Wanda's Wacky Wonderful World

The following was an outline of the Keynote message I gave at NC District Ladies Conference 2016. Our theme was "Branded by Love" - and so it went... Branding has been going on for centuries. I want to run a couple spiritual parallels - and then get to my thought.  Branding - whether by heat, ice, ear tags, or tattoos, is a method still used to identify ownership of animals.  Note:  Who do you belong to? Who owns you? In Western states, out on the vast ranges, cattle can easily wonder or get mixed with other herds. They may graze for weeks along with another herd - but when “round-up” time comes - and the owners brand is spotted - all the cows come home. Note:  You may have a son or a daughter who has wandered off… don’t worry - that brand is clear to the owner. He'll round them up. They’ll come home - you just keep praying! Believe it or not, there are still modern-day cattle rustlers to keep an eye out for. They tamper with the bra...

The Calendar. I live by mine. I set my phone alarm to remind me to look at my calendar. My calendar texts my phone to remind me where I'm supposed to be and who I'm supposed to be with. All of my devices sync to my calendar - so I won't miss something important (or fun!) that I have committed to being involved in. Pain. Just a nagging twinge at first. Then a dull ache that doesn't go away. Increasing to pain that sends him looking for something for relief. Nothing helps and the pain grows. Finally, erupting into incapacitating, gut-wrenching pain and we're on our way to the ER! The one we love is sick and our life comes to a screeching halt. Priorities. The calendar lays silent while we attend to our loved one's pain. Doctors ask questions, poke and prod. Nurses hover and machines chirp in the background. And while we wait for test results, a course of action, a diagnosis... the calendar looms. In the back of our mind, we guiltily ponder... what am I going ...

     I started beating myself up this morning - as I logged into blogspot - with a thought on my heart to BLOG. My thoughts were, "I am quite possibly the most inconsistent blogger in the world!" Seeing as how I blogged TWO times in 2015! With February 2015 being the most recent.      But then that little inner voice spoke up passionately! (The voice I have come to recognize and appreciate as the person who takes care of this girl... takes responsibility for my total health and wellness - better known as "Self-talk") Yes - okay - I talk to myself!       So today I said, "Hey, take it easy! You were entering a two year Masters program at the end of February 2015 - and by the way - you have buckled down and will be finishing it in February of 2016! Yes - a two-year degree in ONE year! So don't be beating yourself up - you've worked harder than most... accomplished more than enough... and on top of your education goals - you've kept some ...