Nope, I’m Not Dreaming, This Time!

Posted on by Tammy



As I sit here on vacation feeling the ocean breeze blow across my face, I close my eyes and lean my head back over the top of my short little beach chair.  The heat of the Caribbean sun warms my face so much that it nearly lulls me to sleep.  In the background, I can hear the waves lapping up at water’s edge and every once in a while they make it up to my feet.  The water is cool and crisp and feels ever so exhilarating and refreshing as it makes it’s way up and over my foot and up my ankle.  I feel as though I could sit here for ever as the sounds of the waves crashing up the shore then receding back into the ocean are rhythmic and lulling.  Sitting here today, there are no worries or burdens to ponder.  There are no phones, no televisions, or voices.  I have found a beach spot where I’m somewhat secluded, just me, my little beach chair and…



I ENJOYED EVERY MINUTE OF BEACH TIME LAST WEEK!
NO, REALLY – I DID!

What a view!
That’s what I’m talking about!
Two girlfriend’s toes!
My two little friends, posing!
NOT my friend..boo!

 So, what do you do when friends call and say, “Hey, we have room at our villa in St. Thomas – c’mon down!”

You throw together swimsuits, snorkel gear, and – oh yeah – maybe a pair of undies or two – and get to the airport, that’s what you do!

Thanks to dear, longtime friends, we were able to leave dreary Ohio winter and sit oceanside for a spur of the moment relaxing vacation.  Nothing suits either hubby or I better than sitting at the shore’s edge and enjoying the ocean and everything with it.  The sun, surf and sand.  Ya just can’t get any better than the shores we were hanging on this week.

Though it was meant to be a great getaway with no thinking or working, I couldn’t help thinking of the wonder of God’s artistic creativity at or in the ocean.  Sitting calmly and watching each wave ride in to the shore over and over has an effect on me that I just can’t explain.  I’m amazed at the colors of the ocean as you look across the surface for as far as you can see.  Being in the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean is neat as you can stand in water knee to thigh deep and look down to see the neatest colors, sizes and shapes of fish and sea creatures.  Sitting on a pretty empty beach, it allows you the opportunity to just sit and be quiet and ponder.  The verse that came to me sitting there was, “Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

We may not be able to be at the ocean each day, but we can still rest in the verse above.  There is definitely comfort knowing that no matter what may come our way, we need to trust that God is God.  For me, this may sometimes be easier said than done because I tend to get into God’s way more than I would like to admit!  Yet, I must be honest and admit that I can sometimes mess up something with all my “help” to God!

How about you?  Do you find yourself taking over circumstances that you might have done a little better had you taken the time to “be still and know God is God?”  Tell me what you think.

Since I can’t pop on down to the ocean every day, I think I will try to remember the photo in my mind when things get a little stressed.  Once I remember that photo, I will remind myself of the calmness and peace of being still.  Truthfully, being calm and peace-filled just tickles me pink!

…and that’s all I have to say about that!

Tammy



Huh, Am I Dreaming…Again?!

Posted on by Tammy

As I sit here on vacation feeling the ocean breeze blow across my face, I close my eyes and lean my head back over the top of my short little beach chair.  The heat of the Hawaiian sun warms my face so much that it nearly lulls me to sleep.  In the background, I can hear the waves lapping up at water’s edge and every once in a while they make it up to my feet.  The water is cool and crisp and feels ever so exhilarating and refreshing as it makes it’s way up and over my foot and up my ankle.  I feel as though I could sit here for ever as the sounds of the waves crashing up the shore then receding back into the ocean are rhythmic and lulling. Off in the distance, I can hear the yell of a surfer who celebrates as he or she caught a good ride.  Sitting here today, there are no worries or burdens to ponder.  There are no phones, no televisions, or voices.  I have found a beach spot where I’m somewhat secluded, just me, my little beach chair and…


SNAP!

Dang!  I’m dreaming again! I fell asleep then snapped my neck when my head fell forward and it woke me up! Wait, you weren’t getting jealous when you thought I was beachin’ it did you? Ha!  I only wish I were at the beach today away from the frigid Ohio cold.  But this does remind me of a funny story!  Wanna hear it?  Good, I’m gonna tell you!
The three of us in our little family were at the beach, again!  That’s a surprise for us, right?!  We had been at the beach for quite a while.  Hubby and daughter were taking a break from boogie boarding and we were all sitting in our cute little beach chairs.  Gosh, I love those little squatty chairs that you can place on the sand at water’s edge and enjoy the sun while the surf rolls over your feet and cools you off.
How about you?
As usual, I’m reading a book in my chair.  Hubby is just people watching.  Our daughter has decided to bring a book along on this day as well.  After a little while and the fact that the tide has rolled back out taking the water’s edge back with it about ten feet, the daughter decided she would move her chair closer to the water.  She asked if I was going to move, too.  I decided to stay put as I’m about to finish my book soon.  So, off she goes.
She decided to not go all the way out into the water, but rather to place her back to the ocean and place her chair just far enough out that every so often, the water would come up to her feet just a little.  One catch.  The tide was changing.  She didn’t know it.  Her parents didn’t tell her!  With both of us parents with dark sun glasses on, we kept “busy” doing what we were doing, but in actuality, we were watching the tide come in closer and closer.
Little by little it came closer.  She hadn’t noticed the fact that the water was coming a little bit more up her foot.  She was that into her book.  All of a sudden, my hubby quietly giggled and said, “uh oh! Ready for this?!”  Oh yeah!  A huge wave came rolling in, splashed up the back of the chair, up and over her and as it receded back out, it took a bunch of the sand along.  In fast, slow motion, back she fell in the little beach chair.  There she was, stuck in the chair on her back with her legs dangling up in the air and her hand also up in the air trying to save her book.  Which didn’t work!  It had already been soaked with the wave that crashed up and over and all around her!
To this day, when we see people at the beach sitting in their short little beach chairs it always brings a good laugh to both hubby and I.  As for the daughter, she just says, “yeah, yeah.  You two were mean parents letting me sit there all the while waiting for the big wave that could have drowned me.”
So I tell you dear friends, no matter how big the huge crashing waves of life may feel at times, you can just laugh your way through it or hang on to the bitterness the waves may cause.  As for me, I’ll be snickering my way through just about any wave that hits me.  
…and that’s all I have to say about that!
Tammy

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

Posted on by Tammy

Have you ever had one of those days when you just felt like everyone was spitting or pooping on you?  I’m serious here!

I have had so many times of people spitting on my face or animals pooping on me that it has become a family joke.  On me of course…literally!  This started way back when.

A vivid memory I have, and an oh so grotesque one I have involved my Dad, Mom, Me and my Grandmother (my Dad’s Mom).  I must interject here that if you knew my Grandmother, you know where this is going, but since many of you didn’t know her an explanation is due.  You see, my Grandmother liked to spit.  Not the chew the tobacco then spit into a cup kinda lady.  The snort up a large lugey and spit it.  She had wastebaskets and newspapers spread all over the floor in her favorite seats in the house.  Get the picture.  Good, as it will help.  Back to the memory.  We were riding in my Dad’s convertible.  My Dad was driving and my Mom was behind him.  My Grandmother was in the front passenger seat and I was, well, you guessed it, right behind her in the back seat.  Yup – oh boy, what a treat!  As it was a beautiful, sunny day my Dad had the top down.  After a little while my Grandmother, God bless her, well, she decided it was time to…SPIT.  So she did.  Can you just imagine where that lugey went?  Precisely!  Directly onto my right cheek.  And that thang was as big as my cheek. Are you kidding me?

Another memory:  While walking through the Berlin Germany Zoo back in 1994, my Husband, Daughter and I were enjoying a few monkeys playing around.  We were intently watching them play tag when all of a sudden I felt something warm on my face.  Again!  It seems that a flock of birds had just had lunch and needed to relieve themselves.  Right onto my right cheek, down the front of my shirt and into the inside of my left shoe.  Are you kidding me?

I can’t even count on two hands the amount of people who have gotten so into their stories to me that they literally sprayed them onto my face.  Pretty much on the right cheek, in fact! Are you kidding me?

Then there was today.

As I was walking to my car from work, I was enjoying the 52 degree day here in Ohio.  It was rather windy, but when there is 52 degrees in the middle of January, I will take some wind!  Apparently, our fine feathered friends were out enjoying the fair weather as well.  And eating.  And, you guessed it, pooping!  On whom you might ask?  Well, give you one guess!  Oh, and guess where?  But of course, across my right cheek and the left lens of my glasses.  Are you kidding me? See, I have proof below…

Now, you might say how in the world is she going to spin encouragement into this. Have no fear, my friends.  For no matter how many times people will spit lugies or spray spit across your face or birds will drop bombs on you when you least expect it, it boils down to the same thing.  Whether it’s the spitting, pooping, or insults being flung from folks.  You just gotta do what I did today.  I just cracked up so hard that it “Tickled Me Pink.” And then I just turned the other cheek and yelled, “Ha, is that all you got birdie?”

…and that’s all I have to say about that.

Tammy