'Kimmie Sue's "LIFE LESSONS"'

👰🏽🤵🏻 Yesterday, Tuesday, my husband, David, and I, celebrated our 35th. wedding anniversary! 🎈🎉 The thought that we have been married 35 years is surreal to me! 😳 As I was getting myself presentable to go out in public with him to celebrate, I reminisced about our wedding day.  One of the saddest, and most poignant thoughts of truth upon which I pondered, was concerning the fact that, so many of the dear people - who attended our wedding - have since then - passed away. 😢 And, one of my happiest thoughts about it, was that, I'm thankful that, David and I are both still alive, and that, I am still able to remember quite a bit of that "special" day! Ha! 😂  I realize, with regret, anymore that, whenever I was younger - I took MANY "givens" in my life..."for granted"...ignorantly, unintentionally, foolishly, etc.!! Knowing that I did, helps me (present tense) to have an, awareness of, and, appreciation for, the countless "gifts" that sur...

     📀 🎯 'THE GONG SHOW!' 🥁🎈🎉 Do you remember this "1970'ish" t.v., talent show? 😗 There were performances/acts of "talent," judges, and a huge gold cymbal (gong), that, Chuck Barris, the host of the show, would "gong" (hit with a big drum stick) during an act, which signified the disqualification of that particular act - preventing it from advancing in the competition (meaning it was out of the running - it lost)! 😅 I enjoyed watching that show!!  To me, it was funny, which is what made it fun for me to watch! 😃 🎶 MUSIC has always been a passion of mine! 🎶 I wish that I would have devoted more time and effort toward - pursuing and developing it - in my life! 🎼 As an amateur musician, I sing some in church (it's been a while), play the piano 🎹 (I used to be the pianist for a couple different churches - at different times), and, whenever I was younger, I played the saxophone. 🎷 I enjoy listening to a myriad of musical genres. Fo...

    😂 A strong desire to have fun, laugh, and make other people laugh, has always been a compulsion of mine!  Orneriness is one component of my personality that I'll probably possess as long as I'm here on earth, and maybe even - still have traces of it - whenever I'm existing in Heaven (only the "good" orneriness - not the "bad" kind  - of course), who knows (ha!)!?!? 🌎😳 Laughter certainly adds "flavor" to life (in my opinion)! 😂🌶🍒 A positive point of the "social media craze" nowadays, for me personally, is that, it offers plenty of laughable material! 😉😏 One ironic thing about me being this way, is that, in the past (mostly), many times whenever I've attempted to give everyone a good laugh, trying to be funny - by doing something - both - physically challenging and silly, I would end up hurting myself - which is partly to blame for the chronic back pain with which I suffer! 😏  Oh well, if it lifted someone's spirits...

     DEPRESSION plagued me for approximately twenty years, and, although I've been free from it for several years now, I shall never forget (or - it definitely seems as though I won't, and, hopefully Dementia or some other mental problem will never cause me to forget) how VERY horrific it was, and, how much of "an uninvited and unwelcomed guest" it was in my life!  I was around the age of twenty seven whenever I realized that actual 'DEPRESSION' (not just "the blues!") had invaded my " being."  Before then, I don't recall knowing much about it.  I had always been a happy, naturally motivated, even hyperactive-type, person.  So, whenever I initially began experiencing symptoms of depression, I fought it in various ways (keeping busy, praying, etc.), some of which were wrong, and even sinful (the wrong places, people, endeavors, etc.), but, I thought and hoped that, it was just a phase - or "something" that I was "going thr...

     Have you ever found yourself at a "place" in your life that you cannot hardly believe...a "place" at which in your wildest dreams you never could have even imagined you could arrive?!  Well, that is where I am!  And, as I examine, how and why, I am at this "place," I realize that, although I've failed many times during the journey here, I have, overall, TRIED to be true to 'The Lord,' and, to myself.  I really am "at a loss" as to what step I need to take next, however, IF, I continue to seek, and yet, WAIT (Isaiah 40:31) upon, God for my next orders...HE'LL make HIS WILL clear to me (Exodus 14:13+14, Job 37:14, Numbers 9:8).  There ARE some things that I DO know that I need to continue doing (according to the Bible), while I'M WAITING, and they include - the "seeking" HIM area, such as:  praying, fasting, being faithful with Church, reading, studying, and obeying, 'The Word,' choosing to - put HIS agend...

     As a result of...being alive - fifty four and a half years, being married thirty five years - as of this July 24th. "2018," raising two children (who are now adults who, love Jesus, and, are positively contributing to society), co-grand parenting several grandchildren, being in the ministry (supporting/serving beside David - as his wife - as he's tried to obey God - as a man called by HIM to preach - throughout the years - as a:  Gideon, youth minister, evangelist, assistant pastor, pastor) for thirty one years, thankfully, God is continually - attempting to teach me (any problem with this - is with me - not HIM) things about myself, other people, money, love, pain, church politics, etc., expectations, forgiveness, ETC., ETC.,...LIFE!  After all - LIFE is like a "CLASSROOM" for 'Believers,' and the day of our "death," is like our "graduation!"  Throughout this "interesting" journey of - ever changing circumstances, twis...

     "We don't laugh because we are happy, we are happy because we laugh." -William James.  I have always LOVED to LAUGH, and, loved trying to make other people laugh, too - at times - to a fault!  Laughter has a therapeutic affect on me!  After a good, hard, long laugh, I usually feel invigorated.  The Bible tells us that laughter is medicine to the soul:  (Proverbs 17:22...A merry heart doeth good like medicine:  but a broken spirit drieth bones).  Lord Byron said, "Always laugh when you can!  It is cheap medicine!"  As I try to recall the time in my past that I remember laughing the longest and hardest, I'd have to write that, it is probably the time whenever my sister and I were unexpectedly blessed with the opportunity to visit "America's world class/luxurious resort," in 'The Allegheny Mountains,' of 'Greenbrier County,' 'Sulphur Springs,' 'W.V.,' 'The Greenbrier,' which is a 'National Historic ...

     I love to see the sea!  I love to hear the sea!  I love to smell the sea!  I love to feel the sea upon my skin, although, it has been a few years since I've actually been in it - due to my choosing to "opt out" of walking down to it while vacationing, or anytime, essentially, because of not wanting to deal with the chronic body pain with which I contend, which is caused by back injuries, presently.  Anyway, I DO love me some sea!  Thankfully though, for many years of my life, I was able to enjoy, literally GOING down to "the beach," and, thoroughly soaking up, the sun, and be ACTIVELY involved in the various fun-filled activities of the beautiful oceans - given to us - for our enjoyment, by our AWESOME 'CREATOR!!' It's ironic that, I actually appreciate "the coast" (as some Believers choose to call it) more, now that I don't go down there - physically, DOING beach activities, on and in it, but rather, by observing it through an oce...