Walk to End Alzheimer’s

~ Em ~ 3 Comments

Today was Charleston’s 2013 Walk to End Alzheimer’s at The Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina. My family and I have participated in the walk for the past three years in honor of my Nini, Betty Tallarico. My Nini is 90 years old and although she has had Alzheimer’s and dementia for about ten years, she still is the sweetest, most God-fearing lady I know. Of course we have to constantly remind her of things she doesn’t remember and she barely recognizes me but just thinking of her brings a smile to my face. Currently she lives in Texas and we don’t get to see her that often but when we do, we cherish every second. A lot has happened over the past few years with our family and her care, so it is almost a blessing that she doesn’t retain or remember much. But the bigger blessing is that she is still here. She is so sweet yet very hard headed. Her faith is deep and she loves with every inch of her being. When you tell her you love her, she replies, “I love you more,” which only makes you love her more. I included some of the pictures below of the walk today with my family along with a picture of my sweet grandmother embroidering. Check them out and check out http://www.alz.org to learn more about the fight against Alzheimer’s.

Anchor

~ Em ~ Leave a comment

Regrets sink it to depths

Deep dark blues surround it

As it drops it takes the light with it

The free fall is messy and unpredictable

In the descending it becomes blind

Unable to seek refuge from the capsizing

It reaches for ledges to decelerate the plunge

But that only diverges the path

The inevitable plummet is needed

Its security will create stillness

A calmness where mercy is given

As the iron digs into the floor

It becomes a cornerstone of protection

It fights against the doubt

Battles the decaying of the foundation

And guards the spoiling of its fruit

The stronghold grips the rope

It leaves enough slack for growth and extension

But it holds tight enough to keep one from getting lost

 

“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” Hebrews 6:19

faithhopeloveanchor

What inspired this poem was the thought that hope is what keeps things going but what also keeps things in check as well. Hope keeps us anchored in our faith. What would we have faith in if we didn’t have hope for redemption, hope to see Jesus in heaven or hope for better things, a better life? I’ve been growing deeper in my faith recently and always seem to hit a plateau. But I have discovered that hope is what keeps me walking that plateau until He is ready for me to take that climb to the next level. And it’s His love that gives me the confidence to actually make the climb. I pray that my hope will keep my faith secure and strong to help fight against the detours and stumbling blocks along my path.

Avalanche

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He sees right through me

Past the layers of heavy bricks

Pavement accumulated to push away

Stacked up to keep intruders out

He knows each piece just by looking

And he breaks them down one by one

 

Through each open hole that he steals

Shines a light that stings my skin

The flesh starts to melt away slowly

And a long crescendo within the soul begins

Yet the mind keeps the foundation steady

Beat after beat, levying the on rush of falling mass

 

As the sounds get louder, each block shakes

My barricade becomes fragile and vulnerable

The secrets are unable to stay enclosed

I am exposed and have no control of what’s next

But he continues his charge till he triumphs

And it’s hope that keeps us both entranced

Chasing Dragonflies

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Her wings are as translucent as the water she flies over

Unable to see through completely but eye-catching nevertheless

She reflects the light that blinds the predators below the surface

Each one expecting her to drop low enough to catch

Yet she drifts along the shore inspecting color after color

And no longer is she afraid of what she will discover next

What’s Your God SHAPE?

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potter_sLast Sunday I was invited by one of my favorite customers to attend her church. We have shared a lot with each other about our faith walks and recently I have been trying out different churches so she invited me to hers. After attending her church’s Sunday service, I was very moved by the pastor’s message: How did God SHAPE you and how are you using your SHAPE? It was a part of his series about learning to live in God’s will. The sermon was supported by Erik Rees’ book, S.H.A.P.E. Finding and Fulfilling Your Unique Purpose for Life.

Upon entering the church, I was starting to back slide into this doubt that I had before the church camp I attended a month earlier. (see post)  I wasn’t sure if I was where I needed to be spiritually and vocationally. But after hearing the sermon I remembered that God is simply keeping me in places for a reason. He is using my SHAPE to fulfill His purpose for me.

God’s SHAPES us according to His plan. (Jeremiah 1:5) We are all unique and none of us are completely alike. He does this so that we can learn from each other and share our talents with others. These SHAPES are not meant to be compared or envied. They are meant to raise others up. We each have our own SHAPE, we just have to identify it and put it into our hands for use. Here’s what our SHAPES look like:

S- Spiritual Gifts Special talents that God has given you to share His love.

H-Heart What God wants your heart to break for, your passions.

A-Abilities What God made you good at so that you will be good to others.

P-Personalities/People Your make-up, how God wired you.

E-Experiences The mountains you have moved and you have climbed using His strength.

So how has God SHAPED you? What are your spiritual gifts? We all were given gifts of faith, hope and love to fight the good fight but we were also all individually given gifts that are unique to us. Are we using them? Have we even identified them yet? Our hearts are made to love, do we love to the best of our abilities? What about your personality, what traits set you apart from the world? Do you hide those traits or are you using them to minister to others? Have your experiences become testimonies for change?

These are the questions that were raised but many more came to mind for me. Those questions I asked myself were not answered very quickly. I had to really think about my past, my personality, my relationships, my talents and my service to others. Then I realized how great the potential God has created for all of us. It’s really breath-taking if you think about it. Just look at some of the most successful, charitable people in the world and the potential they lived up to. It’s like looking out across the ocean and seeing how wide and vast it is, that’s our potential. We just have to learn to be like Peter, take that first step onto the water without taking our eyes off of the Lord. We gain confidence in taking that step out of the boat when we recognize that the SHAPE God gave us was made to support and fulfill the potential He sees in us.

I am not afraid to admit that I don’t live up to that potential because I don’t recognize that my SHAPE is special and useful. But I truly believe that we can live up to our potential when we identify our special SHAPES and use them. So this is my prayer, that I learn all of the ways that God has made me unique. That I recognize that I am shaped according to His plan and that He will reveal to me in due time why I am to go through the things He puts me through, why I meet the people I meet and why I am the way I am.

“Family of Israel, you know that I can do the same thing with you. You are like the clay in the potter’s hands, and I am the potter.” This message is from the Lord. Jeremiah 18:6

Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. Isaiah 64:8