WOMEN'S MINISTRIES BLOG

Once upon a time I read a fable about a boy who was given a magical ball of string.

It’s that time of year again . . . summer vacations are behind us, school is starting and the free(er) reins of summer are tightening around the bell schedule, work assignments, soccer practice, evening homework and earlier bedtimes.

The perfect storm. We’ve all had them, and the past two weeks have been one of mine.

The other day I sat on our loveseat and wrote out all of my problems in my journal. I mean, all of the ones that I felt were really tripping me up.

I’ll just say it. I recently turned 67. And there’s something I’ve noticed about this time of life. I like being comfortable—comfortable friends, comfortable shoes, a worthwhile book on my comfortable couch . . .

I woke up in my hotel room in London, England, at the end of two weeks’ vacation. Somehow the expectation I had for the total refreshment that would come from being away for two weeks wasn’t satisfying me.

We called grocery shopping an “adventure” when my oldest kids were toddlers. You just never quite knew what delights could be found, out and about on errands.

I take my two daughters, ages eight and nine, to a dance recital for a local dance studio. We see lots of familiar faces. We see people from school, some in our grades, others not.

Rick Warren opened his book, The Purpose Driven Life, with this line: “It’s not about you.”

Mike Erre said, as part of a sermon: “Make no mistake about it—the movie of your life is a war movie . . . and you don’t even play a starring role.”

Knowledge is power. Those words graced faded inspirational posters on the walls of my childhood classrooms.