Earlier Today

Better places, better times
smiles, relief, and quite a ride-
I like the way the world so shines
with hope on the horizon's tide.

I Just Can’t Seem to Keep The Kitchen Clean

I have a master’s degree,
I’m part of an honor’s society,

And my sense of analysis is keen,

But for some reason, I just can’t seem

To keep my kitchen clean.



I work all day,

I watch the money,

I try to take care of my Honey,

But for some reason, I just can’t seem

To keep my kitchen clean.



I feed the dogs,

I go to the gym,

I try to stay pretty and slim,

But for some reason, I just can’t seem

To keep my kitchen clean.



I make the dinner,

Fold the clothes,

Mentor the youth and share their loads,

But for some reason I just can’t seem

To keep my kitchen clean.


I slave over plates and scrub the pans,

Feeling the grease slide on my hands,

Stack and dry and sweep and plan,

I can do all this so why does it seem,

I can never keep my kitchen clean?

The Glass Ceiling is Broken

We lived happily in our contained, safe, snowglobe of a world.

Sure, there was a storm everyonce in a while, and sometimes the
world got turned upside down. But these crises were predictable and
after they were over, our world always returned to its stable rest.

Now, the glass is broken, and the staples of our youth are splattered on the floor.
We used to be side by side, and now, I do not seem to know when you will turn up again.

There is no more protection from the outside world.
Anything can happen, now, and we can be separated.
No more are the predictable, safe storms of our youth-
Now we are out in the cold, inexplicable world,
and nothing can restore.

Hooray for Old People at the Gym!

I have been (so far successfully) trying to offset Holiday eating by increasing gym time from my paltry weekly visit back to 3/4 times a week. I go in the mornings when it is not very crowded, and there are many old people there. I don't mean slightly old people, although there are some of them there, too. I mean old people in their 70s and 80s, possibly older. I see them industriously exercising their muscles and doing cardio, and I am impressed! Husbands and wives come together and exercise parallel to one another. They are faithful, consistent, motivated, and cheerful! Oh, to still be going to the gym when I am 80, keeping the muscles moving.

Regrets, and God's Mercy

Warning: This post contains disturbing material. You probably don't need to read this if you are already having a bad day.











I found out today that one of my clients was being brutally abused the entire time I saw her in treatment. Suddenly, her mother cancelling appointments made sense, because she didn't want her bruises and cuts to be seen. A toddler was being brutally abused in my care and I never knew. I knew something was wrong with this family, I could sense it, but how could I not notice?!?

In the midst of the deep sorrow I feel about not protecting this child, I am infinitely grateful to God that He intervened and this little girl is now safe in a better home...praise the LORD for answered prayers, because I prayed often for this little girl, and all my clients.

I just wish I had had eyes to see sooner, so this girl could have been spared a little earlier. Perhaps I would have noticed more if I had not wanted to believe her mother's statements of good intentions so badly.

Please God, give me eyes to see what I do not want to see, for the sake of your children.

Everything is Possible! But Not Everything is Worth it.

As a young person,I was told I could do anything I set my mind to, if I worked hard and kept perservering. But now, as I an adult, I have learned the other side of the lesson- I can do ANYTHING, but I can't do EVERYTHING. I have limited time, money, and resources, and I have to pick and choose what is truly important.




The question is no longer, "Can I do it?" The question is now, "Is it worth it?" Does it line up with my beliefs and my values, and what will I have to give up in order to gain it?



For example, I COULD spend all my free time trying to get fit at the gym. I COULD painstakingly clean my entire house and make sure it is spotless everyday. I COULD devote all my time to doing perfect work in my career or devote myself entirely to a ministry at church.



But...where would that leave my relationship with God, my husband, my family, my dogs...? What do I stand to gain from these choices, and is it worth what I could lose? The answer is usually "no."



So, I suffer in the weight of my own incompletions and imperfections and feel as though I flounder a little. Because this is a smaller price to pay than forgetting what is most important, which is God and people.



The choice becomes- Who do I care about more? Myself, and my "Identity"- or about God and the people around me. So I take the time to devote to relationships, because the alternative may make me more successful in the short term, but it has no bearing on the eternal, and my time on this earthly plane is limited.



Things that used to seem important (like "keeping it all together") are not as important as I thought.

Canine Symmetry

Ebony and Ivory,
I know that its silly, but
I watch them play around the yard
and I smile as they jump,
jump, jump,
and dance to the music that no one can hear,
the rhythm of their doggy hearts.