Chopped, Project Runway and Fences

This was my view as I sat in Andrew and Taylor's house working on their scrapbook.  You are looking through their Savannah room (aka screened-in back porch) out to their back yard.  Their yard backs up to green space.  As I sat here for a few days and savored the view, I pondered life with a fence or without.

When my mother was living and able she would often come and stay two weeks at a time with us.  She usually came with an agenda for how she wanted to help me.  She would dust all my ceiling fans and base boards or take care of all the laundry for two weeks.  On several occasions she mended everything in my mending pile.  For every visit she would bathe the children and put all manner of baby powder on them.  She even had special towels that she bought, I think they were called bath sheets, so she could get powder on the grandchild and then cover them all up to get them warm.

She set a high bar for visiting motherness and grandmotherness.

Because of my back I will not be able to follow exactly in her footsteps.  Sometimes that makes me sad.

Limitations- I don't like them.

As I sat looking at the beautifulness of A and T's backyard, I realized that the fence next door is really beautiful also.  It limits some of the view but there is protection there too.  I can't see into the backyard next door, there could be a wonderful junglegym or swingset or a tent or a picnic table with a party going on.

What am I going to do with my limitations?   I need to stop banging up against the beautiful fence and stop and see the beauty around me.  I need to take stock of all that I have been given and not complain about what I don't have or can't do.

There is a TV show on the Food Channel called Chopped.  The contestants are given a basket with four, usually unusual, ingredients.  They must cook a meal using their four ingredients in a limited amount of time.  They also have a well stocked pantry at their disposal.  It is interesting to watch the thinking process of the contestants, some get panicked, some know about their ingredients, some know similar ingredients and some when they don't know what to do they make excuses.

The series Project Runway also reminds me of Chopped but with clothes designers.  They are given limitations with their garments and we watch to see what will they be able to produce.

I think we like these shows is because they, to a point, mirror life.  We are all given limitations- health, money, jobs, surroundings, singleness, rough marriage, family that doesn't get along, and the list can go on and on and on.

What are you going to do with your limitations?   We all have them!  Some folks don't think so.  They are quick to tell you about theirs but don't believe you when you say you have them too. The people I enjoy the most don't complain about theirs all the time.  Sometimes we need to share our struggles but just not all the time!

One antidote for our limitations I am realizing more and more is gratitude. When I stop and realize all that I do have then I get my eyes off of what I think I don't have. Kaitlin and I were talking about our limitations and she was struck with the story in Acts 16 about Paul and Silas.  They were in jail, they had unwashed wounds from being beaten, their feet were in stocks, I mean talk about some limitations and yet what were they doing...singing hymns and praying. Wow!  God the creator can use our limitations to bring salvation to others.

 Count your blessings, name them one by one!  I am thankful for so many things

My Salvation
My husband-he is amazing
My children that I birthed and others that are in and have been in our nest
My friends
My back- I am having to be like the designers on Project Runway working with my limitations and what am I going to produce?  Do I want you to say oh yea, Ellen, she had the back problem or Oh Ellen, didn't she embrace life?!?

Here's to embracing life- go make something beautiful today!

I saw God at the bank today.

I got yelled out this week.

I don't like getting yelled at.

I was setting up some details for a meeting and I didn't do what someone wanted. Now, mind you, I didn't know what they wanted. There was a phone call and lots of anger directed at me. The nerve of me for not knowing.

I was undone.

God is so awesome. He surrounded me with a loving family that loved on me. He gave a Godly husband that gave wise counsel and He sent me to the bank.

The bank you are asking?

At the bank the next day, I walked in. I usually use the drive through window but needed to go inside to get a few forms. As I was visiting with Brandi and DeeDee, a man used the drive through window. He wanted to cash a check made out to him and two other people. The bank couldn't cash it because all of said folks had not signed the check. To say the man at the window was upset would be an understatement. He was MAD! He asked the sweet teller if she knew how much money he had in the bank and a few other choice questions about his account. She responded with " Sir, I am sorry" to each of his stupid questions. In my opinion, he was a jack*@^. He left skid marks as he drove away.

I was standing there dumbfounded. The sweet teller calmly went back with her normal tasks. I told how sorry I was that she got yelled at and she said "Our wonderful customers more than make up for the others."

I, again, was dumbfounded.

Things I learned:

I need to not dwell on the yelling person but on all the wonderful folks who are helping with the meeting and not only helping but doing over and above.

I am thanking God that I don't have folks yelling at me everyday.

I also need to write a 'good' letter to my bank and let them know that they have an amazing employee at my branch.

I was also convicted with the thought- in my life am I the sweet teller or do I leave skid marks on folks?

What did you really mean to say?

I read Abraham Piper's blog daily. I was humbled by this post on miscommunication.

Pain is Interesting

In February of this year I was diagnosed with arthritis in my spine. This is causing spinal canal stenosis . This is a narrowing of the canal. It is in my lower back at L4 andL5 and S1. The manifestation of this is after 15 or 20 minutes of standing or walking my left leg begins going numb just behind my knee. Shortly, this gives way to pain that is intense. I have to sit down. As soon as I sit the facets in my spine open enough to relive the pressure and the pain slowly fades away. After about 15 minutes I have rested enough to go again.

I have learned some interestings things about myself and my environment. I am much more tolerant of those carts in walmart and kroger where the folks drive them around knowing that one day I may be in one. Also, that just because folks are in them doesn't mean they can't walk, it may mean they can't walk for long.

I have learned where all the benches are in Walmart and Kroger. I plan to write them both a letter and suggest they may need a few more if they want me to shop longer.

I am learning all I can do sitting down - read, scrapbook, visit on the computer, blog, write letters, drive, eat lunch with friends, cook with the help of a tall stool,

I do miss the feeling of exercising. I plan to try walking at the athletic club for 15 minute jaunts. I have even read that these shorts bursts are good for you.

My friend, Darrell, spoke at a recent youth retreat on Heaven. He said that Joni Ericson Tada
said that when she gets to Heaven she wants to knit and looks forward to having use of her hands. That really made me realize what I do have and all I can do.