Wisdom for today

There's a lot about proverbs 15 that's speaking to me today; very clearly speaking to me today! Proverbs 15 1-2: A sensitive answer turns back wrath, but an offensive word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise enhances knowledge, but the mouth of a fool gushes with stupidity. Verse four: wholesome speech is a tree of life but dishonest talk breaks the spirit. Verse 28: the righteous heart reflects before answering, but the wicked mouth blurts out evil.

Cutting Ties

This has been a day of abbreviating connections.  This I am putting together as I prune low branches on the flowering crab-apple tree.

Today, I...

• cut off my home phone service
• severed my very quiet Christian Mingle account
• brought in garden ornaments
• wrote out my final horse-themed greeting card!
• continued to cut back my involvement with my church. 

I receive about 15 calls a month, including telemarketers and the Red Cross.  It will same me $35/month, after I get done paying the $200 early termination fee (about 5 months of service).  It was not an easy decision for me!  In 47 years of life I have never been without a land line!  It made economic sense, and no one I spoke to who gave up a land line, regrets doing so.  So it's done; phone line is cut off!

Christian Mingle... what a bust.  At least I didn't spend much on it.  I received exactly ONE inquiry, very early on, from someone trolling.  I inquired after ONE guy whose profile sounded like he might be a good person and made me laugh.  I gave it a second shot and emailed him after I never heard back from him.  Checked all my stats, and sure enough, that was one QUIET account.  Good bye, fantasies of finding a nice guy friend out there in cyberspace, and no regrets over what might have been.... insert poignant background music.

Pruning and end of season gardening... bittersweet moments.  Still have more to go, and I will miss carefree summer and grudgingly acknowledge the lurking threat of winter.

Kathy Johnson's birthday get-together (now sans gift-giving, thank you!...) is this Friday, and I gave her my final horse birthday card.  No more horse cards at ALL, actually.  That is fine; I haven't felt a good connection with horses in years, since prior to sending them away in 2009 actually.  I helped Melanie let horses out at her house last month or so, and I was AMAZED to realize I had ab-so-lutely NO interest in being in or near the barn, except when the cat came strolling thru!

I've been discouraged with the People, Personalities and Politics at church recently, and after Millie's uncalled-for and hurtful display in September, a little distance is what I'm striving for.  The angst and drama are NOT what I need in my involvement with the organization.  I am making plans to disconnect from the position of trustee and liaison for the parsonage, which can't come a moment too soon as they are coming across as increasingly unable to make their rent.  Soon, I will be able to say, "Not my problem."  I am preparing my fellow trustees and my pastor for a mid-November abbreviation of my input, coinciding with my shoulder surgery.