Remind Me Again; Why Do I Live Here?

It is hot outside! As I write this it is already 94° outside, on its way up to 100°. The rest of the week looks pretty much the same. Days like this I wonder why I stay in this state of extremes. Winters can have temps in the negative digits; while summer we swelter away in the extreme heat. Spring and fall, the wonderful break from all this lasts about 2 weeks each! In the winter I contemplate living in south Texas, or better yet, Cozumel. In the summer the mountains of Colorado call my name. But here I remain, in Kansas, year after year after year. Usually this urge to flee is satisfied with a vacation get away to somewhere where the weather is pleasant. So why am I still here?

Before I answer this question; a quick disclaimer. Everyone has a different opinion. I am not knocking whatever wonderful state you happen to live in. I am simply stating what I like about my state.

Kansas is my home. I have lived here my entire life. My roots are here. My family is here. The people are friendly and the cost of living is low.

Kansas weather is rarely boring. There is a saying here, “Don’t like the weather? Wait awhile, it will change.” A Kansas thunderstorm is a performance by nature itself. They can be truly beautiful. Enough snow in the winter for an occasional day off from school.

Kansas sunsets are some of the most beautiful and colorful I have ever seen. Our blue cloudless sky can seem to reach forever. Less than five minute drive out into the country, and stars light up the night sky.

Kansas is right in the middle of our country. Close enough to get away. If I really need to take a break I can. In a twelve hour drive I have 20 states to choose from that I can visit. I can visit the Rocky Mountains, Minnesota Lakes, The Gulf of Mexico, Mt. Rushmore, Graceland, the Alamo, and the Albuquerque Balloon Festival. I can cruise the Mighty Mississippi, eat fresh Wisconsin cheese, walk in Kentucky bluegrass, and visit the Windy City. I can chill out in the lakes in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri or visit a plantation home in Alabama. I can walk in a Civil War battlefield in Arkansas, eat Cajun food in Louisiana, and visit the Amana Amish communities of Iowa. I can experience a rodeo in Cheyenne Wyoming, tour the Carlsbad Caverns or Native American Cliff Dwellings.

Kansas has its own beauty. Ignorant people say Kansas is flat. They obviously have not traveled much around our state. If I drove from north to south in eastern Colorado, I would call it flat too. About 1/3 of the state of Colorado is as flat as about 1/3 of Kansas is. Kansas just doesn’t have the Rocky Mountains in the other 2/3’s of the state. We do have the beautiful Flint Hills, the Smokey Hills, and truly beautiful amber waves of grain.

Really, not such a bad list!  I think I’ll stay awhile longer.

~Marla

Finding Serenity

Serenity. In our family Serenity is a place. My brother and sister-in-law bought a retirement home a year and a half ago. A home that feels as if it is miles away from any other people, though in reality it sits on the edge of a small Kansas town. They named their new home Serenity, a name that suits it perfectly. Every time I visit, serenity does indeed envelope me. I can be stressed when I arrive, but after a few minutes of quietly sitting and looking out over the property, my tensions ease and disappear. It truly seems almost a magical place. 




But according to the definition of serenity, it is not a place at all, but a state of mind.


serenity: The state of being calm, peaceful, and untroubled: "an oasis of serenity".


So as much as I enjoy visiting Serenity, it is not a necessity in the quest for serenity itself. I can find that anywhere, if I allow myself to.
These are places I find serenity.

In the joy of the children in our family.

In gathering with family and friends.

In watching the birds feed at my feeders.

In simply relaxing with a good cup of coffee.

In taking time to garden and enjoy the flowers.

In the stillness and beauty of God's word.


Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I carry is light” Matthew 11:29-30


Here is wishing the blessing of serenity for each and every one of you.
God Bless ~Marla

Perseverance

People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are.  I don't believe in circumstances.  The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them.  ~G.B. Shaw, Mrs. Warren's Profession, 1893

Yesterday my son achieved his dream. A dream that started about 5 years ago when he decided to major in criminal justice. At that point he decided a career in law enforcement was the path he wanted to take. He worked hard through 5 years of college and then worked as a security officer at a local hospital for 6 months. In January he was hired by the Derby Police Department and began 14 weeks of training at the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center. Yesterdays graduation was a cumulation of years of hard work and perseverance. Perseverance. So many people do not seem to understand this word anymore. So often people seem to expect something for nothing. They don't want to work towards a goal....they want it handed to them on a platter. And perhaps in the short run that works. You may indeed be lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. But will that be enough?


I am extremely proud of my son and of his work ethic. He is getting married this fall and both he and his new wife will be returning to school for their Masters degrees within the year. Do they have to have an advanced degree? No. But they know that the best chance they have of achieving their dreams is to work hard for them now. Congratulations son. You make me proud ~Marla

Living in Denial

I have spent the better part of my adult life living in varied states of denial. I figure as a parent you basically have two choices: Denial or constant worry. I decided before my first child was born that denial was the best choice for me. This isn't the naive denial of a teenager who takes serious risks because they believe the are invincible. This is purposeful denial, because to do otherwise is too terrifying. When I was pregnant I did not spend time worry about the health of my unborn child. When my children were young I did not worry about every sniffle or whether they would develop childhood leukemia. It was not that I really thought these things could not happen to my child. After all when I was 20 my 8 year old nephew was taken by an unexpected illness practically overnight. It was more of a conscious decision to not waste time dwelling on possibilities I had absolutely no control over. I did, however, pray. I prayed like crazy! But then I turned it over to God and continued on in my cozy state of denial. When my son was playing high school football and getting tackled every other play. When my daughter went off to college and was on her own for the first time. When my son started competing in track in college as a decathlete, and was pole vaulting over 16 feet in the air. When my daughter bought her house and was really on her own. Through all of this denial has kept me sane and my blood pressure low.
Tomorrow marks a new state of denial for me. My son is graduating from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center. As he begins his new career as a police officer I will pray for him daily, for his safety, for his decisions, for his colleagues. And I will slip comfortably back into my state of denial, trusting in the Lord for all things, and hopefully avoiding worry lines. I am proud of you son.
~Marla