Musings of a Country Girl

The Summer of 2009

2009-09-03T19:05:00.005-04:00

Good gracious. Has it been almost 3 months since I last posted. Where did the summer go? Well, let me just tell ya. After Patrick got married, it seemed like the summer started rolling and gained speed as the days went on. We had youth camp which was a great time, then we had Bible School, then Carowinds and in the midst of all that I was finishing up my last unit of CPE. Now THAT was an experience.

What is it about ministering to the needs of patients, families and staff that awakens you to your own spiritual needs? I found that so many times I would hide from my own feelings and use the excuse that someone else needed me more than I needed to seek out the underlying emotions that were stirring in my own being.

I worked with some terrific folks this year. We were a true team. Not a week went by that one of us didn't need another one of us to either take the pager for a few hours or swap a day here and there. And for the most part, the changes were made without much thought. We respected each other and that made for a great year.

My co-chaplains have been engraved in my heart as friends forever.

Cecelia Beck (seated right) is a newly commissioned missionary by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and is beginning her work in Shelby, NC.

Barbara Evans (seated left) is a 35 year veteran of New Hanover Regional Medical Center and will continue her service there as an associate chaplain and a monitor tech as well as serve as a prison minister.

Laura Joost-Kuhn (standing left) has traveled back home to Oregon where she is awaiting God's call.

And Fernando Morales ( standing center) is in Orlando, Florida in search of a Chaplain position with a healthcare facility in that area.

Please remember these fine folks in prayer as they seek God's call on their lives.

I'm a Mother-In-Law

2009-06-18T20:18:00.006-04:00

I think this is a sign of getting older, but I now have a daughter-in-law. Being the mother of two sons, I felt this day would come eventually and to be perfectly honest, I never dreaded the day, but I did think it would be later rather than sooner.

My boys are the light of my life. I have loved being a mom more than any other profession I have ever had, but both of them will tell you that I wasn't a pushover. Having been a single mom for most of their childhood, I had to be mom and dad and most of the time the disciplinarian "dad" side showed through more than the nurturing, coddling mom I would have rather been. Because we were a family of three when Daniel was 4 and Patrick was 18 months, we all sort of grew up together. I was working at Pinehurst at the Members Club and trying to keep two children in daycare and make ends meet. It was one of the hardest times of my life but in hindsight, it was one of the most precious times of my life. Because they were so young, it didn't take much to entertain them so afternoons were spent playing baseball in the front yard with a plastic bat and ball.

Now, 20 years later, they're all grown up. Daniel will be 25 in July and today is Patrick's 22nd birthday. He spent his 21st birthday in the sands of Iraq fighting for our freedom. Today, he spends his birthday in the islands of the Bahamas on his honeymoon. Happy Birthday, Patrick! My favorite Marine.

Month 3

2009-03-28T11:37:00.004-04:00

Can you believe it's already Springtime? I wonder where the time goes. I know there are still 24 hours in a day and so many days in each month and so on, but it does seem to fly by. I have to believe it's because we don't stop and take time to "smell the roses" so to speak.

During some of our seminars in CPE we have been dealing with Family Systems Theory. I never took those courses in grad school because it wasn't needed for my degree and I quite frankly didn't want to know all about me. LOL However, during the last few weeks, I have learned a lot. One being triangulation. Now, I didn't stay "Strangulation" which is sometimes more fun that the other. Learning to take oneself out of the triangle is harder than swimming upstream for me, but I have linked it to something I can relate to and it seems to be helping. Notice I said "helping" and not working.

Over the past 3 months I have had to learn how to eat and more importantly, what to eat. There are some things I just can't tolerate even now. So, I try to stay away from it because it physically hurts me. I still can't eat breakfast meats. I guess because of the fat content, I may never be able to eat breakfast meats. But, is this a bad thing? I don't think so. We do tend to eat things and not realize the long term effect it has on our bodies. If you fry a piece of bacon, take the bacon out of the pan and let the pan cool, the grease from the bacon sets up and becomes the consistency of paste. Can you imagine this stuff lining your stomach walls? Yuck!

Having given you this lovely look into your stomach after breakfast, let me see if I can bring this together. All that grease makes me physically hurt, so, I don't eat it to avoid pain. Being in a triangle in a family system hurts, so I am trying diligently to stay out of it. Is it working? Not always. I'm a very opinionated woman and if you don't want to know what I think, then it best that you not ask. But given the physical and emotional pain of being in the triangle, maybe it's just as well we back away from it just like we should back away from the bacon.

BTW - 3 months and 51 lbs. and counting. Thanks for your support.

Month 2

2009-02-26T18:03:00.004-05:00

When I first decided to do this surgery thing, I thought the procedure would be one of the hardest parts. In relationship to the past 2 months, the surgery was a piece of cake. I have healed nicely and have no problems from the surgery itself. The challenge is finding something I can eat now that I've reached the point where I can have anything I can tolerate while staying within the grams of fat and sugar boundaries.

Each week I try to add something new to my diet and each week I end up throwing something up. It's a fact that I am not able to tolerate dairy products. Macaroni and Cheese was one of my favorite dishes, but not any more. I used to love a cold glass of milk, but no more. A grilled cheese sandwich is a quick meal with a bowl of tomato soup, or it used to be. Finding things I can eat and not get sick in the process has been a challenge. The foods I loved in the past have now been moved to the "Not Right Now" column of foods that used to show up on our grocery list.

One reason for the change in food choices is the fact that I must chew everything very well in order for it to sit well in the new pouch a.k.a my stomach. The more I chew, the worse it tastes, so I eat less. Have you ever chewed a piece of baked chicken 127 times? If you did, you'd never eat it again.

Since I take in far less solid food, the liquid protein drinks are still very much a part of my life. However, if you add unflavored protein whey to Tropicana Light Orangeade it tastes just like a Dreamsicle. This is not a bad thing! And, it satisfies my sweet tooth.

It's been 2 months and I've lost 41 pounds. Needless to say my pants don't fit anymore. This is a good and bad thing. Good that I'm down 4 sizes but not good that I need to buy clothes before my goal has been met. Thank goodness for friends who have gone through this and are passing down their clothes. :)

The challenge continues. So what do you do? You find something you can tolerate and stick to it. Yay for rice and shrimp!

New Year's Resolution - Lose Weight

2009-01-25T15:12:00.005-05:00

I can't believe it's been 3 months since I last blogged. I guess I didn't realize just how time consuming this residency was going to be.

It's been a very interesting journey and I have learned so much about myself. But one thing I learned about myself was that I wasn't happy with me, physically. So, I decided to do something about it.

I have dieted ALL my adult life. You name it, and I've tried it. Fastin, Meridia, Xenecal, Phen-Phen, etc. A few years ago I ventured in to a Diet Clinic in Myrtle Beach and was successful with the weight loss for as long as I took a handful of pills everyday. Besides the fact that it was expensive, I just didn't like putting all those pills inside me everyday and I wasn't learning anything about how to eat.

As you know, I have two adult sons and one is in the Marines. When he was overseas, I was reminded that life was short enough without having a death sentence. Being overweight is a death sentence. I had high blood pressure, my cholesterol was creeping up every time I went to the doctor for blood work and it was becoming harder and harder to walk without being out of breath.

I had given thought to surgery but wasn't completely sold on it until a friend of mine from church did it and was quite successful. I began to do massive research on Gastric By-pass and found it was the safest surgery in the country as far as death but also one of the most effective as far as permanent weight loss.

The only way I was going to lose weight and keep it off was to change my lifestyle and my eating habits. But because my will power is pitiful at this stage in my life, I knew the surgery would force me to "follow the rules".

After a short battle with my husband, my first appointment was scheduled for October of 2008. There were some tests and requirements that had to be met before I could continue through the process. I didn't have sleep apnea, so that test was not required for me but for some, it is a necessary step. I was required, however, to go through a psychiatric evaluation and attend 2 nutritional classes. (For those of you who are wondering, yes, I passed the psyche exam)

The nutrition classes told us what to expect during the coming weeks of pre-surgery and helped us to begin thinking what we would have to do to prepare our bodies for this surgery. The 2nd class prepared us for the days, weeks, and months ahead AFTER surgery.

December 22nd, 2008 I underwent Gastric By-Pass. I came home on the 23rd and led the Christmas Eve service on the 24th. Now, it hasn't been an easy road because I am still having to teach myself to chew slowly, eat small bites and watch fat grams and sugar intake, but so far, so good.

It's been a month and I've lost 29 lbs.

I have to take in 50 grams of protein in liquid form, take 2 children's vitamins and 1500 mg of Calcium Citrate everyday and this will be for the rest of my life. I can't eat more than 1/4 to 1/2 cup at each meal and I will forever have to watch what I eat, but to add 12 years to my life and be able to live to see my grandchildren, it will all be worth it.

This is one New Year's Resolution I will keep.

Another Policeman Story

2008-10-03T09:20:00.005-04:00

At New Hanover Regional Medical Center we have these wonderful name badges that have 50 other things attached to the plastic clip that attaches to our clothing. I have the picture badge that contains a chip that will access any electronic door in the hospital. It has a card with all the codes listed and the appropriate response to a fire, code pink and a chemical spill. There is a card with all the necessary phone numbers that a chaplain would need along with all the other chaplain page numbers. It has a card with the NHRMC standards for communication and compassion ownership and teamwork. There is even a card with nothing on it but is of a greenish color so everyone who sees us will know we have been employed for less than 90 days. All of these badges collectively hang from a plastic loop that snaps into place with a nice name plate that proclaims CHAPLAIN in big letters. Some of us even have a key hanging from our badges that will give us access to the on-call office, the resident's office, and the all-important sleep room.

Needless to say, when this collection of important material is hanging from your clothing, it's a big heavy obstruction, so when I get in the car, it's usually one of the first things that comes off. Second only to my shoes.

For some reason on Tuesday of this past week, I didn't take it off. I guess I was in a hurry to get to Lowe's to give Daniel, my son, the card for his girlfriend's birthday so I could get home. It had been a super long day.

So, I'm traveling down my usual path to Lowe's on College Street from the hospital and get to the back street to turn in to Lowe's. There are huge barriers in the road, with the sign "ROAD CLOSED". It was closed the week before, but I thought maybe it would be re-opened by now. No such luck. On the one other occasion I had to go around this street, I had made a short cut through a bank parking lot to get to my destination so I thought I would do the same thing this day. The only difference was the bank was open now. But, I turned in, made my way around the parking lot and was heading out the back entrance when a policeman stopped the car in front of me. I wondered what he was telling us, so I rolled down my window in preparation for his rehearsed speech. As I sat, I heard the policeman ask the driver ahead of me if he had business with the bank. The driver told him he did not, and the policeman told him he could not use the driveway for through traffic and would have to turn around and go back out to the street.

DANG!!!! Here I was in a hurry and now I would have to turn around, maneuver through the traffic at the bank, get back on a busy street and go all the way to College to get to my destination. Another 15 minutes wasted.

After the car ahead of me pulled off and turned around, it was my turn to hear the words of the officer. He waved me to a stop, looked in the car, said, "Have a nice day, Chaplain" and waved me through.

Maybe I won't complain about the weight of the badge ever again. And I definitely won't cut through the bank parking lot EVER again.

Outreach vs. Evangelism

2008-09-27T20:48:00.002-04:00

I looked up the word "outreach" and it wasn't until definition #6 that I got the one I believed "outreach" to be. It says, "the act of extending services, benefits, etc., to a wider section of the population, as in community work."

Our church held a Block Party today in the sub-division where a couple of church members live. It just so happened that David and I live in the same sub-division but I think the reason it was held here was because it's the closet one to our church. We had a great time. Hamburgers, hotdogs, chips, potato salad, drinks and all the trimmings. The burgers and dogs were cooked on a huge charcoal grill that smelled up the whole neighborhood. Some of the residents brought desserts and we all brought chairs.

We had been "trained" in the block party idea so as not to evangelize as we met new friends. In fact, there was a thought that David and I might not need to go so folks wouldn't feel as if this was, in fact, an invitation to come to our church. But, as it turned out, only one couple knew who we were and what we did.

As the afternoon went on, a live band from our church played on the porch of the hosting family and I think everyone had a good time. There was even a little shaggin' going on in the grass and face painting on the side. Baptists dancing? OH MY.

All this to say, outreach is a great way to exhibit the command given to us by Jesus in that we should love one another and reach out to those that might not know him and we can do it without saying a word. As a result, a couple asked us about our church and will be attending tomorrow.

"Ain't" God good?

Planning/Budgeting Retreat

2008-09-09T20:40:00.007-04:00

This year our Youth Council and their parents headed to the beach for a Planning/Budgeting Retreat. Our church year, like most church years, start in October so we needed to decide what we wanted to do for the coming year.Coming up with the activities wasn't a problem, but we had to figure out how to pay for our play so we did a little budget planning as well.

We spent our days playing either outside on the beach or inside playing board games, reading books, or watching TV. It was a time to do just exactly whatever made you happy (within the confines of the beach house or on the sand in front of the ocean front house) as long as it was relaxing and stress free.

We got our planning done and figured out how to pay for it so I thought I would share a few of the wonderful shots of just how we spent our time:

Oh, by the way ... we do live at the beach but so seldom do we get to relax and enjoy what's in our own backyard. Needless to say, this retreat was put on the calendar for next year as well.

Reunion Time

2008-08-19T17:42:00.006-04:00

This past Saturday I attended a mini-reunion of my graduating class. At the risk of giving away my age, it was our 30th Class Reunion. 30 years!!! I can't believe I've been out of high school that long. It seems only a few weeks ago I graduated from Campbell. OH, IT WAS!!!! But some of us wait a little longer to try to do something with our lives, and that would be ME!

Anyway, back to the reunion.

I went to school in Richmond County in North Carolina. Our county was made up of four Jr. High schools and those four Jr. High schools came together to form one high school. Richmond Senior High School, home of the Richmond Raiders, 4-A Football Powerhouse. Hence the real reason there was only one high school. Our class was so large. We graduated with 556 people in our class. We started with over 700 but we had one particular English teacher that probably could be one of the reasons for the decrease.

Because our class was so large some of us don't take advantage of the "every 5 year" reunion opportunities simply because we don't know the folks that attend so the Ellerbe Jr. High School group decided to have our own reunion.

It was so nice to see the ones that attended. We didn't have a large group because of some trying to get in that last summertime vacation before schools start, but we had enough to sit and remember. It was fun to hear what folks had been up to for the last 30 years, how many grandchildren had been born to the group, how many had achieved their life-long dreams and those that had not. The best part was being able to renew the friendships we enjoyed so long ago.

The one thing that prompted this "reunion" was the fact that one of our own had mini strokes which led to a surgery that involved a major stroke on the table. We were reminded in an instant that we won't live forever and we should keep in touch with those who were such an important part of lives at one time. If you haven't seen or talked to some of your "old" friends in a while, do it now. You never know if it will be the last time.

God has put folks in our path throughout our lives for a reason. Cherish them and let them know how much they mean to you. You'll be glad you did.

My New Job

2008-08-08T09:48:00.003-04:00

Well, it's official! I am going to be working as a resident Chaplain at New Hanover Regional Medical Center. You may remember my earlier blogs where I spoke of such experience during the last semester Div school. It was a rewarding experience and knew then that God had placed me in that place for a reason. For a little while I thought the reason was so I wouldn't have to take Supervised Ministry under Dr. Brock, but now I know better.

In a recent conversation with my mother, I realized there were some paths I could have taken that would have led me far FAR away from where I am now in my walk with God. I'm not sure God and I are hand in hand all the time, but I'm not too many steps behind him on the path of my life. If I had chosen other ways, I'm not sure I would even be on the path. So, God is good and God is patient.

I've stayed busy over the summer but nothing of any great worth, which I might add, was my intention. I didn't want to have to do anything after graduating so, I didn't. I have successfully gotten a good tan, which was a goal and I have laid out my hours at the church so that my part-time status doesn't actually take up 50 hours of my week. This is good.

Now, I am in the planning mode for my new job. I'm one of those weird Chaplains that gets excited when her pager goes off. Not because someone is in crisis, but because I have an opportunity to minister to someone. So, on August 25th I will begin my new journey. But until then..... I'm off to beach to keep working on this tan.

2008-07-31T18:23:00.002-04:00

My husband posted this on his blog but I thought it was good enough to share with my readers as well.

"We are held Vacation Bible School (VBS) a week ago and on Wednesday night there was a very special moment near the conclusion of the session. There was a skit that featured a song in which the most prominent line is the refrain "Come to Jesus." As the song began Jesus came walking down the center aisle of the sanctuary.

Okay, it wasn't really Jesus. It was a man named Rick portraying Jesus. He has long hair and he let his beard grow out for the skit so he looked much like popular portraits of Jesus. Rick also wore a costume like Jesus might have worn. He really looked the part.

The skit was included in our VBS material and it featured "Jesus" hugging and helping various people who were previously selected to come forward as recorded singers continued singing "Come to Jesus" and the children did the sign language to the song. That's the way it was supposed to happen, but things didn't quite work out as planned.

As "Jesus" came down the aisle many of the children could be heard whispering loudly. "It's Jesus!" When people began coming forward and getting hugs from "Jesus" several children who were not part of the script also went to receive hugs from him. Rick handled this very well, staying in character he hugged all comers.

When the program was over Rick was still in costume and he and I
David were talking at the back of the sanctuary away from the children. But a crowd of kids came and huddled around him asking many questions. They wanted to know if Rick was really Jesus. Again Rick handled the situation with Spirit-led ease. He explained the he was not Jesus but that Jesus was with them all the time. The children wanted to know if his long hair was real and Rick let them tug on it.

Perhaps the highlight of the experience was an energetic little girl named Chloe who is three years old. I was at the doors making sure the children were picked up by parents when Chloe's father arrived. She jumped in to her daddy's arms and then began to slide down, scampering about. Chloe just about dragged him into the sanctuary repeating over and over, "Daddy you've got to come and see!" The confused father went with her.

While her father stood near one side of the sanctuary, Chloe ran toward "Jesus" who was now front and center of the sanctuary chatting with some folks. "Jesus" looked at Chloe as she rushed toward him and she motioned toward her father and said, "This is my Daddy!"

Rick smiled and said, "What's your Daddy's name?"

"Daddy." Chloe responded and we all chuckled. Then, still looking at Jesus, Chloe said, "Give him a hug."

Rick said, "Sure." Then he walked toward the man with his arms spread and the two met in an embrace at the front of the sanctuary. Chloe looked very pleased and there were numerous damp eyes around.

Later Rick said that he is going to have to be extra careful about his behavior whenever he is out and about because some of those kids might be around looking at him like he is Jesus."

VBS workers were still abuzz about the skit and the response of the children, especially Chloe the next night. I decided to bring "Jesus" back for the commencement program on Friday evening.

What would happen if we all had the excitement of "seeing" Jesus? Would we want to run up and hug him? I think sometimes I get so wrapped up in my "job" I sometimes forget to stop and remember ... I love Jesus!

The Summer, So Far.....

2008-07-06T22:50:00.005-04:00

Wow. Can you believe the summer is half over? I usually gauge the half-way point at July 4th, so in accordance to my timetable, it's half over.

I was trying to think of something I had done that would be classified as constructive since the summer began and for the life of me, it's just not happening.

I was a bit ambitious at the beginning of the summer and got the kitchen painted, but in order to get the floor put down, I have to FINISH and that would require me getting the laundry room painted, too. Details, details.

I have been to camp with the youth, which was an experience and am getting ready for VBS which will be another experience. Then we're off to Busch Gardens in August. Sounds like a fun-filled summer, huh?

In the midst of all that I have visited the beach, ONCE!!!! I LIVE HERE FOR GOODNESS SAKES. You would think this would be a given, but, that would be a big NOT.

I'm still searching for the job that is intended for me. After 27 applications later, I still wait.

Maybe I'll go to the beach while I wait.

See ya!

HOME AGAIN, HOME AGAIN, JIGGETY JIG

2008-06-20T20:05:00.005-04:00

We're back, safe and sound. Well, safe anyway.

What a week. Last year was a great time at PASSways so we decided to go again. We were a little critical about the happenings this year because we had something to compare it to, but all in all, it was a great week. The young people and us adults were made aware of the millions of people in the world that are hungry, deprived of health care and education, and are shut out because of their gender.

I am thankful that the young people we took to camp have been in church since the day they were born, just about, and they knew all the biblical references for the daily thought, but the statistics were a little overwhelming for them. We viewed 5 of the 8 Millennium Development Goals better known as MDGs for the week.

Each night after the day's events, we would meet in our room for devotions. These young people had some great ideas as to how to help eliminate hunger and how to improve health care and educate those in need.

God has done a great work in these young people and I am proud to be their youth minister.

WE'RE AT CAMP

2008-06-16T00:39:00.009-04:00

We're here and already having a great time.

Our young people and two of us older young people pulled out today for a week at PassWAYS camp at Wingate University in Wingate, NC.

Tonight was packed with lots of introductions and getting to know our Bible Study group. I will send a few pictures for our moms and dads and will update on our activities as the week progresses.

Camp Time

2008-06-06T09:44:00.006-04:00

It's almost time for Youth Camp and I'm so excited. We will leave next Sunday, Father's Day, to head to PASSways in Wingate, NC. Last year was our first year at this camp and we really enjoyed it.

Now, it's not like camps of the past. I remember going to youth camp at Caswell and we had to take our own food, plan our own program, lead our own program, and NO AIR CONDITIONING. Then the camp scene became a little more organized and we would go to camps where the camp itself would provide the staff and the meals and all we had to do was get there. But, still NO AIR CONDITIONING.

Then as I got older and out of the youth program, there came along camps such as Centrifuge where all you had to do was show up. Everything was taken care of and the adults weren't responsible for much at all. I never went, because I had aged out and was not yet old enough to be a chaperon but the ones that did go, had a great time.

Now we have found Passport. What a great camp. We introduced our youth to it several years ago via videotape but they didn't seem too interested at the time. Last year, we were made aware of changes that had been made in the curriculum and in the entire make up of the camp. PASSways is now made up of choices the young people make in sync with their interest levels. Last year there were 5 and this year there are 7. You choose to spend the week doing some kind of mission work or learning about your call to ministry or how to see ministry through the arts. It's great. Here we are ALL part of God's plan to work for him.

Not to mention we stay in apartments on campus with AIR CONDITIONING!!!

While some of you will be at the CBF Convention in Memphis, we will be involved in teaching young people as we countdown God's blessings in their lives and ours.

Peace.

What Now?

2008-05-29T21:54:00.002-04:00

The festivities of graduation are over and reality has set in. What do I do now? I have searched the Internet for full-time jobs and to my not-so-amazement, there are none for someone with my experience and my education. So, the ultimate question is, "Was it worth it?"

I had a great time, I studied hard, most of the time, and sacrificed a pretty good chunk of time and energy for the last 4 and a half years, but now what? I have a part-time job in a church doing music and youth, which I completely enjoy and fill called to, but part-time jobs don't put gas in my car anymore. I need a weekday job with 40 hours so I can keep my church job. But here's the catch:

I'm qualified for ministry positions and not much else. So, where do you find a full-time ministry position and still be able to keep the one you've got? Or do I keep the one I have?

I'm so confused. I admire my classmates who are getting acclimated into new ministry positions with new starts in new places. But, I guess I will have to sit back and wait to see what God has in store for me.

In the meantime, I will continue to listen to David say, "When are you going to get a real job" as I inspect rental houses this summer. Maybe going up and down flights of stairs all summer long will make me lean and mean. LOL Ok, so I'm half-way there....

Graduation Day

2008-05-14T12:17:00.008-04:00

I see that my classmates and I are a little sluggish about posting about the weekend filled graduation festivities. I checked around to see, who, if anyone, had posted anything about this past weekend and found ONE. Dr. C had written about his regalia which is quite interesting. You can tell he's real fond of wearing them from the picture stage left. His comments come from a new professor who just isn't in to the robe wearing mindset yet. Dr. Harmon says to go easy on him, he's still new. HA HA HA HA

This was my second Campbell graduation. I walked the first time in May 1995 after finishing my undergraduate degree in December of '94. It wasn't something I would have done if it had not been for my children. Walk, not gone back to school, that is. This time was not too different. The main difference was I was in the back of the line instead of in the front. The Divinity School was the very last group to receive their scrolls from Dr. Jerry Wallace so you can imagine our interest levels by the time we were called.

The speaker was, well, what can I say? Not sure, so I won't. But to listen to 450 names before ours was a little more than we wanted to sit through. So, we found other things to engage our thoughts. We learned of upcoming events in the lives of those we might not have been otherwise privy. I actually sat beside a man whom I had not had a single class with, that I know of, and knew very little about him. By the time our names were called, we were pretty good friends.

We had a new style of robe this year for the first time, and if the comments are listened to, this will be the last year. They were just below being tacky. (This is my blog and this is my opinion). By the time I had worn it twice, the sleeves were coming apart. But besides the cheap-made robe, we were intrigued with the "pockets" at the end of our sleeves. Not to go in empty-handed, we put bottles of bubbles in the pockets. It helped to keep them from flopping in the wind.

But, as Dr. Wallace finished up the ceremony, the bubbles found their way out of our sleeves and blowing in the wind. Hey, don't laugh. We made the paper. Sometimes you just have to make your own fun. Like when our names were put on the ground in the Academic Mall to mark our place in line.....YES, that is MY name. I was right beside the only hydrant in the yard. My classmates thought that was quite funny and even though I didn't mark my territory, Campbell will always be a part of me.

Taaaaaaaaa Dahhhhhhhhhhhhh

2008-05-02T22:45:00.005-04:00

The day is finally here. The one I have been waiting for since January. The semester is officially over and I am through with graduate school.

Technically, the semester has been over for me since Tuesday of this week but I was hesitant to celebrate since the grades weren't posted. In fact, the grades still aren't posted, but because I have a dear friend in the office at the school, she informed me of the contents of my mailbox and I have received 2 of the 4 papers I have been waiting for and they were fine. So, now, I celebrate.

But wait, what am I celebrating? Campbell University has been part of my life for many years. I did most of my undergradute at Campbell and graduated in 1994. (I was old then, too.) and then 10 years later, I re-entered the halls of Taylor to begin the journey of a Master's degree. I do celebrate the accomplishments made possible by God and by my family.

I started the grad program in 2004. I was a single mother but with both my children out of the house. It was just Maxie and me (see previous post). That was pretty tough because I had to hold down a full-time job, the part-time church job AND go to Campbell one day a week. I thank my employers for allowing me to do this. After David and I got married, I worked a full-time job, the part-time church job, went to Campbell and tried to settle in to a different life-style.

The time came when I had to go to Campbell 2 days a week instead of one and this made it almost impossible to hold a full-time job, so I made a choice to just do school and church. Because of David's patience and willingness to say, "We'll make it the best we can" God allowed me to do just that. So, officially, in front of the world, I say, Thank you, David.

Celebrate? I now leave the friends I have made over the last 4 and a half years, I leave Elaine, who's willingness to "be there for me" has been unbelievable, I leave the halls of Taylor to David who will begin his doctoral studies in August and I have to find a full-time job.

Celebrate? I don't think so.

Dog Stories

2008-05-01T11:37:00.005-04:00

I've been reading blogs from folks I regularly read and because of the blog posted by Dr. Tony Cartledge about his writing class, I have found some new and interesting ones as well. But whatever way I turn, I am reading something about dogs. Is this the season to get a dog?

My friend, R ebecca, rushed in to our Church History class on Monday afternoon with the news, "Let's hurry up and get this exam over with. I have a dog waiting on me to adopt him at the animal shelter."

Another friend, Jan, was perplexed by a request from her son about getting a new puppy. She blogged about it as well. Cute story and photos of the pup with his new owner.

But then I read Kristi's blog about her dog, Abby, that has been part of the family for many years and is now experiencing health concerns. If you are a pet owner, you know how attached we get to our four-legged friends, be it a dog, cat, horse or rat. (ugh)

We have three dogs. Earl, is a large Doberman that we adopted from the Brunswick Animal Shelter a little over a year ago.

Pickles, a Dachshund that belonged to the Stratton family before I did, and Maxie.

Maxie came from the Brunswick Animal Shelter, too, about 5 years ago. We're not real sure what Maxie's breed is comprised of, but we ARE certain it's several different ones. She was my companion when Patrick moved back home to finish high school at Richmond Senior and Daniel was in college at St. Andrews. I wanted a little lap dog to keep me company and one that would let me cry on her shoulder when I missed my boys.

Wouldn't it be great if we attached ourselves to the work of Christ like we do to our animals?

NEWS FROM PATRICK

2008-04-25T17:46:00.005-04:00

I just heard from Patrick. We were able to talk for almost an hour. He sounds good. He is in the city of *******. Some of the others are being pulled out of ****** and will be in the surrounding areas for the remainder of their stay. The way things are structured now, there are 95% of their battalion in the city for defense purposes.

Al Qaeda is putting out fliers stating that they will take over the city of ******* on May 1st but Patrick said that's not likely since Al Qaeda is not an organized fighting group.

Patrick is now a gunner on an MRAP. This huge truck has a machine gun on top and that's Patrick's job. He said they will never fire the gun in the city, but if they are called to the field, this vehicle goes.
The city is so crowded people can reach out and touch the vehicle when it rolls through the city. He said there were some really nice houses and neighborhoods in *******. Gated communities and everything. The concern he has is that if a terrorist gets into the city, all they would have to do is flip a grenade up in the air and let it fall down the shoot where he stands. With the streets so crowded, they would never see it coming.

He is part of a group referred to as EOD = Explosive Ordinance Disposal. They are called to go out into the field when an IED or some other bomb is found. They go, blow it up, and come home (to *******)

The other section he is part of is the QRF = Quick Reaction Force which means if there is an outbreak of fighting, they go in with "guns a'blazin'" to quote him. I would rather he just ride around the city and make friends with little Iraqi children.

He is enjoying the goodies that have been sent his way. He said the fruit roll-ups, gummies, cheez-it grips, and snack crackers are great. He said the food wasn't bad but sometimes they are out in the city so he can snack.

The only thing he said he would like to have that he doesn't is something like a whisk broom and dustpan to keep their vehicle clean, so I will try to take care of that the first of next week. And more snacks. LOL

He was using the computer based phone card but lately it takes an act of Congress to get to use the phone so he's adding minutes to his AT&T card. He said they only get mail once in a while, but every time they have had mail call, he has gotten some, so thank you for remembering him.

I'll pass on information as I get it, which is sometimes longer than I would like.

(for his safety, I have bleeped out the name of the city)

Onward We Go

2008-04-23T16:51:00.003-04:00

Sorry it's been so long, but it's been grueling for the last couple of weeks. I've heard from Patrick several times and he's doing fine. He's not real happy about where he is or what they are having to do, but he's alive and well and that's what I prayed for.

We've had a wedding in our family. Everything came off without a hitch, so this is good. The weather was beautiful as it was held on the beach so no rain for the day was a good thing. The bride was beautiful and beamed as she went from Miss to Mrs.

Journals have been turned in, exams have been taken, CPE is over which means no more on-calls, the PEICH paper is turned in as is the 2nd sermon and exegesis report. Now all that stands in the way of the last day of grad school is a Church History exam and a book review. I think I see the light.

My Senior Panel was today and what an affirming meeting that turned out to be. I had been told it would be just that, but there is always a wonder of what questions you will be asked and so on. It was wonderful. I didn't cry but I'm sure I will. Campbell is a very dear place to me and I will treasure my time there as an undergrad and a grad student.

All this to say, life is moving forward. I hope you are having a great day and enjoying the gifts God has given you. I'll be back with more on the upcoming graduation events in a few days.

Life Moves Forward

2008-04-10T22:40:00.004-04:00

Now that I have talked to Patrick via the Internet one night and a phone call on Wednesday, I am more at ease about the whole situation, so now I can concentrate a little better on the fast pace of April.

Already it is April 10th. I have a counter on my Facebook page that counts down the days until upcoming events in my life. I know, for example, that it is 41 days until my anniversary, 31 days until Graduation from Divinity School, 29 days until the Hooding Ceremony and 19 more days until the end of classes.

The sad part of is, I can remember when the counter went to 100 days until the Hooding Ceremony. And that was just yesterday........in my mind. Where does the time go? I have been working on my final evaluation for the CPE program I have been enrolled in this semester and it seems just a few weeks ago, we started the program. Now it's time to end.

I'm 47 years old and even though that sounds like a lot of years, it seems like such a short time ago I was preparing to graduate from high school. Would I go back and redo it again? Not on your life. I have learned so much in the experiences I have had. It wasn't all roses, that's for sure, but it wasn't all thorns either.

Some of my roses are the friends I have made at Campbell Divinity School, the professors and staff members who will forever be etched in my mind, my peers and supervisor in the CPE program at New Hanover Regional Medical Center, and my spiritual development that has come as a result of those roses.

Life moves forward and it's not the forward movement that scares me. It's the fast pace at which it happens. May I never forget to stop and smell the roses.

The Day Has Come

2008-04-05T21:27:00.006-04:00

I feel as if I have been to a funeral. I'm not sure in my 47 years I have ever felt so helpless as I did when the buses pulled away from the barracks this afternoon. My son is officially on his way to Iraq for his first, and hopefully his last, tour of duty. I would have gladly taken his place if there had been any way possible.

My oldest son had to leave around 3 so he could get to work on time so he told Patrick he had to go and to be careful. They hugged each other for several minutes, both crying and clinging to each other. I had to walk away. I had tried so hard to keep things together for Patrick's sake but that was more than I could take.

My sons loved each other so much when they were young, but as they grew up and got older, the competitions kicked in and they began to grow apart. Daniel, being the oldest, always did things first. He was the first to be able to play sports, thus putting Patrick in his shadow. Daniel was very good at anything he attempted and this put Patrick at a disadvantage having to fill the shoes of his older brother.

The year Patrick graduated from high school, they began to like each other again and their bond is one that will never be broken. It is such a joy for me to see them together and enjoying their time together.

Anyway, after he left it was all I could do to keep the tears from falling. But when the commanding officer yelled, "Formation" I got sick to my stomach. He hugged everyone and we all had our turn at crying on his shoulder and he on ours. There are not words to describe what I felt when I watched my son walk away with an M-16 attached to his body.

We got one more chance for hugs and tears before he had to get on the bus. He was on the first bus of 4, so it took a little while for all the buses to load. Once they were loaded, I watched the doors close and my heart sunk to my feet.

But nothing, NOTHING, will compare to the sick feeling I got and the crack that sprang through my heart when his bus began to move forward. As each bus began to move, you could see mothers and girlfriends and wives crumble in the arms of those who may have been a little stronger than those of us who were not. I will see those buses go around that curve for many weeks to come.

His agenda is uncertain at this point, as far as the military is concerned, but my agenda has just begun. Prayer, prayer, and more prayer.

Iraq Bound

2008-03-29T21:53:00.005-04:00

I love a party, most of the time, but this past weekend included a party/cookout that still produces tears.

My youngest son, Patrick, leaves for Iraq this coming weekend. I used to could say it without tearing up, now I can't even type it without the tears streaming down my face.

We had a great gathering of about 35 family and friends at my parents home yesterday afternoon. Most of the guests were family but there were several of Patrick's friends from high school there as well. It was fun to watch them interact with each other and enjoy talking about the times they have had in the past. They talked like it had been years when in fact, it had only been a few weeks for some and only a couple of years for others.

My dad called the group to order and welcomed everyone for coming to Patrick's going away dinner and turned the "program" over to Patrick's girl friend who presented him with a nice computer to take to Iraq with him. Her parents, my parents, David and I and she had decided that would be as good a gift as we could get him so he could carry a little bit of home with him.

After he opened his gift, he told Amanda he had something for her, too. He told her that the next 7 months were going to be hard and that he was glad she would be here waiting for him when he returned. He told her he wanted her to have something to remember him by and he got down on one knee and asked her to marry him. Everyone there knew he was going to do it except her and we enjoyed watching her reaction and of course the two moms cried even though we had known it for weeks.

As the afternoon turned in to evening, the crowd divided up into various groups, mostly older and younger. But, I found myself having far too much fun with the younger crowd to sit with the older ones.

I wanted to be close to Patrick.

Everyone left and we sat up for a little while watching basketball and then retreated to bed. The next morning after the tables and chairs got returned and the breakfast dishes were finished, my mom, Patrick, his girlfriend, oops..... I mean fiance, and I watched some home videos of him and Daniel when they were little bitty things. Patrick was 2. I laughed and cried at the same time. Where has the time gone? What happened to that little boy squealing with excitement at Christmas, "Woooook what I dat!"

I hugged my son this afternoon, told him I loved him and I cried all the way home and have leaked most of the day. I will be in Jacksonville during the window of time he is to leave which will be Saturday, Sunday and Monday of next week. I will get to spend time with him but when he gets the call, he will leave for 7 months.

Please remember him and his unit and all our military persons in harms way. I know God will be watching over him but the thoughts of him being there is not comforting at all.

32-23-35

2008-03-27T18:24:00.003-04:00

This past Tuesday was a great day. I had almost forgotten what it was like to stay up late to work on a school project, but I found out on Monday evening. I had a research paper due on Tuesday along with a presentation to the class on the research paper. Because I didn't want the class to watch me the entire time I was speaking, I wanted to prepare a PowerPoint presentation to go along with the oral report.

I got to Bunnlevel around 7 pm and after speaking to the folks in the house, I headed upstairs to get started. I realized I didn't want to use my research paper for the oral report, so I decided to write out exactly what I wanted to say on Tuesday morning. For some reason, this took way longer than I thought it should.

By 10:00, I decided I needed to go downstairs and put the potatoes on to boil that I would use for the potato salad I would be taking to Dr. Wakefield's house for our Senior Synthesis "party." After the salad was made, I went back upstairs to begin the PowerPoint. AT MIDNIGHT!!!!!

I'm too old for this junk. But by 2:15 am I was finished and satisfied with the outcome. However, I had to get up at 6:30 and my 8:00 class was the presentation. Needless to say, I survived and I am more than pleased that it's over. I was more scared of Dr. Harmon's questions that I was the actual presentation, but he went easy on me. Probably because EVERYONE ELSE ASKED QUESTIONS!!!!

Anyway, the day was completely downhill after that. It was a terrific day because I found out my sermon wasn't actually due this week but next week and it was already finished. How wonderful.

So, all this to say, the days are hastening by like big white clouds on a windy day. I feel like I am on my back in a hammock watching as my time at Campbell is drawing to an end.

32 days, 23 hours, 18 minutes and the hooding day will be upon us. Don't you love countdowns?