TexasProud Posted July 21 Author Share Posted July 21 9 hours ago, Terabith said: What if you alternated travel heavy years with stay at home and try community theater/ book groups/ church activities/ etc years? You simply can’t do everything at the same time, and it sounds like what you want more than a big goal is to build relationships and roots in your community. Yes, this is what my husband and I have been discussing. Right now, the only traveling we have in 2025 is for a wedding and then Kenya in January and the Norway/Sweden trip sometime during the summer. That is it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasProud Posted July 21 Author Share Posted July 21 5 hours ago, SKL said: And yet another thing: if you're anything like me, your deep cleaning will clear lots of pathways in your mind, and help you think more clearly about the future. So I'd just put this train of thought on the back burner for now as you roll up your sleeves. Yes, cleaning does help me think. That is for sure! Gotten quite a bit done today. More tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasProud Posted July 21 Author Share Posted July 21 6 hours ago, Spryte said: OP, you might enjoy listening to the Happiness Lab podcast, which is based on actual science and contains info geared toward every human. She teaches a class on happiness at Yale. You can start at the beginning to get the story about how the class began: https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/the-happiness-lab-with-dr-laurie-santos?gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAACnl4kii56R3tYYwRfrLSvqKD262K Thank you. Added it to my podcast feed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasProud Posted July 22 Author Share Posted July 22 8 hours ago, Carol in Cal. said: While Christians are supposed to examine themselves, they are also supposed to enjoy God and delight in Him and in the forgiven and renewed life that He has clothed them with and the grace He has given them by which they can stand, stand before Him and before others. Maybe try focusing there for a while, and the rest could fall into place. LOL, you would probably be very surprised to know that I have written several newsletters and podcasts dedicated to the importance of joy, delight, playing, etc. Right now in the book club one of the characters who is a pastor is struggling with the fact that God wants her to be in a season of receiving. Her image was of her running around and delivering the flowers from God to other people. God stopped her and said, "These flowers are for you." and so she is spending quite a bit of the book "forcing" herself to enjoy God's gifts to her rather than serving and helping others. As I told the book club, I identify with this character quite a bit. So yes, I "know" that. I've written about it. I understand it theologically. I just can't get my heart to do it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasProud Posted July 22 Author Share Posted July 22 8 hours ago, Frances said: So you can skip the May medical mission trip to travel, but not to do theatre? It sounds like you’ve answered your own question. Travel is the dream right now, whether for pleasure, to see others, or to serve, not community theatre. Although why you can only do the Alaska thing in May or the Europe trip in the summer is a bit of a mystery to me. We have a summer anniversary, but never choose to travel then. I far prefer the less crowded and cooler weather fall season. Yes, we normally travel at other times as well. We travel in September, February and April quite a bit. The Alaska trip has to be in May because it is a special program with a place that rents out RV's. We rented one with the kids in Alaska a decade or two ago. They use new RV's every year and sell them. So you are taking the RV to Alaska for them at a heavily discounted rate. Plus we put all of the wear and tear and miles on their RV and not on ours. You have to do it in May at the beginning of the season. We just thought it sounded like fun and thought that would be a great way to start retirement. But that is why it is May. Our last trip to Alaska with the kids was Septebmber. I looked at September for Norway/Sweden, but it looks like many places close Sept 1. The window is pretty short. I am looking at maybe late August and our anniversary is July.. Actually it is today. We both forgot. LOL. But yes, we normally travel when everyone else doesn't. These two trips are just unique. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forty-two Posted July 22 Share Posted July 22 12 minutes ago, TexasProud said: @DawnM Glad you are back safely and I knew what you meant. No worries. Ok everyone as far as my religion. Salvation is by grace alone. God loves me. I have to do nothing else to earn that love. I have accepted Christ as my Savior, therefore I am going to heaven. No amount of good works will do anything else. God wants us to enjoy life. Pretty much if anyone from my church read what I have written on here would be completely horrified. Which is why I don't say it there. Just now, TexasProud said: LOL, you would probably be very surprised to know that I have written several newsletters and podcasts dedicated to the importance of joy, delight, playing, etc. Right now in the book club one of the characters who is a pastor is struggling with the fact that God wants her to be in a season of receiving. Her image was of her running around and delivering the flowers from God to other people. God stopped her and said, "These flowers are for you." and so she is spending quite a bit of the book "forcing" herself to enjoy God's gifts to her rather than serving and helping others. As I told the book club, I identify with this character quite a bit. So yes, I "know" that. I've written about it. I understand it theologically. I just can't get my heart to do it. I would encourage you *to* say it to someone you trust at your church. I mean, it's pretty common to have places in your life where there's conflict between the beliefs you hold on purpose and beliefs that you hold despite yourself - it sucks, but it's not unusual, and it might really help to not have to struggle alone with it. And it's really common to feel unable, to be unable, to truly live out some of your beliefs. I struggled for years with having no idea how to translate my beliefs into practice. I just don't think you need to treat it like some deep, dark secret. You believe it, want to live it, but keep failing, don't even know where to start - that's a super common story lots of believers have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted July 22 Share Posted July 22 15 minutes ago, TexasProud said: Right now in the book club one of the characters who is a pastor is struggling with the fact that God wants her to be in a season of receiving. Her image was of her running around and delivering the flowers from God to other people. God stopped her and said, "These flowers are for you." and so she is spending quite a bit of the book "forcing" herself to enjoy God's gifts to her rather than serving and helping others. As I told the book club, I identify with this character quite a bit. Do you like the character? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasProud Posted July 22 Author Share Posted July 22 Just now, Rosie_0801 said: Do you like the character? Oh yes I do. Though it is very funny and we talked about this. She is a pastor and yet she has the hardest time of the 4 ladies having spiritual breakthroughs. It takes her to the end of the first book before she finally gives in. I like all the ladies in the book and identify with all of them to a certain extent. One was made fun of in childhood. Another had perfectionism and never making a mistake as her god. Another hates conflict and hears all the voices of her mom putting her down. (Ok for me it was my dad) But yeah, I can related to all of them in some way or another. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted July 22 Share Posted July 22 2 minutes ago, TexasProud said: Oh yes I do. Though it is very funny and we talked about this. She is a pastor and yet she has the hardest time of the 4 ladies having spiritual breakthroughs. It takes her to the end of the first book before she finally gives in. I like all the ladies in the book and identify with all of them to a certain extent. One was made fun of in childhood. Another had perfectionism and never making a mistake as her god. Another hates conflict and hears all the voices of her mom putting her down. (Ok for me it was my dad) But yeah, I can related to all of them in some way or another. Would you like them if they were real, live people? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasProud Posted July 22 Author Share Posted July 22 Just now, Rosie_0801 said: Would you like them if they were real, live people? Yes. In fact that is what everyone likes about the book is that you feel like they could be people that are members of your church. Just regular people. They are not perfect and their problems are not solved with bows tied up. It is more that their attitude changes rather than their circumstances if that makes sense. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasProud Posted July 22 Author Share Posted July 22 Ok ladies I need to get off and do something else. See I am getting better at setting boundries with myself. I got off and did my work. Now I need to get off so it doesn't interfere with my sleep. Like the title of the second book, Two Steps Forward, right? I am doing better. Like I said, I actually enjoyed "my people" on our last few events and that is huge. I didn't make these patterns overnight. I won't break them overnight. See you in the morning ladies. Have a great night! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted July 22 Share Posted July 22 19 minutes ago, TexasProud said: Yes. In fact that is what everyone likes about the book is that you feel like they could be people that are members of your church. Just regular people. They are not perfect and their problems are not solved with bows tied up. It is more that their attitude changes rather than their circumstances if that makes sense. What book is this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarita Posted July 22 Share Posted July 22 29 minutes ago, TexasProud said: Ok ladies I need to get off and do something else. See I am getting better at setting boundries with myself. I got off and did my work. Now I need to get off so it doesn't interfere with my sleep. Like the title of the second book, Two Steps Forward, right? I am doing better. Like I said, I actually enjoyed "my people" on our last few events and that is huge. I didn't make these patterns overnight. I won't break them overnight. See you in the morning ladies. Have a great night! I have to tell you I do think this posts sounds a lot healthier and not spiral-y than some of the other ones in the past. I really think you are making progress. It's not bad that you don't want to pursue musical theatre right now and I don't think you need to make a commitment to even do it at some future day. You could be OK just saying when we are done traveling I can look at doing musical theatre, because maybe this is where you want to be right now even if it's not where you want to be still in 10 years. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelydon Posted July 22 Share Posted July 22 On 7/21/2024 at 8:20 AM, TexasProud said: It was called the Wildcatter Ranch https://wildcatterranch.com/stay I'll be honest, it was more expensive than places where my husband and I stay. Our budget tends to be 100 bucks. On top of the cost of the room, all of the activities are extra. My step-dad had a stroke 20 years ago and lost most function of his left side and has a brace and a cane to get around. I knew all he wanted was somewhere he could have nice views and read his book or play a game on his ipad. I thought I might be able to get him to sit by the pool, but it was a no go. So their cabins ( which are 4 to a building) have nice porches with nice views. It was absolutely perfect for what I wanted and we only stayed 2 nights, which was also perfect. It would be too expensive if I were going to take a whole family there and do activities. This was a splurge of a room as an early birthday present for my step-dad. Thank you! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasProud Posted July 23 Author Share Posted July 23 On 7/21/2024 at 7:45 PM, Ottakee said: What book is this? Sorry I missed this. The Sensible Shoes series https://www.amazon.com/Sensible-Shoes-Extra-Barefoot-Forward/dp/0830843345/ref 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted July 23 Share Posted July 23 3 hours ago, TexasProud said: Sorry I missed this. The Sensible Shoes series https://www.amazon.com/Sensible-Shoes-Extra-Barefoot-Forward/dp/0830843345/ref Thanks. I put it in my shelf at the library Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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