Weird Birthdays

Last Monday was my birthday and it was one of those that end in 9. Those birthdays always seem weird to me because I'm still in the same decade, but time is rushing me to the next one. I did have a wonderful lunch at my parents' house on Sunday and my coworkers brought a breakfast feast to the office on Monday morning. I ate lunch with my best friend, but had to cancel a supper out with my kids that evening when the weather got icy. Our school closed at 2 p.m. and I joked that they decided to close because it was my birthday.

I was home by 2:30, but I had to work a little longer.  You see, as the president of our state's financial aid association, I had a phone interview scheduled for 3 p.m. At the appointed time, I placed the call to the education reporter at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.  Yes, that's right, a phone interview with the AJC. I was prepped; I was ready; I was nervous. Thankfully it went well and in 20 minutes it was over. Whew!

The rest of the evening was rather sedate, watching the weather reports and tatting. Then I got a call around 7:30 from a friend who wanted to bring her daughter over to spend the night since their power had been off several hours. No problem. I just made popcorn for the impromptu sleepover.

Psalms 144:15b Happy are the people whose God is the Lord!

So on my weird end-of-the-decade birthday, I got eat with all of my friends, leave work early for 'free', watch freezing rain fall and ice buildup on everything, spoke with a reporter, and welcomed a chilly child into my warm house. And you know, it all made me happy and I wouldn't have changed a thing.

Applying for an Award

I'm the president of a state association this year, which has been a lot of fun. One way that I'm trying to help the group is by applying for a national award for an innovative training project we did this year. We believe that our project is worthwhile and could be used by other associations. Now I realize that applying for an award must sound odd, but that's how things work with non-profit organizations. The process involves submitting a narrative of the project, a formal evaluation of it and an online application. It's quite thorough and I spent most of Saturday compiling the narrative and evaluation. It was a lot of work that will only benefit our association if we are recognized nationally. Still, we need to try.

II Chronicles 15:7 But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!

I've got a small group of people who are going to review our application next week, then we will submit it and hope for the best. In a few months I'll let you know if our project is recognized.

Happy Medicine

I had my annual physical this week with ok results. I'm maintaining my weight and have good cholesterol levels, but my endocrine glands seem to do what they want. More specifically, my thyroid gland and probably my adrenal glands just don't want to join the team. They're on an extended vacation and didn't invite the rest of me along. Well, they did invite my iron which apparently visits them occasionally. 

Proverbs 17:22 A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones. 

Making fun of my lack of hormones and iron does make me smile, but in this case I think I'll also follow my doctor's advice. He wants me to try to take an iron supplement and see an endocrinologist. I don't like adding more medicines to my day, but if it will keep me awake at 4 in the afternoon I should probably follow his advice. 

I wish a you merry heart this week.

A Comfortable Week

After two weeks of ramped-up excitement, I've finally returned to what I consider a normal week. Shuttle to school, work, return home, try to figure out what to eat for supper, help with homework, and get ready for bed. Repeat. It's normal. It's comfortable. It's life.

In the past, any events that occurred outside this comfortable day-by-day routine lead me to a panicked state. I was agitated and didn't enjoy things that should have been fun. My doctor called it a panic disorder caused by a chemical imbalance. I called it a way of life for more than 15 years.

I can't claim that I'm past it all, but I am so much better. I started traveling again about a year ago. I've attended several events where I've had to speak in front of sometimes large groups. And thankfully, I'm doing it without extraordinary stress. I'm no longer existing with a constant fear of having an unexpected panic attack, but rather I relax and understand that I know how to handle it if I do.

Psalm 94:19 In the multitude of my anxieties within me, your comforts delight my soul. 

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