Have you heard the one about the high maintenance pedicure customer? That’s me. I confess. Hey, my feet are sensitive, OK! Today, because I didn’t want to have gnarly old lady toes at my niece’s wedding Saturday, I went for the full treatment. 

As I walked into the salon all of the ladies raised their heads to see who was walking in. “Can I help you?” was the question. “Spa pedi and gels”, I responded. Panic rose across their faces as they started speaking to each other in rapid fire dialog in a language I could not understand. I am pretty sure they were saying “you take her. No, you take her. I will give you $20 if you take her.” Oh gosh. Finally, sweet Holly escorted me to the chair. She seemed resigned to the fact that she drew the short straw.When I go anywhere that I think I may have to wait I take a book. As I got into the chair I tried to make eye contact with her but she was busy shooting her next chair shop mate a side eye. Again, speaking in their native tongue I was trying to discern, by facial expressions, what was happening here. My mind got the best of me. It seemed like they were saying “Sister, I am here for you, just hang in there it will be over soon.” My book remained on my lap never opened. I was too busy psyching myself up for this. 

I apologized many times over that my feet were (and still are) extra sensitive. The bottoms of my feet are the only part of me that’s ticklish. When I was younger my dad & brothers would hold me down and tickle my feet! As I told her that tidbit of information she did not look amused. As this darling lady started with me, I tried not to flinch. Finally, she looked at me and said, “I know how to do this mam.” Then she glanced at the lady next to her and slipped a tiny smile. I minded my own business and used mind over matter for the next 20 minutes. That “mind over matter” thing is one tough cookie. Every time I flinched she made a funny displeased curve with her lips. 
That evening my family came for dinner. My grandson Braxton is a determined little guy. Getting up in my lap, he started tickling my ribs. I told him I wasn’t ticklish. He said he was so I proceeded to tickle him. I then told him to stare straight ahead and concentrate and not let the tickling bother him. So he stood straight, focused his big blue eyes toward the window and tightened his lips. As my fingers got close to his ribs he flinched. I told him to concentrate. As I started tickling him he laughed then said, “again, again”. We went through the same list of straighten, focus and concentrate. “Again, again”, he said. We did this for several minutes until I could tickle him pretty heartily without him making so much as a smirk. Mind over matter. Well, it escaped me in the nail salon. If a 3 year old can master the talent why couldn’t I? 
The torture was over! Bless her heart my dear little pedicurist took a sigh of relief. She patted my foot sympathetically and moved me to another seat to dry. Next time I walk through the door I expect all of the ladies will make themselves scarce and give me to the “new kid”! Perhaps I should change salons but word gets around quick in a small town.
#InGodwetrust #mindovermatter #blesstheirheartsinagoodway 

Psalm 78:6-7

That the generation to come might know, even the children yet to be born, that they may arise and tell them to their children, that they should put their confidence in God, and not forget the works of God. (NASB) 

My grandmother got married when she was 13 1/2. Can you imagine? My grandpa was 19. My mom was born when grandma was 16. I was born when my mom was 17 and my son was born when I was 3 weeks shy of 19. Our family is a very young family. Because our family is so young I knew many of my great-aunts and great-uncles very well. What a blessing it was for me to know Aunt Fan, Uncle Chet, Aunt Iva Rhea, Aunt Bess, Uncle Tete, Aunt Babe, Uncle Little Boy and Uncle Big, Aunt Lennis, Aunt Maggie, Uncle Lois (yes, UNCLE Lois),  Aunt Josephine, Aunt Evelyn, Aunt Lula and Aunt Lou, Uncle Bud and Aunt Sis and all of the rest of the lovely people who made up the Stephens, Duvall, Smith and Skipper families that are my DNA. At this season in my life I really enjoy my great-nieces and great-nephews. What a blessing to be this age and energetic enough to drive across country to attend their college graduations, dance at their weddings, pick them up from school, camp with them at the beach, go to lunch and just be “present” in their lives. I want them to really know that they are loved by their Aunt Terrie, or as the Ward boys call me “Grant Terrie”. 

Coryann Lynn-Marie Ledford is my #2 great niece, Brooklyn being the first. When my niece Brandie had Coryann I was at youth group camp with my daughter Michele and nieces Wendie and Kellie, Brandie’s two sisters. Can you picture 4 excited aunties huddled around a pay phone laughing and crying? It was a sight for sure! We got to hear her cry and Brandie cry too. We all wished we had been home but would lay our eyes on that little miracle in a few days. I was very excited that Coryann and I would share a birth month - July. Rubies for both of us! Much to my delight 12 years later I would have a great-niece actually born on my birthday. Another “Marie”, Isabella Marie. We recently realized we are July babies with connected names: Terrie Lynn, Coryann Lynn-Marie and Isabella Marie. Lovely how that worked out.

Coryann and I share some “inside” stories. When she was a baby I was in the acrylic nail stage of my life. As was a usual thing for our family we were having a Sunday dinner at my sisters. Looking down at my hand I realized that my red acrylic thumb nail had popped off. I started looking on the floor for it like it was a lost contact lens. Suddenly I hear “what the heck is this?”. Jeremy, Coryann’s dad, was changing her diaper. In the diaper was one red acrylic thumb nail. Oh my gosh! My face turned as red as the nail. The last one to change her diaper had been me. To this day I have not lived that one down!!

Coryann is detail oriented to a fault, but in a good way! Nestled next to my nose was a mole. It was a small mole but a mole nonetheless. As Coryann got older, every time I would hold her she would try to pick the mole off of my face. I explained that it was attached and it was owie when she tried to scrape it off. She looked at me and said “mole?” I answered yes. Then she said, “Aunt Mole.” Whoopee, I was Aunt Mole for the longest time. Actually, it was kind of endearing. 

Years later my dermatologist removed that mole. The first one I called was Coryann. I got a tear in my eye when I told her I had just had the “Aunt Mole” mole removed. End of an era. 

It was during a breakfast at Snooze with this precious woman that I decided on a most important end of life decision. She was in her pre-med courses in collage and was relating to me and her mom how they got to operate on a cadaver. She told us that it was a crowded class because there weren’t enough cadavers these days. That got me thinking about donating my body to medical science. I was already going to donate my organs so why not the ultimate donation. Looking across the table at that sweet young face so full of promise my mind was made up. Later that week my husband and I filed our papers with UCSD, our local medical school. 

When she was little I used to take Coryann and her brother Colton to AWANA at my church. She has always been close to the Lord. She is kind, sweet, very smart, funny, sensitive and loves to color code. Yep, she has the color coding gene. We have bonded further over our addiction to colored pencils and markers. Her college notes were so good that one of her professors wanted to make a copy if them because they were so outstanding. I love to color code my bible studies and I do a lot of that. Coryann knows about my penny journal, she knows about the lasting legacy of faith, she loves God. The fact that I can be here now to talk to her about trusting God for her life is precious to me. The other day as I was preparing for my lesson to teach women how to study their bible the dialogue box on one of the pages noted an experimental study that was done by Lamberski and Dwyer. The study revealed that “color-coding techniques are great instructional strategies. They found that color coding improves attention, learner motivation and structure in memory” www.ed.psu.edu/dwyer). 

I had to share that with her so I texted her right in the big middle of her work day. She is deep into her practicum at a local hospital. Precious girl works so hard! I just had to let her know that our bond was a “thing”. 
A few minutes later I got a text from her. The text said, “Look what I found during my lunch break. I definitely needed it. Been a slow day and I’ve been in a weird mood I just can’t kick. I’m gonna use the penny mojo to turn my day around. Love youuu.” This was accompanied by the penny resting on her hand. My heart was about to burst with gratitude! She knows that she can trust God. The penny is a reminder for her, for all of those who come behind to trust God. Leaving that lasting legacy of faith is of the utmost importance to me. Knowing it is ingrained in their hearts and mind gives me so much joy. Trusting Jesus is the only way to live our lives, so blessed that she knows❤️

#InGodwetrust #LeavingaLegacy #ProjectPenny #Greatniecesrock

Psalm 144:12

Let our sons in their youth be as grown up plants, and our daughters as corner pillars fashioned for a palace. (NASB)

Years ago my pastor told me that he starts his daily bible reading by reading whatever Psalm corresponds to that present day of the month. He then adds 30 and reads that Psalm, then adds 30 and reads that one and so on until he gets to the end for that day. After a month you have just about read the entire book. I enjoy this method very much. So on Monday July 24 I read Psalm 24, Psalm 54, Psalm 84, Psalm 114 and Psalm 144. As I read I ask the Holy Spirit to teach me. When I came to Psalm 144:12 my heart quickened. There was a message there.

Think about a grown plant. It has been watered, pruned, trimmed and cared for. If it has a bent, that had been straightened. If the growth is stunted some how the plant will not thrive. Here King David is saying, “let our sons in their youth be like grown up plants”. The taproot on a mature plant runs deep down into the water table where it can get nourishment. Parents have guided their boys to be reliable, strong, self sufficient, sturdy and grounded. When the winds of a storm come along that son stands firm. He is not easily uprooted and blown away. His roots are not just surface roots. A sense of responsibility has been nurtured in this young man. He is grounded because he was not left to his own devices to bring himself up. He has had guidance, discipline and support. His “gardeners” (parents) have taken the time to tend to him.

King David then says, “our daughters as corner pillars fashioned for a palace.” A corner pillar is a supportive pillar in the structure. It holds up the roof and connects two walls. That pillar is strong, solid, supportive and dependable. It is very important to the integrity of the building to keep the structure upright. The word “fashioned” means made. These daughters have been taught these things from birth. They have had these qualities modeled for them in their homes. Daughters will go on to be pillars in their own homes being supports to their husbands and children, keeping the family thriving and sound through all kinds of life circumstances.

How are you being an example to the young people in your sphere of influence? Are you modeling godliness, strength, dependability, responsibility and support to them? Are you guiding them or just letting them figure it out on their own? If you don’t guide them they will seek guidance elsewhere. Kids need boundaries and limits. They need examples to follow that will influence them to have a thriving relationship with God, a love for His word and to be good citizens. We want the next generation to be strong, dependable, securely grounded, vigorous for the Lord, supportive and steadfast. As the winds of worry and uncertainty blow they will remain securely grounded in the Lord. Make it a priority to make sure that generations coming behind us get a head start on moving in the right direction.

#inGodwetrust #LeavingaLegacy #PrayingthroughthePsalms

 

1955 was a great year! This was the year our dear friend Dan was born. Dan is an extreme introvert but somehow, through the love of working on cars, my husband Steve broke through to Dan and they became good friends. Over the years he has been such a blessing to our family. He is an A#1 Honda mechanic and owns his own shop not far from us. He is an honest mechanic, always doing quality work for reasonable fees. Many times Steve and Dan have traded work as my husband is a computer expert. Dan would need computer work done and Steve would do it. We needed car work done and Dan would reciprocate. We even bought a car from Dan, a Honda accord in excellent condition that I am still driving! Dan has been in critical condition with blood clots on his intestines. Walking in to the ICU to see him was tough. We prayed with his dear wife and prayed over Dan. It was touch and go. Monday my husband texted me that Dan was awake and alert! A miracle for sure!! At the time I was running an errand for a friend and as I looked down I saw a penny. It was dated 1955. I texted Dan’s wife to ask what year he was born, a strange question for sure. She texted back 1955! I was speechless. Actually I laughed out loud with such JOY! God is amazing! That penny was just for me as a symbol that He is listening. 

God gave me this penny ministry in 2004 and continues to bless me immensely through it. Today, as I visit them at the hospital, I will tell them of the faithfulness and sovereignty of God. #InGodwetrust #LeavingaLegacy #1955agoodyear #notenoughexclamationpoints

Taking “Leaving a Legacy” very seriously! 

Today, as my grandsons and great-nephews and I went to Slurpee Town, we hit the mother load of pennies. The boys found six! Of course when we got in the car I asked my question, “boys what are you trusting God for this very minute”, and here were the answers:

Luke: “That the world can live in harmony, you know, no fighting.”

Blake: “I want to ask Him to take care of the endangered species. They need safety and He will help them.”

Brody: “If an army from another state or, I mean, a country comes here that America will win. God will keep us safe.”

Braxton: “for toys and Labby”, (labby is Charlie their dog).

So now it is was my turn, what am I trusting God for? I said that I was trusting God to help me keep loving and studying His Word. According to Blake that was a good one! I am the most blessed EVER to experience this time with these darling boys. They are all boy believe me, and they rough house like crazy but they can be thoughtful and as gentle as lambs. What treasures! I am so thankful to God that He allows me to leave His imprint on their hearts. If you have an opportunity to minister to children, make it a priority. They need your example of godly living. They need to see God working in your life because they more often see just the opposite all around them. Be that breath of fresh air to a child today. 

#InGodwetrust #ProjectPenny #Leavingalegacy #grandsonsandnephews #whileIstillhaveenergy #ohthankheaven

Just look at those faces!!

Galations 6:9 - Let us not become weary in doing good, for in the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 

Recently I spent the day with a dear friend going through a very difficult season. We went on many errands and had lunch. During our lunch I had to leave to pick up my nephews from school then go back to the restaurant to get my friend. Because of her health issues she moves very slow. Getting around is difficult. 

Every time I pick the boys up we go for Slurpees and a snack. Today we had to set our wants aside to help someone in need. Things were not going as we planned. Running more errands with my friend and with the boys in tow was such a life learning experience for them. They are 9 and 11. I had many opportunities to talk to them about taking our eyes off of ourselves (one nephew said he had been dreaming of Takis, a snack item, all day) and focusing on helping someone who could not help herself. One day we may need that same help and we will be so thankful when God provides for us. We talked about how my friend trusts in God daily for all of her needs as she cannot meet many herself. 

Our shopping trip at Albertson’s took 1.5 hours for various reasons. The boys bickered among themselves (they are boys) but overall were attentive. We found pennies and a dime! We were so happy to find them! I asked what they were trusting God for at that very minute. Blake said, “to put ourselves aside and help others, for money to support us and to love the animals with all our heart.” My own heart melted! 

(The boys love to sing!)

Thank you Lord for these teachable moments. My friend got all of her errands taken care of and the boys did get their Slurpees and snacks in the end. It was a very good day. The boys continue to ask about my friend. They have not forgotten. ❤️

#blessedbeyondbelief #setyourselfaside #InGodwetrust #ProjectPenny #Leavingalegacy #whenyouwalkwiththewise #lovethoseboys

Every year on March 22 I would make an early morning phone call to my Grandpa Smith and sing “Happy Birthday to you”. Every year on my birthday the first phone call I got was from my grandparents singing that very song to me in perfect harmony. It was a tradition that I dearly loved and looked forward to. Then came the year that Grandpa called me by himself as grandma was in the Alzheimer’s unit. A few years later there was no phone call as Grandpa had gone to heaven. Today as I write this it is Sid Smith’s birthday. He is without a doubt the finest man I ever knew, ever. He was a godly man who always started his prayers with “Dear kind righteous Father”, wore a 3 piece suit and a hat every day, did business with a handshake, showed me by example that a little square of Hershey bar after dinner was a necessity, never let me pay for a meal if he was with me, made me laugh every time we talked, was fiercely loyal to his family and enjoyed a little whisky now and then (it was good for the digestion he would say). 

HIS BIBLE

When he died I got his bible. He checked marked every chapter in that precious book, sometimes twice or 3 times. There were notes and dates and even a random phone number written in the upper corner of the inside back cover! I held on to it for a few years but it always really disturbed my soul knowing I was not the one who should have this precious treasure. It was bound in leather but was completely worn out! My former pastor, Bob Kleinschmidt, does a beautiful job of recovering bibles. His craftsmanship is exemplary so I sent it to him. When it came back to me I opened the box and tears flooded my eyes. It was beautiful! My cousin Sidney Bill is my grandpa’s namesake. I was the first born grandchild but he was the first born boy (3rd grandchild behind my sister) and named after grandpa. I knew that Sid should have this dear book so I sent it to him. From his response to me I knew it meant the world to him. It was the right thing to do. I didn’t need to hang on to Grandpa’s bible; I had his sweet memory in my heart. 

THE PAPER WITH TORN EDGES

Sitting in church one Sunday at the Assembly of God church my grandparents attended things started getting a bit wild for this young baptist girl. Grandma was in her usual place at the piano. Grandpa and I were in the 4th pew. I think I was about 12. The music was great, the pastor was speaking, then it happened. A woman stood up and started speaking in a foreign language then someone else did the same then someone else. I clung to my Grandpa’s arm. He whispered in my ear, “this is enough to scare a baptist to death”. I went to a very conservative baptist church where there was bearly an “amen” uttered. These precious people were speaking in tongues.  I had never experienced that before.  It was quite frightening to me. Grandpa took a piece of the church bulletin insert, wrote “Terrie Ince Grandpa loves you” and tore it off. Terrie Ince is my nick name. It came about because when my cousin Sid was little he couldn’t say Terrie Lynn so he called me Terrie Ince over and over again. To this day my Smith cousins call me Ince. It really is sweet. I put that paper in my bible and I have had it ever since. It is precious to me in so many ways!

SISTER MARY WAS A STICKLER

As you can see by the note my grandfather had exquisite penmanship. He was the baby of the family, number 12. His dear mother, Sarah Johnson Smith, had 5 children then 3 sets of twins in a row - Virgil and Virgie (Bud and Sis), Andrew Lee and Jay Dee (Big Boy and Little Boy) and Ira and Irene. They were all fraternal twins. My great grandmother was one prolific producer of eggs! Irene died when she was 3 months old. Grandmother was bereft and depressed. It was a very difficult time. They decided to try one more time for another child. Enter William Sidney Smith (Sidney Bill). When the doctor delivered grandpa he went back to my great grandma looking quizically at her. She asked what was wrong. He said to her, ” I’m just looking for the other one.” There was no twin this time, just grandpa. My great grandpa certainly gave a sigh of relief! Grandpa’s sister Mary (and he always called her “Sister Mary”), was almost 18 years older than grandpa. She became a school teacher and taught in the one room schoolhouse there in Corpus Christi where they lived. Sister Mary was grandpa’s teacher. She was a task master when it came to penmanship. Big sis had great plans for her little brother and told him that if he was going to make anything of himself he must have excellent penmanship so he could fill out a job application. First impressions mean everything she would say.  Dear Aunt Mary lived to be 104 years old. She was the only person in our family to live past 100. Child # 2, my Uncle Claude, lived to be 99. He would always say, “When I get to be 100 I’m callin’ in the dogs.” The man was as healthy as a horse! The only pill he took daily was a multi-vitamin. Those Smiths were long livers! 

He loved me with all of his heart and I loved him with all of mine.  Of all of his sayings there was one he never said to me and it was, “there’s gonna be a hind-end kicking and you’re gonna furnish it.” That was reserved for my brothers. Some day I am going to write a book called Grandpa Smith Said.  We could all learn a few things from Sid Smith.  God bless you Grandpa and happy birthday. I look forward to hearing your voice again as we rejoice in heaven! 

#whenyouwalkwiththewise #grandpasgirl #number12 #InGodwetrust #myhero

I was invited to a Purim celebration today. Purim is the feast the Jewish people celebrate because Queen Esther saved them from annihilation. I wanted to make the traditional Challah braided bread to take to the party. Sourdough bread seems to be my forté these days so Challah couldn’t be that hard, could it? The more I thought about it the more nervous I got. I had already opened my big mouth and said I would bring it to the feast along with the Jewish dish kreplach. Making raised bread is a delicate process. I tried cinnamon rolls once and they would not rise. I even took the pans outside and put them in the sun! They were a disaster. In my inexperience I didn’t realize that I killed the yeast by using super hot water! Another lesson learned by watching Alton Brown. 

Friday was a busy day and as I was making my way to the grocery store I passed the La Mesa farmer’s market. Hoping to find sweet peas for my kitchen, I stopped. There is nothing like the sweet smell of those pretty petite flowers. They fill a room with delightful fragrance. Big aroma in a little package! As I was walking the sign “Bakery” caught my eye. Well, I am always up for anything that says bakery, so I went to investigate. What did I see among the cookies, pastries and baguettes but the most beautiful Challah I had ever laid eyes on. It was golden and soft. Oh goodness, I was in luck! My fears would be assuaged. Purchasing two glorious loaves, I made my way to the flower stand. Alas, no sweet peas so I bought a mixed bouquet. Flowers and Challah in hand I walked back to my car. On my way I saw a quarter on the ground. Picking it up I laughed out loud! I get the biggest kick out of God’s sense of humor. He never ceases to amaze me. Instead of a penny there were 25 of them in one large shiny silver coin as if to say, “Trust Me dear one. You should never attempt yeast bread for the first time when you are committed to provide it for a celebration so guess what…Challah for you!”

Oh gosh, I laughed all the way to my car out of pure joy. I know many are nay sayers about the penny journal but for me it is joy every time! A quarter for a big save! Thank you God for having my back and knowing my limits. I will try yeast bread sometime and maybe have my friends over for tea! Stay tuned. #InGodwetrust #LeavingALegacy #ProjectPenny #Holla4Challah

Just about everyone I have talked to recently has either had the bad cold, knows someone who has had it or is on the verge. Six days in the house and I was going stir crazy. Cancelling most all of my activities this week, I was keeping in mind a conversation I had with my husband who actually stayed home from work sick (and THAT is weird in itself). He said, “you know, we are older now and it will take longer for us to recover.” Older? I am still 35 in my head! I was 21 in my head for decades and only recently have grown older in mind. True, our bodies are older and need more rest, so I took his advice. Boy, was I glad I did because I was down for the count!  

Today I got dressed and put on actual makeup. That was exhausting in itself. I was sure that if I went out without makeup that this would be the day I would run in to Bradley Whitford or Rob Lowe. I have met and talked with Rob Lowe about the first book he wrote. That man has unnatural blue eyes! Gosh he is adorable and so is his darling wife. When I met her first and told her how much I enjoyed his book she asked me to please tell him. His mom was a high school teacher and a writer. I told him she would have been proud of him. He flashed me that signature smile which promptly turned me into a giggling 14 year old inside. Outside I was friendly and refined, smiling my signature smile right back at him. He is also my height which kind of threw me off. Just my luck Rob would see me at my local grocery store and not even recognize me sans makeup so, makeup it was.

My neighborhood is very diverse. I love my little city of Lemon Grove. At the center of town there is a huge concrete lemon with our town slogan: best climate on earth. I remember writing to my cousin Frank when he was in Viet Nam and telling him that the lemon had been stolen. That was before it was concrete! I also remember sending him cookies in a 5 lb. coffee can only to find out the can had been smooshed to smithereens. He said he enjoyed the very stale crumbs! When I was a pre-teen I would watch a TV show called Combat every Wednesday night at 7:00 with my step dad Roger. I can still hear the theme music in my head and see the characters of Sarge, Kirby, Cage, Doc and Little John. Each week in the show this rag tag band of brave soldiers fought the Germans in black and white. In one episode Little John got a birthday cake from his mom. Throughout that episode, amidst enemy fire, diving in to foxholes, patrolling burnt out villages and crossing mine fields Little John kept that cake in tact being told in a note not to eat it until his actual birthday. The next day as he opened the box the cake was in crumbles! Weird things our brains hold on to, right?

Anyway, I digress. At the store there were people of many nationalities. As I slowly walked around I heard many languages being spoken; a mom comforting her child in Arabic, a husband and wife discussing apples in Spanish, a tall blonde lady telling two kids to stop bickering in what sounded like Swedish. There were women dressed in colorful jalbibs, an old man with his 2 dogs in the cart, grandparents wrangling a cranky 2 year old, it was diverse. 
As I got up to the counter to pay I saw 2 pennies on the counter by the cash register. It looked like someone left them there. I didn’t have the nerve to ask for them so I thanked God that I live in America where we have such a diverse population and so many choices. The clerk and I bagged up my groceries and I pulled my cart away. Yes, I actually remembered to take bags in with me! 

As I walked by another cash register I saw two more bright shiny pennies on the ground. I stopped and picked them up and handed them to the clerk. She said, “oh gosh what am I going to do with these?”. There was my opening. I told her about my penny journal and showed her where on the penny it says In God We Trust. In the corner of my eye I saw a beautiful woman in a jalbib looking intently at me then when I looked her way and smiled she looked down and continued writing her check. The clerk said, “oh, I like that. It’s kind of like a gratitude journal or an angel thing.” I told her that it always reminded me to trust in God; that I was leaving a legacy for my grandchildren to read and know that our God can be trusted as I wrote out every page. She gave me the pennies back. I then gave one back to her and suggested that she start her own journal. She told me she loved that idea. No telling how many people around heard the exchange between us. I have a voice that carries but try not to be too off putting when I want to raise the volume a tad. 
My joy today was sharing my trust in God with several folks standing at that cash register. Who knows? Maybe several started a penny journal today. Alas, I did not run in to Rob Lowe but one never knows what tomorrow may bring!

#InGodwetrust #LeavingALegacy 

#ProjectPenny

#whenyouwalkwiththewise

I have a cold. Yep, the creeping crud has got me all laid up. Boy, have times changed for me. When my kids were growing up I worked full time. I don’t remember having the luxury of a sick day. Perhaps I stayed home if I couldn’t even dress myself but that was rare. 

My heart goes out to you working moms who go to work sick. I was looking at WebMD to see if I should go to the doctor. Some of the descriptions cracked me up. It said, “if you’ve got a tickle in the back of your throat or it feels like mucous dripping in the back of your throat, get up and go to work”!  Heck, I’ve gone to work with red watery eyes, snot dripping out of my nose, a slight fever and having to be quiet while coughing or holding a sneeze. I know you do too. Being a mother of a special needs child with a compromised immune system I took sick leave days to care for her. 

At one of my jobs the “big boss” called me in to his office one day. I was nervous because he and I were just on a “saying hi in the hall” basis. I really didn’t think he even knew my name. He told me that I had taken too much time off. Well, I knew I had been diligent about keeping track of my time. I asked him how much time I had taken. He told me I had used 11 days of the 12 I was given. Trying to be as respectful as possible I asked him why that was an issue. I was given 12 days, couldn’t I take them? He told me they were given to me but I wasn’t supposed to use them all. My job was getting done, I had great reviews, I was on time what was the problem? He asked me why I was sick so often. I told him I used my leave time to take care of my sick daughter. She had been in the hospital so I took 5 days off in a row.  He asked me if I had family that could care for her or if I could pay someone to take her to the doctor! Needless to say I gave my notice shortly after that. Ladies, I feel your pain.

God sustained me through all of those very difficult days. Each day I would wake up with a new attitude, put my game face on and go to work to do my very best for the Lord. Our pastor had given a sermon on 1 Corinthians 10:31. The verse says, “whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”(NIV). Do it ALL for the glory of God. I may have shouted “glory to God” a time or two while eating a chocolate peanut butter cupcake or some of my cousins home made mac and cheese. I may have even given up a loud praise over a cold glass of water on a very hot day. Giving our best for Him at work, dealing with customers, co-workers, bosses, taking care of your kids, cooking, cleaning house, driving, shopping, whatever - do it to God’s glory! People are watching you. If you say you are a Christian believe me they are watching. Oh, we have our moments, but overall we can do this! You might feel like you are on your last nerve but God knows that. Tell Him! Ask for a life boat. Ask Him to show you His glory. 

Here I sit, 64 years of age. I made it through 30 years of working full time, raising a family, driving to practices, attending games, raising a special needs child, dealing with an alcoholic mother, keeping the house clean, doing mounds of laundry, packing lunches, making dinners, helping with homework (while still going to night school myself), going to church, teaching Sunday School, bible studies, being a wife to my husband, praying, all of it. I am here to tell the tale! My heart is very tender for you if you are reading this and you are on your last leg. You are tired, worn out and just done. Go to the well my darling sister. Spend time with the One who told the woman at the well that He gives living water. Let His word refresh you. That is the only way I made it through.

Today I have the blessing of being able to stay home and get well without being concerned about a job or young children. You can persevere precious one. You can! Shoot me an email if you need prayer. I will lift you up to the Heavenly Father. My email is terrie.bearden@gmail.com. You are not alone my friend. Not alone at all. To God be the glory! 

#InGodwetrust #LeavingALegacy #Whenyouwalkwiththewise