Singing Songs Cheer The Weary Soul

SINGING SONGS CHEER THE WEARY SOUL

Caution:  The following content might cause the reader to cheer, jeer, have fears, or bring tears.
This caution was added at the request of my niece who said some of these need a warning label!

There is a cute song, “Here We Are Singing in the Kitchen Rattling the Pots and Pans.”  Children know that signing is good for the soul.  They like lively tunes that they can relate to and enjoy hearing their voices and moving their feet.  There is a lot we can and should learn from children.

Singing is an expression of the heart and a way of verbalizing what we know, need, enjoy, and can associate with. Singing songs can cheer the weary soul. My nephew knows quite a few country songs by heart, and my daughters also have a good many songs committed to memory.

You say you can’t sing, that’s no excuse, just listening to music can also soothe, relax, and pick up your spirits.  My husband and I owned and operated a dairy cow operation for several years. We found that if we played music during the milking process, that they were easier to work with and produced more milk.   Studies have shown that listening to music after surgery promotes healing.  It also relieves stress, sort of like going to the spa without the massage.  Although I would like to have the massage too, and it is also beneficial, I can’t afford one every day; but I can sing or listen to music!  It will lift your spirits!

Have you ever listened to someone sing in the shower?  They are “closet” singers and can really belt them out when they think no one is watching or listening.  It doesn’t matter where you are or when you do it, just “make a joyful noise!”  Although, I wouldn’t recommend singing in line at the bank, but you can hum, “All the Gold in California is in a bank in the middle of Beverly Hills, in somebody else’s name.”  It always gets a chuckle and gives you a chance to visit with other people in line, unless they change lanes of course!

Most people are uneasy or at least nervous singing in public, even those who do it professionally; but in private you should be able to give an outstanding performance!   With my love for music, I was of course in our church choir, and was given the responsibility to lead our youth choir.  We were to perform in a competition, with strict guidelines we were to adhere to, and if we didn’t, points would be taken off the score.  I had my notes and music ready, and was looking them over when our pianist asked, “Why do you have, My Name Is Carolyn Lee at the top of the page?!”  “Because, when I get up there, there is a possibility that I won’t know who I am, or what my name is!” I replied.

With the invention, availability and access to the internet, and by typing in a few key words of the song, you can freely find free lyrics to just about any song that you want.   What a fun project for your kids. Ask for their help and they can learn the songs and improve their computer skills at the same time!  If you don’t have a computer, go to the library, the school, or possibly even your church.  *I use this method to avoid having to type them all into the body of this document.

In my life I have had the privilege to perform songs at weddings, and the humbling honor of singing at way to many funerals.  The weddings were a hopeful beginning to a long union; some of them have lasted, some didn’t.   Funerals, however, are the final stop here on earth.  Nothing can be more rewarding or heartbreaking than singing at the final tribute to friends and relatives.

A particular heartbreak for me was singing at a former classmate’s funeral.  After graduation, he had left the area, and made some very bad life choices.  He had lived a very rough life, got mixed up in gangs, criminal activities, and used drugs.  Now, I know I am not the judge of another person’s relationship with God, but by looking at the outward expressions of his life, I did have some concerns.  While standing and waiting for the introduction to the first song, I promise you, the inside of my mouth sweated.  I don’t mean saliva, but sweat!  Not even sure if that is physically possible, but it happened. 

There have been times, I’ve sung at funerals for older people who had lived good long lives and they are difficult enough; but to sing at a child’s funeral is very emotionally challenging.  One of my friends had a child that died in a crib death.  She had lost her first child at birth and this was her fourth living child, and her only girl.  The temptation to not answer the phone was very strong, since I was sure that since I had sung at the first funeral that I would be again be called upon.  After agreeing that I would sing, I couldn’t find a song that satisfied my heart as the right one for the funeral service.  Pulling out my collection of song books (that was before the internet) I searched until I found this one. 

LITTLE ONES LIKE ME

                                                 Sung like a lullaby – in a rocking chair

Jesus, when He left the sky, And for sinners came to die, And for sinners came to die, In His mercy passed not by Little ones like me. Little ones, little ones, Little ones like me; In His mercy passed not by Little ones like me. Mothers then the Savior sought, In the places where He taught, And to Him their children brought— Little ones like me. Little ones, little ones, Little ones like me; And to Him their children brought—Little ones like me. Did the Savior say them nay? No! He kindly bade them stay, Suffered none to turn away, Little ones like me. Little ones, little ones, Little ones like me; Suffered none to turn away, Little ones like me. ’Twas for them His life He gave, To redeem them from the grave; Jesus now will gladly save, Little ones like me. Little ones, little ones, Little ones like me; Jesus now will gladly save Little ones like me.

We don’t know why God gives us children and then takes them back; perhaps we aren’t even supposed to ask why.  But we do know he has given us the joy of having them in our lives, even for a brief period.  He has also placed on us the responsibility to guide them in their journey back to Him.  Be sure and look up the words to:  

 Here We Are, Singing in the Kitchen  (Is everybody ready now? Yeah! Okay!)

In two previous segments, I have not been successful in putting the following song in the notes.  This time I really must to ease my heart and soul.  Hope you enjoy it as much as I have!

  Candid Conversation With Carolyn Lee

THERE’S WITHIN MY HEART A MELODY

1.            There's within my heart a melody

Jesus whispers sweet and low:

Fear not, I am with thee, peace, be still,

in all of life's ebb and flow.

Refrain:  For the full benefit  sing this every time!

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,

sweetest name I know,

fills my every longing,

keeps me singing as I go.

2.            All my life was wrecked by sin and strife,

discord filled my heart with pain;

Jesus swept across the broken strings,

stirred the slumbering chords again.

(Refrain)

3.            Though sometimes he leads through waters deep,

trials fall across the way,

though sometimes the path seems rough and steep,

see his footprints all the way.

(Refrain)

4.            Feasting on the riches of his grace,

resting neath his sheltering wing,

always looking on his smiling face,

that is why I shout and sing.

(Refrain)

5.            Soon he's coming back to welcome me

far beyond the starry sky;

I shall wing my flight to worlds unknown;

I shall reign with him on high.

(Refrain)

Keeping Up Appearances

KEEPING UP APPEARANCES

                          “Be careful of the words you speak, because you may get to eat them!”

We have allowed society to dictate how we look and act.  We build ourselves up by either comparing our bodies or actions on other people.  Sometimes by emulating those people to improve our appearances; or by tearing them down with criticism of their looks and actions in what we think will make us more presentable. 

The concerns about appearances are starting at an early age.  My eleven year old daughter has physically developed very quickly, as have many of the girls in her sixth grade class.  One of the girls she goes to church with is in her homeroom.  The other day my daughter came home and asked, “Mama, do you think I have a cute figure?”  “Yes,” I replied, “But remember that it is what is on the inside that counts.”  She said, “Well, my scf (so called friend) told me that I had an ugly figure.”  “I don’t think that she is as much of a Christian as she says she is.”  Amen.

There is a cute/ism that is circulating that says, “Going to church doesn’t make someone a Christian, any more than standing in the garage makes you a car!” People that are physically beautiful sometimes don’t demonstrate that same characteristic from the inside.  My mother used to have a saying, “Pretty Is, as Pretty Does!”   Sometimes we cast a shadow that doesn’t match up with our appearances.  If the maxim of, you are what you eat is true, then the same truth applies to do you practice what you preach?  Ouch!  Maybe I should remove that amen up there!

Or maybe I too should watch my mouth, because you can never take back an unkind word.

There are many preachers who have influenced my life, and I’m not sure if I have expressed it to them, but hopefully their joy was in feeding the flock and not in gathering gratitude.  One such preacher did a sermon with a visual using a lemon.  He rolled that lemon on the pulpit, held up a sharp knife, and asked, “What will I get if I cut this lemon in half?”  Of course the congregation replied, “Lemon juice!”  “That would be correct,” he said,” But what if I had taken a hypodermic needle and inserted India ink?”  Oh yes, things are not always what they appear.  What are you when you are “squeezed?”

Society places so much focus on outward appearances that a lot of times we do not look into the heart of a person.  What is our inward and outward response to the homeless, the destitute, ethnic groups, and other individuals that don’t fit our idea of what a person should look like, be like, or act like?  We have a tendency to use ourselves as a plumb line. It is easy to look great against someone we might think is inferior to us…..So how would we measure up to God’s plumb line? 

How many of us are on diets to improve our outward appearance?  Do you count your calories, read instructions, and keep charts with a constant watch on your weight making sure you don’t stray off course.  Not everyone is on the same diet.  But we need to have enough to eat to keep up functioning, to keep our energy up, and stay focused.  Dear Lord, let me be so hungry for your knowledge and wisdom that I stick with a daily diet of your word.

Dear Lord I want to be a

“FAT, FULL FIGURED, CHRISTIAN!”

The best way to maintain my desired spiritual weight is to devour His Word!  We need to be assured that we have the current updates.  We need to check His Word as often as we do Facebook, texts, or our e-mail!  My Bible is on my I-Phone and I keep my grocery list on there as well.  After writing this segment, I’m troubled that I don’t maintain my spiritual grocery lists as well as I do the physical.

Dear Lord, thank you for preachers and teachers.  Thank you for caring enough to feed me with your word, and fill me with your spirit.  Dear Lord, make me so hungry for your word that I don’t want to leave your bountiful table, and keep me on a steadfast diet of your rich words of knowledge and wisdom.  Let me always remain diligent in making sure that your spirit comes out of me when I am squeezed!  And, Lord, help me keep my mouth shut…..unless I’m eating!

Candid Conversations With Carolyn Lee

FILL MY CUP LORD

Like the woman at the well I was seeking
For things that could not satisfy;
And then I heard my Savior speaking:
"Draw from my well that never shall run dry".

Fill my cup Lord, I lift it up, Lord!
Come and quench this thirsting of my soul;
Bread of heaven, Feed me till I want no more--
Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole!

There are millions in this world who are craving
The pleasures earthly things afford;
But none can match the wondrous treasure
That I find in Jesus Christ my Lord.

Fill my cup Lord, I lift it up, Lord!
Come and quench this thirsting of my soul;
Bread of heaven, Feed me till I want no more--
Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole!

So, my brother, if the things this world gave you
Leave hungers that won't pass away,
My blessed Lord will come and save you,
If you kneel to Him and humbly pray:

Fill my cup Lord, I lift it up, Lord!
Come and quench this thirsting of my soul;
Bread of heaven, Feed me till I want no more--
Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole!

There's Within My Heart A Melody

There’s Within My Heart a Melody

Music and songs have long been a great part of my life.  My mother was a pianist and played by ear, which means that if she heard a song she was able to play it.  My oldest daughter also has that ability; along with the knowledge of and the ability to read music.  Even though I have taken piano lessons and can sight read the music, I am incapable of playing the instrument!  When it comes to playing the piano, I took the Bible literally when it said, “Don’t let the left hand know what the right hand is doing!”

Songs and singing on the other hand come naturally to me.  I love to sing and have the ability to easily retain the melody and the words.  One morning, early in our marriage, during a weekend trip to my husband’s parents’ house, my father-in-law asked me how many songs I had memorized.  “Haven’t ever really thought about it, but probably 150 or so,” I replied.  He said, “I’m pretty sure that you know more than that, because you sang every one of them during your sleep last night, including all the verses!”

My husband says that I also talk in my sleep.  Wonder why someone talks or sings in their sleep?  Maybe it’s because we don’t have enough time during the day to say or do what we want.  Or it could be that we relax enough or not fearful of ridicule during our sleep to say or do things that we might not otherwise do.  It might be the same way with dreams.  Not going anywhere with this, just wondering.

Now in the olden days when I was growing up…doesn’t that sound like the ramblings of a really old woman!  None the less, during my youth we didn’t have a television, telephone, or any of the intriguing things that we have now to keep us occupied.  Frankly, I thoroughly enjoy my I-phone computers, games, television, and other devices that we now have, and may be even more appreciative because we didn’t have them growing up. 

What we did have was Sunday afternoon “Singing Schools” at various churches in the area, and since there wasn’t any other entertainment, the boys came too!  Now, just where else would a teenage girl want to be?  To make sure that the boys didn’t know I was checking them out, I paid a lot of attention to the music.  Okay, let’s be honest here, I simply learned them by osmosis, and repetition! 

The adults were wise, and one of the attendance requirements was that everyone had to lead or direct one song.  Oh my!  Since I was tall, skinny, and didn’t have a strong or pretty voice, this was uncomfortable for me, especially with the boys there.  This was very intuitive of these old folks….who would have thought it!  Whether we were good at it or not, we were able to get the experience of being in front of a crowd of people that knew and loved you. This built a foundation and confidence that one could actually do things in public without fear of criticism.

This has proven to be very beneficial to me in my personal and business life.  Their actions and responses have aided me in so many ways, but reflecting on it has renewed in me that we really need to apply positive reinforcement to everyone who is trying to make it in this world, new Christians, people we come in contact with every day, even strangers…but especially children! 

To this day, I can only sing one way…LOUD!  My oldest daughter and I have almost identical voices and enjoy belting out songs as we travel.  Today was one of those days!  As I have said, we live out in a rural area so we have to travel about two hours to go anywhere.  She has been going through some difficult times recently, and the joy in her life has been diminished.  What fun we had singing the old stand by hymns.  You know the ones that get your foot to tapping, your heart to racing, your emotions working, and your soul satisfied!  One that usually makes me happy is “The Joy of the Lord is my Strength – It Makes Me Laugh, I Go Ha, Ha, Ha!”  If you didn’t learn this one as a child, look it up on the internet, it will definitely raise your spirits!

Now I have said all that to say this, God loves to hear us sing praises to him.  Not just so we can look or sound good, but because he is deserving of praise.  There are so many good hymns that are comforting, or that express our thankfulness, his love for us, our prayers and pleas.  One of my many favorites, or maybe I just like all of them is:  “Fill My Cup Lord, fill it up Lord, come and quench the thirsting of my soul, bread of heaven feed me ‘til I want no more, fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole!”  Now, I can tell you from experience that if you sing that song with a sincere heart, it’s going to happen!

If it makes you uncomfortable, songs don’t have to be sung out loud.  When I was typing that song in, I heard it in my head and sung it in my heart.  Don’t limit them to church; if you are by yourself at any time, singing them out loud has an extra bonus.  If you don’t believe me, try it sometime.  Don’t you like for your children or grandchildren to hug on you and tell you how much they love you?  God likes and enjoys hearing his children to thank him in song as well.

Why songs you ask?  Well the great Psalmist David wrote songs so the people could commit them to memory and have them readily available.  So we can commune with God without being distracted by having devote time to compose our words or thoughts - Because of our roots, and because we need to be rooted in God – Because children learn by osmosis – Because they need to know what a wonderful God we have – Because they learn by watching us!  Sing to them:  “I’ve got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Down in My Heart!  Down in my heart, down in my heart, I’ve got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy, Down in My Heart, down in my heart to stay!” “Oh Happy Day”

Thank you Lord for the wonderful Godly people you have put in my life, thank you that they gave of their time and energy, teaching the young people what a great a powerful thing that singing praises to you can be.  Thank you for the writers and musicians that have put the words on paper, so that we can write them in our hearts.

My Granny Stella’s favorite song:  “Rock of Ages” My Mother’s was: “The Longer I Serve Him, the Sweeter He Grows”   My Father-In-Law’s was: “I Don’t Know Who Holds Tomorrow” My Father’s was: “Gathering Flowers for the Master’s Bouquet.”   My Mother-In-Law’s is: “I’ll Fly Away” My Daughter’s is:  “He Touched Me”  My Husband’s is: “Oh Come Angel Band” Mine is: “I’m pressing on the upward way, new heights I’m gaining every day, still praying as I’m onward bound, Lord Plant My Feet On Higher Ground.”  What is yours or your Families?

Enjoy those: “Precious Memories”

                                                     Candid Conversations With Carolyn Lee          

I'M JUST AN OLD CHUNK OF COAL

I’M JUST AN OLD CHUNK OF COAL…..BUT I’M GONNA ACT LIKE I’M A DIAMOND ANYWAY!

When I was growing up, there was a catchy, uplifting song entitled, “I’m Just an Old Chunk of Coal” which went on to say, “But I’m Gonna be a Diamond Someday.”  Well, we don’t have to wait for that day!  We should act like we are a diamond anyway, every day!

After sixty three years of life, there are days I wake up thinking and acting more like an old chunk of coal….dumpy, frumpy, lumpy, and grumpy!  The dust and grime of life seems to have settled over, hardened, and completely permeated my body, my intellect, my emotions, my energy, and my desires; therefore concealing what should be the diamond-like beauty of God’s likeness shining in me. 

Now by looking at me, with all my lumps and bumps you might truly think that I am just a chunk.  With the visual eye it might appear that way.  The only way that I can possibly make you think of me differently, is to sparkle like a diamond and I don’t mean the way I am dressed!  If I act like a diamond, it might be possible for you to look past this external house of clay and peer into my inner being.  Maybe if I “Let My Little Light Shine,” with the aid of God’s brilliance, you might see the diamond God is working on in this chunk of coal.

My older sister was the beauty and brains of the family.  But this piece of coal was a good basketball player, in fact I was brilliant!   Basketball was the main reason that I went to school!  Due to my Daddy’s lack of desire for me to play basketball, it was also the reason that I had to make straight A’s and take piano lessons.  Now that I am an antique, I can’t play basketball, or the piano, and seldom win at the game of:  “Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader!”

The insertion of the subject of basketball in this coal dialogue will become apparent as this story unfolds.  One year, we had to play a team that was further out in the country and more behind the times than my school was, which gave us a feeling of superiority.  That is, until we realized that they had several advantages.

Even though their basketball court possibly met the size regulations, if you had large feet, which I do, you had to stand with your behind flush to the wall and your feet splayed sideways in order to stay outside the inbound line.   To say the least, that put you off balance and allowed your opponent to be right in your face, making a successful inbound pass even more difficult!

Also, the dressing rooms were under the bleachers which meant while you were changing into your uniforms, you had to remain in a bent position; and they didn’t have indoor plumbing!  So, after a two hour drive to reach their rural location, without the availability of gas stations, you were doubly cautious when dribbling the ball up the court, if you get my drift! 

They also had the added benefit of having an extra guard at the opposite corners of each end of the court.  You got it, coal fed stoves!  The stoves actually sat on the court itself, and they had these things really stoked up.  They were so hot that you didn’t want to get within three feet of them.  Rest assured my team didn’t make any long three point shots from the corners!

Now with all these home court advantages, and the fact that these were some fairly large, raw-boned girls who were comfortable around these hot, fiery, chunky, coal stoves we had our work cut out of us!  After a hard fought battle, which left me with two broken ribs, we ended up being the winner and shone with the brightness of the diamonds we truly believed we were!   Occasionally, when my side hurts, I still have to say a prayer asking God to forgive me for my unkind thoughts about the girl that broke those ribs!

While recounting this story, it is apparent to me, that sometimes I am too comfortable and content just being a lump of coal, I don’t pay enough attention to the game, and lose out.   Especially, without having enough other pieces of coal around to really keep me fired up!

My Mother, who was also my Sunday School teacher, used to tell a story about a man who regularly went to church, but quit going after his wife succumbed to a fatal illness.  One day the preacher went to visit him, and the man was sure that the preacher was there to berate him about his lack of attendance.  So after he invited the preacher in and offered him a seat in front of the fireplace, he didn’t say a word.  Neither did the preacher!  After an hour of silence, the preacher got up, took the fireplace thongs and carefully slid one piece of coal to the hearth away from the others.  In a matter of minutes that piece of coal was extinguished, and then the preacher got up and left.  The man was back in church the next Sunday.

Now, let’s get to the diamond section.  Our local television station has an advertisement for a jewelry store whose jingle is:  “Life’s Too Short For Ordinary Jewelry.”  This is so true!  Our piece of earthly coal can be snuffed out at any time. 

As the old song goes, “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend,” then let me befriend others and actually shine like God’s brilliant diamond.  Let me protect and store my jewels in heaven and joyfully cast my crowns at Jesus feet!

Dear Lord:

Thank you for the reminding me that, in order to survive, that I need the heat and companionship of other pieces of coal.

Thank you for reminding me that as a Christian, I am not supposed to be content and comfortable as a run of the mill, low grade, cheap, piece of coal.  

Please take this chunk of coal and allow your brilliant presence help me shine like a diamond anyway, every day.

“The best sermons are lived, not preached.”

    Candid Conversations With Carolyn Lee

Cancer and the Grand Canyon - Written in honor of my brother Kenneth and friend Louise who both lost their earthly bodies to cancer.

CANCER AND THE GRAND CANYON

“Life is what went on between the dashes on the date of the tombstone”

       Caution:  The following content might cause the reader to cheer, jeer, have fears, or bring tears.
                                      This warning label was added at my nieces suggestion.
 
Like in the movie “UP” the first time I started writing this segment, I got squirreled!  Not sure how it happened, when it was supposed to be about nature, but that rabbit took a whole different route, and ended up written about children, so I am going to give it another try.

Another movie that I recently watched was, “The Help.”  One of the things that struck me and stuck with me, besides the obvious, is that one of the characters had the habit of writing down her prayers. That seemed like such a good idea!  Besides that, I am getting older, and find it more difficult to recall some of the things that are important to me.  Did I mention dementia?

As the owner of a highly demanding but financially rewarding and self-fulfilling business endeavor, I had often made the statement, “That I enjoyed my work so much that I will die at my desk, and there are probably some people who wish I would!”

All I can say, God’s agenda and yours may not always be in tune, but if you listen, you can dance to his music!   After fifteen years of hard work, I had the best team together I had ever had, and let me tell you I had kissed some frogs in the process.  After the 911 incident, money was more readily available for purchases in the fire equipment industry, and life was going good.

My receptionist was well trained, and no one was allowed into my office without my prior approval.  So when the natural gas industry arrived in our area and their representatives came to visit me, she turned them away.  They made an appointment and the next time they approached me about purchasing or leasing my buildings and land to house their enterprise.  At that time I told them, “No thank you, I’m not interested,” and sent them on their way. 

A week later they came back and said they were still interested and quoted me a very lucrative offer.  My husband and son sat in on this conversation, and were very upset when again I said, “No thank you.”  At that point, the representatives asked what it would take to seal the deal, and I made a counter offer.  I thought my husband was going to faint!  After they left, he said, “Well, they won’t be back, you should have taken their offer!”  My response was, “I don’t care, I don’t want to sell, and I don’t care if they come back or not!”

One month later, the sign on the building that had housed my company had changed from LEECO to SEECO.  My staff, office furniture, files, and inventory was moved to my house. It took another three months to close out customer accounts, deliver products, sell down inventory, and liquidate the dealerships.  A competitor purchased the remaining inventory and office equipment as well as providing employment to my loyal employees, and I was left on my own.

Well, Lord just what do you have planned for me now?  Believe it or not, I never once missed the hectic life and enjoyed not having to stay on a schedule, answer a five line phone, or make management decisions.  My health improved, and there was time to contemplate on what was important in my life and to concentrate my efforts on my favorite people, my family!

As in any well written story, the actual day to day struggles are condensed so you don’t wear down your readers and place extra stress on them, but it is understood that between the lines there were lots of questions, second guessing, and depressing times in my life.  This just strengthens the reason that we should always emphasize the positive side of things.   All things in life are temporary. If things are going well then enjoy it, they may not last forever. If things are going wrong, don't worry, they can't last long either.

After my retirement and I had rested up, I had time to renew old acquaintances and catch up with family members.  One was an old friend and it saddened me to learn that she had cancer, but was encouraged that is was in remission.  We had great times playing games, visiting flea markets, and talked via phone every day about our lives and life in general. But life caught up with her and the cancer returned.

She started a second round of chemotherapy and was in a weakened state and a great deal of pain.  One weekend she was hospitalized and when we talked she was planning on going home. As a widow her only support was one son, one sister, a male friend, and me. She did go home, but not from the hospital. 

Her son called me and asked if we could each rotate staying one day and one night with her, and would I take the fourth day, because he was going to be out of town.  I told my husband that I dreaded it because I felt she would probably take her leave on my watch. When I arrived that morning, her friend told me she had spent a fretful night, and couldn’t seem to relax.  I held her hand, talked to her, and just sat and watched in silent prayer.  After several hours, her labored breathing became relaxed and then ceased altogether.  It is an honor being with someone when they depart this world.  As I said at her eulogy, “Geez, Louise, we’re gonna miss ya!”

At seven years old, before I wass born, my older brother had polio and required a surgery every year until he was sixteen.  One leg never fully developed, and he had to wear a built-up shoe.  He was literally the poster child for polio, and a copy of that leaflet is one of my prized possessions.

As far as I know, he never complained about his lot in life, and never allowed his affliction to become a handicap.  He and his family had moved back and purchased my paternal Grandmother’s farm. After a freak automobile accident, what we referred to as his good leg had to be amputated and he remained in a wheelchair.  Yet he never complained.

Now we are going to have to get to the Grand Canyon, because I am about out of my limit of pages.  At any rate, with his children grown and away from home he, his wife, and I decided to head out west to look the country over.  What a trip!  We packed boiled eggs, sandwiches, chips, drinks, and lots of sweet treats and we were off to see and eat things we had only heard about.  As we laughingly discussed later, the things we took proved to be the best meals we had!

One of those sights was the Grand Canyon and what a sight to behold.  There is no way that someone can view that beautiful place and not believe that there is a God!  We stayed on our vacation for two weeks and saw and did things that will be cherished forever; which is a good, because he too went home to be with the Lord after a short battle with cancer of the pancreases.  He opted to forgo treatments, and instead chose to stay at home to wait on the Lord’s call.

Now you might ask what cancer, death, and the Grand Canyon have in common.  Well, they are all mysteries to us but known by God.  The most vivid memories aren't those carved in stone but the ones etched in the mind. Memory deepens through the years; the way a river carves through rock, slowly creating canyons, revealing old layers, perhaps unveiling happiness or even pain, bringing it all back.  Sometimes the river cannot be contained and will overflow its banks. You feel the emotions swelling.  It might be on an anniversary, birthday, or when you hear a certain song, or for no discernible reason at all. But, you have that memory and a place to return to, if only in your heart and mind, that gives you happiness and courage to take the final trip.   

Maybe my unplanned retirement was God giving me the opportunity to reconnect with these wonderful people.  In order to get something you never had, you have to do something you have never done. When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands so receive something better.

 Maya Angelo is one of my many favorite authors, and she hails from my home state, the following is an except that I want to share:

  “I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.  I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he or she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights (*or cancer and death*).  I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life. I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as making a "life." I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back. I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one. I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. I've learned that I still have a lot to learn. I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

PRECIOUS MEMORIES

CHORUS
PRECIOUS MEMORIES, HOW THEY LINGER - HOW THEY EVER FLOOD MY SOUL
IN THE STILLNESS, OF THE MIDNIGHT - PRECIOUS, SACRED SCENES UNFOLD

VERSE#1
PRECIOUS MEMORIES, UNSEEN ANGELS - SENT FROM SOMEWHERE TO MY SOUL
HOW THEY LINGER, EVER NEAR ME - AND THE SACRED PAST UNFOLD.

VERSE#2
PRECIOUS FATHER, LOVING MOTHER - FLY ACROSS THE LONELY YEARS;
AND OLD HOME SCENES OF MY CHILD-HOOD - IN FOND MEMORY APPEAR.

VERSE#3
AS I TRAVEL, ON LIFE'S PATHWAY - KNOW NOT WHAT THE YEARS MAY HOLD;
AS I PONDER, HOPE GROWS FONDER - PRECIOUS MEMORIES FLOOD MY SOUL.

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                                      Candid Conversations with Carolyn Lee

If you want your life to be a magnificent story, then begin by realizing that you are the author and every day you have the opportunity to write a new page!

Every day we are given a new chance at life.  This blog is my chance to convey my thoughts and experiences about my life, past and present, and I welcome the opportunity to do so. 

Several of my friends have read my segments entitled Candid Conversations with Carolyn and suggested that I start a blog.  This is a new experience for me and I look forward to being able to place the conversations in one location that is available to them.  Yes, I do talk to myself and hopefully you will enjoy these too, if you don’t my apologies but at least it is good therapy for me!

At any rate….welcome to my blog!