Blonder than I pay for

I did hear this phrase through another fellow blonde so I can't get credit for coming up with it. However, an incident that occurred yesterday, proves that these moments are just destined to happen. I had been walking at Memorial Park with everyone and their dog (literally!) in Houston. The weather was a treat so all the exercisers were out in full force. Unless I have a walking buddy, I really don't prefer to be amongst the masses but instead to be in a more serene setting. Yet I had an evening small group near the park so I took the plunge.

After finishing a walk, I merged into a mass of cars trying to get out of the park. I couldn't believe the traffic as it inched along~ 10, 15 minutes. As I neared the light to turn onto the main road, I fiddled with my key in the ignition because I had taken it off my keychain and my car died. Now, might I add that I have been having a lot of car problems in the last few months. I have spent the sum total of what would have been a cruise to Greece on repairs. By the way, if you've been on a cruise of the Greek islands and want to share your experience, I'm all ears to live through you.

Honk. More Honking. Many irritated drivers trying to get around me. To which I think, "Do you not see my hazards?" I am attempting to restart my car with no luck. I alternate between panic and the thought that, "Well, I knew it was just a matter of time." I make a vow to join Triple A. I make a vow to begin working for a for-profit company and buy a new car. I make a vow to marry a husband who has a heart for me to have a new car. I make several phone calls to friends, one who gives me the number to roadside assistance. This call leads to multiple other calls to get to a wrecker service. The wrecker guy is kinda cranky and I am not enjoying the dialogue when a man comes up to my door.

This guy asks me if I need any help or a jump. As a smart car girl, I tell him it's not my battery. I invite him to take a look and see what he might figure out. Soon after I climb out of the seat, the ignition on my car starts. I am delighted and wonder what magic he may have worked. The guy announces that my car was in drive and that's why it wouldn't start. Blonder than I pay for moment. I must say, though, at this point, I was just glad I didn't have to pay $100 plus in towing. In my blonde defense, the car did die while in drive. As if it should matter what gear it's in?!?!

Alas, my car has had a couple of times it threatened not to start this week even after this incident. Despite my previous attempts to take it to the repair shop which cannot seem to get it to act up in the same way. Life is like that. Sometimes I'm stuck in a behavior or pattern or attitude that I just can't seem to move forward. I need to get out of the driver's seat and ask God to provide wisdom and deliverance so that I can keep movin' toward my destination.

Calling all spa sisters

As a kindred sister to those who enjoy visiting face to face, I feel it is my utmost obligation to let you know about special pampering opportunities that arise from time to time. Did you know that this week is national spa week? I adore the person who came up with the idea. I first heard about such a thing when I was traveling to Mayo Clinic in Arizona a few years ago. As I mentioned, I've have a difficult combination of health struggles and sought out the expertise of the practitioners at the clinic.

OOOh and while I'm on the memory, it happened that I gathered about a half dozen friends to call out to God during what I called "Pray the Symptom Away" Day. I have an unresolved, longstanding symptom involving my muscles and ligaments. At the end of that day, my uncle called me out of the blue to see how my recovery was going and through that conversation, the door opened for me to receive input at Mayo Clinic.

Just a side note that calling others to pray can really make your day. Back to pampering. I was looking into going to the spa while my mom and me were there. That's when I discovered national spa week. It was going on the very week we were in Phoenix. I felt this would be a delight in the midst of blood being drawn, tests being run and needles injecting various places. The bottom line of national spa week is that select treatments at participating spas are $50. Check out spaweek.com. This is the real spa experience sisters. I've been to the "massage schools", etc. and they have their time and place. However, there's nothing like the real deal. May your pampering dreams be realized to a greater degree.

Pressing Pause at a Haven

Top 5 reasons to press "pause" in life:
1) the grass is greener at times on this side of life (and there's more of it!)
2) sitting in a rocker at sunset on the porch lends itself to reflection
3) freedom from key boards, traffic and "to do's"
4) pressing the "play" button is something that will always be there
5) having breakfast made is the best way to start the day

Hey friends, I often say that I have the spiritual gift of vacationing. It brings out the best in me. I just need a budget to support it! I just returned last week for a bit of a respite in the hill country. I visited with my faith filled friend in San Antonio as she reunited the women who studied Capture My Heart, Lord this summer. These women are such an inspiration in their desire to pursue the Lord and their cheerleading my effort in writing the study. Needless to say, time with these sisters did my heart good!

From there I went to Comfort, TX to enjoy R & R at the Haven River Inn (pictured above) with a kindred sister who serves with Campus Crusade for Christ in Austin. This place truly is a haven with a pool, rolling hills and river nearby. Soak in these sites:

I came upon two sites that spoke to me about roots. Roots are more than where we are from. They also are where we are going deep so that we have the sanity, strength and wisdom to prosper through daily challenges that come our way. Sneak a peek at the difference:

The first tree's roots did not withstand the storms. The second tree is gracefully flourishing because it's roots are deep and being nourished. Are we tending to our roots? And I don't mean hair color although that's on my calendar every now and then. And might I add does contribute to my "hair do" sanity. Pressing "pause" with the Creator of life, whether for a few minutes, hours or days, tends to our roots. "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers." Psalm 1:1-3