As I departed at the end of September, I told them that I would bring some Texas locust with me when I returned in November.

I wasn't at their house for very long and they asked me "Where are the Texas locusts." I had to give them some pat answers since I shipped the locusts to my office and they weren't with me. Jodelle and I put the bugs in the salad the second night I was there. The children had a fun time of finding them. They also have had a fun time of putting them in my bed and other places for me to step on since then.

I know that these aren't locusts, but they were the closest thing to them that I could find in Texas.

In the Trenches

2008-11-06T12:30:00.004-05:00

Digging trenches is hard and dirty work. I know because I've dug a few in my lifetime. There is always a purpose for digging trenches; I've never known anyone to dig a trench just for the fun of it. Just when you think that you are making headway, your shovel hits a large rock, or worst yet, smaller rocks that are grouped together. The rocks hinder your progress forward and weakness settles in with every shovel push to remove the rocks. This is when friends are needed to help us maintain focus on the purpose of digging. If we don't keep going until the purpose is achieved, we leave a hole for someone else to fall into. Not a good situation.

Now I know that I've been talking about the physical act of digging trenches, but I see comparisons to when God calls us to come alongside people to help them in their trenches of daily living. Lets face it, we all go through things in our lives that require people to come alongside to help us in the trenches of life. Most times, these trenches are not pretty, they require hard work, things get dirty, and obstacles abound to impede forward progress of achieving the purpose.

Think of the damage caused by us not even being willing to step into the trenches of life when someone needs us to, or even worse yet, when we jump out of the trenches before they accomplish whatever the purpose of the trench is. On the flip side, think about the good fruit that comes when we help someone walk through their daily trenches of living and keep pointing them to Jesus as their helper, comforter, and healer.

The best fruit that I've experienced when helping someone is seeing them trusting and drawing closer to God as they walk through their trenches. Yes, it is hard work walking with someone as they walk through their trenches of daily living, but there is no better joy to see them having a deeper relationship with the Lord.

Is God calling you to come alongside someone in your life? If so, I encourage you to grab your shovel, jump in, and walk with them until they fulfill their purpose in the trench. Keep pointing them to Jesus along the way and watch with amazement of what the Lord does.

A Reflection of Jesus

2008-11-05T12:28:00.003-05:00

When I fly, I like to watch people in the airport and on the airplane. Sometimes I will even strike up a conversation with people if I observe that we have something in common. Otherwise, I sleep most of the time on the planes.

I flew to NY on Sunday for three weeks of working from my main office. I boarded my flight to Syracuse and found my aisle seat. I didn't buckle my seat belt since I surmised from my observations that the plane would be full and that someone would be sitting next to me. Sure enough, a young lad came and pointed to the seat next to me. I couldn't help notice the young lad's book as I arose to let him to his seat. The title of the book "Christ is Lord." I thought "seems like something in common with me" and began to strategize how to strike up a conversation with him. I then noticed that he was checking football scores on his handheld computer. After all it was Sunday and my Giants were playing the Cowboys...I needed to know how my team was doing. I inquired and this was the inroad for me to ask him about his book. We began to talk about the book and our lives.

I found out that he is a soldier and was heading back to Fort Drum after being on leave. He was flying back from Louisiana where his wife and the rest of his family live. He has been to Afghanistan twice and will head back there in January.

What impressed me about this young lad was his willingness to humbly serve his country for a greater cause of freedom for our Nation, even until death. I was struck by his confident soft spoken voice, his humbleness, and his willingness to die so that I and others could live our lives in freedom. In a sense, he was a reflection of what Jesus has done: humbly served until death so that I may be free of the devil's clutches and live in freedom. I am thankful for Jesus and thankful for soldiers who are willing to die for my freedom.

After picking up my luggage in the baggage claim area, I made a point to find the soldier. I shook his hand, thanked him for serving his country, and told him that I would pray for him. With humbleness, he smiled and thanked me.

The soldier's name is Matt. Please keep him and the rest or our soldiers in your prayers.

So Many Things to Do

2008-11-01T08:23:00.003-05:00

I never seem to have a lack of things to do. There are days that I would love to sit in my bed all day with my computer, Bible, and other study materials and immerse myself with the Word. This is where I have been for the past hour or so learning more about the parable of the mustard seed. And as I've said, I would love to stay here all day, but there are many things that I need to do before I leave for NY tomorrow.

So what is on my to-do list? Clean apartment, pack, pay bills, go to a baseball game, make laundry soap, and spend time with the Brown family. This is a long list and I guess I need to get going so that I also have time to do this:

My New Favorite Food

2008-10-22T16:50:00.003-05:00

I must admit that I'm trying new things everyday in my new hometown of Grapevine. And of course, food is high my list of things to try.

Sue and I went grocery shopping the other day when I picked up one of my usual refrigerator staples - yogurt. I am partial to Yoplait and usually go for strawberry. Sue suggested that I try the key lime flavor. I'm glad that I did because it has become my favorite Yoplait flavor. I've been eating it with my home made granola that I brought back from NY (thank you Jodelle). It reminds me of eating key lime pie and the combination sure tastes great with a good cup of hazelnut coffee.

Another favorite of mine is fried pickles. Yes, you read right - fried pickles. I'm not sure of the recipe that the local restaurants use, but you can visit here to find many. They are crispy, salty, and sure taste great!

It is approaching dinner time and I must go cook a fabulous dinner for myself. Bon appetit!

Lakeside Dreams

2008-10-13T08:41:00.007-05:00

On Saturday evening, Sue and I sat on the beach at Grapevine Lake drinking coffee after a long day of watching her grandchildren play baseball. It was a perfect ending to the day.

As I sat there, my mind kept wandering back to a lifelong dream that I've always had since childhood: to run along a beach as the sun rises. It didn't take me long to decide that Monday morning would be the morning of fulfilling this dream.

I promptly got up at 6:30 AM and was at the beach by 7:00 AM. It was just beginning to get daylight. I began my journey westward on the beach with the daylight appearing behind me. I made it to the dock just in time to turn around and begin my journey back as the sun rose.

It was beautiful!! The fresh breeze coming off the lake, blue herons looking for their first catch of the day, and me walking with the Lord; it couldn't get much better than this. Little did I know,though, that God would give me an opportunity to fulfill another lifelong lake experience later in the day.

It was Columbus Day and this meant that Sue and I were in charge of watching her three grandchildren: two twin 9 year old boys and one 13 year old young lady. We decided to spend part of the time at the lake cooking hot dogs, making smores, eating and having fun. It was after all of the cooking and eating was done that the real fun began.

The three ladies were sitting lakeside in our cozy lawn chairs. The boys were in the water looking for lake treasures. Their grandmother gave them specific instructions about not going deeper than ankle deep water. As I watched them, I couldn't help to think about fulfilling my other lifelong dream: racing through ankle high deep water along a beach. I thought "it would be okay with grandma since the boys would still only be in ankle high deep water, what could it hurt to have a race." Of course, I didn't consult grandma prior to ripping my sneakers and socks off my feet. And then, I was gone too fast for her to have a word with me. Before I knew it, the boys and I were racing through the water having a "bucket full" of fun. Yes, what fun it was, especially when the boys tripped and fell face first in the water. Oops...so much for keeping the upper part of the body dry. By the end, none of us were dry. We were wet head to toe. The boys' grandmother and sister couldn't resist and joined us. I think the grandmother was the only wise one, though, because she didn't get wet head to toe. Come to think about it, she barely got her toe wet. Anyways, the four children ran up and down the lake shore in ankle deep water until they were breathless.

On the way home, the boys' grandmother promptly declared that we reminded her of the "Chariots of Fire Movie". I'm not sure we looked like the runners in the picture, but I sure felt like one.

This past Columbus Day was about fulfilling lakeside dreams for me. Thank you, Lord. Your timing is always perfect.

Home

2008-10-07T10:17:00.002-05:00

As I spent the past month in NY working, many people greeted me with "welcome home". With every greeting, I found myself asking am I home? My answer was a resounding no!

One of Webster's definitions for home is:

a familiar or usual setting : congenial environment ; also : the focus of one's domestic attention

Yes, home is where the heart is. As I spent the past month in NY, one thing that was confirmed to me is that my heart is in Texas now. This is the place for the focus of my domestic attention and for me to walk out this season of life that God has me in. Yes, there are things that I miss about my previous home (northern NY), but I know in my heart that Grapevine is my home now.

As Sue took me back to my apartment Sunday night, she said "welcome home, Laura." Yes, I am home and am happy to be here.

Kayaking Friends

2008-09-24T18:49:00.003-05:00

September is my favorite month in NY for a variety of reasons: (1) cool mornings are followed by sunny hot afternoons; (2) fall color change of the leaves; and (3) some of the best kayaking adventures can happen.

The kayaking adventures are on top of my list for this year since this may be the last September that I get to kayak in NY. With my move to Texas last month, I'm not sure that I'll get back here next year for kayaking. I have been taking advantage of all the nice weather in NNY this month and getting in as much kayaking as I can.

I was greeted by three of my new kayaking friends after returning to my home away from home. They looked at me with excitement and I couldn't resist offering them to sit in my kayak. All three of them took turns by themselves and then we had a group sit together. Of course, their mom was nearby with camera in hand ready to snap the group picture.

I did give my new kayaking friends lessons in how to hold my paddle and how we would use it if the boat was in the water. I also gave them instructions in how not to fall out of the boat into the water; perhaps I should have given this lesson to my other older kayaking friend.

Questions & The Why Road

2008-09-21T19:06:00.003-05:00

For the past week, I've been processing the news about a friend's daughter who has been diagnosed with brain cancer. I began asking God questions: (1) are You the same healer that I read about in the Bible; (2) do You see the pain and anguish that the family is going through; (3) will You walk this one out with them; and (4) why?

God answered questions 1-3 for me on Wednesday morning when I was driving to work. With tears flowing my face, the Lord gently said "I am the same yesterday, today, and forever." Hebrews 13:8 tells me this. The circumstance that my friend's family is in doesn't change the fact that God still heals, He sees their pain and anguish, and He will help them to walk through it and live victoriously. He is the same today as He was yesterday and He doesn't change regardless of the circumstances that they are in.

The why question is something I ask when I find myself in tough situations. It is natural to want to know why things happen in life when they make absolutely no sense to me. I have found, though, that very rarely does God answer the why question. And if I proceed to continue asking why, I often end up on what I call the "why road". The why road has no end and is filled with agitation and frustration for the lack of answers. When I find myself walking down the why road like I did earlier this week, I have to remind myself of Proverbs 3:5-6:

5Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.
6In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.

(Amplified)

I don't know why the family has to go through this trial of brain cancer, but I do know that God is the same today, yesterday, and forever. God will be with them, comfort them, and give them strength to walk through this trial.

Customer Service

2008-09-13T11:39:00.002-05:00

I've been back in NY for almost two weeks now. I realize that I haven't posted in a while, but I have been Internet challenged since being back. The home that I'm staying at doesn't have Internet service and this means that I need to hang out at one of the local Internet Cafes. Obviously, I'm at one now since I'm posting.

For the locals, I'm at the one where ice cream is plentiful and Arby's is located across the street. I hang out here quite a bit since I can get healthy food, good coffee, and Internet all in one place. The service is a little less than desirable and there is much room for improvement. I have discussed this matter with the owner since I hang out here quite a bit. Her comment to me "it is hard to find good help." I have pondered her comment for some time now. Since I hang out here a lot, I watch the wait staff and have come to the conclusion that the staff lacks the proper customer service training.

Customer service training is an area that I have recently talked to many people about. I eat out a lot and usually the customer service is poor to fair in most of the places I dine. Now maybe I expect too much, but I think it is appropriate for wait staff to be attentive to my dining needs and treat me like a queen when they wait on me. Is this too much to expect? I think not. I manage a business and I want my customers to have the best possible experience that they can when they do business with me. Isn't this the way it is suppose to be? I sometimes wonder when I'm trying to dine and my wait staff could care less about my dining experience. I've often thought of starting a company where I could provide customer service training for businesses. I don't know if I would ever do this, but I certainly see a need both here (NY) and Texas.

Anyways, these are just some rambling thoughts going through my mind as I sit waiting for my food.

God's Beauty is Everywhere

2008-09-04T15:55:00.004-05:00

I officially moved to Texas last month, but I am back in NY for September. This is due to the teleworker arrangement that I have with the Tribe. I am alternating working between the two states every other month.

I was born and raised in NY. I lived in NY all of my life until last month. Prior to departing last month, I was admiring all the beauty in NY: rivers, misty fog burning off the hay fields early in the morning with the sunrise as its background; smell of fresh cut hay; sunsets that take your breath away; etc. etc. During some of my gazing at all this beauty, I thought that I would miss all of this and wasn't sure that I would find such beauty in Texas. The Lord, in His still small voice, ensured me that I would find His beauty in Texas too.

I've been in NY since Monday and I'm already missing some of the new beauty that I've come accustom to seeing. I miss the sun reflecting off Grapevine Lake creating sparkling diamonds all across the lake. I miss seeing the sailboats on the lake and sitting at the marina having coffee with Sue. I miss looking up at the stars when I swim in the pool that is located at my apartment complex. I especially miss seeing the jets fly overhead at night - they look like big birds with headlights; in case you didn't know I live 5 minutes from the DFW airport.

I realize now that God's beauty is everywhere no matter where God takes me. This may seem like a simple concept, but I guess I thought I couldn't find as much beauty in Texas that I've grown to love in NY. I was wrong. For the season that I'm in, I get to enjoy all of God's beauty in both Texas and NY.

Welcome to My New Home - A Tribute

2008-08-31T08:14:00.003-05:00

There were many people who helped me with my move to Texas. My transition wouldn't have gone as smoothly as it has without all of your help. I say a BIG THANK YOU to you all.

There are two people that I want to honor in this post today. You have read about them in my previous 4 posts entitled "Welcome to My New Home - Parts 1, 2, 3, & 4. They are Paul and Susan Brown.

When I decided to move to Texas, I asked Susan if she would be my interior decorator. Interior decorating is not a gift that I have, but Susan is very gifted in this area and has much experience. I shared with Susan my heart's desire for having my new home decorated in a manner that reflected the "new me."

In the past few years, I allowed the Lord to do such a work in me that the scripture in 2 Corinthians 5:17 (Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new) became real to me. All things have become new and I am no longer the person that I used to be. I know without a doubt that one of the reasons the Lord brought to me Texas was to forever close the door on my former life, and have me walk in the newness of who I am and that God created me to be.

Both Paul and Susan spent countless hours shopping, receiving deliveries, and arranging everything in my home. They even unpacked all of my belongings that I shipped from NY and put them away. When I arrived in Texas a month ago, my new home was ready to receive me.

2 Corinthians 8 describes a call to generous giving. Paul and Susan freely gave of their time and did much more than I hoped for. Their generous giving expressed God's love to me in a very real tangible way that I had never experienced.

To Paul and Susan: Thank you for your self-sacrifice. I pray God richly blesses you in all that you do. Love, Laura.

Welcome to MY New Home - Part 4

2008-08-19T19:29:00.005-05:00

These are the last pictures of my new home. Are you ready to take a tour of my office, a place where I spend most of days working?

The view as you walk into my office. Take notice of the window to the right, which is a sliding glass door that leads out to my patio.
The helm of the office.
I just bought this slider rocker this past weekend. My TV (which is also my monitor) is in the office. I can now sit and watch my favorite show - NY Giant's football games.
Sue was so gracious to decorate my office with things that would remind me of my love for the outdoors and NNY. Above is a paddle that I may bring back for my friend Nancy for kayaking. Nancy - I promise that is lighter than your lunker. Below is a fishing lamp - I love it!!

Sue had prints made of some pictures that I took on my kayaking adventure in the Adirondacks a few weeks before moving. I cried when I first saw them - such beauty of God's creation that I was able to take in for a day.
The picture that WIM gave me during our last women's meeting at CFC. When I look at it, I have fond memories of my days spent in NY. Thank you.

Welcome to My New Home - Part 3

2008-08-15T22:21:00.006-05:00

As promised, here are pictures of my living room, dining room, and kitchen. My next post will have pictures of my office.

I have many birds located throughout the living room. Reminds me of NNY.

My nice couch that I bought from special friends in Texas.
I love these tables and the way the light shines off them at night.
Notice the many decorative touches that were created by my own personal interior decorator. I can't imagine what the place would looked like if I had done the decorating. I'm ever so thankful to Sue.
My personal decorator is a seamstress too - she made the curtains.
Notice the clock to the left. Paul and Sue searched long and hard to find it. Sue purchased it last Saturday about 5 hours before they brought me to the apartment. I might add that the clock was on sale and it was a great price.

Sue and I discussing who is going to do the cooking.
More decorative touches. The pineapple teapot is one that my grandmother made.

A different view of the kitchen.
Dining room area.

Welcome to My New Home - Part 2

2008-08-14T14:06:00.004-05:00

I will now give you a tour of my new bedroom and bathrooms.

My bed. It is very comfortable since I sprang for a foam bed. The bed is actually made from the same foam that is used in beds on the space shuttles. It is sooo..comfortable. I also bought a nice extra soft comforter.
Dresser in my bedroom. I really like the black.
Standing at my office door and looking down the hall. My bedroom is on the left at the end and a bathroom on the right. In the middle, the living room is to the left and kitchen to the right. I'll post pictures of these the next time I post.
Bathroom across the hall from my bedroom.
I'm using this bathroom as the guest bathroom since my office is located in the master bedroom where the larger closet and bathroom are located.
My cowboy bathroom. Nice large garden tub, which I'm enjoying.
Like the boot.
These are the bath rates and rules when you come to visit.

Welcome to My New Home - Part 1

2008-08-12T20:17:00.005-05:00

I am settling in my new home. In addition to working from my home office, I'm still in the process of arranging my office. It is coming together nicely, but is taking time. I'm enjoying the local fitness center and swimming pool at the apartment complex. Nice amenities.

I decided to post pictures in segments since I have so many to share. Keep checking back over the next few days. I will post them room by room.

The first set of pictures are of me first arriving at my apartment and the surprise welcome/birthday party that Paul and Sue planned for me.

Me driving the Prius in my garage for the first time. Welcome sign above my apartment door entrance from the garage.
Me seeing the the plaque on the wall (see picture below) as I walk into my apartment for the first time.One of Sue's many decorative touches. I've ponder on this statement many times since Sue wrote about it on her blog; see here.

Vickie enjoying the party that I knew nothing about. She is sitting in my living room.
Ginger and me enjoying snacks on my new couch.
Tony (Vickie's husband) is telling us a good story.

My New Name

2008-08-11T21:32:00.004-05:00

On Friday, July 25, I posted a blog where I invited you all to help me solve a riddle that Sue gave me. Sue shared with me that I had a new name and that I would know it when I walked in my apartment.

It didn't take me long to figure it out once I arrived at my apartment on Saturday night. I observed the following plaque on my wall and spoon rest on my counter (I don't know if it actually a spoon rest, but I use it as one).

I have other pictures of the apartment to post, but I've been having Internet challenges all day. I actually spent my first day of teleworking setting up my computer, printer, and Internet. I still don't have the system running smoothly. Posting these two pictures was quite a challenge. I promise that I'll post the pictures as soon as I can get all the technology bugs worked out. I'm hoping that this will be tomorrow. I will say that Paul and Sue did a beautiful job and I was speechless at times as we walked through each room of the apartment. I'll share more when I post the pictures.

I've already hosted my first get together at my apartment. Paul and Sue brought me to the apartment Saturday night. They planned a surprised welcoming/birthday party for me with a few of the people that I know here. I was truly surprised and blessed by them all. We spent time praying for me, Arising to Excellence Ministries, and my new apartment.

I need to be diligent about getting to bed since I work 5:30 AM to 1:30 PM CST everyday. So, off I go.

I've Arrived

2008-08-09T14:40:00.002-05:00

Sue and I pulled into Grapevine, TX during the wee hours of the morning today. We both were exhausted and declared that it was time for bed. It was a good thing since it was 3:30 AM CST.

Sue was up bright and early. We briefly saw each other this morning before she left to put the finishing decorating touches on my apartment. I will get to see my new apartment for the first time tonight. I am excited!! Can't wait to see my new dwelling that I'll call home. I will post pictures.

I have spent the majority of the day shopping for some things for the apartment. Sue gave me a list before she left; did I mention that Sue likes lists? I officially give her the name "List Queen".

One thing on the list was containers. Sue suggested that I go to the Container Store. I did and now it is one of my favorites. I think that I'll visit it often.

As you can imagine, shopping in Grapevine, TX is much different than shopping in NNY. It seems nice to only drive 5 minutes and have so many choice stores to choose from. I'll get to check out the grocery stores later today or tomorrow since I need to stock my cupboards and refrigerator.

That is all for now. Will post later.

Wrestling with Ms. Weasel

2008-08-06T20:35:00.003-05:00

On our trip we wrestled not with flesh and blood, but we literally wrestled with Ms. Weasel at every turn of the road. Who is Ms. Weasel?

My friend Nancy always suggested that I needed to name my GPS unit. Up to a few days ago, I hadn't spent enough time with my GPS to give it a name. No longer my problem!

We have been locked in the car with a 'GPS with PMS' for 800 grueling miles. We have traveled roads not known by Map Quest, twisting through farm tractor trails with the corn fields brushing the sides of the car, only to arrive back on the main road having gained nothing and lost time.

Ms. Weasel, my newly named GPS, must be a kin to Peter Rabbit because Peter Rabbit couldn't wait to get over the fence to run into the garden. Ms. Weasel can't wait to get off the main highway to weasel her way cross country. For example on Monday, our destination was the PA Grand Canyon. Sue was in agreement with Ms. Weasel's directions until we hit the first fork in the road. Two choices were before us: Sue's: stay on the main road or Ms. Weasel's: Take the fork to the right onto a dirt road consisting of two tractor tire tracts separated by a ridge of raised rock. Laura, being the balanced, logical one, felt compelled to make a decision. Knowing

Sue's limited experience compared to the wealth of knowledge compacted in the concise brain of Ms. Weasel, took the obvious course of action: follow Ms. Weasel's direction.

In an instant of positive direction, Laura veered the car to the right. The maze through the cornfields commenced. The tractor trails seemed to snake endlessly ahead with no turning back possibilities. After probably close to twenty minutes, we crossed a smaller tractor trail. Ms. Weasel pointed confidently straight ahead. Straight up another steep strand of the tractor trail. And it was posted! Sue, by now had entered into intercession moaning. Laura was in agreement and turned the car around. Ms. Weasel was unhappy and shouted "Recalculating, recalculating!"

Retracing your steps through a corn maze is not easy, but Laura reprogrammed Ms. Weasel and we were on our new route. Because of Ms. Weasel's determined nature, the scenery was looking familiar again. Sure enough, we ended right back at the same steep strand of posted tractor trail that we didn't want to go up the first time. This time Laura's adventurous spirit took over and followed Ms. Weasel's directions. Sue's intercession increased and Laura forged on up the steep slope, carefully positioning the wheels of the car so as not to rip off the oil pan. (We were helpless since there was no cell phone signal and out in the middle of now where with Ms. Weasel's attitude problem).

As we continued, Ms. Weasel blurted out "turn right on Route 660 in .25 miles" Sue was relieved since she recognized Route 660 as the paved road that she wanted us to stay on in the first place. On the corner of Route 660 and the tractor trail was a familiar landmark, a red brick church.

This was only the first round of the wrestling match we have endured with Ms. Weasel. She continued to guide us off the main roads, weaseling over the country and through the woods. However, as of tonight, we have laid hands on her and prayed for Ms. Weasel. In faith, we look forward to a better day of traveling tomorrow.

Weary from wrestling.

Laura & Sue

Tag team post from Johnson City, TN.

Travel Update

2008-08-05T23:35:00.002-05:00

Sue and I have traveled through NY, PA, WVA, and we are now in VA. We arrived at my friend's house, the Story's, about an hour ago. It is great to see them and be here enjoying their company.

We will be here until about 12 PM tomorrow and then head to Johnson City, TN, which is about a 3 hour drive. We will be spending time with Sue's friends until Thursday morning and then make our way to Texas. We anticipate arriving in TX sometime on Friday.

Sue says that I will have to spend one night at her house since she needs time to complete some last minute decorating details at my apartment. I'll be spending my first night in my new home on Saturday. I can't wait, and yes, I'll post pictures.

Our trip has had many adventures. We are finding out that my new GPS can have an attitude when we don't stay on course. We also now know that the GPS will get us to the destination that we program it to by the shortest route, even if it means we drive through dirt roads in the middle of corn fields in PA. Amazingly, the dirt roads, which some were tractor paths, had names assigned to them. It was truly an adventure getting to the PA Grand Canyon, but we made it and enjoyed the views of the canyon.

It is almost 1 AM and my eyes are slowly closing. Will post more in a few days when I have access to the Internet.

It's Official - I'm Going To Texas

2008-07-31T11:12:00.003-05:00

For months, I've been walking, step by step, as the Lord leads me to relocate to Texas. With each step, I've just continued walking by faith and believing that the day would arrive when I'll hop in my Hybrid car and make the drive south. The day is almost here and I'm so excited!!

My friend, Selah, will be flying to NY tomorrow. I'm picking her up and then we'll spend time with my family on Friday night and part of the day on Saturday. We'll travel back to Potsdam Saturday afternoon and arrive just in time for a going away party, which will be hosted by the Hulls. We'll then spend the night in the pink house, which I've called home since the beginning of June. Sunday morning will be busy loading the car and getting to church by 10 AM. We will begin our journey south right after church. We anticipate arriving in Texas on August 7 or 8 since we will be making several stops along the way.

The reason that I'm relocating to Texas is because the Lord has called me to serve in Selah's ministry called Arising to Excellence Ministries. I will also continue with my current job since my employer has granted me teleworker status, which means I work for them, but just from my location in Texas. Because of this arrangement, I will travel back to NY every other month.

It is hard for me to find words to describe what I'm feeling as this new season of my life approaches. I'm in awe in how God has brought everything together with every step that I've taken. But only God, could arrange all of this. The level of excitement is almost too much for me to contain, especially when the Tribal Administrator handed me the signed teleworker agreement this morning and said "We value you, Laura, and good luck." I wanted to cry and jump up and down at the same time. Oh, how good you are to me Lord!!

I'm not sure when I'll get to post again since my Internet is being disconnected at the house today. If I can, I'll post as Selah and I travel to Texas.

It's a Riddle - I need Help in Solving

2008-07-25T07:25:00.004-05:00

Are you familiar with the show "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" It is a show where contestants answer questions that are posed to them. If they don't know the answer, they solicit help from the audience or friends by using what are called lifelines.

In two weeks, I will be entering my new apartment in Texas. I began leasing an unfurnished apartment two weeks ago and it will be completed furnished and decorated by the time I arrive. You may be wondering how this can be when I'm here in NY. My friend Selah is an interior decorator in addition to be a teacher and preacher. I'm thankful for this gift that she has because it is one that I'm lacking. She is volunteering her time, which I'm very thankful for, to set up my whole apartment and have it all ready when I arrive in two weeks. I'm mean, she is doing everything from cleaning dust bunnies off my kitchen cabinets to buying furniture and arranging it in the apartment.

I was on the phone with my personal interior decorator last night when she said "I have a riddle for you to solve before you get to Texas." I said "I'm no good at solving riddles." As I said this, the game show "Who wants to be a Millionaire" popped into my mind. I've seen contestants use their lifelines to get answers to the questions that they didn't know. Now, I know this isn't exactly the same as the game show, but I want to use my lifelines to help me solve the riddle. Will you help me? If so, read the riddle below and then leave your answer in my comment section. When I arrive in Texas in two weeks, I'll post what the correct answer is.

Riddle:

Selah said that I will have a new name and that when I entered my apartment I'd know what it is. So what is my new name?

A Tribute to Angel

2008-07-23T11:07:00.005-05:00

Angel was my cat. I had to put her to sleep yesterday since she had a cancerous skin condition called sarcoma . With me moving in a few weeks, I couldn't find anyone to take her and give her the care that she needed, which was surgery every month to remove the tumors.

It was a sad day for me.

I met Angel ten years ago. She was a stray roaming around my property that I used to own. I would put food out for her. She would always run away anytime that I was outside, but would come to the food once I went back inside the house. One day as I was sitting on my porch, she decided to be brave and came right up to me. She was meowing, purring, and rubbing against me. This was decidedly different then her bashfulness that I had seen before. I asked her "do you want me to adopt you?" She without hesitation blurted out a big "meow." I opened my front door and she walked right in the house and had been with me every since.

I named her Angel since she looked like an Angel with her pure white hair. She was the most affectionate cat that I've known, and I know that I spoiled her.

Things that I'll miss the most about her are: (1) sharing my peanut butter with her during breakfast; (2) her giving me a high five with her head; (3) her chattering to me with that big meow voice that she had; and (4) her sleeping with me at night.

I truly loved and enjoyed my Angel. I'm thankful that I had 10 good years with her.

Kayaking

2008-07-21T11:10:00.004-05:00

My friend and I spent the whole day kayaking on three different waterways located in the Adirondacks. Here are some pictures of our trip. Make sure to visit her blog since she posted pictures too. Enjoy.

Thanks to the Nordberg family we could ride together with all of our equipment in their truck.

Nancy, I'd like to see the picture that you took here.

Cascade lake along Route 73 on the way to Keene Valley.

Oh, the sounds of nature.

Nancy entering a channel with her lunker paddle.

Paddling through the channel.

Coming out of the second channel. Notice, she is using a different paddle - mine. Oh, how I couldn't wait to get it back.

Sunshine awaiting.

Furniture Shopping at The Dump

2008-07-16T19:21:00.002-05:00

Last week I spent most of my time shopping for furniture for my new apartment. My friends, Paul and Susan, said that they were taking me to The Dump to shop. Now I know that I like all this trash stuff, but I would like to find some fine furniture that I didn't have to go to the dump to get. They assured me that I would find some nice stuff there at reasonable prices.

We enter The Dump and the place was huge. Wall to wall furniture was found. I also found some bargains. Here is what I bought at the dump: dining room table with 6 chairs, desk for office, and bedroom set including head&foot board, dresser with mirror, and end table for next to the bed. The furniture was delivered on Sunday. Susan says it looks great.

Paul and Susan: Thanks for introducing me to The Dump. Can we go back once I get there in August?

Walking on Water

2008-07-11T12:37:00.004-05:00

The story of Peter walking on water is presented in Matthew 14:25-33.

Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea.

And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying "it is a ghost!" And they cried out in fear.

But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid."

And Peter answered Him and said "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water."

So He said "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.

But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!"

And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him "O, you of little faith, why did you doubt?"

And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

(NKJ)

I have just returned to NY from a 5 day trip to Texas. The purpose of the trip was to make arrangements for my upcoming move there. Yes, if you didn't know it, I am moving to Texas the first part of August. The Lord is blessing me with an opportunity to fulfill some lifelong goals of serving in a ministry there. The Lord spoke to me about serving in the ministry back in October 2007. After much prayer and seeking confirmation from the Lord, I began my "walking on the water" journey that has led me to move there. You may be wondering why I'm calling my journey one of "walking on the water." Let me explain.

This past Tuesday morning when I awoke my natural mind began to think about all that I have been doing: sold my home; sold most of my belongings; moved into a temporary apartment for the summer; signed a lease on a new apartment in Texas; bought furniture for my new apartment; negotiated a teleworker arrangement with my employer that allows me to continue working for them when I move; etc. etc. After thinking about all that I have been doing, my natural mind began to think about the "what ifs for my future." Of course, the "what ifs" were not based on faith, but rather than on doubt and fear. As I was processing all of this, the Lord spoke to me about not being like Peter when he walked on the water. I notice from Matthew 14:25-33 that Peter began his walk on water when Jesus invited him to come, and that Peter began to sink when he began to look at the circumstances around him and turned his focus away from Jesus and what Jesus had called him to do. "Ah, yes Lord, I now see and understand."

Up to Tuesday morning, I have been experiencing my own "walking on water" experience since my eyes were focused on the Lord and what He called me to do. It was only when I allowed my natural mind to focus on reasoning and asking the "what if" questions, that I began to doubt and fear the future. It only took seconds for doubt and fear to fill my mind and my focus on Jesus was gone. I could feel me sinking deeper in doubt and fear when the Lord said "don't be like Peter when he walked on the water." Thank you, Lord, for rescuing me and placing me back in the boat with You.

This experience has taught me that no matter what circumstance I find myself in, good or bad, I must keep Jesus as my focus and continue following Him. I know that this may seem pretty simple, but how quickly I can forget and begin sinking in doubt and fear. Lord, I pray that you help me to keep my focus on You and walking in faith.

My Future Home

2008-07-06T08:57:00.003-05:00

I've been in Texas for the past few days. The primary purpose for my visit is to find an apartment for me. I will be moving here in about a month. Visit this link to see where I will be calling home. I'm short on time now, but I will post more later about my trip here and all that God is doing.

My Cowboy

2008-07-02T18:51:00.002-05:00

To all my friends that said I'd find a cowboy: I found him in NY. His name is Will. I like the fact that he is ready with his gun and saddle.

See ya all in Texas!

My Own Personal Strawberry Shortcake Party

2008-07-01T20:14:00.004-05:00

I had the pleasure of sharing a two hour kayaking trip with my special friend, Nancy. It was a beautiful day for being out on the river. I truly enjoyed our time together.

Since we had such a workout, having dinner together at "Nancy's Bistro" was in order. On the menu, was a throw-together tuna noodle casserole prepared Nancy's style. This was followed by one of my favorites - strawberry shortcake. Yes, it is strawberry season in NNY and it can't get any better than fresh picked berries (thanks Renee), piled on oven baked fresh shortcake, topped with real whipping cream. This is one treat that I allow myself to enjoy every year.

Thanks, Chef Nancy. It was a wonderful afternoon and evening.

P.S. I went to bed at 9:10. What time did you hit the sack?

When Will I Get To NY?

2008-06-27T19:06:00.004-05:00

Here I sit at the Chicago airport wondering when my feet will hit NY.

My travel day has been much like my travel that I experienced on Monday. The only difference is that none of my flights have been cancelled like they were on Monday.

I've experienced delays on both my flights today. The first one was 40 minutes out of Billings. My second flight to Syracuse is delayed 2.5 hours. The flight is scheduled to depart now at 9:36 PM CST, that is 10:36 PM EST. This means that I'll arrive in Syracuse at 12:36 AM EST. Being of sound mind, I called the Airport Inn in Syracuse and will be spending the night there rather than make the 2.5 hour drive to Potsdam after I land.

In all of my air travels, I have never experienced all the problems that I have encountered on this trip. Is it the airline's fault? Apparently not since the airline tells me that the delays are due to the air traffic controllers in Chicago. I guess they had bad weather here earlier in the day, which is causing mayhem with traveling. It looks pretty nice out now - sun is shining and it is looking like it will be a beautiful sunset. I guess I'll go find a window to sit by and enjoy the scenery as long as I am here.

To all my friends in NY: I'll be home soon.

Afternoon Adventure

2008-06-25T22:05:00.005-05:00

I decided it was time to venture out and see some of the sites around Billings, Montana today. After all, I had spent the entire morning in my room working on my marketing course that I need to finish by next week....I deserved a break, right?

I invited a colleague to join me in my afternoon excursion. Christine and I connected around 2 PM local time and discussed various options for our adventure. We both decided that we would visit Pictograph Cave State Park.

The park was only a 10 minute drive from our hotel. It was a beautiful day and nothing could have pleased me more than to be outside enjoying the scenery and weather. Enjoy the pictures.

We found this sign at the end of our walk around the park. Upon entering the park, I informed Christine that we would need to beware of rattlesnakes. Her comment "I'll have my video camera ready when one strikes." She also informed me that she had to leave her jack knife at home since she couldn't carry it on the plane.

The rock in the middle looks like a man who is guarding the canyon.

Nice blue skies.

We caught a rabbit sleeping. He really thought that he was hiding, but now he is a star on my blog. Silly rabbit.

Looking out over the horizon from the canyon.

We found a nice place to dine after our trip. We shared this dessert, which was called poached pears in a port reduction sauce. It sure was yummy and semi-healthy.

Weary Traveler & Dead End Streets

2008-06-24T21:32:00.006-05:00

I finally arrived at my hotel last night, or should I say this morning, at 12:00 AM. Of course, this was 2:00 AM EST. I wasn't sure that I would ever get to the hotel, though.

I picked up my rental car and proceeded to diligently follow the directions that I had printed from the hotel website. What I didn't realize was that there were two route 90's. One is the business loop and the other is an interstate. The directions just said to get on route 90. Of course, I got on the wrong one. The route did get me in the vicinity of my hotel. I could see it in the distance, but couldn't find a road that would get them there. I ended up on a dead end street so many times that I lost count. In my desperation, I called the hotel and even stopped at a Day's Inn to ask for directions. They all kept telling me to go the same way - that led me to a dead end street. I figured I was either to weary or tired to understand the directions or the people didn't really understand where I was to begin with. I was finally heading in a direction where I came across a road that looked like it would bring in the vicinity of my hotel. The road took me over Interstate 90 and then intersected the road that the hotel was on. You can imagine the excitement that boiled up within me to see the road that the hotel was on. Sure enough, I turned on this road and it took me right to the hotel.

Today was a better day for me. I rested a lot this morning and then gave my presentation this afternoon. I'm having a quiet evening in my hotel room and am looking forward to turning in early tonight.

Flight Cancelations & Delays

2008-06-23T13:38:00.003-05:00

I should be well on my way to Billings, Montana by now, but I'm still stuck at the Syracuse airport.

I promptly arrived with another co-worker this morning at 6:20 AM to discover that our first flight was cancelled. Re-booking flights to Billings was not an easy task. My co-worker was able to get on a flight that left at 7:10 AM, but I was unable to. I am scheduled to depart in 30 minutes (3:15 PM). I get to fly through Cleveland and Minneapolis. If everything goes according to plan, I will arrive in Billings at 10:40 PM MST, that is 12:40 AM EST. I am thankful that my presentation isn't until 3:15 PM tomorrow. I think that I will sleep in tomorrow morning.

What have I been doing since this morning? The hotel that I stayed last night was gracious enough to let me check back into my room. Being a seasoned traveler, I did what any traveler would do - rest and sleep. I needed this rest since I've been on the go so much for the past few weeks. I'm sure that I'll sleep on the airplanes too.

That is my travel update for now. The flight attendant just indicated that we will be boarding in 10 minutes. Need to close for now.

Home Adventures

2008-06-18T19:27:00.003-05:00

Okay, I know that in my previous post today I said I like to travel. I do, but I also like being home too. When I am home, you can find me doing one of these favorite activities: kayaking, working out at the fitness center, or sitting next to the river drinking coffee.

Tonight I got to work out at the fitness center and then have coffee next to the river. To my surprise, some friends were gathered their having a great time of walking the banks and swimming. I truly enjoyed my cup of coffee with them and I even got to snap some photos of them.

Traveling Adventures

2008-06-18T11:05:00.003-05:00

I am in a season of traveling for the next month. I actually just counted and I will only be home 9 days out of the next 28 days.

My travel plans include trips to the Albany, NY area, Billings, Montana, Dallas/Ft. Worth, and the Thousand Islands.

I have fun traveling and like to travel. There are many adventures that I can find myself participating in when I travel. The pictures below show some of the adventures of my most recent trip from this past weekend.

Reconnecting with some old friends Evelyn & Esther

A cowboy with three cowgirls

Glad to be back from the trail ride

Out on the trail

A Tribute to a Friend

2008-06-09T20:10:00.003-05:00

Today was a special day for a friend of mine. It was Bonnie's birthday. We had a nice birthday dinner here.

Bonnie is one of my friends that sticks closer than a brother. She has the ability to bring a smile to my face even when I don't feel like smiling. She is my "go to" lady when I need prayer since I know she prays without ceasing. She brings out a part of my personality that no one else can; guess what part that is. Bonnie is also compassionate and listens with a learned ear; sometimes the wisdom that she has blows me away.

Bonnie and I have been through a lot together as friends. We've grown through the bumpy and the good times of our friendship. It doesn't matter what we've been through - we will always have the special bond between us called friendship.

Happy birthday, my dear friend. Thanks for sharing a part of your day with me. Love ya.

Pileated Woodpecker Visit

2008-06-08T19:26:00.003-05:00

My dad and I were drinking our morning coffee yesterday when we heard the sound of a woodpecker. I looked up and before my eyes was this Pileated Woodpecker on the nearby apple tree. I initially thought that this was a red-headed woodpecker, but further research on Google showed that it was a Pileated Woodpecker. This woodpecker was huge and was certainly enjoying the feast that the tree was offering. This was evident from the pile of bark shavings that laid below his red head.

Father and Fishing

2008-06-08T07:13:00.005-05:00

I celebrated Father's Day with my dad this weekend - I know you're probably thinking "Laura, Father's Day is next weekend." Indeed it is, but I won't be able to be with dad next weekend since I will be out of town.

I traveled to the Thousand Islands area Friday night and we went to dinner at Bonnie Castle's Crystal Dining room. This is a large dining area that is glassed in offering breathtaking views of Boldt Castle and the St. Lawrence River. The dining experience was the best: great views, soft piano music played by Austin, food absolutely delicious (Sue-carrot cake passed the father's test), and conversation never ending. We topped the night off by scrolling out in front of Bonnie Castle along the shores of the St. Lawrence taking in more of the beautiful views.

When we returned to dad's place, I gave him a picture tour of my life for the last month with the photos that I had taken of my move, the pink house, and our last WIM meeting at CFC. He truly enjoyed it. We both went to bed early because we had an important trip scheduled for the next morning - fishing.

Fishing, yes I love to fish. I grew up on the river fishing since my dad is a Thousand Island's fishing guide. I think I had a fishing pole in my hand before I could walk. Some of my fondest memories are of our times on the river fishing, swimming, water skiing, etc. etc. I go fishing with dad every chance that I can. I can't beat spending hours on the water enjoying my dad's company and taking in the peace that comes from just being on the water. It doesn't really matter if we don't catch anything, but we did catch lots of perch yesterday, just being together and enjoying the time is enough for me.

We got back to shore and dad cleaned the catch of the day. I stood by watching and taking in all that he was doing, just like I used to when I was a kid. The afternoon ended by us having lunch together and then I was off to my next adventure: dinner with friends on the shores of the Grasse River.

Before leaving my dad, I gave him a Father's Day card and a plaque. The card had a picture of a trout on it and the plaque was titled "The Ten Commandments of Fishing." He proudly hung the plaque in his fishing room where all his other fishing memorabilia is located.

Thanks dad for a wonderful time. I love you and can't wait for our next outing. Happy Father's Day.

Free to Express Praises

2008-06-04T20:47:00.004-05:00

I had hopes that the rain would stop and blue skies would appear. Why? I needed to wet my kayak and paddle the river that is now my next door neighbor. So when the blue skies peaked through, I got my boat, paddle, life jacket, and headed for the water.

I began to paddle my way to one of my favorite spots when I noticed something different. What were those beautiful sounds that I was hearing? It was the sounds of chirping birds. They were everywhere and it sounded like they were singing praises to the Lord. I don't know much about birds, but these sounded like a well practiced choir. The sounds followed me as I continued to paddle up river.

I began to think about the sounds and how the birds seemed to freely express their chirps. They were free to sing as they pleased. Isn't this how God desires us to worship Him - to freely express our praises to Him as we seem fit to do so? I'm reminded of David even as I write this. David was free to worship the Lord and praised Him with singing, dancing, and playing instruments. David didn't care who was around or watching him. He freely praised the Lord with his whole heart.

As I paddled back to shore, I found myself chirping my own praises as an expression of my love to my Father in heaven. It was wonderful to be free as the birds to sing my own praises to the Lord.

Life at the Pink House

2008-05-29T18:29:00.003-05:00

It is official - I'm living in the pink house.

I guess when you cook your first meal, do 4 loads of laundry, sweep the floors, vacuum, and do dishes, you can say that I'm officially living at the pink house.

I am getting more settled. It was a relief to get all the boxes unpacked and organize everything. I've included a few pictures. Hope you enjoy them.

Front of house - porch is a great place to have afternoon coffee.

View from side of porch.

More views of porch - I like the sliding rocker.

Cooking my first meal.

Getting ready to eat my first meal. Did you notice the pink candles and pink house napkins? Thanks Sarah for the special touch.

Shadow and Angel at top of stairs. They need a good home for anyone who is interested.

Kitchen - I love it.

Living room - nice and big.

Do you recognize the person standing? I think it is the pink house lady.

In-Between

2008-05-26T12:33:00.003-05:00

Have you ever experienced a season in your life where you're living "in-between" seasons? This is where I am right now.

I moved all of my belongings out of my cabin yesterday and into a 5 bedroom house that I'm renting for the months of June/July. I spent my first night there last night with my two cats, Shadow and Angel. We all are getting used to our new surroundings that we'll call home for the next few months.

This move was necessary in preparation for the next season that God is calling me to. It is one that I was not expecting and looking for. But, I am obedient to follow the leading of God as He is leading me into this new season. Don't misunderstand me...I am excited to be entering the new season that is awaiting me. I know that the new season will allow me to fulfill some life long dreams and that excites me. It is just a challenge to be in-between the season of yesterday and the season of tomorrow. I can look behind me and remember all the wonderful experiences of my life for the past 11 years, the relationships that I've formed, and what the Lord has done. I can only look ahead and dream about what God has in store for me in the future.

You see, I'm living "in-between." As one friend described it to me earlier in the week: I'm doing splits, one foot here and one foot there. The "here" has moved farther away and the "there" has not moved closer. I'm not sure how to exactly live in-between the two seasons, but I know that doing splits requires balance so as not to get stretched too far to the left or right. Balance, my favorite word. I always try to live my life in balance. I can rest in the Lord's presence and pray that He helps me remain balanced in this "in-between" season.

News Worth Reporting

2008-05-24T21:08:00.001-05:00

I was scanning the news headlines when I came across this. What an amazing story of God's healing power!!

Moving Weekend

2008-05-24T06:16:00.002-05:00

One word sums up my planned holiday weekend activities: moving. Yes, that is right. I'm moving out of my log cabin into a 5-bedroom house; I might add that the house is painted pink. I seem to be into pink these days. I have a pink coffee mug, pink wallet, and lots of pink clothing. Sorry for the bunny trail. Back to moving.

Many of you know that I sold my log cabin in February. The closing date is next Friday, May 30. I've been sorting, packing, and tossing since January. I am renting an apartment in the 5-bedroom pink house for June & July. Check back later in a few days since I'll post some pictures of my living space.

I'm glad that all of this is coming to a close since it has been a long road. I am weary from all of these activities and am looking forward to my new living arrangements where I don't have the responsibilities of being an homeowner. I'm also looking forward to spending my summer doing things that bring me the most pleasure.

This is a new season of my life that I'm entering. Although the change is exciting, it is also bittersweet at the same time. I've spent 11 years living at the log cabin and have loved it. I've grown so much in the Lord during this time and have shed many tears at this place as I allowed God to touch me and heal me. But as one prophet spoke many years ago to me: "The book on yesterday is closed....you can let the yesterdays go and begin to float upon the ocean of His grace." So as I move this weekend, I'm closing the book on yesterday and moving to float upon the ocean of His grace as I continue to walk out His plans and purposes for my life.

What's In Your Driveway?

2008-05-15T20:00:00.003-05:00

Ever imagine coming home and finding something in your driveway that you weren't expecting? This happened to me today.

I called a local hauler yesterday to schedule delivery of a roll-off bin to my house. You're probably thinking that I've really gone overboard now with my fondness of anything that relates to garbage. Don't worry, though. I truly have a need for a roll-off bin since I need to be out of my house by the end of the month. Anyways, back to my original story. The gentleman on the other end of the line indicated that they wouldn't be able to get one to my house until next week. The reason: graduation weekend at one of the local colleges. Yes, those college students are sorting, packing, and tossing out just like me. How unfortunate since I was planning on filling my bin this weekend. Upon receiving this news from the hauler, I began to rearrange my "to do list" in my head to accommodate the delivery delay. The hauler said that they would call me if they could get there earlier, but it didn't sound too promising.

"What is that big ugly green thing in my driveway?", I thought when I got home this afternoon. "Oh, yes, I recognize a roll-off bin anywhere." You guessed it, the big ugly green thing was delivered sometime today. I sometimes wonder why they have to be so ugly. After all, they just need a new coat of paint every year. I certainly would have our containers painted if we use roll-off containers at the Tribe. I have this pet peeve: just because I work in garbage doesn't mean my workers or equipment have to look like they work in garbage. We need to portray a positive and professional image.

Oh, well, I'm happy to my roll-off container in the driveway. I can now rearrange my "to do list" back to the original plan. I guess you know what I'll be doing this weekend: filling up my roll-off container of unwanted junk. How fun. If you're board, stop by and join in the fun.

Faith Builder

2008-04-26T07:21:00.002-05:00

This morning's devotion focused on the story of Abraham taking steps that ultimate would have led to the sacrifice of Isaac. And although Abraham may have struggled with following these steps, he did them anyways since he believed and had faith in God. In the end, God came at the last minute and provided a substitute sacrifice. What a faith builder this must have been for Abraham.

What kind of faith building experiences do you have in your own life? Are they ones where God showed up and performed an instant miracle? Or do experiences that require you to follow sequential steps and give you time to ponder the things of God build your faith more?

I've been on a journey for the past few months that has required me to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, step by step. As I put one foot out to walk in the direction that God has been leading, I don't know what the next step will be. It doesn't matter, though, because I trust God and I don't need God's whole road map in front of me to reach His final destination. This is a huge step of faith for me because I'm a person who likes to plan every step of the journey and know exactly what is going to happen along the way. I've had to relinquish my control and trust in God on this current journey. Now that I think of it, this is what Abraham did. He didn't rely on his own understanding, but he trusted the Lord and the Lord led him (Proverbs 3:4-6). What amazes me is that God shows me the next step as I walk the previous step out, and not before. I guess this is where walking by faith and not by sight comes in.

I must admit that my faith has increased more during this current journey than times of where I've received instant miracles from the Lord. I find this interesting in the instant society in which I live. This is not the way of the Lord; He wants me to trust Him and walk by faith as He continues to unfold His plan , step by step, for my life. I've learned and am comfortable now with doing this. I'll keep walking it out, trusting the Lord to keep showing me the way as I put one foot in front of the other.

Spring Time

2008-04-25T14:30:00.003-05:00

Spring is here and this means that it is spring cleanup time again for the Tribe. I had new employees begin work yesterday and they will be hitting the roads on Monday looking for those treasures. Give me your list if you are in need of some items that you don't want to spend money on; more than likely I can find it during our spring cleanup.

Spring time also means that I get to put my kayak in the water and paddle the local rivers. I went for the first time this year on Tuesday and it was wonderful. I scared two bull frogs into the water as I was putting my boat in. I also got to see many large fish swim away from my boat and the geese were honking up a storm. Oh, the signs of spring ... how wonderful.

Another sign of spring is the disappearance of the snow banks in the yard. They finally all vanished this week. I know it is late, but I had some tall banks due to the snow the falling off my roof.

These are just some of my spring time activities that I'm enjoying. I can't wait for summer.

My Doings Lately

2008-04-15T11:25:00.001-05:00

I know I haven't posted in awhile. Life sure has been busy. Other than work this week, I've been attending special meetings at my church. See Nancy's post for April 14 for a description.

Hope to post later this week.

Shopping

2008-03-28T04:46:00.003-05:00

I am in Burlington, Ontario. I get to do one of my most favorite things today - shopping. You may be wondering why I came to Burlington, Ontario to shop. The company where I buy most of our garbage equipment is located in Burlington. Yes, that is right, I'm shopping for more garbage equipment. I'll be looking at transfer trailers that are capable of transporting upto 30 tons of garbage at one time. I'll also be looking at roll-off containers. It is so fun being in the garbage business and being able to look at all this cool equipment.

I had dinner here last evening. It is a cool place.

Celebrating Resurrection Day

2008-03-23T16:49:00.003-05:00

I had the pleasure of hosting three families for celebrating resurrection day, or better known to everyone as Easter.

The empty cross cake in the picture below symbolizes why we celebrate: Jesus is risen and alive today!! He isn't still nailed to the cross as many crosses show Him to be. He died for me and rose from the grave so that I could have a right relationship with God, my Father in heaven. Thank you Lord for all the pain, suffering, and anguish you bore for me. May I never forget what you have done for me.

Signs of Spring

2008-03-21T07:27:00.004-05:00

Believe or not, I did see signs of spring yesterday. This in spite of the fact that I still have snowbanks that are taller than me outside my house.

The first sign was a flock of robins bathing themselves in the melting puddles of snow in my driveway. My cats were going frantic dashing from window to window. This caught my attention and I went to look outside. I have never seen so many robins gathered together in one spot. Usually, they are loners and are by themselves. I dare say there were probably 15 robins in one puddle. They were having a grand time of splashy themselves and others around.

Later on the day I was on my way to Canton when I saw a flock of geese flying high in the sky. And yes, they were flying North. A sure sign of spring!!

Another sign of spring is that the thermometer for the past few days has been above 32. This means that all that white stuff is slowly melting away and I'll soon be able to see my green grass that sits below the white stuff.

Keep coming spring, because you can't come fast enough as far I as I am concerned.

Lilly's Childlike Faith

2008-03-16T20:26:00.004-05:00

I had the pleasure of meeting a young lady from China today in church. Her name was Lilly and she was visiting with a friend.

The excitement and joy that was bubbling from her was obvious and I wanted to learn more about what was going on with her. She shared that she had recently read in the Bible that she was a new creature in Christ, that old things have passed away and all things have become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). She went on to share there were many old things from her past that needed releasing and that she let them go once she read this scripture. As I listened, it became apparent to me that Lilly fully embraced the Word with a childlike faith, which led her freely letting go of those old things from her past.

My brief meeting with Lilly challenges me to embrace the Word with the childlike faith that I saw in Lilly. How simply it is to just let the Word wash me and all those old things that need going? As simple as reading and embracing the Word with a childlike faith and not letting my mind get in the way.

Winter Wonderland

2008-03-09T15:15:00.005-05:00

I awoke this morning not knowing exactly what I would find outside. NNY got hit with a huge storm that began Friday night and continued until this morning.

Although I am tired of the long winter that we've had, I must admit that there is something beautiful about the fresh undisturbed snow that surrounds my house. When I stepped out (in my PJ's mind you) this morning to snap some pictures, I was awe struck by the still silence that surrounded me and the freshness of the white stuff. I really didn't want to walk on any of it because it was beautiful. I truly experienced one of those "God moments" where I just stood experiencing one of His beautiful creations - snow.

As you can see, I have much snow around my house. I just hope it all melts by mother's day weekend since I'll have a friend from the south coming to visit and I don't think she would appreciate all the snow.

Looking at my side yard

Front of my house

My front steps are somewhere below the snow

Campbell Soup & Garbage

2008-03-04T12:12:00.004-05:00

I am currently studying the Principles of Marketing through an online course. Today's reading assignment contained a story that you'll find interesting.

"More than 125 years have passed since advertising pioneer N.W. Ayer conducted the first organized marketing research project in 1879. A second important milestone is the development of marketing research occurred 32 years later, when Charles C. Parlin organized the nation's first commercial research department at Curtis Publishing Co., publisher of The Saturday Evening Post.

Parlin got his start as a marketing researcher by counting soup cans in Philadelphia's garbage. Here is what happened. Parlin, an ad salesman, was trying to convince the Campbell Soup Co. to advertise in The Saturday Evening Post. Campbell Soup resisted, believing that the Post reached primarily working-class readers, who preferred to make their own soup. Campbell Soup marketers were targeting higher income people who could afford to pay for the convenience of soup in a can. To prove Campbell wrong, Parlin began counting soup cans in the garbage collected from different neighborhoods. His research revealed that working-class families bought more canned soup than wealthy households, who had servants to cook for them. Campbell Soup soon became a regular Saturday Evening Post client. It is interesting to note that garbage remains a good source of information for marketing researchers even today. Prior to recent cutbacks in food service, some airlines studied the leftovers from on board meals to determine what to serve passengers."

(Source: Boone & Kurtz. Contemporary Marketing, 2006.)

Using people's garbage for marketing research is an interesting concept. I know that garbage tells alot about people, but I never thought about studying their garbage to gain valuable marketing data. You best beware if you find me sorting through your garbage...I could be collecting information for my new marketing idea.

Designed For Destiny - Buy It Online Now

2008-02-27T21:25:00.002-05:00

Designed For Destiny written by Susan Chapman Brown is available online now. See here for more information and to purchase.

I have been reading this book every morning before going to work since December. This book pours out the truth of what it means to be a Godly woman and teaches me how to accept, embrace, and walk in my God ordained femininity. I am encouraged and liberated by the truth that Susan shares and this is a must read for any woman desiring to know more of the Father's plan for her life.

More Pictures from the Gaylord Texan

2008-02-23T22:33:00.003-05:00

Okay, I know that I've been home almost a week from Texas. I'm still having fond memories of my time spent at the Gaylord Texan. Sue and I went there for coffee the night before I flew home. I had my camera with me and I snapped some pictures.

This is the only hotel that I've been in where there is a waterfall, flowing river, covered wagons in a canyon, and white fish in the river. I'm looking forward to visiting the Gaylord Texan again sometime in the future.

Catching Up On My Trash Reading

2008-02-22T07:27:00.005-05:00

This is my first week back in the office after being on vacation. I've spent the majority of the week working with a filming crew who are here filming a documentary for one of my projects. We wrap up filming today.

This morning I had some time to read some of my waste journals. I came across an article that I think moms will find interesting. So if you're a mom, click here to read. Once the magazine comes up, click on contents, scroll to the bottom, and click on the link titled "Haul Talk: Mommy Greenest, A Grave Situation."

Last Day in Texas

2008-02-17T09:47:00.002-05:00

I find it hard to imagine that my vacation in Texas in almost over. I have truly enjoyed the weather and my time here. God has used this time to confirm many things to me about my future. I am coming home with a new sense of God's direction for my life. I have peace and a level of excitement that I've never have felt before.

My last day will be spent packing and enjoying time with my hosts, the Browns. They are truly great hosts and I'm thankful for their hospitality.

Tomorrow morning I will have to arise early since my flight leaves at 7:20 in the morning. I'm suppose to arrive in Albany,NY around 1:30 PM. I then have a 4 hour drive home. The weather looks like it will be okay for my drive home.

My upcoming work week will be hectic. There is a filming crew arriving today to film a documentary for one of my projects. We will be filming all week. This means long work days ahead for me. I'm glad that I've had 10 days of RR.

Valentine's Day in Grapevine, Texas

2008-02-15T00:21:00.003-05:00

This evening Paul and Sue decided to show me two of the elaborate hotels in Grapevine.

Our first stop was the Gaylord Texan. I must admit that this is one of the most elaborate and unique hotels/convention centers that I've been in. The Lone Star Atrium inside the building is quite the sight to see. Additionally, there are oversized couches located in the lobby just outside the convention center. These couches are so huge that three people could sleep on them. See picture of me below.

The second stop was at the Great Wolf Lodge. This hotel houses a water park inside the building. The best thing about the Great Wolf Lodge were their decorative garbage containers. I couldn't resist taking a picture of one and posting it below.

The weather has been extremely nice since I've been here. The temperatures were in the 70's today and the sun was out. Sue and I spent part of the afternoon drinking coffee by Grapevine Lake and sharing conversation. Anyone who knows me, knows that this is my favorite past time - drinking coffee and sharing time together with friends. I hope that Sue and I can do more of this before I leave on Monday.

My Doings in Texas

2008-02-13T21:37:00.004-05:00

It seems almost impossible that tomorrow marks my one week arrival in Texas. I find myself wondering where has the time gone. Sue and I have been keeping ourselves busy for sure. I'll try to provide some of the week's highlights here.

Upon arriving last Thursday, Sue and I rented a car and headed to Beaumont, Tx. This was a 5.5 - 6 hour drive from DFW. The purpose of the trip was to attend the Fresh Fire International Women's Conference that was held at Triumph Church. There were 15 women speakers that shared their hearts with us. The conference ended on Saturday, but Sue and I stayed until Sunday and attended church services at Triumph Church. Both Sue and I agree that we can't find words that would adequately express what we experienced throughout the weekend. I can only say that it was one of the most powerful and anointed times that I've experienced with the Lord.

Our rental car had a GPS unit. Sue and I are now experts with the "GPS language" and we use it all the time now in her own car. I tell her "left turn in 0.5 mile, followed by ya..." We wonder what the "followed by ya" means, but could never figured this one out. The GPS would also let us know when we arrived at our destination through a loud noise that sounded like "ding dong". One time we heard the "ding dong", but it was the incorrect destination; we should have been at the church, but we were at a Chevy car dealership instead.

I'm also learning new vocubalary words. When we incorrectly arrived at the Chevy car dealership, I went inside to ask directions to the church. The person said "follow the feeder road, go through two stop lights, loop around the highway, and the church would be on the right." I questioned the person several times about the "feeder road" and she became increasingly irritated by me. I figured Sue would know what the "feeder road" was. To my surprise she didn't. We later found out the "feeder road" are roads that run parallel to the highway and loop around it so that you have access to places on both sides of the freeway.

Monday and Tuesday were spent getting ready for Restoring FemininiTea and book signing on Tuesday night. Sue has been displaying teapots in the local library for the month of February. Fifteen ladies came out last night for the tea time and book signing. One lady said that she came since she wanted to do something for herself for once.

Today was the first time that we had some breathing room since I've been here. What did we do? Shopping. Sue has been sharing with me about this great store called Stein Mart. This store has great bargains on quality clothing. I ended up walking out with 4 outfits for less than $75. This is my kind of shopping!!

That is all for now from Texas. I've posted some pictures. Hope you all enjoy them.

Some new friends I met at the conference.

Arrival Texas

2008-02-09T02:11:00.001-05:00

I arrived in Texas yesterday. Sue and I rented a car and we drove 6 hours to attend this conference. We are still at the conference and are being filled and refreshed. We just got out of the hot tub. We will be heading back to Grapevine on Sunday after church. I'll post more when we return to Sue's house.

My To-do List

2008-02-06T12:06:00.000-05:00

I'll be leaving work in about 20 minutes for my vacation trip to Texas.

As usual, my morning has been busy taking care of last minute details for many of my projects. One project, a trip to the emergency room, was not on my to-do list.

I arrived at the office around 6:20 AM..I know most of you were still probably sleeping. I pulled my car next to the front door since I had some items to carrying into the office. As I walked behind my car, I hit a patch of ice and my two feet went flying. I grabbed the car on the way down and gave my left side a good stretch as my feet went in the opposite direction. I banged my left elbow and knee on the pavement. Swelling ensued in both and my supervisor suggested that I go to the emergency room. My emergency room trip last 2.5 hours. The Dr. said I was okay and that I'll have some nice bruises in a few days. The swelling should go down over time.

Other than some minor discomfort, I'm fine.

I'll be in Texas until the 18th. I'll be posting updates of my trip

Summer is Coming

2008-02-02T07:02:00.000-05:00

"I see success, I want to tell you, yesterday, the book on yesterday is closed, it's kind of like you've lived through a long hard winter, but I'm here to tell you that winter is over, summer is coming, come on, it is coming!!! …You can let the yesterdays go, you can cut yourself away from the moorings and begin to float upon the ocean of His grace, and His love."

These were words that a prophet spoke to me in 2000 and I'm just beginning to understand the meaning of them. There are two significant themes that I can see that God was speaking to me: 1) book on yesterday is closed; and 2) winter time is over and summer is on the way.

In recent weeks, I've been meditating on these words and trying to better understand what the Lord was speaking to me in 2000. This caused me to research the meaning of the words winter, spring, and summer. I know from my experience in living in NNY that in between winter and summer is spring. God said "winter was over and summer is on the way", this implied that I needed to go through spring.

Webster gives the following definitions:

Winter - a time of inactivity or decay;
Spring - come up out of something into existence; and
Summer - a period of maturing powers.

Wikipedia Encyclopedia also provides additional information about the seasons:

Winter - some use winter to describe death and period of hopeless;
Spring - A time of growth, renewal, and of new life being born, and it is a period where severe weather most often occurs due to the southern warm air clashing with the northern cold air;
Summer - a time when plants are in full growth.

I spent many years of my life in the winter season. It was a time where I felt like I was dying and I had no hope for living. I'm glad that the Lord spoke to me in 2000 and told me that winter was over. Nevertheless, I had hard time understanding what season I was in between 2000 and now. I initially thought that I was experiencing summer, but the Lord showed me recently that I've been in the spring season.

The past eight years the Lord has been pulling out weeds in my soul that were not right. The weeds were things that were rooted in my "yesterdays" that needed to go in order for me enter His summer season for me. My spring season has been a time where severe weather occurred. There were times of clashing when I was afraid of letting go of the "yesterdays" and embracing the new life that God was leading me to walk in. I now know that it was necessary for me to let go of the "yesterdays" in order to come out of my winter season and enter into God's summer season.

The Lord is leading me to do a few more things to let the "yesterdays" go. Once I do them, I truly feel like the" book on yesterday" will be closed forever; I will never have to go back and look at any of the pages again. I'm cutting myself away from them and will enjoy floating upon His grace and love for me. I'm looking forward to my summer season with the Lord. I feel like it will be a time where God will continue to mature me and I'll come into the full growth of His plan and purposes for my life.

The Many Uses of Duct Tape

2008-01-27T20:34:00.000-05:00

As you can see, duct tape needs to be a part of a garbage handler's first aid kit. Fortunately, we have not had to use our duct tape for this use.

Community of Akwesasne Cares

2008-01-25T21:56:00.000-05:00

Last weekend one of the Tribal employees lost everything that she owned in a fire.

I was unaware of this until I called the main Tribal Office building on Tuesday. I made the call since I needed to talk to my accountant that handles the budgets for my projects. While I was on the phone with her, I heard all this talking in the background. I asked her what all the "buzz" was. She then proceeded to share with me that my Supervisor's sister lost everything in a fire and that the ladies in the community were talking about ways to help her. I thought how great that people were going to help her.

Two days later I get an announcement from the Tribe's Public Information Office that a shower has been arranged for the person and she is registered at Wal Mart. We are encouraged to go buy a gift for her and come to the shower. I've never heard of having a shower for victim of a fire, but I thought what a great idea.

The reaching out of the community to help one their members is an indication of a cultural tradition that runs deep with the Akwesasne community. It is a tradition that many people outside of the community aren't aware of. What is this cultural tradition? It is one that places a high value on family and helping those in need.

I've been working for the Tribe for 14 years and this is one of the reasons why I like my job so much. Mohawks are caring people and will come to help when someone is in need with no regard for the cost or time. I've witnessed this numerous times during my time in the community. Several examples come to mind: Mohawk Iron Workers helping with the rescue at the Twin Towers; Tribal Council providing funding to special cleanup projects that are needed; providing assistance to the elderly; etc. etc. I could list others, but I think my point is clear in that Mohawk people care.

I honor the community of Akwesasne for holding on to the cultural tradition that places a high value on family and helping those in need. I hope they never lose it and pass this tradition on to their younger generation.

Celebrating 70 Years of Living

2008-01-23T21:38:00.000-05:00

My mom experienced one of those special birthdays last week when she turned 70. Although I wasn't able to be with her on the exact day of her birth, I did travel to the 1000 Islands this past Monday. I took her out to lunch here and we then we had coffee at one of my favorite spots, Lyric Coffee House. Since we couldn't find two deck of cards to play Nertz, we decided to play checkers. The Lyric Coffee House is quite nice and I highly recommend it if you are ever in Clayton.

I'm so thankful that I got to celebrate mom's birthday with her. I pray that she has many more that we can share. I treasure moments like these and grab them while I can. Thanks for sharing your day with me mom. I love you.

Breaking the Rules

2008-01-22T12:15:00.000-05:00

Since my friend Nancy broke the rules for the Internet tag game, I decided that I would do the same. I'm listing Fact # 8 about me: I'm a die hard NY Giant fan.

I grew up watching the Giants play every Sunday. I faithfully cheered them on even when they couldn't win a game and there season ended 0-15. I was a committed fan regardless of how bad they were beaten or that they couldn't win a game in a season.

I am still a dedicated fan and was cheering them on during the NFC Championship game on Sunday. There were moments that didn't look good for them, but I was right there keeping a watchful eye on them and hoping that they would win. Win they did and now I get to cheer for them one more game this year. I'm looking forward to an upset. Go Giants! Go Giants! You can defeat the Patriots.

For all my friends that are Cowboy fans and remember watching all the games at the Story's, here is a picture to remind you of the Giants:

Tag - I'm It

2008-01-18T12:38:00.000-05:00

Too my surprise, I was tagged by Darlene to share 7 random facts about me. Here they are:

I like driving garbage trucks...the bigger the better;
I was the first woman to appear on Bill (Senior) Saiff's Rod & Reel show;
I eat six times per day and still lose weight sometimes;
I like adventure and especially road trips...just ask Nancy;
I was a student pilot while I was in college. I flew a single engine Cessna. During my first solo flight, the nose wheel broke when I landed and the plane skidded off the runway. I survived an airplane crash - thank you Lord. I flew many more times afterwards before I decided that flying was too much like going to college;
I was a bridge painter for the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority;
My favorite pass time is having coffee and visiting with friends.

Here are the rules for the game:

Link to the person that tagged you
Post the rules on your blog.
Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog.
Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blogs.

Here are my tagged people: Nancy, Lore, Michele, Tonya, Nancy C., Connie, and Sue.

Embracing My God Ordained Femininity

2008-01-11T17:31:00.000-05:00

I've been reading a new book lately. The book is written by a good friend of mine, Susan Chapman Brown. The title of the book is "Designed for Destiny."

Paragraphs from the first section of the book sums up what the book is about:

Too often and too easily, in the declining culture of today, women lose sight of the design, the grace, the beauty, and the purpose in which God destined for each of us to live. Our desire is to restore women to that place of knowing God and His plan for them; exposing the feministic lies of pits, pedestals and power and releasing them in the balance and dignity of God ordained femininity.

Through the use of teas, teapots, and teachings, God has revealed a key that begins to open a place where we, as women, were destined to dwell. Here, we begin to see our femininity is His design. Just like little girls in their tea party play, we begin to let down our guard, stepping right over comparison and competition, into the royal court of His presence, where we can put on and walk in His lavish treasures.

The book is set up to be read as a devotional. Sue actually has trademark the phrases "FemininiTea" and "TeaVotional" since all of the devotionals are based on teachings that God has given her using teapots and tea cups, and the teachings are designed to restore God ordained femininity to ladies.

I've been reading sections of the book each morning before going to work. God used the "teavotional" that I read yesterday to show me that I am the beautiful woman that He created me to be and that circumstances in my life don't change this.

After I finished reading yesterday morning, I felt led to listen to a song that sings about how beautiful Jesus is. The Lord spoke to me during the song about how beautiful I am to Him. It was a time were God deposited a fresh dose of recapturing my God ordained femininity. I was feeling like a real lady in God's kingdom as I got into my car. I began driving down the road when I heard an unusual sound coming from the right front side of the car. It sounded like an issue with the brake. I turned around and went back to my house so that I could check it out. I got my brightest flashlight from the house and began my inspection of the brake. I found a branch that had wrapped itself around the my wheel and was rubbing against the brake pad. The surgery to remove it involved me getting my hands behind the wheel and pulling the branch out.

With dirt and grease on my hands, God still reminded me of my God ordained femininity and that this didn't change even though I had dirt and grease on my hands. How so true...that my God ordained femininity doesn't change with circumstances. There have been many circumstances in my life where my God ordained femininity was stolen from me. I'm so thankful that God is in the business of restoring this identity to me and that He allows people like Susan Chapman Brown to speak His truth to me. I'm excited to embrace His truth and be released in the balance and dignity of my God ordained femininity. Thank you Lord.

A Welcome Home Gift

2008-01-01T21:21:00.001-05:00

I drove down my driveway last night when I returned from CA and discovered a welcome home gift. The gift was from mother nature and it wasn't even wrapped in fancy paper. It was chunks of ice covered with snow.

The ice fell from my roof and transformed the front of my house into a glacier. Their were chunks of ice that were 4 feet long, 3 feet wide, and 1.5 feet in depth. My walk to the front door was blocked with ice and snow. I was able to walk on top of the mound and jump on to my front porch. After donning my ski pants, snow boots, winter coat, hat and mittens, I spent the next 30 minutes clearing a path between my driveway and front door. It was waist high deep as I was shoveling.

I spent a good part of the day shoveling the snow and ice away from my front window. I could stand on the mound and touch my roof before I knocked it down a few feet.

So much for my enjoying the CA weather that I had become accustomed to. Thanks for the welcome home gift, mother nature, and reminding me of what winter is all about - snow, ice, and shoveling. Oh, by the way, it has been snowing all day and we got another 8-9 inches. It is suppose to get colder too later in the week. How cold? The highs will be in the single digits.

Last Day in California

2007-12-31T21:35:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was our last day in California. We went here for church. After church, I went out to lunch with the Pastor and his wife at the Mission Inn. The rest of my family also went to the Mission Inn, but to a different restaurant that is located in the Inn. Afterwards, my family and I went shopping for a winter coat for my brother. He is traveling to Minneapolis, MN next month and needed a winter coat for the trip. Our shopping travels too us to the Burlington Coat Factory at the Ontario Mills Mall. We also visited the Rainforest Cafe. I had never been to a Rainforest Cafe. It was a lot of fun. I couldn't resist sitting on one of the animal chairs and play with its tail; picture above. The day was completed by going back to my brother's house and just hanging out.

My mom and I boarded a plane at 12:30 AM PST and flew home today. I got about 2.5 hours of sleep. This is why I'm signing off now - sleep. I'm glad to be home and am looking forward to getting back to my routine.

Adventures in Santa Barbara

2007-12-29T10:54:00.000-05:00

Our travels yesterday took us to the Santa Barbara area. Our first stop was at the Cold Spring Tavern for lunch. This is one of those places that you wouldn't expect to find in southern California, but here it is. It reminded me of a rustic restaurant that I would find in the Adirondacks. We walked in and it was cold. I mean so cold that we all kept our jackets on and I even asked my brother to get the blanket out of the car for me. I've come learned that places in southern California don't heat their businesses even when the temperatures are in the 40's. Yes, I wrote right, the 40's. I'm surprised that it gets this cold too. The food was great and we had a wonderful time at the Cold Spring Tavern.

Our next adventure took us to places north of Santa Barbara. It is pretty countryside with lots of rolling hills and mountains. We stopped at several shops and just enjoyed our time walking around. I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Mom and me outside the Cold Spring Tavern.

I couldn't refuse this picture because of the sign.

A red peppercorn tree. I never knew peppercorns came from a tree.

Red peppercorns on the ground. They are slippery to walk on.

A gigantic Christmas tree. Mom and Irene are standing next it.

They do have cows in California.

A nice prickly pear cactus plant.

A prickly pear cactus. You can eat them.

Can you see the object of interest in this photo?

A Visit to the Huntington Library

2007-12-27T12:19:00.000-05:00

Our travels yesterday took us the Huntington Library. I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Mom & Adam

Pictures from the Japanese Garden

My brother (Wayne) and my nephew's wife (Cami)

Cami in action.

A beautiful flower in the rose garden

Adam & Cami

Christmas in CA

2007-12-25T22:35:00.000-05:00

I must admit that spending Christmas in CA was nice. I like the weather - sunny and highs in the 60's. Jiwon and I treated ourselves to a late night visit to the outdoor hot tub on Christmas Eve since it was so beautiful out.

I spent the afternoon outside participating in a new Christmas family tradition. This new tradition is throwing knifes into a pumpkin. I never have thrown a knife before, but it was fun and I actually hit the pumpkin several times. We had a tournament with the girls challenging the guys. There were Jiwon, Cami (my nephew's wife), and me against my nephew (Adam), brother (Wayne) and Jong. It came down to sudden death and the guys beat the girls by 2 points.

We also spent time singing Christmas carols around the piano. Jiwon played for us and we all sang. Everyone truly enjoyed Jiwon's musical gift and she truly blessed us.

The evening was ended by making a ginger bread house. When I left my brother's house to return to Jong and Jiwon's, the glue on the house was drying. It will be interesting to see the finish product when I return tomorrow.

Tonight is my last night at Jong & Jiwon's. I have truly enjoyed staying with them and their company. They are great hosts if you ever want to visit southern CA.

Here are some pictures.

My nephew (Adam) & sister-in-law (Irene)

California - Here We Come

2007-12-23T07:24:00.000-05:00

I'll be leaving in about an hour. My final destination is Los Angeles, CA. In route, I'll be stopping by my mom's house since she is going with me too.

We are both excited to be spending Christmas with my brother and his family, in addition to leaving the snow and cold of NNY. The forecast for the LA area is sunny and temperatures in the 60's. I can handle that.

For the family of CFC, I will also be spending time with Jong & Jiwon during my visit. I'm actually staying at their place for a few days since there is no room at my brother's house. In addition to mom and me, one of my nephews and his wife are visiting too. My options for sleeping were a nice room and bed at Jong & Jiwon's or an air mattress in the middle of the living room floor at my brother's. I opted for the nice room with a bed. Jong & Jiwon live about 30 minutes from my brother's house. Jong & Jiwon will be spending Christmas with us too.

Jiwon and I are looking forward to having nice long talks over many cups of coffee. When she lived in Potsdam, we would spend hours at Scoops drinking coffee and talking. I really miss Jiwon and am looking forward to seeing her.

Because He Loves Me

2007-12-22T07:54:00.000-05:00

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. (Luke 2:8-12)

As I reflect about the birth of Jesus this Christmas Season, I realize more and more of His love for me. Yes, Jesus was born because God so loved me that He sent Jesus so that I may not parish and have eternal life with God (John 3:16). Spending eternity with God is something that will occur when I die. But, what about now...here and now as I walk through the journey of my life? There must be more about the birth of Jesus than just spending eternity with God after I die.

Isaiah 61 describes the year of the Lord's favor. Throughout this chapter, I read about an exchange process that God wants me to experience: instead of ashes..bestow a crown of beauty; instead of mourning... give me the oil of gladness; instead of a spirit of despair..give me a garment of praise; instead of shame..give me a double portion; instead of disgrace...give me my inheritance so that I will inherit a double portion and everlasting joy will be mine.

God has taken me through many trials and tribulations this year. Through it all, I have come to realize and experience more of God's love for me. I also recognize that God took me through these experiences because He loves me too much to have allowed me to remain captive to the prison chains that bound me. In some cases, I didn't even know that I was being held captive, but God in His ever gentle way, revealed truth to me and I was set free (John 8:32). I experienced God's exchange process as described in Isaiah 61.

This Christmas season I will not only celebrate the birth of Jesus as it relates to my eternal destiny, but also as it relates to my journey in my life. Thank you Lord for loving me so much that I can experience the very riches of You on this side of heaven.

Snow Bound

2007-12-16T18:30:00.000-05:00

This Sunday has been unusual since a winter storm blew in last night and has dumped about 14 inches of snow. Church was cancelled and I've had the day to myself. What does one do when snow bound? Here is a list of things that I did:

watched football - this is the first time all year that I watched a game
ate some good food
caught up on sleep by taking two naps
paid my bills
completed some paperwork that I've been avoiding to do
prayed and spend time reading my Bible
made chicken soup, which I'll definitely enjoy throughout the week

It is nice to be snow bound every once in awhile, but I am looking forward to venturing out tomorrow. Of course, this is after I shovel all the snow off my porch and my plow man comes to clear my driveway.

Traveling Observations

2007-12-11T17:52:00.000-05:00

I have a habit when I travel - I watch people in the airport and on the airplane. I don't know why I do this, but I do chuckle at some of the observations that I see.

On my flight home on Monday, I was amused by this couple that traveled on the same plane as me. The flight was delayed by about 30 minutes. When the call came to begin boarding the plane, I observe this couple, probably in their 40's, begin to approach the gate. The man ran as quickly as he could to the front of the line while leaving the woman behind. When he got to the front, I might add by barging in, he looked back at the woman. He motioned her to get in line with him. She did. Before I knew it, they were walking down the Jetway and they were gone. I didn't really think too much about them until I boarded the plane and realized that I would be sitting across the isle from them. I cozy up in my seat for the 2 hour plane ride home.

The gentleman was reading a newspaper the whole flight. He would flip through the pages and ripped some ads out and place them into his pant side leg pocket. He must have done this more than 20 times. I began to wonder what the ads were and how many could he fit in his pocket. I also wondered what he was going to do with all those ads.

The plane landed and everyone was waiting to deboard. I was standing in the isle minding my own business when the gentleman began rising from his seat in front of me. Without a word, he nudged himself into the isle and I had to step back or he would have been standing on top of my toes. He opened up the overhead compartment and took another newspaper out. I thought "oh, no he is going to rip out more ads and stuff them in his pocket." He didn't, though. The couple ran off the plane as quickly as they ran on. I didn't see them again. I do wonder what he did with all those ads. Do you have any ideas of what he did with them?

I'm Traveling

2007-12-06T13:47:00.000-05:00

I'm sitting at the Syracuse Airport waiting to board a plane to Dallas, TX. This is a personal trip to visit friends and to help them plan for future expansion with their ministry.

I'm excited about this trip. The last time I checked the weather will be sunny and in the 70's. This is a far cry from the -2 temperature that occurred in NNY last night and the blinding snow storm (lake effect) that I drove through 2 hours earlier. I'm also excited since God is leading me to help out with the ministry in Texas. This is one of my dreams to come true - to be able to use my administrative gifts to help expand God's work through a ministry.

I'm typing this post on my new laptop that I just picked up this morning. So far, so good. I like the feel of the keys and the smooth operation of the system. I was brave and am using Windows Vista. I use it at the office and like it. All my coworkers think I'm nuts because I like Vista.

Okay that is all for now from the airport.

Its Not a Good Day

2007-12-05T12:10:00.000-05:00

Yesterday started out as a normal day at the office, but ended very differently.

My driver called me shortly after lunch and I could tell that something was drastically wrong. He proclaimed "it is not a good day!!" I said "why, what is up?" He then proceeded to tell me that the tire studs came off. "Tire studs," I thought, "we don't have studded snow tires." I then realized he was talking about the studs that hold the tires to the truck. I now understood why it wasn't a good day. After making sure that he wasn't in accident and that he was okay, we began to make plans of how to handle this situation. He was okay and fortunately he noticed that something wasn't right and pulled over before the wheels fell off. Yes, that is right. When the wheel studs shear off, the tires fall off. Not a good situation when the truck is moving down the highway.

Upon arriving at the scene, the driver had the right side rear wheels off and sure enough not one wheel stud was there. We then agreed that I would relieve the worker at the transfer station so that he could bring the new truck (wheels fell off our old truck) so that driver could finish his collection route and the other guy could stay with the old truck waiting for the tow truck.

I went to the transfer station and monitored the rescue operation via two-way radio communication. All was going well at the transfer station until I stepped outside to close our main gate at closing time. After hearing the door slammed behind me, I realized that my keys were inside and I was locked out. I went to the gate and the gate was frozen. I couldn't move it. My driver's comment "its not a good day" was coming back to me. I hoped that I hadn't locked the window to the scale house. Upon checking it, it was unlocked and I was able to open it from the outside and jump back in the office; this was only after I placed a couple of tires underneath the window to give me height to jump through the window. I called the guys at the truck and told them that I couldn't close the gate because it was frozen. One of them came to my rescue 15 minutes later. We closed up the facility and went back to the truck.

The truck was not looking good. They had just got it on the flatbed. It was sitting lopsided without rear wheels on the right side. They couldn't raise the flatbed to its horizontal position since it was too much weight for the hydraulic system; did I mention that the truck was full of garbage? They got another tow truck to help raise the flatbed. It took a few minutes, but they finally got it to the horizontal position.

The whole rescue mission took about 2 hours and occurred in a snow storm on Route 37. My driver and transfer station worker then had to finish the collection route with the new truck. They are dedicated since they worked until 6 PM.

Lesson learned: beware when your garbage truck driver calls and says "its not a good day." This means that it probably is not a good day in the wonderful world of garbage.

Garbage Truck Arrives

2007-11-30T14:39:00.000-05:00

I know you probably think I'm a little crazy getting excited about the delivery of our new garbage truck, but for a garbage guru like me this is exciting!!

The addition of this truck to our fleet means that our program continues to expand and we can now offer more services to the community. Believe or not, the box that you see on the back can come off and we can put a roll-off box on it. A roll-off box is an open top container that allows you to throw all your junk in; comes in handy for special cleanup projects around the house.

I guess I'm so excited because 13 years ago when I began working for the Tribe, the Tribe offered no solid waste management services. They hired me to put their entire program together and here I am today managing a transfer station and curbside collection program for them. God has and continues to bless me in my job and for that I'm thankful for. I give all the credit to Him, because without Him, I wouldn't be here marveling at the accomplishments and enjoying my new toy - the blue/white garbage truck.

Office Decorating Contest

2007-11-30T07:55:00.000-05:00

Several weeks ago the staff at the Environment Division agreed that we would hold an office decorating contest. The winner gets a day off with pay and the runner up gets half a day.

Since I like having time off, I decided to seek some creative ideas from my mother. I told her that I wanted to do something that reflected the work I do at the Tribe. She came up with the suggestion of making a wreath from a garbage bag. So here are some pictures of what I came up with. Thanks mom - all the people in the office thinks it is a cool idea.

Today is also an exciting day for the solid waste program. We get our new garbage truck!! I've already seen it this morning and it is sharp. Check back later for pictures.

I'm Here

2007-11-15T14:40:00.000-05:00

I'm here learning about this. Sounds fun, right? It is.

On the way home tonight I'll be making stops at Wegman's and Wal Mart Super Store since we don't have these stores in the north country.

Break is over...back to training.

My Day At Work

2007-11-05T12:31:00.000-05:00

To the surprise of some, I do work. This may be surprising because I'm blessed with a job that allows me much flexibility and a lot of time off. I guess this comes with being at the same job for 12 years.

I am working at the transfer station today. What does one do at a transfer station? Answer: weigh vehicles as they come in and as they leave, and then receive money from the customers. The scale is interfaced with a computer and there is a computer program that computes the difference in weight, which determines the price that is charge. Of course, the operator (me) needs to enter the correct information into the program in order for the right price to be charge based on the material that the customer brings in. So far, I haven't made any mistakes.

For the most part, the computer and scale work great. I did experience one glitch this morning with my first customer. When he came to be weighed out, the computer froze up; none of you have probably ever experienced this, right? I had to reboot, which seemed to take forever. The customer was very patient as the computer went through all that it goes through to wake back up. I was finally able to get back on the system and weigh the customer out and take his money.

Well that is all from the helm of the transfer station scale house. It is not exactly like being at the helm of the Enterprise, but it will do for me.

Signed, Captain Laura.

Cold Water Swimming

2007-10-31T18:35:00.000-05:00

Yes, I've taken up a new sport - cold water swimming. No, I'm not swimming in any of the rivers that are located in NNY, but rather than the pool at Clarkson University.

I've been swimming there for about a month now and it seems the water gets colder each time that I go. When I initially dangle my feet over the side of the pool, I ask myself "why do I do this?" The water literally feels like ice and it sends chills all the way up my spine. It reminds me when I was at 4-H camp in my younger years and I would go swimming at 6 AM so that I could be part of the polar bear club; come to think about it I would ask myself the same question "why do I do this?"

I guess I do it because swimming is such a good exercise and I enjoy the invigorating feeling I experience afterwards as I sit in the hot tub and then the sauna. These (hot tub and sauna) remove any of the chill from my body and make the bone chilling experience worthwhiled. I just hope I can remember this when I go swimming when it is -30 this winter. At -30, maybe the water will feel warm to me. I'll let you know.

Waste Is Revealing

2007-10-21T06:59:00.000-05:00

I get to read some interesting articles in my monthly waste journals. One of the most recent article was titled "Something in the water - science detects drugs abuse patterns in wastewater." Source: Waste News, September 17. Researchers at Oregon State University have shown that less than a teaspoon of untreated wastewater can provide a wealth of information about a community's drug use - both illicit and legitimate. If we think about, any drug that we ingest eventually ends up leaving the body...so it makes sense that these drugs would end up in untreated wastewater. This same principle applies to solid wastes too.

I've performed numerous garbage container inspections (we call this "dumpster diving" in the garbology field) in my career and I'm always amazed at how the garbage tells me information about the generators: (1) do they drink-evident by the number beer or liquor bottles found; (2) do they have young children-evident by the presence of diapers; (3) are they on prescription medicine - evident by the number of prescription bottles in their wastes; (4) what types of foods do they like - evident by the food containers and wastes; (5) are they large or small people - evident by the size of clothing in their wastes. I think you get the picture of how much information you can collect about generators of garbage.

I've also come across personal confidential information during some of my dumpster dives. I'm talking about people's ss#, bank account #'s, addresses, name - everything needed for someone to perform an identity theft. The lesson learned from this is that we all need to shred our documents that contain our personal confidential information. Many people think that their garbage and recyclables magically disappear once they put their garbage out to the curb for collection. This is not true and on the average 2 or 3 people will see it before it finds its final resting place. The question is: what are you revealing about yourself and is it information that you want other people to have access to?

Fall Time

2007-10-11T11:23:00.000-05:00

I'm amazed out how fast the fall is passing by. This is evident since I haven't posted since before the WIM retreat at my church. My lack of posting isn't because I haven't wanted to, but more to finding the time to get on the computer and do it. I spend so much time on the computer at work that the last thing I want to do is get on the computer at home; you'll notice that I'm writing this post during my lunch hour.

Two words can sum up the WIM retreat: Wow!! Wow!! That has become the favorite saying among the ladies that attended. Susan Brown, guest speaker of the retreat, asked me what I thought after the first session. My comment: "Wow!" She then asked me the same question again after the Saturday morning session. My comment: "Wow! Wow!"

You are probably wondering what happened to invoke such comments from me. God used Susan to minister life into the ladies that were present. Ladies went home transformed and the testimonies that I'm hearing still today show that God truly cares about His handmaidens and our well-being. Thank you Lord!

Getting Back Into a Routine

2007-09-24T08:58:00.000-05:00

I returned yesterday from a week of spending time with family, many of which I hadn't seen in a long time. It was good to catch up with my brothers, sister, and cousins. We shared many stories, laughs, and tears as we memorialized our grandma. She was quite a lady and I will surely miss her.

The next few days I'll try to get back into my routine of working, going to the fitness center, cooking, etc. etc. I'm off today and will return to work tomorrow. I'm not sure if I'll be heading to the fitness center today since I've been battling a cold for 7 days.

On Wednesday, I'll be picking up the guest speaker, Susan Brown, for our women's retreat, which is this weekend. We are looking forward to having Susan with us and ministering to our ladies.

House of Mourning

2007-09-18T06:08:00.000-05:00

Ecclesiastes 7: 1-4 states:

A good name is better than precious ointment,
And the day of death than the day of one's birth;
Better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting,
For that is the end of all men;
And the living will take it to heart.
Sorrow is better than laughter,
For by a sad countenance the heart is made better.
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,
But the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

I've been in the house of mourning for the past few weeks. My grandmother had been in failing health since the end of August and she passed away this past Saturday.

Ecclesiastes 7:1-3 was confusing to me. How could I understand statements like "sorrow is better than laughter" or "the heart of the wise is in the house of mourning"? My sorrow sure doesn't feel better than laughter and I certainly don't feel any wiser. Nevertheless, I purposed in my heart to believe God's word since it is the truth and began to read commentaries about this scripture. This is what I've learned:

House mourning is a place where I may see the hand of God and learn to examine my life; and
Sadness often makes the heart better.

I must admit I have examined my life a lot in the past couple of weeks and I have seen the hand of God move in my life and in my grandmother's life too. I was able to lead her to the Lord two weeks before she died. Upon leaving the hospital room that day, I asked her the question "where will you go when you die grandma?" She responded with a childlike smile "heaven." I'll never forgot that smile and the way she said heaven - it was a precious God given moment. I was also able to understand how much grandmother meant to me and with tears in eyes share with her my thoughts and feelings about her. I had never done that before.

Although I don't particularly like being in the house of mourning or experiencing the sorrow that grips my heart, I do have a better understanding of how God uses times like this to refine me and reveal Himself to me in new fresh ways.

More Pictures From My Trip

2007-08-23T11:27:00.000-05:00

Here is a sample of pictures from my trip last week.

Double Rainbow
View from Mossy Bank - Village is Bath,NY
An interesting picture
The calm after a storm
Blue skies
You get to guess what this is
A lonely plant in a field

Birthday Celebration

2007-08-21T11:17:00.000-05:00

This past weekend I spent my birthday with a special family who took me here to dinner:

They had Mickey and the "Fat Man" sing me happy birthday.

Since I don't eat birthday cake, I got coffee with whipped creme; I'm not sure what function the straws played, but it was interesting to see them holding my whipped creme.

So who were these special people that treated me to a wonderful outing on my birthday: the Kelloggs. Thanks for the fun time. I had a blast!!