Saturday, June 26, 2010

I don't believe in hell


I had an interesting conversation last week with Sienna. It seems that I, the one who bore her, the one person who would fall on a stake for her, the one who says a little prayer for her every night, am going to hell. Huh.

I don't believe I am going to hell. I don't even believe that there is a hell, for that matter. But apparently, my little christian Sienna struggles everyday because she believes I will spend eternity there. It makes me sad that she has been taught somewhere along the way that #1 there is a heaven and a hell and #2 it doesn't matter how good of a person you are, if you don't believe Jesus Christ is your savior, you are going to spend eternity in damnation.

I don't believe in hell. I don't believe that Jesus Christ is the only savior and I don't believe that Christianity is the only true religion. What I do believe is that there is a supreme being who has somehow created me and who has molded me into this person I have become. I believe that this God is all-knowing, that he or she is kind and loving and gracious. I do not believe that the God I believe in would create a hell where his or her own creation would burn for eternity. I mean, seriously? I just can't wrap my head around a God who would do that. I mean, I am good. I am kind. I am caring. I am honest. I am loving. I do not believe that good people burn in hell. I'm sorry, I just don't.

I just hope that one day, Sienna will come to an understanding that yes, there are many religions and belief systems in the world, and that is really ok. I hope that when I die, she is able to come to terms with the idea. I wish for her to have peace.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

"When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hang on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn." Harriet Beecher Stowe


Saw this today on one of the running blogs that I read. I'm not really in this place right now but I have been in the recent past. I try to look forward and ask myself, How's it gonna look in a year? I'm happy to say that in my mind, things look good in the future. I am hopeful.

Sunday, June 13, 2010



"Now if you are going to win any battle you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do. The body will always give up. It is always tired in the morning, noon, and night. But the body is never tired if the mind is not tired."
- George S. Patton, U.S. Army General, 1912 Olympian


I need to have this playing over and over on my iPod in the morning. I can't seem to break that 4 mile mark. so close. What happens is my mind plays tricks on me. My body really does seem fine except that I can't get my breathing to slow down. My one foot goes a little numb. Then my brain starts worrying that I'm going to fall because my foot is numb. Then I think I can't go any farther because I'm too bored. So I walk for awhile. What I want is to be able to run for 4 miles without walking. Of course, my ultimate goal by February is to run 13.1 miles. I just need to get my brain to cooperate. The body is never tired if the mind is not tired.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Don't feel much like smiling today



I searched and searched my iPhoto trying to find a photo of myself not smiling. Weird, I know. But it was very hard to find one. I'm just feeling sad and grumpy today which is so unlike me. I'm usually always smiling.

There are just some things I can't write about in a blog. Life is stressful right now and my emotional bank account has had too many withdrawals by other people lately.

Disney World, I miss you. I would really love to be in the Happiest Place on Earth right now.

Monday, June 07, 2010

mixed blessings




My Aunt Pam was at a conference in Atlanta last week so we decided to go visit Mom and Dad in Florida over the weekend.
The weekend really turned out much better than expected. I LOVE spending time with Pam. She has always been my favorite aunt and like a second mom to me. She is so generous and kind and I want to be just like her when I grow up.

I must say that before we got there to see my Dad at the nursing home on Thursday I was hopeful. Mom had painted a pretty rosy picture of how things were going. I felt like crying when I left there that evening. He was not doing well. I don't think he knew who we were. I couldn't understand a single word he was saying. He kept fidgeting and picking at his blankets. He kept trying to crawl out of bed. It was very discouraging.

Friday morning was not a lot better. It's hard to know if he is really there or not cognitively. He just has a continuous ramble. He gets agitated when we can't understand him.

My mom was not there until late Friday afternoon because she went to west Florida to pick up my second nephew who had been in juvenile detention for the last 9 months. So I had to tell my dad over and over where they were because he forgets things easily. We were in occupational therapy with my dad that afternoon and in walks my nephew. My dad looked up at him and it seemed like it registered who Brandon was immediately and he raised his good arm for a hug. He had tears in his eyes, It was then that I knew that my dad was in there and he was slowly coming out. We all cried. He hadn't been showing affection so it was extra special to watch that interaction.

Saturday, Mom decided to have a BBQ at their home. I couldn't believe how much my dad seemed right at home there. He had his bluegrass music playing. He just kept looking around at everything like he was inspecting. He recognized his cats. When he first got sick he would always ask about his cats. He just smiled his crooked smile and held each of them. He even remembered two of their names. It was a great day. He only got agitated a couple of times.

So we took him back to the nursing home Saturday night and got him all tucked into bed. He just kept jabbering on about who knows what. We can't understand what he's saying unless he gets angry. If that's the case , we can understand every single curse word that comes out of his mouth. :) I was trying to talk to him about the fact that I was leaving on Sunday to go home. And then all of the sudden, he grabs my hand and kisses it and says, "Red,(that's his nickname for me). I love you, I love you, I love you." Clear as day. Like he really knew what he was saying and really meant it. Oh my gosh, that just meant so much to me.

I cried like a baby.

I am amazed by how well my mom is doing. This woman who I always perceived as weaker has really turned out to be very strong. She is in the process of buying them a Doublewide to live in. She has done all of the business-y stuff on her own. She just finds out what needs to be done and she does it. She is not discouraged at all by my dad's progress. She is preparing to care for him when he gets out of the rehab center, and she doesn't seem afraid of the future at all. I don't know where this woman has come from but I am so glad she is here now.

So, it was a good weekend and I am encouraged and hopeful now.