Stepping into the Light

My house is dark. Very dark. It is filled with dark wood and is surrounded by large trees. A covered patio shelters the main windows on the back side of the house. A covered porch runs along the main windows on the front. It does wonders for our cooling bills…but it is definitely dreary. Sometimes I get so used to the dark that I forget how good the light feels. This morning I went outside and sat in the sun for awhile. The weather was perfect! Finally I decided to go back in…the darkness was almost overpowering! Funny, when I am inside all day I don’t notice the darkness as much. It is not until I step into the light that the difference is magnified. I don’t notice the heaviness of the darkness without the light.

This holds true in two other areas of my life as well. I struggle with depression, and I do not use the term struggle lightly. Actually, my diagnosis is BipolarType 2. Few people know this, so this is my coming out party of sorts. Yeah, me and Catherine Zeta Jones…wish I looked like her as well! At any rate, the depression side of this can be overwhelming. Oddly enough, I often don’t see how bad the depression is until I look back from the other side. Then I see that cloud of darkness that was practically suffocating me, and sometimes I am amazed at the strength it took to survive it! My daughter is probably my biggest help during those times. She is there to champion me along, helping me to see the promise that the next hour, day, or week will hold. I truly believe that God gave me the gift of her, to be my life boat, to cling to in the storm of depression. Just as God equipped me, as a nurse, to care for my own mother with all of her physical issues.

Sometimes as Christians, we can have the same experience. In the ups and downs of our life we may not notice ourselves drifting further and further away from God. It isn’t until we come back that we notice how far we had drifted. We need to be the light for others when this happens to them. A beacon, shining in the darkness, to help them find their way home. A life boat they can cling to when they have drifted so far from shore that they just can’t swim back by themselves. And we need to surround ourselves with Christian friends. Those who will be there for us, when the tides of life pull us out to sea.

There is a candle in every soul

Some brightly burning, some dark and cold

There is a Spirit who brings a fire

Ignites a candle and makes His home

Carry your candle, run to the darkness

Seek out the helpless, confused and torn

Hold out your candle for all to see it

Take your candle, go light your world

Take your candle, go light your world

Blessings ~Marla 

Thursday Travels: Millennium, Nassau, Bahamas

Ahhh, the Bahamas, our last port of call before returning to Florida. We had no excursions planned for this port. I had read about the Straw Market and we intended to visit it and just wander the town a little. It was Christmas day so most shops would be closed, but since we mostly window shop anyway that wasn't really an issue. As we entered into port we saw three small ships sailing in...perfect for Christmas morning!

I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;
I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas Day in the morning!

Upon leaving the ship we entered into a quiet little shopping mall that was closed to all but cruise passengers. Several of these shops were open and we enjoyed looking through them and I found my final souvenir in one. Throughout the cruise I had bought a Christmas ornament or decoration at each port we visited. I have continued that tradition as much as possible, but it is more difficult when not cruising during the Christmas season!

As soon as we left the port area we were inundated by people selling items or services! Hair braiding was the number one sales pitch. They even tried to get me to have mine braided...now my hair was pretty short at that point...I can't even imagine what that would have looked like! My DD fell prey to the sales pitch despite my worry of lice or the contracting of some other scalp disease! She was in college however, so I felt she probably didn't want my motherly advice at this point. She survived the experience without harm, but several dollars poorer, and hopefully a little wiser. I think the braids lasted maybe two days.

We pushed our way forward and made a beeline for the Straw Market. It was a singularly unpleasant experience. If you so much as glanced at a stall, the sales pitch started. Talk about your high pressure sales! They basically said if you did not buy from them then their children would not eat that night! Now this was a little hard to believe, since most of the women were tipping the scales at well over 200 lbs.! If their kiddo's weren't eating it was likely because mom was snarfing down all the food first! DS made the mistake of admiring a purse he thought his girlfriend might like. He couldn't escape, so I came to his rescue. The woman turned on me and demanded to know just who I thought I was? I retorted with, "His mother!" as I dragged him away from her clutches. Then a man had my arm and was placing a bracelet on it...I had to have DH help me get it off as he demanded money for it! We escaped the straw market area ASAP! Never, ever again would I step foot into there!

The rest of our little walking tour was uneventful. We saw some interesting little shops that would have been fun to look through if they had been open, as well as one warning of adding STD's to your Christmas present list! We returned to the ship for lunch and remained on-board until we left port. In all honesty Nassau is my least favorite port out of all that I have been too. Likely we will return and give it another try someday, but we will fill our day with excursions when we do.




Next: Goodbye Millennium




Bon Voyage ~Marla

Tasty Tuesday: Bacon-Topped Meatloaf

My family loves meatloaf. In fact my daughter actually requested meatloaf for her birthday dinner this year! Over the years I have made many different meatloaf recipes, and often used no recipe at all, just throwing in this and that. They always came out fine...after all, can you really ruin a meatloaf? But then 10 years ago I stumbled upon the following recipe in a Taste of Home magazine. I have never made any other meatloaf recipe since. This is by far the most delicious meatloaf I have ever eaten! I would make this for company! Even if you are not a big meatloaf fan you may want to give this a try.


Bon appétit ~Marla

Bacon-Topped Meat Loaf

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup chili sauce
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2/3 cup dry bread crumbs (I use Italian Seasoned)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
•                                                                   2 pounds lean ground beef 
•                                                                      bacon strips to cover

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into a loaf in an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Top with bacon. 

•  Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 70-80 minutes or until meat is no longer pink and a meat thermometer reads 160°. Drain; let stand for 10 minutes before cutting. Yield: 8 servings.

    

Risky Business

 Do you consider yourself a risk-taker? I am not talking about risking life and limb for the adrenaline rush it provides. There is a difference between a thrill-seeker and someone willing to roll the dice and try a different outcome. I like the following definition best:

 Risk-taking means taking actions which might have unpleasant or undesirable results.

I consider myself a moderate risk-taker. I tend toward conservatism where my money is concerned, but in most other areas I like to try things that are new and different. I like uncharted territory, exploration and adventure. My husband does not. I cannot count the number of trips I have dragged him on, kicking and screaming…OK, that is an exaggeration…sullen and resigned may be a better description…forcing him out of the known comfort of his home town.

 See, I married an opposite in this department. He is happy with the status quo, I love change. Together we have probably made a good team…I force him out of his comfort zone occasionally…he reigns me in when my ideas are probably not for the best.

That said, I still think moderate risk-taking brings more interest and joy to your life. I love quotes, and there were a bundle on this subject. My favorites:

Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark; professionals built the Titanic. ~Author Unknown

It is only in adventure that some people succeed in knowing themselves – in finding themselves. ~Andre Gide

The healthy being craves an occasional wildness, a jolt from normality, a sharpening of the edge of appetite, his own little festival of the Saturnalia, a brief excursion from his way of life. ~Robert MacIver

Prudence keeps life safe, but does not often make it happy. ~Samuel Johnson

Why not go out on a limb? Isn’t that where the fruit is? ~Frank Scully

A ship in harbor is safe – but that is not what ships are for. ~John A. Shedd

So get out there and try something new; a new restaurant, a new food, a different vacation destination, a new hair color, a new wall color, a new recipe, a new hobby, maybe even a new job. Find something to shake things up a little…the outcome may surprise you!

~Marla

Being There

This past few weeks I have been giving a lot of thought about what it means to be there for family. I am not talking about when a crisis or tragedy occurs, those are the easy times to be supportive and rally around the people involved. I am talking about being there for the celebrations, even if we don't feel like celebrating with them. (A quick disclaimer here...to my family who live out of state...this has nothing to do with the upcoming wedding...I totally understand financial and time difficulties.) 

Recently I became aware of a situation of a young woman marrying without the support of her parents. They did not approve of her choice in a mate, so they effectively boycotted the wedding. The man she married did not have a criminal record and didn't beat her, in fact they they had been together for over 5 years as a couple. While they may not have approved of him, their daughter was certainly old enough to make her own decision in this matter.

 My husband and I discussed this quite a lot and pretty much came to the conclusion that unless our child was marrying someone we suspected of physically harming them, that we would be there for them on their wedding day. We would be there to support them in their joy, and if we were proved right in our assessment of their choice in mate, we would be there to support them as they picked up the pieces of their broken relationship.

I have, unfortunately seen this in my own family. The parents were ultimately proved wrong in their assessment and came to care for their child's spouse. More amazing was the forgiveness the couple extended to the parents...but the damage was already done. The woman can't erase the memories of a walk down the aisle with someone other than her father, or a wedding dress never admired by her mother. 

Even more sad was the loss on the parents side. As a mother I wouldn't have traded the experience of being with my daughter on her wedding day for anything. And the pride my husband felt as he walked his baby girl down the aisle was immeasurable. These parents cheated themselves as well as their daughter out of these experiences...experiences that can never be recaptured. What a shame.

Sometimes we may be there physically to show support, but emotionally we are bitter, jealous or just plain unhappy, and this shows. Instead of loving kindness we exude bitterness, sarcasm, snarky comments and put-downs. I wish I could say I have never done this myself, but I have. Sometimes when you are going through a particularly difficult time, it is hard to share someone else's joy with them. Why should their life be full of happiness while your's seems full of misery? But if we give in to this it is something that both parties may remember for many years to come. We need to rise above our feelings and shower them joy...it will make us feel better too!

So the next time you have a chance to celebrate with loved ones, grab the opportunity for all it is worth! Those are the memories we need to make as a family...something happy to hold onto when the next tragedy occurs in our lives.


~Marla

Thursday Travels; Millennium, St. Thomas

I have visited a total of 13 ports so far in my cruise travels. The most beautiful was easily Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, USVI. A gorgeous hilly and green island, St. Thomas and its sidekick, St. John, are simply stunning! Add to the fact that they are English speaking islands, and you have a fun and easy port to navigate. 

The shopping, if that is your thing, is incredible. And taxis to the downtown area are easy to find. You could even walk downtown, but since it is along a busy stretch of road and about 2 miles, most people prefer the taxis, even if they are a bit pricey.

Our St. Thomas experience was divided into two parts…a morning ferry ride to St John started our day. We booked a shore excursion from the ship…remember this was our first cruise…for snorkeling at Trunk Bay in St. John. Trunk Bay is a beautiful location to snorkel, but falls very short of my best snorkeling experience. It is great for beginners, and actually has a snorkeling trail, but the variety of fish just weren’t there. 

The highlights were actually found in getting to Trunk Bay. Both the 20 minute ferry ride to and from St. John and the drive on St. John to get to Trunk Bay were beautiful. St. John is a lovely island with much of the land protected from development, making it quite different in character from St. Thomas.

Once our excursion was over DD and I made the trek into downtown Charlotte Amalie for some shopping therapy. St. Thomas is an excellent place to buy jewelry, and there were jewelry stores everywhere! At least there were choices beyond the infamous Diamonds International that can be found in every port known to man. Here you can do some nice comparison shopping and feel a little better about the prices you are paying.

Once finished with our window shopping, DD and I joined the guys back on the ship for one of the most beautiful sailaways I have ever experienced.

 Next stop: Nassau, Bahamas.

Bon Voyage ~Marla

I Forgive You

Three simple words. But what power they have! Forgiveness, whether given to others or to ourselves, can be such a difficult task. Often we hold on to our pain as tight as we can, for as long as possible, like a child's security blanket. Why is this? What benefit do we gain from this? Punishment for the person who wronged us? The belief that as long as we don't forgive them they can't hurt us again? We wear it proudly like a fine gold chain around our neck...and we never notice the chain is really iron and the weight is dragging us down.

Every person reading this has been hurt by another. Sometimes it has been inadvertently, the other person never even aware of the transgression. Sometimes it has been intentional and malicious, the other person trying to injure with their words and actions. How we deal with these issues says far more about ourselves than the person who has wronged us. Forgiveness sets us free. It makes the other person's words and actions meaningless. It takes away the power that we are allowing them to continue to hold over us. Forgiveness even benefits us physically. Being bitter can actually affect our cardiovascular and nervous system.
Others have said it much more eloquently than I could ever hope to:

Forgiving is rediscovering the shining path of peace that at first you thought others took away when they betrayed you.  ~Dodinsky

The weak can never forgive.  Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.  ~Mahatma Gandhi

To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.  ~Lewis B. Smedes

   For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ~Matthew 6:14

~Marla