Carrie's Corner

Summer is over, well, sort of.  The temperature is still warm, but on the calendar, the first day of Fall is two weeks away.  Labor Day has officially signaled the end of summer.  Along with that, school has started, the school buses are rolling through my neighborhood, and the stores are putting out the fall and harvest decorations.  But like many summers, this summer raced away and was over before I realized what happened.  This morning I found myself yearning to get to my neglected garden.  It seems I do this every summer.  I start out strong in April, planting things and getting ready for the upcoming season, but by the end of June, I'm not so enthusiastic about gardening anymore.  The weeds insist on coming back and as the thermometer rises, my motivation decreases.  But today my garden finally had some attention from me. The thing I like about gardening is that it gives me some time to think, ponder and even pray at times.  I marv...

It's been a little over a year since I  have posted on this blog.  For some of you, that's not a big deal.  Some of you, however, have asked me to get back to my keyboard and start typing again... In the next day or so, I'll  start posting again.  As with many of you, this last year has left a mark on my life.  There have been changes--some good and some I wouldn't have asked for--but change is something I think we can always count on.  In light of that, it's not the change I need to fear, but it's what I do with the change.  That gives me pause-- How do you react to change?  Do you welcome change or fear it?  Do you see change as a challenge or something that you dread?  Or do you prefer for things to stay as they always have been?  I suppose your answers and mine might be a combination of those answers.  I'll be addressing some changes in my life and perhaps make you think about changes in your life. And speaking...

In my little corner of the world, we just experienced one of the worst natural disasters in America. My family and I were spared from the catastrophic flooding in our neighborhood, but many of my friends were not.  My church was not spared.  What is left is hard to put into words.  The waters have receded in most areas, but there are still areas of town where the waters are still trying to claim houses, land, and anything else in its path. The devastation is truly unbelievable. And sometimes you feel guilty that you were spared and they were not...but... People need help and because I was spared, I get to help. Though our church building was not spared entirely, our worship center was and our pastor decided that we could help with what we had, and so the mission began. Over the past three days, we have started a laundry unit, taken in over 500 bags of smelly, wet, water-swamped laundry, returned over 300 bags of laundered and folded clothes, taken in donations by ...

I walked outside after dinner and saw the remnants of a few storm clouds off in the distance.  The tops were white, but the outer edges of the clouds were rimmed with pink and coral and golden light while the underneath side was giving way to the blue gray shadows.  The air hit me.  It  looked like it should be a pleasant summer evening to take a stroll in, but the sticky air reminded me that I no longer live in a climate where cooling evening breezes gently lilt across your face.  Instead I was instantly reminded that I live in the South.  The South--where summer is longer, hotter and stickier than I prefer.  Oh how I hate this time of year.  Yes.  Hate.  I'm always counting the days until the first strong cold front comes to our area and we finally get some relief from the sultry days of summer. But this time it dawned on me that I have spent so many years just trying to get through this time of year, that I have forgotten to enjoy...

I have often found myself to be on the outside of situations looking in...wishing to be a part of the "in" group.  I wasn't a cheerleader, not popular, wasn't the one with the big personality and the ability to draw people to me.  Even though I've performed as a musician, taught as a teacher and given speeches throughout my life, my personality still tended to hold me back.  I was the quiet one, hugging the wall or the corner of the couch.  If I had a stage or microphone, I was usually okay, but as soon as I stepped offstage, my nerves and fears would overtake me. It was what I knew and where I was most comfortable--yet I often longed to be the one in the middle of the action. I  have struggled in my life to overcome my natural tendency to blend in with the wallpaper and to learn instead, to step forward, speak up, introduce myself and stand out in the crowd.  I still really stink at that ability, but I'm learning...slowly. But this post isn't about me f...

I tend to avoid political rhetoric on any social media forum, but I am compelled to write a few brief thoughts and I hope you will really listen. As a life-long American, I grew up saluting the American flag, singing the National Anthem with pride and held dear in my heart all things patriotic and noble. I was taught to respect the office of President, regardless of who held the office. I was taught that voting was not only my civic duty, but that giving up my right to vote was paramount to spitting on the graves of the soldiers who had died to preserve my right to vote, my right to speak freely, and my right to worship as I chose. Honestly, not much of that has changed in my heart, but like many of you, my heart is wearied this season. Hopelessness? Yes. Fear? Yes. Anxiety over the future of our country? Yes. Honestly, regardless of which side of the political fence you fall on, these thoughts seem to be a common theme. Fear is the biggest one I see storming most of the ...