"Takin' Time Out"

Definition: personal belongings packed in suitcases for traveling.  Past experiences or long-held ideas regarded as burdens and impediments.

 

 

Whew what a month, as I am sitting here typing these random thoughts that are floating from my head, I am craving a scrumptious cup of steaming hot Green Ginger Tea. It’s my new favorite blend.  I debated between two topics to write about this week and finally decided to go with BAGGAGE!  What do you think of when you hear the word BAGGAGE?  For some reason Mary Poppins popped into my head with her button down coat, umbrella and her famous suitcase known as carpet BAG.

 

 

 

 

 

I also had to chuckle thinking of an awards trip I won through my previous employer a few years back to a beautiful 5 Star resort in Florida known as “The Breakers”. Several of us flew in together and rented two vans, one was a white passenger van and the other was more like a utility van with no seats that carried all our BAGGAGE and multiple sets of golf clubs. I actually rode a bit illegal, as I laid on the BAGGAGE from the airport to the hotel we didn’t all fit in the other van.  Honestly it was like the Beverly Hillbillies rolling up in our high class rental vans.  The bellman and valet guy didn’t know what to think as we barely fit through the Porte-co-chere entrance in front of the hotel.  Personally I think they wished we would have gone to the delivery dock to unload it was a sight to behold…I chalk it up to another great adventure of Makin precious Memories!

 

Just recently I had a flight on Southwest Airlines that made one stop before my final destination. Most of the passengers deplaned with the exception of a few of us, I was reading my book when all of a sudden out of the corner of my eye I noticed one flight attendant crawling up in the BAGGAGE bin while another closed the door.  I was thinking this is odd. Then they began to let the new passenger’s board and as you can anticipate the first person walking on wanted a seat up front opened the door to the BAGGAGE bin and out popped the flight attendant.  She scared the poor passenger to death, yet fortunately I found out they knew each other. What a great joke… It was priceless! Needless to say we all had a good laugh.  Southwest flight attendants always seem to have just a little more fun than other airlines.

 

This past week, while “Takin Time Out”; I began reflecting on a couple of friends and situations they are going through. For one in particular I envisioned her carrying this backpack filled with rocks and she takes it everywhere she goes.  It really is exhausting.  The weight of the backpack seems too much to bear at times.  Each of those rocks resembles her past life, one of regret, guilt, anger, remorse, emotional bondage, fear, a dysfunctional and damaging childhood, divorce, addiction, envy, and worry.  The emotional BAGGAGE is really too much to bear.  The unfortunate thing is she can’t seem to escape from this backpack, she sleeps with it and that causes for restless nights.  Her mind is always racing and this leaves her on edge.  In some cases the anxiety in her mind created circumstances much worse than the reality and it really isn’t all that bad.  My heart hurts for her!  She is truly stuck in bondage…

 

I recall from a Bible Study I did with Beth Moore on “Breaking Free” The whole premise of the study is to totally release yourself to the BAGGAGE that is holding you captive. I remember her saying BAGGAGE attracts BAGGAGE. She and her husband have worked very hard through their 30+ years to retain their marriage and help one another unpack their bags.   It hasn’t been easy but how awesome is that?  Are we each helping our spouse as well as ourselves through this endeavor daily?

 

Have you ever heard someone mention how children will pay for the sins of the parents? Did you realize that was part of the 10 Commandments? Exodus 20:5 says, “You shall not bow down to them (referring to any kind or type of idol) or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.” Generational BAGGAGE or bondage!

 

Let’s go back to the verse for a moment and camp out on the whole idol part. An idol (or god – notice the small “g”), is anything or anyone we worship or use as a replacement for God. Only Christ can set us free from this worship. All other gods can only enslave; therefore, enslaved parents teach their children how to live in bondage even with the best of intentions to do otherwise. Take alcoholism for example, if a census were to be taken of the number of alcoholics in three generations of an alcoholic parent’s family, the head count would very likely be high. Why? Because alcoholism had been deposited in the family line. Alcoholism reared its nasty head and an unfortunate number of children and grandchildren fell into the same type of bondage as the parent. Sins of the parents and grandparents add up in the next generations.

 

Another example could be their mindset, lack of self-esteem perhaps they felt because their parents didn’t go to college and get an education they can’t or don’t need to either. Or you can reverse the role and the parents are very highly educated but one child struggles and they decide degrees aren’t for them and guilt set in.  I feel it is all in our attitude and how we apply our God given talent.  Yes, a college degree in today’s world will get you a little further faster than maybe one who does not have a degree. Yet, it doesn’t make a person better than another.  All in all it is how we live and if we are stuck in bondage with generational BAGGAGE.

 

So, how do we escape this generational bondage? COURAGE! Courage to believe we can be different. Some will try to excuse themselves by saying they can’t help the way they are.  After all, their mother, father, sister or their brother was that way. We need to take a stand and tell ourselves – we are going to change the ways of our family!

 

Realistically this could probably be a whole other blog post…my main point is to have each of us realize we ALL have some kind of BAGGAGE keeping us in bondage.  While “Takin Time Out” this week lets reflect on how we can unpack that bag for the time being and begin again with a new beginning one baby step at a time.   If it is too overwhelming then set up an appointment with a good counselor or life coach to help you work through it.  Find a good support group.  Remember as we are driving down the road on this journey in life, there is this big wide windshield of opportunity and please don’t let that rearview mirror of the past cloud the beauty of today.  Until next time my friends let’s begin to unpack the BAGGAGE…

 

 

 

 

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*Definition: the faculty or action of forming new ideas, or images or concepts of external objects not present to the senses. Interest, fascination, attention, passion, curiosity.

The ability for the mind to be creative or resourceful. Originality, innovation, innovativeness.

 

While “Takin Time Out” this week, I love to just sit and imagine potential possibilities. I truly feel blessed to have the gift of visualization. Not everyone has this gift, it comes very easy for some and others have to physically see, touch or hear in order to imagine. I recently read an article and you may want to try this little experiment to better understand how imagination can work. Do you have a lemon? They suggested cutting the lemon in half and squeezing some juice into your mouth and noticing how you react. Now if you don’t have a lemon let’s try this thought experiment and imagine that you have one, picture yourself slicing through the bright yellow rind, exposing the fruit from inside, see yourself holding it up and squeezing it and letting the tart juice splash onto your tongue. Can you feel yourself pucker or salivating not in your mind’s eye but in real life?” If so you have used your gift of imagination and if you couldn’t well let’s say we have some work to do! LOL…

 

As a child I think we are much more in tune to use our imagination, especially when we are playing with Lego’s, Lincoln logs, Hot Wheels, Tupperware or old pots and pans.   Perhaps you let your child play in dirt or sand…when is the last time you had a mud pie or ventured around a moat into the sand castle you just built?  We have to use the creative side to build or create those images stuck in our head. I love to watch my grandson with his action figures and how his voice makes sounds not so much words but things flying and crashing. Then there are my little granddaughters and how they are always talking while playing carrying on a conversation and pretending to cook, clean or take care of their little baby dolls. Isn’t that true with adults, women tend to say more words in a sentence and guys will sometimes elaborate with noise or sound effects or nodding of their head.

 

I have been fine tuning my goals for the year and breaking them down into bite size pieces so I can actually achieve the majority of them this year. As we have discussed in past blog articles, I am a goal driven individual, I like to make lists and check them off, I like to imagine making this place and space I live in more efficient, fun loving and makin special memories when opportunities present themselves. You see after coming off a very overwhelming fourth quarter at work and projecting additional challenges in the upcoming months, I have to figure out a way to better manage or improve these circumstances that are really out of my control. I do know I can manage my attitude and I can adjust the sails of the ship even though I can’t control the wind. Imagination plays a big role in this endeavor. What about you? Where is your imagination leading you to this year?

 

This week we just celebrated Rev. Martin Luther King Day, for some it was a day off from work or school, but not for me. That’s ok I always like to pause for a moment and respect a man who lived his purpose and passion and wasn’t afraid to live it. His famous speech given in August 1963, “I have a Dream!” I hope while he is sitting up in heaven he realizes what an impact he did make during his short life on earth. We all need a dream, we need to imagine and visualize. This brings us hope for a better future, when we stop using our imagination then that is a very sad day as we are just existing! A life of mediocrity with unfulfilled potential.

 

Our mind is very powerful it can run away with us leading us to act through suspicion or fear, but we can also use our imagination as a tool to change our life. How do you want your life to be? Do you want greatness, abundance, positive energy, love, health, happiness, success, prosperity, or contentment? Whatever it is can come to fruition if you will believe and belief begins with our imagination. What we visualize and put our minds to I firmly believe you can achieve.

 

One of my favorite Christian songs is “I can only Imagine” originally sung by Mercy Me. I want you to sing along or if you haven’t heard the song before just read the words:

 

I can only imagine what it will be like, when I walk by Your side I can only imagine, what my eyes will see, when Your Face is before me I can only imagine I can only imagine. Surrounded by Your Glory, what will my heart feel Will I dance for you, Jesus? Or in awe of You, be still Will I stand in Your presence, or to my knees will I fall Will I sing Hallelujah will I be able to speak at all I can only imagine! I can only imagine! I can only imagine, when that day comes, When I find myself standing in the Son I can only imagine, when all I will do, Is forever, forever worship You I can only imagine! I can only imagine Surrounded by Your Glory, what will my heart feel Will I dance for you, Jesus or in awe of You, be still Will I stand in Your presence, or to my knees will I fall Will I sing ‘Hallelujah! will I be able to speak at all I can only imagine! Yeah! I can only imagine Surrounded by Your Glory, what will my heart feel Will I dance for you, Jesus or in awe of You, be still Will I stand in Your presence, or to my knees will I fall Will I sing ‘Hallelujah! will I be able to speak at all I can only imagine! Yeah! I can only imagine! I can only imagine Yeah, I can only imagine I can only imagine I can only imagine. I can only imagine, when all I do is forever, forever worship You! I can only imagine.

 

The words remind me of our faith, whether you have a higher power mine just happens to be Christianity with the trinity God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. I believe a healthy imagination is crucial to the Christian life. Through my faith and imagination I know he is with me each and every day. I can overcome any obstacle or challenge as he will never leave or forsake me. One verse that comes to mind is from Ephesians 3:20-21 “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen”

 

As I sit here sipping on my scrumptious cup of Earl Grey tea, I just think of all the things that we use day in and day out. From the house, trailer or apartment we may live in to the public building we visit, the cars we drive even this computer I am typing my blog post on. It all began with one person’s imagination. A plan you might call it…it’s a perfect opportunity for us to ignite our imagination and make some plans to make this place or space a better place to live. Until next time I hope you will remember belly laughs are timeless, imagination has no age and dreams are forever…let’s activate our imagination this week while “Takin Time Out!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Definition: A space or room just below the roof of a building.

 

You may be wondering what in the world is she up to this week and why would you pick the word ATTIC.  Well to be completely honest I have been really busy at work, I have thought about my blog article each morning and nothing was very clear on what I wanted to write about.  So here we are down to the wire and I was committed to not missing another week due to my busy schedule so I have a jar with little slips of paper on various topics I want to write about and I decided to draw from that jar this morning and this is the word I pulled out!  LOL…so here we are sipping on my scrumptious Cinnamon Chai Tea and my wheels are spinning as my fingers begin to type.

 

I was unloading my car late last night and looked at the small pile of remaining boxes I need to go through from pulling everything down from our ATTIC last fall.  This is such a BIG sigh of relief, amazing how much clutter one can gather through the years.  Why in the world do we every stick stuff up there in the first place?  Now if you have a two story house with an access through a door I would be all for it but our ATTIC has these narrow fold down steps that have become very rickety through the years.  Some stuff barely fits through the hole but somehow we managed to cram twenty plus years of memories in the floor of the ATTIC. In all reality it isn’t really the best place for anything as the temperatures fluctuate dramatically throughout the year.  Field mice or small rats like to creep in when the weather changes another thing I want to ask God when I get to heaven what good are those little varmints.  I will never forget my brother in law helping us move on Christmas Eve many years ago from another house into our current one and as we finished up the last load it was all the stuff from the ATTIC.  His exact words to me were, “have you ever heard of Bon Fire?”  This would be a great start…I just commented by saying “How Rude!” but he was probably right.

 

What comes to your mind when you hear the word ATTIC?  I guess I would define it as a place that you sort of put stuff that you used to be interested in and might be interested in again someday or things you think someone else might want someday.  Well that someday came and I had 3 stacks for my children…my oldest ask what in the world was she to do with all those trophy’s from elementary, Jr high and High school.  I stated I didn’t know but they were hers to store in their own ATTIC now or purge.  I did my part by saving them all these years.

 

Memories so many memories. The one box I pulled from the garage floor was a combination of old photos and my husband’s memorabilia on top lay a photograph of his precious Grandmother we called “Granny”.  It has almost been a year since she left this earth.  She lived 105 years.  Now let’s think about this for a minute, imagine what her eyes saw, the changes that transformed this world of ours – it’s staggering to think about it.  For example she went through two world wars, not to mention several smaller ones, the invention of cars, planes, electricity, radio, television and yes even computers and the internet.  The list could go on and on but I think about how hard her life was, her family was not very wealthy in terms of money and material things but she was so wealthy in terms of wisdom, hard work, determination and experiences.  In reflecting over Granny’s life and thinking back even as a child I sorta long to return to a different time.  A time of simplicity, a time for more family gatherings and community.  A time when doors were left unlocked and neighbors would drop everything and help to rebuild a barn.  A time when family and faith were what were most important.  Now don’t get me wrong I have some really good neighbors and they would be here for me if I asked but with the kids grown and gone and our time of sharing meals, kids playing tag football in the front yard are gone.  Also, my family and faith do take priority but this past year I feel life interruptions and work has really gotten in the way of what I want my primary focus to be.  So YES, I am making some changes for 2016 and recommitting to makin memories and “Takin Time Out” more often.

 

My cousin is currently preparing to move from one home to another in fact they actually own two homes but are selling one. The one they are selling is packed with most of their memories of 35+ years together.  In fact she has loves sharing old photographs of our family on Facebook some brought tears of fond memories, while others brought tears of laughter especially the clothes we wore or our hairstyles.  What were we thinking?  Give us another 20 years and we will probably be saying the same thing about what I have on today. LOL!

 

How many of you channel surf…I don’t very often as I am not a big TV person but on occasion I sometimes will stop at the “Cash in the ATTIC” or “American Pickers” it is amazing what I think is junk sells for a pretty penny.  What’s in your ATTIC?

 

In my quiet time I ran across a verse Ecclesiastes 3:11 “He has made everything beautiful in its time.” I think this corresponds with the things and memories held in those little boxes from the ATTIC…each age or stage of life are precious and beautiful we just have to enjoy or maybe look for the beauty especially during the hard times.  Life is full of negativity or overwhelming challenges but we must dig deep into our souls to find the nuggets of gold and the positivity.  It’s up to each one of us to choose…

 

I think of a very special Victorian home that is my favorite B&B; it has that A line roof. There is where I find my happy place tucked under the angel and in the corner of that roofline, which was once part of the ATTIC.  It is called The Tyler Room, but I like to think of it as my special place.  There are so many fond memories sitting in the corner peering out the window onto the simple quiet little street, some mornings the deer would be feeding in the field and that is where God and I have had some serious talks.

 

While you are “Takin Time Out” this week what do you think of when you hear the word ATTIC?  If nothing else hopefully it brought back some precious memories of years past, sparked by keepsakes or marvelous stories of mischief, discovery and laughter.  What lessons have we learned and can apply for today.  What was once more and can we bring back some of the simplicity of yesteryear to our lives?  I hope you enjoyed reminiscing, until next time my friends, let’s breathe in deep, exhale slowly, work towards being more in the presence of today and truly be thankful for each of our blessings…

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Definition: The throwing back by a body or surface of light, heat, or sound without absorbing it.  A serious thought or a calm, lengthy, intent consideration.  Something that bounces back like light waves, sound waves, image or even your thoughts.

 

 

As we have begun another new year, (can you believe it is 2016?) I felt it only appropriate to choose the word REFLECTION for this week’s post.  Sitting here in the wee hours of the early morning sipping on a warm cup of fresh mint tea…I have to be completely honest with you…I feel a bit overwhelmed, discouraged, full of regret as I have not posted since last September. I have made a commitment and written out some goals for this next year that hopefully will prevent this from happening in the future.

 

The past 3 months are a big ole blur…my day job the one that brings home the bacon has been the most challenging in my 33 year career…I won’t get into all the details but I have learned a very valuable lesson as I reflect back. I can’t undo or redo what took place but I can take those nuggets or experiences and decide what worked and what didn’t to help me move forward.  So much of what I do is directed by other outside sources, so I don’t really get to make the decisions I am more the consultant relaying the changes and how to navigate to the end result and many times the end result are not always positive.  Driving to work yesterday I was giving myself a little pep talk, trying to motivate myself while listening to one of my favorite podcasters. I always like to reflect on the day before and items left on my “To Do List!” when I suddenly realized it is never enough.  Whatever I get done by the next day it is never enough…there is always more to do, a bigger crisis, a fire burning…that my friend is simply called LIFE!  So it’s a new year a new beginning time to begin again and time to commit to “Takin Time Out!”

 

I do know when I begin to feel inadequate I need to turn to God and lay my burdens at the cross. The more I do this the more he bears the weight of my burdens and the load seems much lighter and I move forward one step at a time.

 

When you think of the word reflection what comes to your mind? A mirror, a pool of water with images of the bank glistening and reflecting back or perhaps it maybe your image in the window?  I am not sure what age or stage in life you may be but have you ever considered writing or recording a life reflection story about yourself?  This doesn’t have to be fancy or lengthy it just has to be from the heart. Stories are how we transmit the wisdom, life lessons and compassion we have gained in our lifetime to simply share for the next generation.  They inspire us; connect us to something bigger than ourselves.  They can mark your own life’s milestone, writing about life events, celebrations, trials, tribulations and letting those who eventually read it know a little bit more because it is on paper or recorded to be able to listen to over and over.  I think maybe deep down this is one reason I started this blog a few years back.  I wanted to share with you what my thoughts or experiences have been.  We all aspire to live a good life, to feel that our life matters and to make a positive difference for others to share, why not capture through life reflection stories…maybe that should be one goal or resolution to accomplish this year.  As Proverbs 27:19 states “As water reflects the face so one’s life reflects the heart.”

 

As I was thinking about Reflection a simple story I once heard came to mind but so relates to many things we deal with in life:

 

There was a king who presented his daughter with a beautiful diamond necklace. The necklace was stolen and his people in the kingdom searched everywhere but could not find it. The king then asked them all to search for it and put a reward for $50,000 for anyone who found it.

 

 One day, a clerk was walking home along a river next to an industrial area. This river was completely polluted and filthy and smelly. As he was walking, the clerk saw a shimmering in the river and when he looked, he saw the diamond necklace. He decided to try and catch it so that he could get the $50,000 reward.

 

 He put his hand in the filthy, dirty river and grabbed at the necklace, but somehow missed it and didn’t catch it. He took his hand out and looked again and the necklace was still there. He tried again. This time he walked in the river and dirtied his pants in the filthy river and put his whole arm in to catch the necklace.

 

 But strangely, he still missed the necklace! He came out and started walking away, feeling depressed. Then again, he saw the necklace, right there. This time he was determined to get it, no matter what. He decided to plunge into the river. Although it was disgusting, he plunged in and searched everywhere for the necklace. Yet one more time, he failed. This time he was really bewildered and came out feeling very depressed that he could not get the necklace that would get him $50,000. 

 

Just then, a saint who was walking by, saw him, and asked him what the matter was. The clerk didn’t want to share the secret with the saint, thinking he might take the necklace for himself, so he refused to tell him anything.

 

 The saint could see this man was troubled. Being compassionate, he again asked the clerk to tell him the problem and promised that he would not tell anyone about it. The clerk mustered some courage and decided to put some faith in the saint. He told him about the necklace and how he tried and tried to catch it, but kept failing.

 

 The saint then told him that perhaps he should try looking upward, toward the branches of the tree, instead of in the filthy river. The clerk looked up and true enough; the necklace was dangling on the branch of a tree. He had been trying to capture a mere reflection of the real necklace all this time.

Limiting beliefs, a muddy reflection, or self-sabotaging habits can stand in our way from reaching our true potential. So as you are “Takin Time Out” this week, what reflections appear strong and vivid in your mind?  What changes, improvements, goals or resolutions do you have on your list for this upcoming year?  I encourage you to write it down…share with a close friend or family member to make it more real and have an accountability partner.  Let’s make it happen…Until next time my friends…”Attract what you expect, Reflect what you Desire, Become what you Respect, and Mirror what you Admire”

 

 

 

 

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