Serving Christ for His Eternal Purposes

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:

1. Human hearts have a longing for permanence.  This longing is strained by change, by growth, by separation, and most critically death.
2. 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

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

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

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

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

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:

1. A friend or family member that has a broken leg;


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


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


4. 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!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.