What I learned in 2010...

“This has been a hard year”… I’ve said that alot this year and I’ve heard it said back to me by many people I know.  By all accounts, it wasn’t the BEST of years.  When your town experiences a “1000 yr. flood”, you know that things got kinda screwy to put it mildly.  No, our house did not flood.  Thankfully the hill we live on (that Mike has quietly cursed under his breath as he attempts to mow it every summer) saved our little house.  Unfortunately our neighbors weren’t so lucky.  Many folks we know lost everything.  But through the tragedy, we got to see the BEST in people come out all around us.  It was truly amazing and inspiring to watch strangers helping strangers , neighbors helping neighbors.   There were some beautiful moments through the “ugly” around us.

 However, our town is still recovering.  Many are still not in their homes.  Many businesses have never re-opened their doors.  Opry Mills Mall, which was a HUGE tourist attraction here in Nashville is still closed and there doesn’t appear to be a “re-open” date.  Bummer.   I read a report that stated that when an area goes through something as tramatic as our May floods, for months after the event, there will be emotional repercussions.  I believe it.  It seems this year has been filled with more sickness, relationship breakups, emotional breakdowns, and stress induced problems than I’ve ever seen among my friends and colleagues.  And that says alot considering I hang out with a bunch of musicians!!  LOL  

I felt quite a bit of loss this year too.  I went to more funerals this year than I had gone to in my whole life combined before 2010.  From a sweet little baby who only lived for 7 hrs., to a brave girl who fought cancer with all she had, and two sweet guys who struggled with demons for years that finally over-took them.   It became apparent to me that death does not hang around nursing homes, choosing who it takes next.  No, not one single funeral that I went to this year was anyone who was elderly.   They were all young, deserving of more time on this earth.  So sad…..

This is the time of year where I always look back on the previous months, trying to evaluate if I actually accomplished anything or made a difference in any way.  Then I try to take any lessons learned and look forward to the future with a renewed sense of energy and hopefully a little more wisdom. 

Anyway…. Here are a few things that I learned in 2010.  Some are big and some are little, but they were all new revelations to me. 

TOP TEN THINGS I LEARNED IN 2010:

1.    Remodeling a kitchen takes MUCH longer than they lead you to believe on HGTV.

2.    Homeopathic remedies really DO work.

3.    Autumn is the best time of the year to go to Disneyworld.

4.    There IS a difference in face creams, and I LOVE “Hope in a Jar” by Philosophy.  I’ve also become a big fan of Microderm Abrasions.  Check out Bellevue Medi-spa for a great one!!

5.    Living a successful life is good… but living a significant life is even better.  And yes, there is a BIG difference!

6.    All the Drano, Liquid Plummer and Bleach in the world cannot really unclog pipes that are 50 years old under my house.  They are clogged forever.  It’s just time to get new pipes.

7.    Getting older really isn’t a bad thing.

8.  Plain old white table sugar, mixed with my favorite facial cleanser  

     is the best exfoliant there is for my face.  I have spent a TON of 

     money on expensive exfoliants, and NONE do as good a job as

sugar…… Plain Ol’ Sugar.

     9.  Going someplace where the weather is still COLD is not a great   

          idea for your spring break vacation.

                                                AND

   10.  Starting each day with prayer and bible study, and ending each  

         day with praise and thanksgiving makes my life much more

         peaceful and joyful!

I’m sure I learned many more things in 2010, but those are just a few that come to mind off the top of my head. 

What did YOU learn in 2010?

Jingle Bells....

Some Christmas Jammin'.....

Merry Christmas everyone!!

..... From our family to yours!

Today, I'm a thief....

I was about to sit down and write a blog this morning, but before I started writing I checked my email and I got a beautiful letter from my friend Melissa Irwin.  It conveyed my sentiments today exactly, so today I'm going to be a thief and steal her words for my blog.  Here is what she said:

"Tis the season to be jolly!  And yet this season leaves a lot of our fellow man singing the blues.  Foreclosures are still big news, as are unemployment, deaths of our troops, and the current political battles over taxes.  Let's be honest, sometimes it is just flat out impossible to be jolly.  The best way to improve our lives is to focus inward.  I believe we create peace when we seek it.  And I believe that joy is a choice, no matter what circumstances we may be facing.

In the past few weeks, my blog, my facebook page and my inbox have been filled with prayer requests.  I've carried a lot in my heart lately and lifted up numerous prayers....ranging from relationships between mothers and daughters, sicknesses, surgeries, sons on the front line in Afghanistan, sudden job losses, deaths, and news of betrayals.  This morning my children and I decorated our Christmas tree and as I sit here in my home office and smell the fresh sappy pine, I just cannot help but think of the people I know today who are fresh out of jolly.  I'm reminded of the season, and the reason.  If you celebrate Christmas you already know that the birth of Christ ushered in a season of hope.  Where would we be without hope?  So....if you cannot find your jolly today, my prayer is you will latch on to the hope ~ and hang on for dear life.

If you are jolly today, my encouragement to you is to spread it around.  Pour it out like syrup all over someone else.  Sticky sweet is a.o.k. and totally acceptable this time of year."

If you are a blog reader, do yourself a favor and add Melissa's blog http://untilthejasperwalls.blogspot.com/ to your reading list.  I promise you that you will laugh, cry and be totally blessed with what this amazing woman has to say!!

Gotta head now to the grocery store.... they are predicting a WHOLE INCH of snow here tomorrow, so I gotta stock up on milk, eggs and bread!   (Why do we all feel the need to make sure we have ingredients to make french toast every time it snows?)  Oh well...  Happy Holidays everyone!

Ecclesiastes 3:1

 “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven…”  -- Ecclesiates 3:1

That verse was in my inbox this morning and this commentary was attached:  “We are a driven culture. It seems that we want to achieve everything by yesterday! Some people may say that this is a good thing, but it seems we are perpetually tired and lack the margin to enjoy life. Solomon shows us that this is not unique to our culture. To understand the season that we are in can help us say no to many good things that are not appropriate at that particular time. May God give us the wisdom of Solomon, who knew how to focus on the right things in the right season.”

That hit me like a ton of bricks.  I DO feel “perpetually tired” and it seems that I hear most of my friends complaining of that same thing.  I’ve had 2 different friends recently tell me that they are just going to ask their doctor to put them on anti-depressants, because it seems everyone they know is on one and maybe it will help them feel better.  It’s disturbing to me how many people are on anti-depressants these days.  Don’t get me wrong… I KNOW that some people genuinely need those types of medications, but it seems the MAJORITY of people I know are on some sort of anti-anxiety or anti-depression medication.  What is that saying about our society???   What it says to me is that everyone is feeling incredible pressure these days.   The over-achieving culture we live in makes us feel like we can’t ever say “No” to any opportunity because we might miss out on something BIG if we do.  We chase every little thing that comes our way until we get pulled into so many different directions that we don’t even know which way we initially meant to go!  We get off track.  We get lost.  We get confused, tired, frustrated and depressed. 

My prayer for all of us this Christmas season is that we can step back from the “chase” for a moment and look around at our priorities.  That we can accurately evaluate what “season" we are in and that we can make better choices for ourselves and our families.  That we can leave enough “margin to enjoy life” and we can all end 2010 with some calm, peace and joy. 

Have a blessed week everyone!!