Pond Beauty

I have been working hard to get back in shape after the last two years of illness. Part of that has been a commitment to walk most mornings around the Willamina Pond. So every morning I show up and walk 2.5-3.5 miles. I has been a wonderful time and I can feel myself get stronger every week as I continue to work on gaining strength and stamina. But one of the best things about walking has been the beautiful scenery each morning. These are a couple of the photos from the last couple of months.

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Oil Adventure

My resident car expert stuck his head through my office door and said, "How long has it been since you checked your oil?" I immediately straightened my shoulders and said, "Well ... uhmmmm not since the day after I brought it home and you made me do it."

Shaking his head he told me to pop the hood and check the oil. And that was when I discovered I did not know how to open the hood of my new car. Who knew they would recess a hood release there ... well apparently my resident car expert did, but I certainly did not. But I got the hood opened and then it was the search for the oil is checked. (I am very gad that some smart person decided to put yellow ids on all the things I am supposed to check) So I pulled it out, wiped it off like a pro ... well okay more like a klutz since I could seem to get it back into the little opening it came from. But eventually I got it checked only to discover that I was a quart low.

And then is when I got panicked my new car was losing oil! But after poking around my resident car expert found the oil filter was not tightly fastened and was leaking oil. So then it was time to go and get some oil where I discovered there are "kinds of oil" .... sigh .... why does it have to be so complicated? But I did get some oil and then took it back to my resident expert who showed me where I was supposed to add it.

Finally, I got it added, but I am not sure you are supposed to get that much oil on you when you add oil, but at least I got it in.

This oil adventure took about an hour of my morning but it also made me grateful for people who challenge me and make learn stuff I do not want to learn. Stuff I have to learn to live successfully on my own.

Now if I can just remember how to do this next Monday when I am supposed to check it again.

Just Connie

Blessed

I spent the morning rafter walking at the church. It is always an adventure for me to explore areas of the church I have never been in before. After 30 minutes of crawling around the rafters and stringing video wire I finished up and began the climb down which included traversing the ladder down the steeple.

I arrived tired, incredibly dirty and feeling pretty accomplished at the bottom ready to go on to the next project.

As I have thought about my exploration in the rafters I have been reminded that I enjoyed it for several reasons. I enjoy helping in very real tangible ways because so much of what I do is hard to quantify and measure. I also enjoy doing something very physical because so much of my normal work day is not. I also find that I truly enjoy working side by side with the men and getting to know them as friends.

I feel very blessed tonight, blessed by the opportunities to serve, blessed by friendship and blessed by the return of my health that allows me to spend a day like today in service.

And blessed is a pretty good way to be ....

Just Connie

Tight Fit

My good friends and associates rode home with me from the backpacking trip. We were all dismayed when we discovered that they were locked out of their house. As we walked around and checked every window and door we discovered that everything was locked tightly up. There was one small window about 7 feet up the wall over the kitchen sink that they were finally able to jimmy open. As we looked at each other and looked at the size of the window it was apparent that I was the smallest person there with the best chance of getting in the window.

So we found a step stool and carefully balanced it on the rocks as I climbed as high as it would go .... and it was not quite high enough. So then I stepped up on the handle and jumped up in the window pulling myself up and through. Except ..... I high centered in the middle. Behind me I could hear strangled laughter and snorts as my good friend Peggy as she tried hard not to laugh out loud at the sight of my backside hanging out her kitchen window. And that was when I started laughing as the ridiculousness of it struck me. Still laughing I finally pulled myself in by grabbing the faucet and pulling myself onto the counter where I cleaned everything off the counter top as I tried to find a secure path to the floor ... and that only made me laugh harder. But finally I was standing on the floor and could go and open the front door ... still laughing of course as I let them in.

I think it is good to laugh at ourselves, to laugh at life. I think I will remind myself to laugh often to be willing to look ridiculous and to be willing to share the laughter with the people around me. Because laughter changes things and life  could always use a little more laughter.

I wonder what silly thing I will do next?

Just Connie

Worth the Effort

Months back when my asthma went red-line, my insurance company assigned me my own nurse. She called every week to see how I was doing and offer advice to help me get my asthma under control. I have found her advice and encouragement very helpful as I have struggled to regain normal life.

The appointments went from every week, to every two weeks and then finally to once a month. Today was the check in appointment after going a whole month. So much of my recovery was based around the fact that I had to get out and get back in shape for the backpacking trip. So I had to fill her in on how I did with the backpack. I think she was almost as excited as I was to know that everything went so smoothly and I was able to push myself a little bit without any major problems.

I also had to fill her in on the major asthma attack I had after I got home. The exciting thing was that I was able to handle it at home and I have slowly been regaining lung function. She reminded me that this will be a continual process. I will need to monitor every day and I will need to prepare for attacks. But I am finally beginning to feel like I have the tools and the knowledge to be able to control this and handle it at home. And I am finding that is a pretty good feeling.

As I have walked through this over the last 6 month I am reminded at how it seems like the important things are worth working for. The need to exercise and to monitor and to treat appropriately and to stay educated and tuned in. My good health right now and my ability to draw good deep breaths have been worth the work.

I think there are other things that worth the effort and work. Things like friendship, service and of course my relationship with God. It is worth every bit of work and effort that I invest and there is an incredible payout as I work. There is the love and support of my friends that I have invested time and energy in. There is the joy of a hard days work giving to other people. and most importantly there is the joy of growing closer to God. It is life changing, life affirming and life giving.

And that is truly worth the effort ....

Jut Connie

Reflections

I am reflecting on my backpacking trip. First of all I am very thankful that I was able to go this year when it was looking so doubtful that I would be able to.

Secondly as always, being outside is so restorative to me. It seems to blow the cobwebs out and fill me with a sense of God's presence and peace.

Thirdly, I am very thankful for friends who allow me to crash their family backpack trip every year. Without their gracious inclusion I would not get the chance to do this every fall.

Fourthly, this reminds me that I really need to develop some hiking and backpacking partners. I miss having someone to run off to the woods with on a regular basis. I just do not know where to start to make this happen.

There are new places to hike and new vistas to explore ....

Just Connie

Photo Thoughts

 A few of my backpacking pictures.

The Road less Traveled

Tomorrow I head out for four days of backpacking. I am very excited and I am mostly packed and ready with a few things to put in my pack int he morning. Then it will be time to weigh my pack and decide what can stay and what can go. I have a habit of packing too much and this year I am committed to trying to keep it under 30 pounds. I will do my best.

I love getting out in the beauty of God's world. There is something about being out there, walking where not many go that blows the cobwebs out and refreshes me. So tomorrow I will raise my face to the sun and enjoy every moment as I walk the road less traveled.

There are wonderful things ahead .... is it tomorrow yet?

Just Connie

Beauty

For the last four days I have spent time with a great group of Nazarene women. I was the speaker at their first ever retreat. The retreat went well and we laughed and cried and laughed some more. We ate more than we should and we played in the ocean.

Being the speaker for this event reminds me of how much I love doing this. It is a joy to me. The subject matter was different from most of the retreats I have done in the past. This was all about self image and seeing ourselves through God's eyes. I have found this is a tough subject for women, including myseld. All of us have "tapes" that we tend to run when we look in the mirror ... you are fat ... you are ugly ... you are unlovable. But the reality is that those are lies from the enemy. God created us for beauty and in beauty.

But yet that is so challenging for us to accept ... and challenging for even me to accept. But yet God is growing me and deepening my understanding of this issue. I saw women freed from misconceptions and chains of despair broken.

My prayer is that we continue to seek God's truth and God's eyes ... because there is beauty all around us ... even in me.

Just Connie

Happy Trails

Always in a hurry ... always in a hurry ... that is how I feel like this week is going. I have been frantically trying to get my notes and music together for the women's retreat that I am speaking at this weekend. I have also had a pile of meetings in a short week and counseling sessions To further complicate things I have a coupe of people in the hospital and other visitation to do. Well ... the list just goes on and on.

So tomorrow I will do what any self respecting pastor would do when life gets too busy and frantic ... I am going to sneak off and do something to nurture me. I am going horseback riding! I have had a life long love affair with horses but I seldom get the chance to ride anymore. I do take the time to go out and groom horses at the rescue ranch and that is wonderful. But it is not riding which is sooooo much better.

I realize that I will have to pay the piper when I get back .... I will have a lot of work to squeeze into the few hours before I head out for the Retreat. However, I think the break is important. I am committed to finding the time to play and to finding things that will nurture me even when life is hard and busy.

Sooooo come on tomorrow ... Happy Trails to me!

Just Connie

Walking Thoughts

I have been diligently walking and trying to increase my stamina over the last month and a half or so. I am walking 2.5 miles 3-5 days a week and tonight I added an extra mile. It feels good to be feeling better and breathing better.

Tonight was the kick off to my boot camp class .... I was a bit nervous because the instructor is a young man who is a martial arts expert. I was afraid that my 50+ body was going to rebel. But it looks like he is going to be gentle with us and slowly increase the difficulty, Tonight we weighed in (ick) and then took a brisk 1 mile walk. Next week it will be increased.

So I am excited at yet another opportunity to get stronger and increase my fitness. What a difference a few months can make. It was just March ... 6 months ago that I was in acute respiratory failure in the hospital. Now I am walking several miles a day and getting ready for my backpacking trip. 6 months ago this did not seem possible this year.

I am highly motivated to not go back to where I was, to continue to educate myself and to continue to exercise and breathe deep.

And that feels pretty good .... breathing .... living .... growing ....

Just Connie

Camp Fire Thoughts

I have just spent the last 4 days sleeping on the ground and enjoying the gorgeous world God has created. It was our annual Church Camp Out.Besides incredible scenery and peace it was a chance to get to know people that I do not get to spend much time with.

Wonderful things seem happen around the camp fire ... lots of laughter, sharing of life stories and reflections on life ..friendships deepen and trust is established. It makes me want to put a camp fire in the sanctuary.

I think that this is an important time in the life of the church. It breaks us out of the routine of everyday life and gives us new opportunities to connect. I am so glad for all of those that came to worship with us or even enjoy an afternoon or evening visiting.

I am looking forward to what we will do next year. There are more campfires to come ....

Just Connie