Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Real Life

 You find  true  joy and happiness  when you give and give and give and go on giving and never  count the  cost........... ( Ellen Caddy)

Well,  holidays  are  long  over,  and  it has been  back to the real world  for the past few weeks,  one thing I hate about going on holiday  is the  197 emails  when  I get back to the office, that  have  to be  answered  and actioned,  and the in tray  that would put the leaning tower  of Pisa to  shame...........  it  is  like  when I am gone  all the  queries  slither  out of the wood work  and breed on my desk,  it is  almost like a conspiracy theory ...... paper  versus  the  empty  in tray.............. and the paper  wins............   so  to catch  up  I  have  to put in  some  serious  effort,  hence  the length of time between  my blogs......    and then .........
my eldest  daughter  has  decided  that a half hour at the gym each night  is no longer  sufficient  so now  we have an  hour each  night  and  as  I type  this, my body  is  so  stiff  that  I  am convinced  that rigor mortis has set in........  can that happen  when  you  are  still alive............ I think i am  witness to the fact that it can.
it  was  great  to go to Sunday service  again,  we are doing a sermon series  on fasting, and I really miss the  fellowship when  I don't  get  to church  when  I am away , I  was so happy when my  minister  said  he wanted  a chat with me...........  I was convinced  that he had  missed  me  and  wanted  to wish  me all the best  for the new year.................  he  asked me  to do the evening  service  on  Sunday evening as he was going away.  For me it was amazing,  I think it was one of my best messages  ever,  and I ended with a challenge  to everyone,  that  we all had to think  and  talk  only positive  thoughts  for an entire  day,  but if you had a great day because  of it,   then  you had  to do it for an entire  week.   Try  it............  not one single  negative  thought  or word  for a week................
My youngest  daughter  is  back at  school after  the long  summer  holiday,  she is   now  in her  final  year  at  school  so next year  is  university,  it was  just  like  yesterday  that  she  was born, and now  she  will soon be  a  young  woman  out on her  own......she was  elected  deputy  head  girl  at her  school,  so she  too has a whole  load  of extra  responsibilities,  are you ever  too busy............
On Friday  I am going to a funeral,  Billy  a  friend  from  work  passed  away  on Monday  morning,  what a shock although he has been sick  for a while,  you don't really ever face the possiblity  of  death.......  gone forever.............. it makes  me realise  just how  precious  life  is  and at the end of the day,  it is not about the worldly stuff, who has the biggest  car,  or  nicest  house,  or  better  job,  clever children,  pretty daughters  or  handsome sons, it is  all about  who you  are,  and  what  you  are,  it is about  honesty,  integrity, it is about being  the  bigger  person.......
  This is the bible  verse that has  been  laid  on my heart for this  year,  I just  know  that the pain of  2010  is  gone,  and  2011  is going to be an absolutely amazing  year for me ............

16 comments:

  1. Hi, Karen~
    I'm so sorry to hear about your friend. Yes, life is precious, and so often we take it for granted.
    I chose that very same verse for my New Year's post! :)

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  2. Amen to that verse. My wishes for you for 2011. :)

    Really nice challenge. Wow. If we could train our brains to bring forth joy instead of worry and dislikes...

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  3. Karen, I am so sorry to hear about your friend. It is true what you say, life makes a way through everything. I am glad though that you are back here and I have been meaning to write you a letter soon given that I have been holding up our coffee time. This sunday, i will. love.

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  4. You are right....you get punished for going on vacation with all the work your come back to!! And yes, I think rigor mortis CAN set in to exercising females!! Ha! And... no, I don't think I can get throught24 hours without thinking one bad thought...but my sister can!!! She is such a good person, I am convinced that she thinks no wrong...ever!
    I'm sorry to hear about your friend and again, your are right...it's all about how you live your life! (I'd better be trying harder not to think a bad thought, huh???)

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  5. I am going to try to be positive all day tomorrow. After all, I've spent more than my fair share of days being negative.
    Thank you for this inspiring post!

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  6. I often think of myself as a positive person, then when you mentioned the challenge I thought "really? all day? all week? could I?" I'm going to give it a try...Glad you're back and I think you look so good from those vacation pics that now doing a whole hour will just put you over that beauty edge! Then we'll all be so jealous of you! You will have a great 2011...see, I can be positive!

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  7. I'm so sorry about your friend!

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  8. how very lovely to meet you...all the way in south africa...i will enjoy reading you blog! love the quote on giving and giving...

    i had film maker jon blair as a prof...he is from south africa...lovely bloke! i am a distant relative of the missionary/explorer david livingstone...victoria falls must be lovely!
    Cheers! Jennifer aka gigi

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  9. Hi Karen...thanks for stopping by to visit my blog...the lady that is caregiver to my father in law is from Africa..Kenya...nice to meet another person from Africa..

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  10. Love that verse!

    I love the positive thoughts, too. It does us absolutely no good to wallow in negativity. Faith doesn't live there. Faith is the substance of things hoped for. Last time I checked, hope doesn't grow in negative thoughts. ;)

    Great post!

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  11. Hello Karen,
    Thank you for your sweet comments and for stopping by to visit. A new friend!
    Not ONE negative thought or word for a WEEK? Now, there is a challenge! shew! ;-)
    I love that scripture that you ended with, too.
    Hugs, Cheryl

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  12. Karen,
    I have just enjoyed reading posts covering a couple of months, and you have had such an amazing time seeing so many things, and having such interesting experiences! Your photos were so amazing.
    Back to real life can be difficult to adjust to, it is true, and then having a friend pass away, and a funeral to attend. That is hard. I'm so sorry.
    I do so appreciate your positive outlook on 2011, and your verse is one of my absolute favorites. Placing myself in God's Hands and truly trusting that He Is In Control of Everything--He Is Sovereign--is something I've been thinking a lot about (and writing a little about). May you have an amazing year growing closer and closer to Him, knowing and loving Him more and more and more.
    Thanks for visiting my blog and commenting. It means a lot to me!
    Blessings,
    Wendy

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  13. Karen
    I just lost the last comment so here goes another try.
    Sorry to hear about your friend passing away. It does make us think doesn't it.
    I am sorry but I had to laugh about your rigor mortis setting in on you. An hour in a gym would do that to me for sure. hahaha
    I needed to read this post before my days with my new sister in law. It would of saved me some heartache.
    What a true blessing you are in my life and I so thank God for him connnecting us even if it is long distance.
    Take care my friend. I know it is hard to take a vacation and then come back to so much paper work.
    Sending blessings to you
    Love
    Maggie

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  14. Karen,
    I'm sorry. It always hurts to lose a friend. That's another good thing about being positive; if you lose someone, you can feel encouraged that the last thing you said to him/her was uplifting and brought more joy than sorrow.
    I know how you feel about your daughter's last year at home. All three of mine are out of college now-two married and one home again after a couple of fledgling attempts at impossible jobs. Life keeps moving, but God's hands keep holding.

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  15. Thanks for coming by for a visit too,and I would love for you sit on my front porch and visit, I love the verse at the top of your page, That is is never to late for a new beginning. I like how positive that is. I also like your verse for 2011, I cling to that verse when life gets crazy and I can't see the next step.
    It is hard when our kids grow up. It is so hard to let them go.
    Blessings to you today.
    Kim

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  16. thanks for saying Hi!. alot is going on with you. i would have a tough time in a gym for one hour, best wishes. it's tough when a friend dies.My hospice volunteer work reminds me that life is so valuable and we need to reach out to people to love and help. the clock ticks and we never know when it will stop and life ends.take care, God Bless rose

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