HORSIN' AROUND...



"The horse, with beauty unsurpassed,
strength immeasurable and grace unlike any other,
still remains humble enough to carry a man upon his back."

Amber Senti



In the culture we live in, New Year's Day is the first day of January...this years celebration has been put away!   My wonderful Chinese friend, Pearl, wrote from China about what she did to celebrate our holiday.

 

A little background for refreshment...Yizhu (Korean) and Pearl married after M and I left Qingdao.  Fast forward and they have two beautiful little girls...Olivia and Mattie. 

 

Back to our New Year's Day...Yizhu was up very early that morning...Pearl and the girls dressed...Yizhu loaded them in the car and surprise!  He drove them to the beach (a bit of a drive) where they watched the sun rise over the Yellow Sea.   She mentioned there was a large crowd of other Koreans also celebrating...built bonfires, had coffee and goodies to eat.  Everyone loved it!

 

That's our New Year's Day...the Chinese New Year is different and comes via lunar time...their celebration has just about ended.  This year it began 31 Jan and lasts until this week (they have mini-celebration days tucked in).  It's like combining several of our biggest holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's.  Red clothes, red envelopes (filled with money)...lots of food and family time.

 

 

In the Chinese tradition each year is a different animal...2014 is the Year of the Horse.
Michael and I were born under the Chinese
sign of 'the horse'...yippee...
by this time I'm an 'old gray mare'
and though I'm not what I used to be...
I'm still in there and trying my best...I really am!
 
My partner is a 'war horse' albeit an old one...a veteran.
To me, Michael is like Joel Silver said,
"There aren't a lot of guys like me left. 
But I'm a war horse.
And you know something about war horses? 
Through the sleet, through the snow they just keep going." 
That's M, my partner!
 
Surprise, surprise!!!  Every day we live...we age!  Well, M and I are 'up there'; occasionally we think we may be finished...whoops!  His Spirit nudges us and lets us know there's plenty for us to do!  Wow...we thought for a neigh or two we might be out to pasture. 

I know, for sure, that I get lackadaisical and forget about 'the race'...to be in it to the finish!  And there's no dropping out, no matter what?  That's right...just as Paul wrote about racing and he really was/is inspirational; a perfect example! 
 
It's glaringly obvious there's a world of work to be done everywhere we read about, everywhere we look; China...Africa...Mexico...your neighborhood, my neighborhood, strangers we happen to meet...all we need to do is keep our ears open...keep a sharp lookout...in other words?  Be aware and receptive to any and all opportunities; they'll pop up when we least expect it...oh boy, do they ever!  Some develop, some don't...however, that's not for me to decide how it comes out.  Best to leave it to The Expert in human affairs; I'm a mini in that department but He's a fantastic teacher.

Deanie Humphrys-Dunne
wrote in her children's book:
Charlie the Horse:

"I want to be the best race horse 
around when I grow up, Mama."

"You can be, Charlie, as long as you
are willing to try your best
and not give up when you have a bad day."
 
Bad days come and they usually go...
most of my bad days are health related
and I handle them fairly well.
M, the old war horse, is sort of in the same boat...
big difference is he doesn't cave like me!
 
I truly believe that God has groomed me all my life (that was quite a task, I'm sure)...probably on-going!  Our youngest son once told me I must've been a 'late bloomer' and that's me, right on the nose...a very late bloomer...still blooming.
 
You know, I so craved a stable life...surprisingly, I got it.
Oh, you're wondering how it happened?

Well, I got a horse...of course! 
A war horse and life is?  Well, it's downright horsey!
 
From my heart...to yours,
Vasca