#reallife – Page 7 – rootedbythewater.blog

Stuck at a high Mountain? Pray

August 6, 2024Leave a Comment

I woke up this morning planning to go work out with a friend but that plan got scratched. So here I sit, praying and having my quiet time with the Lord. Funny how He uses early morning quiet times to nudge my heart and bring hidden things to light.

In dealing with life, I have the tendency to just ”dig in my heels” and push through. Living with hearing and visual issues is hard enough but watching your grown son deal with similar issues is a very HARD thing. This morning I read a devotion about taking on Jesus yoke. One of the scriptures was Matthew‬ ‭11‬:‭28‬: “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” (NLT‬‬) Do you carry a heavy burden too?

Ok I’m going to be a little “Raw” here. Rest? Life is a daily struggle just dealing with my own issues but then to see our son deal with his….It’s like running into a mountain that is too HUGE to even imagine getting around. Something insignificant came to light recently but it was like a “cork”popping off a well of hurt, disappointment and anguish. I can deal with my issues but I can’t really help someone deal with theirs. That’s something God has to do.

This morning when I opened my iPad, it had created a video from some pictures in my album. It was like going down memory lane in our family and watching Joshua grow into a remarkable strong young man. The video had pictures of our little family of three and Grandma and Grandpa, our prayer Team. Grandpa is no longer with us, and that still leaves a “hole”. Joshua sure did love his Grandpa.

So as I prayed this morning, I let it out. God knows! He wants us to bring our burdens to Him and find rest in Him. I also came across scriptures I had put aside in my notes section of my IPad. One of those scriptures was Zephaniah‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬ that says, “The Lord your God is in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”” (NKJV)

Last Sunday Larry Green was singing a song that says “there ain’t no mountain high enough, to keep my praise from going up. In everything give thanks”. Wow! That sure is a challenge but starting each day with the Lord in prayer and His Word is the way to go. Last night I got on amazon to order a bridal shower gift. I decided to browse Christian bracelets and came across one that says “God is with her, she will not fail”. I ordered it and will wear it as a reminder that God is indeed with us, strengthening us. He foresaw our whole lives before they began. He knows the ending and every step until we reach that point. Deep breath! It’s ok to show your vulnerable side. It shows your humble and human. I take comfort in transparency because it shows me I’m not alone. It’s sad a lot of people have too much pride to show weakness. It’s a blessing to be able to genuinely be there for people knowing what it’s like to endure. I truely believe that brings joy to our Lord when He sees us love, encourage, listen and pray for each other.

Mom and I recently went to a little shop in Pineville NC. We had passed it many times and Mom wanted to check it out. (Truth be told, I can’t see well enough to read the signs of stores well and had no clue what it even was.) We went in and saw the loveliest lady. She said she sells things for elderly people when they downsize their home. The items were a beautiful mix of home furnishings and antiques. As we went into one room there was a beautiful prayer tree. I had never seen one before. There were tags that you could write a name on of someone needing prayer, then attach it to the tree. Mom wrote on a tag and placed it on the tree. I wrote on my tag and handed it to her to place on the tree. We wrote the same persons name. 💓God knows and I know He will answer with His very best.

I do not usually share such personal things, but perhaps this will encourage you. I also don’t typically share prayer requests with just anyone simply because some people just want to know your business but don’t really care. It’s just the truth. But God knows. As I’ve been writing this another song came to mind. I had the honor of learning how to play this on the piano and I so wish I had stuck with it but my piano playing season ended. But the memory of the song still remains. I will attach the YouTube video below. It’s an Elevation worship song , titled “Do it again.”

Be blessed. Keep praying. Never give up!
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Strength from weakness

July 30, 20242 Comments

Have you ever wondered why God uses the weak to show His great strength? Some of the most incredible testimonies of God’s mercy, grace and power come from those who endure the greatest “tests” in life. I just love how God works. ‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭1‬:‭27‬ tells us,“But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;” (NKJV‬‬) Then again in Isaiah‬ ‭40‬:‭29‬, “He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength.” (NKJV‬‬)

I will be honest. When I wrote the title of this blog last week, I meant to publish it a couple of days after my last blog titled “Transformed” I had scriptures in my notes to use but God has taken me to look at this blog from a different angle. Different scriptures are coming to mind and as I look them up, the blog is indeed changing. You see, I’m just a weak vessel in dire need of “filling” by the Holy Spirit daily. We are nothing until God pours into us. We are weak, weary, tired,incapable but with God, it’s a whole different story. I’m so thankful.

It is such a wonder to see Isiah 61 in the present. Beauty from ashes, Joy instead of mourning, praise instead of the spirit of heaviness. Here is the scripture: “To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”” Isaiah‬ ‭61‬:‭3‬ ‭(NKJV‬‬)

I get it! I see God at work in things around me. He doesn’t tend to call those who have it all together. He equips those He calls. They are most likely a weak humble vessel but He equips them to do His work. I want to share one breif example that happened a few months ago. While ministering at RiceNBeans, another staff and I were talking to two men waiting at the bus stop. These people live in poverty, while others are homeless. My friend was interpreting for me so I could understand the conversation. It was so neat to see one man ministering to another. We were there to minister to them but God uses them to minister to us. I remember the man telling the other man that God has an appointed time for us to die. He said he had tried to take his life several times, but he was still alive because God was not finished. Talking about a testimony of God’s perfect timing and molding that man to see “HIS”hand on his life. Another man said he was so blessed because he knows Jesus. God pours into these precious people. He will pour into you also.

Do you see what I’m seeing? We are created to bring glory to the Lord. We do not glory in our selves or our own accomplishments, rather we crucify our fleshly nature. Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭24‬-‭25‬ says, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. (NLT‬‬)

God is so so faithful! Last Sunday at church as we sang the last song, tears rolled down my cheeks. We were singing “Great is they faithfulness”. If you are a believer you probably know the song. For those reading who might not know it, part of it says: “morning by morning new mercies I see, all I have need thy hands have provide, great is thy faithfulness Lord unto me.” That is so incredibly true. Every single morning God pours out fresh mercies on us. Years ago I came across Lamentations 3: 20‬-‭24‬; “I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!”” ( ‭NLT‬‬)

Wow! I will honestly say, this blog took a completely different turn from what I thought it would be. However that is great because I never want blogging to be what I want to say but rather what God gives me to say. It won’t always be on the timetable I desire. (I meant to do this last week but God had me wait) I am not perfect and struggle daily As a matter of fact I apologized to my husband yesterday because my attitude was off. I saw it and was not happy with my responses. Living with hearing and visual issues can be wearying. It is frustrating to do things according to when others are ready. I wanted to get the grocery shopping done early but I don’t drive so I had to wait until late afternoon. Waiting is the story of my life! Last night our son Joshua was frustrated because he wanted to be able to just get in the car and drive himself to the gym rather than wait for his friend who was delayed a couple of hours. It can be a “walled in” kind of feeling, but God! Joshua was also preparing for a test but had trouble seeing the book font. He took pictures of each page on his iPad so he could zoom in to see. Where there is a will, there is a way! Amen! God uses our weaknesses to mold our character. Oh if you only knew….

I will end with this last scripture: ”That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭4‬:‭16‬-‭18‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

Let’s fix our eyes on Jesus. He is our strength, our fortress. He will never let us down. Be encouraged. Whatever you are facing, God has you! You are loved!
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Socks or no socks?

July 11, 2024Leave a Comment

Another “off the wall” blog post ~ This happened today and it’s too funny not to share. And who knows…. My sense of fashion might be off. What do you think?

This afternoon I had an audiologist appointment to make a couple of changes to my Advanced Bionics Marvel (cochlear implant) processor. A side note~ I am so thankful for Lakeside Audiology in Fort Mill, SC. They go over and beyond to help me hear my best. Advanced Bionics is the cochlear implant company I chose years ago and they are excellent. My Audiologist shared my file with the AB Audiologist and some slight changes were recommended Today was the day of my appointment to make those changes.

Two friends and I had a long lunch before my appointment, then one dropped me off and my husband Ron met me there. Ron walked in the Audiologist office wearing gray/black shorts, black athletic socks and black flip flops. I thought to myself, “Oh Goodness!” We talked for a few minutes then I said ,”Ron black socks and black flip flops look like something an old judge would wear. He took one sock off and I said, “No socks look better”. I asked the lady across from us what she thought, but she didn’t speak English. So he ended up taking the black socks off. I told him if they didn’t stink I would put them in my purse for him. That foreign lady probably thought we were the strangest thing.

The Audiologist called me back to the office and Ron came along with me. She made a couple of changes then I went in the sound booth to listen to various beeps. When I came out, we talked for a short time to test out the changes. I am hearing Ron better. We then told her about the socks incident and she was cracking up. We are the real deal, no pretense! I’m still laughing.

When we got home I realized his socks were still in my purse. I told him to put one back on so I could take a picture. He might suspect it will appear in a blog, but I just won’t send it to him. I’m curious though on the socks or no socks question. Our son can pull it off but he is in his mid twenties and his leg aren’t that white. There’s your chuckle for the day. Hope everyone has a wonderful rest of the week and weekend.
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Lessons from the garden (and Mourning Doves)

July 1, 2024Leave a Comment

Last week I took a little break from blogging but was busy observing nature. This Spring we planted Roma tomatoes, colored peppers and a cantaloupe plant in the cedar planter I got for my birthday. It has been a learning experiment, since we know nothing about growing vegetables or fruit. For a while we just watered the plants once a day but with the heat of summer, we’ve increased watering to twice a day. I go out early in the morning and my husband Ron waters them in the evening.

As we learn, we’ve added more soil, some stakes for support and stability and a short trellis for the cantaloupe vine. I never knew cantaloupe grew on a vine. The tomatoes have grown taller than I expected. When I was away on a trip with friends, Ron texted me saying they were “top heavy”. He got some small stakes and used them for support for the branches. The tomatoes quickly outgrew those small stakes, so we added some thicker taller ones.

The cantaloupe vine has grown like a weed. It was spreading under the other plants and I wondered if it would prevent the other plants from growing well. I went searching in the garage for something that might fix the problem. Seeing a short wire trellis, I found some wire cutters and cut it to a useable size for the planter corner. I placed the trellis in the corner and worked the vine onto it, and away from the other plants. I saw some flowers on the vine but no fruit. I took a picture of it and sent it to a friend who has a garden each year. She recommended just waiting to see. The next day Ron noticed a green cantaloupe growing. It’s about the size of a small apple. I never noticed it since it is camouflaged among the green leaves. I sure hope it ripens all the way. We love sweet cantaloupe.

The colored peppers are doing ok. They are growing but I only see one pepper on the three plants. It’s about the size of an egg. I use colored peppers a lot when I cook so I’m really hoping they will provide a little harvest. So far we have harvested three tomatoes with two more possibly ready to pick tomorrow. It is so fun to see our efforts pay off. Every time I go out to check on the plants I smile to myself, seeing things growing.

Isn’t that just like God as He carefully tends to us each day?Plants need water, sun light, good soil, support and care. God provides all of those things for us as we grow in Him. As I watered, I noticed one of the pepper plants roots were showing. I thought, “what in the world!” I realized that the nozzle on the hose was on a more direct setting where the water came out with too much impact. Truth can be like that. Sometimes saying the same “truth” in a more gentle way sink in and works better than truth given in an abrupt manner. (Just an observation)

As for the tomatoes, I marvel at the support they need to bear the heavy fruit on the branches. The branches themselves aren’t very thick, however they are fruitful. The first stakes we put in were not enough support, so we added the taller thicker stakes. Isn’t that somewhat like us? As we walk with the Lord and bear fruit for His glory, He sends friends, family along side us for support. Sometimes we need stronger “stakes”: extra time in prayer and God’s Word to stabilize us and keep us from wavering. Surrounding ourselves with “Prayer warrior” friends and church family is “double reinforcement”. Occasional pruning and rearranging of the plants help with growth, health and fruit. God does that with us. He rearranges things in our lives at times. Sometimes He removes people who hinder our growth. Sometimes we experience the pain of loss (pruning) but we don’t realize that He is carefully watching over us just like we are watching our raised planter. When He is concerned about an issue, He moves to resolve it. When we bear fruit, it makes His heart fill with joy. And, just because we can’t see something, doesn’t mean it’s not there. That’s just like the camouflaged cantaloupe.

There are so many incredible lessons in nature. This garden box was just an experiment but I’m hoping Ron will build me one that is bigger so we can have a fall and winter garden too. It is so neat to eat something grown from your own yard. These are lessons from the planter. Oh but what a beautiful lesson has hatched on the front porch bakers rack! Momma Mourning Dove’s second brood of squabs have hatched. This is the second brood this year and she has two more baby doves playin in their nest. Ron took a video of them today and it is so precious. Momma Dove is siting all calm and protective while her baby squabs play together right beside her. It’s another picture of our Abba Father as He watches over us as we “play unaware” of danger around us. God is always watching and caring for us though. Life from a “nature lens” is so beautiful. I’m going to try to add the video of the squabs. They are playing to the right of their Momma. So precious. (The video did not post but here is a picture.)

Two baby Squabs to the right of their Momma.

It’s my prayer that you have received encouragement or perhaps even been challenged through this blog. I find it so refreshing when people can be real and transparent. Life lessons are amazing teachers. I’m thankful for all The Lord is teaching me. Please check out my autobiography Rooted by the Water on Amazon (hard cover, soft cover and ebook formats) I pray it’s a blessing to you and encouragement to never give up in hard situations. Be blessed and better yet, be a blessing.

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”
‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭4‬ ‭(NKJV‬‬)

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R.E.S.T

April 22, 2024Leave a Comment

Monday morning after a weekend of rest, I don’t typically wake up and think about rest. Truth be told, I really don’t rest as much as I should. I can be still but my mind is always going places. Being a thinker and trying to figure things out causes me to usually be in some “state of thinking”.

Last night I was trying a new recipe for Chicken Philly hoagie sandwiches. (They turned out great. Just need a bit more seasoning next time.) Right before that I was working on Bible study notes which I need to figure out how to shorten. After cleaning up the kitchen I was editing notes to send to my Bible study group. Then I got online to research two entirely different things. One of those things being related to how to do a raised garden box. I’m trying to figure out what to put in the cedar planter that ended up being smaller than I thought. So many things to consider and figure out. You see it? A constant turning of my thoughts in one way or another.

Last night I forgot to take my Fitbit off so I woke to a series of vibrations when a friend texted me before the birds woke up. Once I was awake, I was right back at the “thinking game”. I sat down to pray and have my quiet time. I came across an acronym that really got my attention. R.E.S.T. Release every single thing. Wow. That is exactly what I need to do. R.E.S.T. Release every single thing to God.

It’s Monday and I’m already striving and trying to figure things out. I often try my best to “help” God but God does not need my help. He wants my submission and surrender. I’m like, “Lord I can only do so much. I can do my part but I can’t make things happen. Please open doors concerning Your Will or close doors we have no business entering.” That’s kind of how my prayer went this morning. I need to do a lot more R.E.S.T(ing) Releasing every single thing to God, and leave it there.

Surely I’m not alone. Is there anyone else out there who needs to R.E.S.T.? Let’s do this. It will be a lot lighter load when we release it and let our Heavenly Father work things out according to His Will. Have an awesome week.

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Be Kind

March 13, 2024Leave a Comment

As I get older, thankfully I’ve gained some wisdom along the way. I finally stopped coloring my hair and my word… it is full of gray, much more than I realized. But I’d like to thank I’v earned each one of them.

God has taught me many things in life. I wish I had been quicker in learning some of them when I was younger. Mistakes are a great teacher. Live and learn and pass on the gleamed wisdom to the next generation.

One thing I have learned in life is to be the kind of person you’d like to be friends with. If you want to meet kind and compassionate people, be kind and compassionate. If you long to find a good listener who speaks life into your situations, be that kind of person to others.

I absolutely love to serve others. It is something I can do and it makes my heart happy. Today as I prepared the beans for the homeless ministry that we have gotten involved with, it made me happy to contribute in some way. As we served in Rock Hill this evening, I saw one of our new homeless friends and I called out his name in greeting. Everyone is deserving of kindness. It doesn’t matter the situation just be kind.

Another thing I’ve learned in life is to reach out to others. Earlier today I was in our home office doing Bible study and making notes to share. I also texted several different people to encourage them or let them know I was thinking about them. I told Ron, “Just imagine if I could hear well enough to talk to people on the phone.” He laughed. Honestly it makes people feel good when they are thought of. The heart does a happy dance when you know people love and care. Reach out and encourage people. Imagine how much better the world would be if people did that more.

Another value lesson I’ve learned is to know my limits. Last week was honestly too busy. Being hearing and visually impaired is tiring on a day to day basis. I have to work to understand. It takes longer to do things but I love the challenge. It is just a fact of life. However I refuse to “sit on the sidelines”. I prefer to LIVE. So besides the usual day to day, I also did Food pantry volunteering, RiceNBeans cooking and outreach and prepped and taught a long Bible study. With the high pollen here in South Carolina my allergies had flared up and my eyes were so very DRY. This made seeing my notes that were “zoomed in large” hard to see. I had signed up to participate in a 5K at our church but it was forecast to rain. I was exhausted. I felt the rain was God giving me an “out” for the 5K. Im sad I missed it but I was beyond my limit and I needed rest. This week I’m back at it but asked the Bible study girls if we could divid the lessons in two parts. It’s more manageable for me and gives us more of a chance to discuss life application. It’s okay to ask for a favor. It’s more than okay to request prayer. It’s okay to say “I’m sorry I can’t but will join next time.”

It is also fine to not see “eye to eye”with everyone about everything. Healthy calm discussions are needed. We have a generation that is so confused by nonsense in our culture and easily offended. It’s important to have the “hard talks” and pass along wise council. Just be sure to do it respectfully, trying to see the other persons point of view. There are so many angles to view a situation.

It’s also vital to demonstrate leadership skills and a faithful walk with Jesus. The other night I had a rare opportunity of a deep talk with our son. Those talks don’t happen often since he is grown and own his own. As I listened to his hopes and dreams and how he wanted to move forward, I had to seize that opportunity to stress the importance of bringing God into each of those decisions. Our kids no matter the age need to know how much they are loved. I said, “ God loves you so much. Way more than me and dad. Imagine that.” Each and every decision God wants to be a part of. You know you can talk to God about anything. Our Abba Father cares about every thing. I told Joshua, “ You can pray that God will open a door or opportunity or close it, after all He knows what’s behind each door.” Love, direct and pray over your kids no matter what their age. They are a treasure from the Lord.

There is so much more but I will end with this last thing. Trust God. God is working even when we don’t see it. Last week at Bible study the oldest in our group shared the idea of God weaving a beautiful masterpiece. Each one of us is a
“thread”. We all come together as God chooses, as a little part of the bigger masterpiece. Isn’t that beautiful? She’s raised three kids and has a bunch of grandkids. She shares the wisdom she’s gleamed in many trails. I know I can always ask her for prayer. Recently when a situation was discouraging, I texted her and asked her to pray. She reminded me that “God was busy weaving”, He is always working on us. Trusting is hard especially when you don’t yet “see” the answers to your prayers. Just know God is working out His best and while we don’t see the BIG PICTURE, He does. He will bring it all together. Just trust Him.

If you liked this blog post please subscribe and share. I’m thankful for this gift to share when God puts something on my heart. You can find my autobiography Rooted by the Water on Amazon. (Hard cover soft cover, and e-book formats.) I pray it gives you great hope and courage to surrender to Jesus. He is all you really need. All for the Glory of God.

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3 Years Tomorrow

March 11, 2024Leave a Comment

The tulip tree we planted in honor of my dad.

Time sure does fly. You blink and a three years has gone by. Tomorrow, March 12 is not only my husband Ron’s birthday but also my dad’s third heavenly birthday. Three years ago tomorrow we took him to the hospital, fully expecting to bring him home. After all, his momma lived to be 101, bouncing back after many trials. It’s true that God’s ways are not our ways. When God calls us home, we will go.

We have handled his loss well because we know we will see him again. It was a “see you later” knowing he is with Jesus now. No more cancer, no more pain. But I sure do miss him.

Today when I was outside changing the garden flags, I walked to the back fence and smile. There in full bloom was the tulip tree we planted almost three years ago in honor of dad. He and mom have a beautiful one and I love their tulip tree. When dad died, I asked Ron if we could plant one. It blooms around the time of his heavenly birthday each year. Our upstate South Carolina soil is red clay. It’s not the best for growing things but we were extra careful mixing in some peat moss and good soil in the large hole we dug. I wanted to make sure it had the best chance of survival. So far so good. Each year it’s grown a bi more and has more blooms. Seeing those blooms today put a smile in my heart.

Grief is the oddest thing. Memories come all the time of treasured moments over the years. I was a “Daddy’s Girl”. I could talk to him about anything and he would listen and give sound advice. He enjoyed a good game of Skipbo with the family. We used to have four generations around the table playing that card game. He and his momma were sharp players and they both played to win. I recently found Skipbo online and downloaded it on my iPad. It’s a fun card game but nothing compares to the memories when we all played it together.

Tomorrow is also food pantry day. Mom and dad both volunteered at the Fort Mill Church of God food pantry for years. Eight years ago I started volunteering with them there. Dad would swing by and pick me up to take me with him and meet Mom there. He would always stop by and get me and mom a cup of tea: sweet for mom and half and half for me. I miss him when we are volunteering. Seems like he should be in the next room praying for the clients as them come in. Mom still does that and I help pack the food boxes.

Most of all I miss the talks. He was a very generous man who loved his family well. His generous spirit and legacy lives on in us all. In honor of my Dad, this blog is for you. Oh and one more thing Dad… Forrest is doing so well and your great grands are showing the Kenley genes. My goodness. When I see pictures of them I see your boy. I know you would love that. Mom sure does. Shes doing very well too, a strong woman. Love and miss you always.

Me and dad on the way to volunteer at the food pantry

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It’s been one of those “PUSH through” days

February 12, 2024Leave a Comment

Sitting here at nearly 9 pm EST, on a Monday night in February, sweating. Here in upstate South Carolina, it has rained all day with temperatures pretty steady in the 50s with 95% humidity.

It has been a “Push through it” kind of day from beginning until now. Rainy Mondays can be that way. I went to sleep last night wearing my Fitbit. It vibrates when a text comes in, so AT&T was my alarm clock, with an automatic text telling me my payment was made. (Like I don’t know that?) I was in a deep sleep, dreaming I was on a pier with a dove on my arm. Very interesting. Would have liked to know the end of it.

While I can feel the Fitbit vibrate, I can’t see anything on the little screen when it lights up. Thankfully it is synced with my iPad so I could check the text. Seeing it was nothing worth even checking, I got up to make some coffee. Thirty minutes later my friend Leasa texted to see if I’d go to Home Depot with her to help her find something to finish a project. I was still half a sleep and my question was, “How soon?” I ended up quickly washing my face and throwing on some clothes. She picked me up about 20 minutes later and we were off. After talking to several men there about the project she was doing, we finally found what she needed. During the process, she told me all about a movie she and her husband saw yesterday. We grabbed some Chick-fil-A then she brought me home.

My husband and I had planned to go to the gym to workout, but I still felt tired. I told him to give me about an hour and maybe I’d be ready to go. In the meantime, he helped me register for a 5k that our church is having. I’m not a runner, but plan to walk it with some friends. I finally said, “Okay let’s go”. Ron asked, “Are you sure you feel like it?” I replied, “No but let’s get it done.” Nothing like signing up for an event to get moving.

We got to the gym and started on the treadmills. Usually we just warm up for about 20 minutes then continue with strength training. Today I went two miles at a good pace then went looking for Ron in the weight area. He was wearing a red shirt so I figured he would be easy to find, with my low vision. But several guys were wearing red today. I finally found him and told him where I would be. Usually we stick together but today we did different things. The thing is, with my low vision I don’t always see people on the machines until I’m just a few feet away. Oh boy and being tired from that two mile walk didn’t help matters. Ron is a sweetheart. He came up to help me on the machines and I told him I hadn’t really seen the guy on the machine I wanted to use, but I “played it off”. I don’t think the guy noticed I didn’t see him. Welcome to my crazy life. We both got a good workout in and I was one sweaty mess. Nothing like pushing through a day when you just aren’t feeling it and it’s rainy and muggy outside.

This 5K event is something to keep me accountable with walking and strength training. Doing different types of things can be a bit unnerving at times though. The last time I did a 5K was about 9 years ago. That one I ran but I didn’t know the course. The directions were marked out on signs that I could not see. Oh my word, but I finally did cross the finish line. This time I’m going to do it with friends and they will help me know where to go.

There is nothing like good friends that get you moving. Whether it’s a quick run in the morning to Home Depot, doing Bible study, doing mission work or preparing for a 5K to do together. It’s worth pushing through to do whats is needed.

It’s almost time to “call it a day and hit the hay”. I’m glad I pushed through this day. It’s been a full one and it’s fulfilling to reach bedtime and say It’s been a good day even with the AT&T wake up text and muggy rainy weather. Tomorrow will be another busy day but it will be another fulfilling one volunteering at the food pantry then spending some time with my Mom.

I hope you all have an awesome week. Just “push through it” even when you don’t feel like it. You will be glad you did. Good night everybody.

Www.shannonkhinson.com

If you only knew😳

May 6, 20232 Comments

I’m debating whether to even put this in writing. I occasionally give a true, honest, transparent look at life as a visually and hearing impaired person. Today was one of those days when inwardly I’m like..
Oh great! 🤦🏽‍♀️ Yet outwardly I am hopefully all smiles! Did I pull it off? I think I did but who knows.

Before I even went out the door I was praying and thanking God that His joy is my strength. As I prayed I said Lord, you fill my heart with joy and peace despite the circumstances. Help me! How the day would unfold if I did not start off in Gods word, prayer snd praise , I don’t want to ever find out. It’s tough. Mental and spiritual preparation is so helpful especially when I know I’m going to be feeling like a “fish on dry ground”

Put me in a group of any size and it’s challenging. Mom picked me up to take me to my nieces baby shower. I’m 54 and my 80 year old Mom is driving me around. It’s a fact of life I don’t think I will ever be used to. We arrived at the beautiful shower honoring my niece and many showed up to bless her. At most showers of any type there are fun activities. One was to write a note for the baby that he would see on his 18th birthday. Trouble was the pieces of paper wete small with tiny lines to write on. I can’t see well enough to read my handwriting any more, not to mention writing on lines. Oh Lord help me! What to do? I closed my worse eye and tried to legibly write on the lines. I asked Mom if she could read it, thankfully she could. One down a couple more to go. Next was four jars to guess how many items were in each. I told Mom to just write some numbers. We went out on the deck and there was another activity I did not even see until I was close up. Everyone worked on making baby’s first ABC book. I used to love to color really detailed sketches but I can’t see well enough to do that anymore. Oh the joys of having low vision… NOT! (But I did one anyway. Although I did not sign my name on it. If my niece reads my blog… the one that looks like a kid did it was done by yours truly…. Aunt Shannon 😂 ) That’s just the activities, now let’s talk about the food. I could not find the forks on the table. They were right in front of me but transparent, so I did not see them. Okay…. next! I could see the deviled eggs, crackers, chips and fruit. The kabobs were another story. It took me a second to figure out how to pick it up. Lord have mercy! If people only knew the challenges it would blow your mind. This is just the visual part, not to mention the hearing part. My hearing loss is noticeable but my visual issue is not. What am I to do? Stay home? No! I live life and just hope to play it off! It’s not about me. It’s about blessing those around me. Is it uncomfortable? You bet! Is it cringe worthy? Absolutely! Did anyone notice? Hopefully not except Mpm of course. Even she doesn’t realize how bad my vision is.

Some things in life I don’t think I will ever understand on this side of eternity. It takes a lot of grit on the inside and smiles on the outside. It takes a lot of prayers and small pep talks to get through it. Only God understands. It’s hard. I can’t give in. I must get out and live life even though the normal things are so frustrating. I want to particulate and bless those around me.

If you saw me typing up this blog you would get a good laugh. Part of it I type and part of it I speak. Typos are everywhere because touch screens are so tricky. I use my iPad for blogging. However artificial intelligence can’t understand me half the time and I speak clearly! I say one thing and it types another. I say “ You can’t hear! And it says, “ I’m sorry you feel that way!” I’m over it!

Whether I will publish this or delete it is going through my head. On one hand, it’s helpful to see the difficulties people have to face, difficulties that are for the most part invisible. On the other hand, the truth can be terribly embarrassing. Peoples lives are so different. This is a reminder to be kind, considerate, and helpful. Today is almost over and tomorrow I will step into whatever God has for me. I won’t do it alone. He is with me every step of the way. Treat people the way you want them to treat you. Until next time…

If you liked this blog post please subscribe and share. I write when God puts something on my heart. You can find my autobiography Rooted by the Water on Amazon. I pray it gives you great hope and courage to surrender to Jesus. He is all you really need. All for the Glory of God. Be blessed!