What do you do to "re-charge" your battery? Do you read a book, take a nap, go for a walk, hang out with friends, eat a big bowl of ice cream, write in a journal, plan a party?
I know for each person it is so different. If you are an introvert you probably feel drained after time with a big crowd of people and you need to re-charge with some alone time following an event like a family reunion or social gathering. If you are an extrovert being with a large crowd actually charges your battery and pumps you up for life ahead.
Regardless of the preference and personality type, we all need to be re-charged. We need to plug in.
My husband and I are in the process of building a home. It has been a really fun process choosing each and every aspect of our home. Yet there have been a few decisions that we had never before considered.
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A few years ago I read a great book series by Beverly LaHaye and Terri Blackstock. The Seasons Series follows the lives of four women who live on the same cul-de-sac of a neighborhood suburb.
One of the books begins as a mom is cleaning and putting away the decorations following her youngest child's wedding reception in her home the night before. She is reflecting on the fun events of the weekend but also mourning the emptiness of her home and the fact that all of her "babies" are now grown and gone creating families of their own.
She looks out the window to see her neighbor. Her neighbor is frantically
My father-in-law is a Chaplain in the Air National Guard. He is currently deployed to Manas, Krygystan where he is serving at the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing Chapel. This Transit Center ministers to many permanent party staff and also to hundreds of service men and women as they come and go from their deployments to home.
In addition to providing chapel services and counseling, the chaplain also tries to make life easier for these men and women by offering them things they might need, like a razor or a cell phone to call home. My father-in-law has shared that many times people who come into the chapel just want someone to talk to, someone who will listen to their problems and be a friend.
Recently, an Army private came into the chapel sharing his problem. He couldn't go home because the boots he needed to wear were already packed and loaded. He had on his mountain boots and now needed his tan boots. (This may seem irrelevant to those of you who have never experienced military life, but let me assure you, this is an important issue.) He would not be able to wear his mountain boots for his flight home and his E-2 salary would not afford the major purchase of buying new tan boots. He was at a loss so he came to the chaplain for some encouragement and wisdom.
My oldest, 9-year-old Elizabeth, has always loved horses. She even chose to have a horse-themed birthday party when she turned 6 years old.
Despite her love for horses, she has never actually ridden a full-size horse. Well, this summer Adam and I decided she was old enough to handle the responsibility and danger associated with this sport so we signed her up for a week long horse camp at our local equestrian center. Her Granny and Aunt Erica hooked her up with some sweet cowgirl boots and trendy new bedazzled t-shirt.
As we drove to camp on the first morning I asked if she was nervous.
We've all heard the African Proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child." As a mother I recognize the truth in this statement as my children have benefitted greatly from the direction, discipline, encouragement and wisdom of many different people in our "village".
I think this proverb has special meaning for families served by Inheritance of Hope. One of the goals of our Legacy Retreats is to create a solid "village" for these families...a network of support and understanding to help these parents raise their children with a focus on leaving a lasting legacy.
After the morning sessions, the families headed back into the parks...
(written by Children's Counselor, Meg Hill)
This morning the kids' counseling sessions included many awesome activities, one of which I can't share with you because it is TOP SECRET! But I will tell you that our topic today was how to deal with anger and sad feelings. One way that we (the counselors) help kids understand healthy ways to deal with frustration is to talk about volcanoes. Two ways things that we want to avoid are volcano explosion (like when angry people take their anger out on others) or volcano implosion (like when people are depressed). The way to best way to get anger out is by letting steam off and venting to prevent volcano problems.
What a wonderful memorable first day!!! Everyone woke up and had an amazing delicious breakfast and superb service at the Doubletree Guest Suites...we are sort of celebrities here :). After breakfast we had great sessions with the children as well as the adults.
Tomorrow, I will have the honor and privilege of welcoming 16 families from all over the country to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. These families are coming from Arkansas, Michigan, Massachusetts, Maine, Missouri, Connecticut, Indiana, Tennessee, Nebraska, New York, Texas, Ohio, and Iowa.
I spend a lot of my time these days out at a baseball field cheering on my seven year old son and his all-star team, the Stingrays. I enjoy watching them play and cheering them on. One thing I do NOT enjoy is the unbearable heat that comes with June in Atlanta, GA. There is certainly a reason people have nicknamed this great city "HOTlanta."
I am actually NOT complaining about the heat. It is fine. I have great perspective after living in Minnesota for 7 years. Truly I would rather sweat than freeze any day of the week. However, in the same way it is essential to take cover indoors when the Minnesota temperature plummets below zero in January, it is equally as essential to take cover in shade when you are out in the 100 degree temperatures of June in North Georgia.