October 10, 2015
What a gorgeous day! Thank you, God, for such a precious gift. Even though I have been indoors for the most of today, I have so enjoyed the sunshine and deep blue sky when I looked out my windows.
I woke up early this morning to set up a table to advertise what we do at Grace Baptist Church, here in Lexington on Bryant Ave., where they were hosting a health fair. I wish more churches would do that for their members and their surrounding neighborhoods. People don’t know what they need to know to age well until something happens and they are forced to make decisions, but because they have not been educated, they do not have the knowledge they need to make good decisions. Our outreach director, my son Jacob, came and took over for me so I could go to do some community service at Sayre Christian Village’s Friendship Towers (as part of my church’s effort to serve), where they were having a party of sorts: breakfast, manicures, piano playing, board and card games. I played a good game of Scrabble with two other ladies and the son of one of the ladies. Others came by and gave us suggestions for words. The son and I tied scores and the other ladies were second and third. We have played Scrabble quite a bit here at the club, so I kept score and shared the rules. Having a father who has always been such a big Scrabble fan helped with knowing the rules, as well.
Yesterday I sat at a table to advertise what we do at the Kentucky Guardianship Association Conference in Frankfort. I hope those guardians (lawyers and social workers) try to keep people (seniors) in their homes and communities instead of putting them in nursing homes.
Every day I am more convinced that service to others is the way to live a happy and healthy life. {International Standard Version Whoever tries to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it. } the scripture says. I always thought that meant that we should not focus on living this life instead of focusing on God because it is temporary but rather focus on God and when we die, we will live forever with God. But as I was listening to Christian radio on my way to the clubhouse earlier this week, the commentator said it meant that you enrich your life when you focus on serving others, but when you focus on yourself and making yourself happy, you are living a hollow and empty life. In other words, don’t think about what pleases yourself, but think of what will please others and then do it. You ‘lose’ your life to others as you serve them. I did enjoy teaching because I truly did feel as if I was giving myself up to those students everyday. And the same for motherhood. Their needs totally before my own. It was an effort just to be able to go to the bathroom for twenty five years while raising my sons and teaching.
But here I am in an administrative role and therefore I am busy with computers and spreadsheets for a large part of my time. I know this is necessary and a form of service….and yet sometimes I wonder if I shouldn’t be doing more up close and personal service. I am going to pray for guidance there. Don’t see now how to get the necessary accomplished and still have time for the up close and personal.
May you and yours have a ‘thoroughly saturated with blessings’ week!
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