Be Kind Always
Author: Lady in the Forest
Observations
As I fell into the flowerbed and then rolled (over rocks and mud) until hitting the parking lot curb, I realized that this landscaping section was terribly steep. I had no business climbing around and reaching for weeds, and steepness had never bothered me before now. This was so irritating! I could not stop myself from falling over. I was so glad I was the only one there and had no witnesses to my frailty.
I thought. It turned out that one of the Elders did see me tumble. After ensuring I was OK, he entered the Kingdom Hall, returned with some tools, and began pruning the rose bushes that lined our stairs from the parking lot to the front door. I was happy to see this because they needed a good prune, but my snippers were forgotten at home.
It wasn’t until bedtime that twinges of soreness poked at me. My torso and scraped elbow told me I would feel the aftermath of my fall tomorrow. Bruises would begin to surface.
I was wrong. I think the fact that I directed my fall and rolled instead of fighting kept me from serious harm. That, and the flower bed soil was very soft. The day was warm going on hot, and the soft dirt made me want to take a nap. A nap was not in the cards because I was upside down and lying on a rock.
Oh, and there was a witness, remember?
Best Laid Plans
One of these days, I will sit staring at my computer screen, and a fabulous blog post will grab me by the bra strap and practically write itself.
Today is not that day, and tomorrow does not look good either. Because I leave town on Thursday for four days, I must not only pack up but also figure out Hubby’s meals and prepare the guest room for incoming relatives who arrive the day after I’m back. Oh, I should also plan the menus for that.
Today, I did laundry of undergarments, etc, that I wanted to pack. I also washed the guest room linens so I could make the bed in there. Oh yeah, then there’s the issue of my finger and toenails. Every trip I get ready for, I leave polishing my nails for last, and I never (not once) am able to do that. I am working on those today. I know it sounds petty and vain; however, it is part of my grooming, and we are supposed to look neat and well-groomed for the convention.
I have picked out three outfits I want to wear this weekend. I have a new nail color that will match all three outfits. Or did I pick out the outfits to match the nail color? Now that I consider it, I believe it was a bit of both. Am I overthinking this? One year, I forgot to pack “play” clothes—no casual shorts, jeans, or tops. That was a grievous error for someone who likes to hang out comfortably.
If my clothing and cosmetic needs were not enough, I have to pack all the medical supplies, prescriptions, and backups for them. There is absolutely no way I can ever “pack light” – even for a 4-day trip.
I have a spacious trunk, which translates to the room for snax and drinks. My car has air conditioning and Apple Car Play for navigation. We have only 2 hours to drive, and we will be there. I have already mapped out the closest Safeway to the hotel (in the hope they have my favorite Strawberry Creme bubbly water). It is only a mile away, so even I have a good chance of finding it and making it back without any adventures.
Who is the other part of “We?” My good friend Rebecca will be traveling and rooming with me for the Convention. Due to health reasons, we have not been able to attend the last few Conventions, so we are really stoked about this year’s. Watching the streaming event is an excellent alternative, but when you are in person, there are hugs to be had. Often, you run into a brother or sister that you have not seen in a long time and have a chance to catch up with them.
I would be remiss if I did not invite you to the Convention. Everyone is welcome, and admission is free. There are no collections. These Conventions are held all over the world. The one we are attending is in Sacramento, CA, at the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center on J Street. This is a 3-day event. If you are only able to go to one of the sessions, I think you will get a lot out of it. This link will take you to our website, JW.org, right to the Convention Invitation.
Stay tuned for the Part II of Best Laid Plans. There’s always something!
How Will We Know?
I like to know the who, what, and when of things, and I think most of us do. Mystery can sometimes be fun, but when it’s something important—something BIG—we want to know as much as possible to prepare ourselves mentally.
For example, consider the end of this world as we know it. Baby Boomers, such as myself, were trained to deal with nuclear attacks (Ha!), and Armageddon meant the start of World War III. Most people believe that man will destroy the Earth and everything on it. How gloomy is that?
Bible prophecy tells a completely different story. And it is a hopeful one.
“He has established the earth on its foundations; It will not be moved from its place forever and ever.” – Psalms 104:5
“The righteous will possess the earth, and they will live forever on it.”
– Psalms 37: 29
Back to the question, “How will we know?” The apostle Timothy clues us in…
“But know this, in the last days, critical times hard to deal with will be here. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, haughty, blasphemers, disobedient, disloyal, having no natural affection, not open to any agreement, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, without love of goodness, betrayers, headstrong, puffed up with pride, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God.
– 2 Timothy 3:1-5
I don’t know about y’all, but I have seen all of these behaviors in recent years. Exciting, hey?
Lf
Is it a Matter of Patience?
Probably.
I am so tired of being blasted by commercials. Each channel I watch has its advertisements that play at every commercial break. The ads are the same, and the order is the same. The same is true for other channels; although the ads differ, their method is the same. At each break, the same ads play over and over. Even the clever ones get old and overused.
Remember when cable TV channels were commercial free? The more ads a company runs, the less I want to buy their products. Please spare me the singing and dancing ads! You are not shooting a musical; you are advertising drugs. Just do that.
Oh, and speaking of drug commercials, where do they get off telling me to “tell your doctor about yada yada?” My doctor should tell me that I have yada yada and what to do about it. That is why I go see him. I don’t take medical advice from TV commercials. Sheesh!
This is why I decided to stop wasting my patience on television. If there’s a good movie on HBO or Showtime, I might tune in because I am a movie buff. And they don’t shove commercials at me. I need patience for so many other things.
