Inspiration....

Last week a friend told me that I inspired her to start a blog.  Color me happy!  Who doesn't want to be an inspirer?  Last night Joe Henry was studying for a quiz in his honors history class.  He was, admittedly, struggling to concentrate and absorb what he was reading.  It was clear he needed some inspiration but my attempt to be an "inspirer" fell short, well okay, it flat-out failed.  Last night I learned there is a fine line between inspiring and irritating.  Anyway, lately I've been thinking about inspiration and how it happens.

I remember a conversation I had with my sister a few years ago about the role and responsibility we have as Christians to share our faith, and influence people to consider Christ.  My sister is a theologian.  She can discuss the bible, and its teachings, with anyone and not feel the least bit intimidated.  Yet, I struggle being bold when it comes to sharing my faith.  Some people have a hard time believing me when I say that I'm shy and a little introverted, but it's true.  When I was young I had a speech impediment.  Kids would make fun of the way I talked, so I simply didn't talk.  I still hold onto some of those insecurities that were a part of my childhood.  Anyway, my sister, knowing this about me told me she feels one of the best ways to share your faith is to live your life in a way that makes other people want to seek what it is that inspires you.  There it is again, the "I" word.

Inspiration is a lot like faith: you can't see it, but it's undeniably real.  You can't touch it, but you can feel it.  It can be very powerful, but its impact is difficult, maybe even impossible, to measure.  Chances are you've wielded inspiration all over the place at different times throughout your life, but like the greatest people I've known, you may never realize the impact you've had on lives.

I'll end this entry by saying "thank you" to all of you that aspire to be an inspirer  because the more the merrier!  Power-on and try to, in the words of Mimi Meredith, grow some goodness.

Thanks for checking in.....

Time flies when you're having fun.....

Today was picture day at Hutch High which required me to fill out a form and write a check to Lifetouch.  As I was managing that task it hit me that this would be the last time I order school pictures.  I’ve been ordering school pictures and writing checks to Lifetouch since 1991! 

When Charlotte started kindergarten at Morgan Elementary, Elizabeth was just three.  It’s hard to remember a time when we weren’t a family of six but it was just Tad and “his girls” back then.  By the time the boys came along I was fairly certain I would be at Morgan Elementary for the rest of my life!  Okay, I was only there for 17 years and it didn’t even set the record but, still…

Joe Henry is a junior in high school but days like today remind me that the day is coming when Tad and I will have an “empty nest”.  Those words sound kind of dirty to me, EMPTY NEST.   I’m not sure I’m ready for the time when it’s just me and Tad and if he had agreed to six kids we would not even be thinking about it yet.  Actually, I started to rethink having six when Tad exclaimed, “the balance of power has been restored” after the doctor told us we had another boy.  To tell you the truth, when I held Joe Henry for the first time I realized what being “complete” felt like, I’ve never looked back.

Time keeps marching on and I’m older than I’ve ever been.  As hard as it is to adjust to changes (kids leaving for college, my father’s passing, a daughter getting married) I find myself loving this aging process.  I’m experiencing the understanding of a wisdom I never knew before and it’s made me less anxious and more comfortable with who and where I am in my life.   I've come to realize that life lessons are more often than not blessings that help me grow and when things seem to be going in the very wrong direction it usually turns out to be exactly right in retrospect.  And sometimes in the midst of my frustration or worries I find the answers or insight that I need.  All in all, I'm loving life, I'm loving my life.

Thanks for tuning in.....

Blogging outside the box...

I find it hard to believe two months have passed since I last checked in.  Time is an amazing thing, it can't be controlled no matter the advances in technology or science, it just keeps going at it's steady pace forward. 

To those of you who have asked me to start blogging again, I appreciate your wanting to hear more from me and I believe I will take you up on the requests, thank you. 

When I think of blogs, I think of food blogs, garden blogs, vacation blogs and decorating blogs.  This blog won't fall under any of those categories, well maybe from time to time I'll share a recipe or a home project but for the most part it will be a nondescript, run-of-the-mill blog so to speak. 

Stay tuned.....


 

Cocooning

I've pretty much cocooned since I returned.  I thought I'd get a good nights sleep and that would be all I needed to feel rested and back to normal.  Wrong.  I really didn't sleep very well when I was away and it has taken me a little longer than I thought to make up for it. 

Tomorrow Tad, Joe, Savannah and I are going to Newton to have dinner with Charlie and Rob and then on Friday I will head to Southeast Kansas to pick up Ted from the camp he worked at this summer.  The camp is so close to Oklahoma that we decided to drive on to visit Aunt Mo, Brock, Mitch and Noei.  I'm picking Charlie up in Newton on my way to get Ted so half the fam will be together.

Sandrine is still in Rabat and she has kept me posted on what is happening at the orphanage.  She is the only volunteer at the orphanage this week and that means she has been very busy.  Three new volunteers will arrive on Saturday and start work on Monday.  Sanddrine will leave Saturday morning for Italy where she will spend a week sightseeing before returning to Canada.  

The first few days I was back I thought our house was so cold but the thermostat was set at the usual temperature.  I guess I was just adjusting to having air conditioning again.  We ordered pizza for dinner on Tuesday and grilled burgers tonight and it was so delicious!  The Moroccan food was alright but nothing beats a good old American burger! 

Sandrine is suppose to send me pictures of the orphanage so I can post some but with the sketchy internet connection she said she would probably wait until she gets back home to send them so it will be another week.

JFK, OMG

I am back in the USA!  I'm at JFK right now enjoying a 15 1/2 hour layover.  Actually our flight was late so the layover is only going to be 14 hours.

I just checked the stats on my blog and I had over 1100 hits while I was in Africa!   Kind of feel like I was caught singing when I didn't think anyone was listening.... except a few who love me enough not to care how I "sing".  Anyway, thank you to all of you that read the blog, I'm glad you did.

To my great friends and amazing family:  I loved finding comments from you and to those of you who couldn't figure out how to post a comment, thanks for the emails but most of all thank you for all you do for me, the support, encouragement and love.

I can't wait to be home!

Starting to pack

I remember the exact moment the idea to do this was born.  I was driving to work and that Matthew West song, "My Own Little World" came on the radio.  The words are something like this:
In my own little world it hardly ever rains, I never go hungry and I always feel safe.  I've got money in my pocket, shoes on my feet.  In my own little world, population me.  What if there's a bigger picture, what if I'm missing out.  What if there's a greater purpose I could be living right now.
My friend Todd was actually the first person I mentioned doing something like this to when he stopped by my desk that morning.  Shortly after that Tad asked me what I wanted to do for my 50th birthday and I told him I wanted to go somewhere and do something outside my comfort zone..... mission: accomplished!

I never thought I would be here for over two weeks and at the end of that two weeks struggle with the thought of leaving.  I am more than ready to see my family and be able to talk on the phone with them, sleep in my own bed and enjoy air conditioning again but I am going to miss this place and these people more than I ever could have imagined.  

It's the middle of the night here, very quiet, just me and my computer  and I still can't come up with any words to describe how I feel about everything that I've seen and experienced here.  I think I need to be further away from it, emotionally and geographically, before I can attempt to do this experience justice.

I've met great people.....

 Ashley

and Sandrine 

 ....to name a few and I have learned that enlightenment can come from the most unlikely people.

Two days in one post

I am so happy to have internet tonight! It was working fine last evening until I signed into my blog.   My big news from yesterday is that the orphanage said it would be okay if we bring our cameras for some pictures.  We can't take any pictures inside but we can take them outside but only with the staff.  It's better than nothing. It was a good day yesterday, we had a lot of fun.  We played music and danced and sang with the kids.  I am not good at either of those activities but no one seemed to mind. 

So we took our cameras today to get some pictures.  Actually, I didn't take mine because someone accidentally set something down on it and broke the screen and I can no longer see what I'm photographing. 
Sandrine took her camera and I will download the pictures onto my computer before I leave.

One thing that has been really hard for me while I've been here is that if we see something that seems wrong or unfair at the orphanage we can't say anything.  We were told about an incident a few years ago when a volunteer complained about the conditions and asked a U.S. diplomat they knew who was living in Morocco to come by and check it out.  After that happened the orphanage didn't allow volunteers for almost six months which was unfortunate for the children.  Luckily, they got a new director who decided to change the policy to allow volunteers to come back.  They do things so differently from the way you or I would do them and it's hard not to say anything.  The first day when they dried every child with the same towel and used the same toothbrush I struggled with keeping my thoughts to myself.   Even though they have enough toothbrushes now for every child to have his or her own they keep them all in a plastic bucket and pull one out at random.  I would love to suggest a way to organize the toothbrushes so each child could have their very own but that would be "against policy". 

I went to the Acima (market) earlier this evening where I bought some cookies and treats to share with the children and workers at the orphanage tomorrow.  It's about a 15 minute walk from here on a dirt path and since I showered after I got home from the orphanage I had to rewash my feet when I got back.  It was the first time I'd gone by myself that far and I think that is a sign that I'm starting to feel more comfortable in my surroundings.

I have met some wonderful people here, I have spent more time with Sandrine than anyone else here and that is really handy since French is her "first language" and most people here speak French as well as Arabic.  I've also gotten to know Ashley really well and she hangs out with me and Sandrine because she said it's like having her mother here.  Ashley is a former Miss North Carolina and is just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside.  She is right between my girls in age and I think would be good friends with them if they knew each other.  She said to me yesterday after I was telling some story about Charlie and Betsy, "Do you think I'm a lot like Charlie and Betsy because I think I am."  Yes, Ashley, I do.  She is sending gifts home with me for my kids!  I was going to post a picture of her but I'm having trouble getting it to upload.

Hopefully, I will be able to get some pictures posted tomorrow night.  Heading to bed.

Good night.