I love the emotions that surface by listening to music. Certain words paired with certain musical notes can make you laugh, cry, rage, or relax. Why is it so powerful?
Just the other day, I cried over a song. The song was by a band name "Plumb" - the title, "In My Arms". The music is about a mother telling her child that no matter what life throws at him, he could always find safety in her arms.
I hadn't thought of my mom for a little while. She passed away thirteen years ago. Before that time, I knew I could always turn to my mom in times of need. When she died, I thought someone had played a cruel joke on me. For twenty years she had protected me from life's storms. Suddenly, she was gone and I was left exposed.
I understand now, what I thought was a cruel joke, was actually one of life's lessons I needed to learn. I now see my father offering me the same shelter. I never saw it before. He was "The Man" of the house who made the money and enforced the rules.
Now I realize he too had always been there offering comfort and safety in his own quiet, loving way. My relationship with him has grown and strengthened so much over the passing years. I know now that I can always turn to him any time and feel his love.
My wonderful father has given me insight to who God is. He gives me instructions on what is right and lays out the right path to take. However, when I stray from that path, He patiently waits with open arms for me to return.
And to think, all this stemmed from listening to a song...
I love you, Dad!!!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Cubicle Revealed
In my readings, I am learning about becoming a better writer. One of the suggested activities was to take a look around my house or office space, describe what I saw, and then write what these things say about the type of person I am. I chose my cubicle. My room was too messy to describe...
Here is a list of personal items in my cubicle: two small plants, a Northwest Nazarene University mug, a Magic 8 Ball, family pictures, the Olympic motto, and a pen drawing of my hand. The rest is all work related items. My cubicle is a pretty good size, and yes, I do have a lot of empty space in it. So, what does all this say about me?
Here is my answer (an maybe you have a few insights you would like to add). My plants give me a small reminder of the beauty that lies outside of work. I loved being a delivery driver just for the fact of all the wonderful natural things I saw. Besides, these plants are ALIVE! For some reason, that brings me peace.
I am proud of my education that only took me 33 years to complete. I think it has also instilled in me a desire to continue learning. I feel dead when I'm not learning something new. To go along with that, my Magic 8 Ball shows a desire for answers. I want to know, and sometimes I have to remind myself that I need to ask for help when I don't know the answer. I think the Olympic Motto also fits into this group. The motto stands for always striving to be the best you can.
My family is a VERY important aspect of my life. They bring such joy and happiness to me. More importantly, they love me no matter what I do. I have countless memories of family reunions, camping trips, game nights, dinners, and just being a family. WONDERFUL MEMORIES!!! How did I get so lucky??? I love them SO much!
The pen drawing demonstrates the beauty that can be found within me. I cannot own this talent, because I feel it comes from God. Through art I feel a little divinity working its way through me and gives me a sense of something greater. For this reason, I love to draw.
Finally, I will focus on the empty space in my cubicle. What does that say about me? I don't like clutter? I have emptiness inside me? I'm a blank page? Or, am I afraid to display what is truly there? I would have to answer yes to all these questions. I like to keep things as simple as possible. Complications have a tendency to bring chaos. I flounder in chaos.
As for the emptiness, don't we all have a little dead space inside us? Mine comes from past mistakes, lost opportunities, and events that were beyond my control. I keep it around for a reason. Emptiness can be a very good teacher. Yes, it does make me sad, however, it has also helped me to become more understanding and a little more patient.
Fear has always held me back from my true desires. When I was little, I wanted to be an astronaut or an oceanographer. Then I was introduced to Calculus and Physics. SCARY! My fear of failing those two subjects kept me from my dreams of walking in space or diving in the deep blue sea. My fears can be so paralyzing.
As true as these answers may be to the question of empty space, I would rather see that empty space as future potential. I am taking baby steps to overcome my fears. I am working to fill that emptiness with understanding and love. I am working to bring out what lies cowering in the shadows of my soul.
The one thing I have learned through all my triumphs and failures is to KEEP ON STRIVING. I love the motto from the movie Galaxy Quest - "Never give up! Never surrender!" That is my motto. I may fall down. I may take a few steps backward. BUT, I will keep on trying.
Here is a list of personal items in my cubicle: two small plants, a Northwest Nazarene University mug, a Magic 8 Ball, family pictures, the Olympic motto, and a pen drawing of my hand. The rest is all work related items. My cubicle is a pretty good size, and yes, I do have a lot of empty space in it. So, what does all this say about me?
Here is my answer (an maybe you have a few insights you would like to add). My plants give me a small reminder of the beauty that lies outside of work. I loved being a delivery driver just for the fact of all the wonderful natural things I saw. Besides, these plants are ALIVE! For some reason, that brings me peace.
I am proud of my education that only took me 33 years to complete. I think it has also instilled in me a desire to continue learning. I feel dead when I'm not learning something new. To go along with that, my Magic 8 Ball shows a desire for answers. I want to know, and sometimes I have to remind myself that I need to ask for help when I don't know the answer. I think the Olympic Motto also fits into this group. The motto stands for always striving to be the best you can.
My family is a VERY important aspect of my life. They bring such joy and happiness to me. More importantly, they love me no matter what I do. I have countless memories of family reunions, camping trips, game nights, dinners, and just being a family. WONDERFUL MEMORIES!!! How did I get so lucky??? I love them SO much!
The pen drawing demonstrates the beauty that can be found within me. I cannot own this talent, because I feel it comes from God. Through art I feel a little divinity working its way through me and gives me a sense of something greater. For this reason, I love to draw.
Finally, I will focus on the empty space in my cubicle. What does that say about me? I don't like clutter? I have emptiness inside me? I'm a blank page? Or, am I afraid to display what is truly there? I would have to answer yes to all these questions. I like to keep things as simple as possible. Complications have a tendency to bring chaos. I flounder in chaos.
As for the emptiness, don't we all have a little dead space inside us? Mine comes from past mistakes, lost opportunities, and events that were beyond my control. I keep it around for a reason. Emptiness can be a very good teacher. Yes, it does make me sad, however, it has also helped me to become more understanding and a little more patient.
Fear has always held me back from my true desires. When I was little, I wanted to be an astronaut or an oceanographer. Then I was introduced to Calculus and Physics. SCARY! My fear of failing those two subjects kept me from my dreams of walking in space or diving in the deep blue sea. My fears can be so paralyzing.
As true as these answers may be to the question of empty space, I would rather see that empty space as future potential. I am taking baby steps to overcome my fears. I am working to fill that emptiness with understanding and love. I am working to bring out what lies cowering in the shadows of my soul.
The one thing I have learned through all my triumphs and failures is to KEEP ON STRIVING. I love the motto from the movie Galaxy Quest - "Never give up! Never surrender!" That is my motto. I may fall down. I may take a few steps backward. BUT, I will keep on trying.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Why Wander
Even though I have spent all but one year of my life in Idaho, I have always felt the urge to wander off. I'm not sure why. Even as a youngster, when our family would go on our summer camping trip I would have to wander off to explore my surroundings. Excitment can lie in the tiniest details.
Being my father's only daughter, my wandering tendencies have caused him more than just a little anxiety, I'm sure. As a teenager, after I was awarded my drivers license, I would take the car out for long drives whenever I could. I became well acquainted with the backroads of Eastern Idaho. I think I'm a wandering addict.
I blame this urge to wander on my ancestors. I mean, they did leave their homeland to wander half-way across the world to find peace and happiness. More recently, though, my grandma helped planted the wandering seed in me at an early age. Every summer, I would spend at least a week with my mother's mother, and she would take me and my brothers on long drives around the countryside. She told story after story of her life. It never got old for me. I loved it!
In college, once in a while my parents would lend me the family van to get around. I wandered off to quite a few new places including the Mud Lake snow goose migration route. Unfortunately, the snow goose migration was in the spring. In Rexburg, that means there are still snow drifts melting and muddy roads. The "family" van that is NOT four-wheel drive doesn't handle mud very well. Geese are migrating, I'm driving, mud is flying, one thing leads to another, and it takes a tractor to pull me out...
Now that I have moved away from home, I once again felt the desire to explore my new surroundings. My most memorable wandering was a four day road trip......alone..........witout telling anyone. Yes, I panicked my family to say the least, but MAN! I had a good time! My only regret was that no one was there to share in all the beautiful things I saw.
Now that I'm older and a teensy bit wiser, I only take short day trips around the area. I find myself turning more to books and my imagination to wander away. It's much safer, and people worry less about me. I am finding new and exciting places to wander off to, and I hope you will indulge me to share some of the treasures I find.
Being my father's only daughter, my wandering tendencies have caused him more than just a little anxiety, I'm sure. As a teenager, after I was awarded my drivers license, I would take the car out for long drives whenever I could. I became well acquainted with the backroads of Eastern Idaho. I think I'm a wandering addict.
I blame this urge to wander on my ancestors. I mean, they did leave their homeland to wander half-way across the world to find peace and happiness. More recently, though, my grandma helped planted the wandering seed in me at an early age. Every summer, I would spend at least a week with my mother's mother, and she would take me and my brothers on long drives around the countryside. She told story after story of her life. It never got old for me. I loved it!
In college, once in a while my parents would lend me the family van to get around. I wandered off to quite a few new places including the Mud Lake snow goose migration route. Unfortunately, the snow goose migration was in the spring. In Rexburg, that means there are still snow drifts melting and muddy roads. The "family" van that is NOT four-wheel drive doesn't handle mud very well. Geese are migrating, I'm driving, mud is flying, one thing leads to another, and it takes a tractor to pull me out...
Now that I have moved away from home, I once again felt the desire to explore my new surroundings. My most memorable wandering was a four day road trip......alone..........witout telling anyone. Yes, I panicked my family to say the least, but MAN! I had a good time! My only regret was that no one was there to share in all the beautiful things I saw.
Now that I'm older and a teensy bit wiser, I only take short day trips around the area. I find myself turning more to books and my imagination to wander away. It's much safer, and people worry less about me. I am finding new and exciting places to wander off to, and I hope you will indulge me to share some of the treasures I find.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Crime and Punishment
Whoever invented a treadmill with a TV on it deserves a place in heaven! Watching TV makes the time go by so much faster than mindlessly jogging in silence.
While jogging on the treadmill I managed to turn to the PBS World station. The show was a documentary about a small Pennsylvania town in the late 1800's that was completely destroyed when a dam broke.
One part of the show discussed certain thieves who cam through and robbed the dead bodies that had been buried in the rubble. The men of the town actually caught one of the thieves red-handed. They made him empty his pockets, and one of the items he stole was a young girl's ring that was still on her finger. He cut off the finger for the ring!
The men of the town were so infuriated that they immediately found some rope and promptly hung the man from the nearest tree branch. As the thief hung struggling for breath, the men aimed their rifles and shot at the criminal.
I can understand their anger and frustration at such a crime. However, I have to ask myself -- was this thief justly sentenced? Were the men of the town just as guilty of criminal activity? Does one wrong turn deserve another?
I ponder....
While jogging on the treadmill I managed to turn to the PBS World station. The show was a documentary about a small Pennsylvania town in the late 1800's that was completely destroyed when a dam broke.
One part of the show discussed certain thieves who cam through and robbed the dead bodies that had been buried in the rubble. The men of the town actually caught one of the thieves red-handed. They made him empty his pockets, and one of the items he stole was a young girl's ring that was still on her finger. He cut off the finger for the ring!
The men of the town were so infuriated that they immediately found some rope and promptly hung the man from the nearest tree branch. As the thief hung struggling for breath, the men aimed their rifles and shot at the criminal.
I can understand their anger and frustration at such a crime. However, I have to ask myself -- was this thief justly sentenced? Were the men of the town just as guilty of criminal activity? Does one wrong turn deserve another?
I ponder....
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