Road work ahead, expect delays

Last week, I was meeting my favorite lady of all time for a raspberry latte at Starbucks. Like I sometimes do, I forgot to use my brain and went into “creature of habit” mode. I got in my car and cut through campus at 5:00. For any of you who have been fortunate enough to drive anywhere in Morgantown at 5:00, you know that traffic is unbearable, especially the areas around campus. Realizing that I was going to be waiting a while, I sent her a text and said, “I am going to be late. Traffic is terrible.” She replied with, “Take your time, use the time for Him, alone. Your raspberry latte will be waiting on you.” Here I am, annoyed at the traffic and starting to get grumpy because I am going to be late and here she is (the one waiting because of my stupidity), buying my latte and giving me uplifting words of truth. I would like to say that her words were put into action right then and there but even though I turned up my IPOD and tried to let the lyrics of Dave Matthews override the chaos around me, I still caught myself annoyed at my situation. Today, I was leaving Kroger at 5:15 and again found myself in the joys of Morgantown traffic but this time, I did remember the words of this wise woman’s text message. I put Pandora on my phone (Honda still outsmarts me with the code to reset my radio) and started signing to Third Day and prayed for protection for all of those whom I love that were traveling at the same time. The inconvenience of Morgantown traffic allowed me to turn a gloomy situation into something good and more importantly, didn’t steal the joy from my heart.


Tonight after leaving the PT welcome back picnic, I was again reminded of how many of us get annoyed when we have to wait, especially in traffic. Being the dedicated fitness buff that my best friend Amy is (hopefully none of you thought I was going to refer to myself as a fitness buff), she decided to ride her bike to the picnic. Fortunately for her, she was one of the above mentioned people that I prayed for as she traveled. She arrived safely to the picnic and we managed to win 2 corn hole games and enjoyed good food and friendship. Well, I enjoyed good food Amy enjoyed good vegetables! As we were leaving, it was getting dark and I told her I was going to follow her to the Coliseum to make sure no one hit her! We managed to go 10 feet before we were both laughing uncontrollably at the situation. After a few moments, we composed ourselves and began our very slow journey to the coliseum. Here we are, Amy is peddling like crazy up Patteson drive and I am following her in my car with my hazard lights on driving 5 MPH, laughing hysterically the entire time. The cars behind me were not happy, let alone laughing. Since there are 2 lanes on Patteson drive, cars were aggressively trying to get into the other lane and honked at us as they passed us. From the cars that couldn’t get over and were stuck behind me for a brief time, I received middle fingers and disgusted looks. I was amazed at the reactions from these individuals and told myself that I would never again act like that when I had to wait in traffic but instead enjoy the journey I am on as I wait.

A lot of times, in our spiritual life we are guilty of this same thing. How many times have we been annoyed because we had to wait for a need in our lives? Wait for a healing, a financial burden, a broken relationship, or freedom from an addiction. And as a result missed out on the journey involved because we chose something other than patience. It is hard to be patient when we have a need and feel as if God isn’t hearing our prayers. God hears our prayers, every time friends. He may not deliver the answer in the timing we want or in the way we want but he most definitely hears us and he most definitely answers our prayers. Whether you find yourself stuck in traffic of stuck in need of an answered prayer, “take time for Him, alone” and be amazed at how much more enjoyable the journey you find yourself on will be . Rude drivers and short stop lights will be turned into time spent enjoying music, appreciating the sunset, and praying for loved ones. And trials will be turned into perseverance and pure joy. And if you’re lucky you may run across an amazing, wise, loving woman who will delight in your heart and an amazing, fun-filled, constantly laughing best friend who is guaranteed to provide a laugh or 2 or 100 along the way.

Verse to remember:  Jeremiah 29:11-12 "For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you."

Free to a good home

As an avid coffee drinker (and as a somewhat recycler), I have a reusable coffee mug. I get excited when I go to Starbucks and get 10% off for using my stained and battered mug. And I get even more excited when they honor morning receipts in the afternoon for two dollars off any grande/ventib sized drink. To me, these little perks are like getting free coffee, or in most cases free non-fat raspberry lattes. I didn’t reward myself with Starbucks once this weekend but I did have a weekend filled with free gifts. Saturday morning, I received a FREE Coach purse…yes I said FREE! I have been in need of a new cute stylish purse and just like that I got one. My day continued on this free streak as I was eating at Muriales restaurant (my all time favorite). After I had ordered cheese sticks, garlic cheese bread, and manicotti (and what Muriales meal is complete without a salad), I was super happy and super full. I was enjoying great company and great conversations when our waiter came over and gave us the much awaited green mint chocolate but no bill. We asked him about our bill and he said your meal has been taken care of. Moments later, I learned that a good friend had bought my lunch and refused all of my attempts to pay her for it. I left Muriales happier about a random act of kindness than the meal I had just enjoyed. Feeling completely blessed by people who enriched my day by their friendship and their free gifts, I get a phone call. A friend invites me to get wings with her. I know you are thinking, wings? You have already eaten half of the menu at Muriales. But I go. And not only do I eat but I enjoy 8 Cajun garlic wings. After almost an hour of laughs, tears, and diet cokes our waiter brings the bill. And for the third time in less than 10 hours I get something for free. Amazed at the beauty of friendships and the delight in acts of kindness, I thank God for filling my day with free rewards. Driving home, I am overcome with a feeling inside my soul (it wasn’t the chicken wings or cheese sticks) it’s my soul trying to comprehend the value of Jesus, my Jesus, dying on the cross for my reward. He was beaten, mocked, betrayed, and crucified to pay my debt. Your debt. He endured on the cross because He saw what lied ahead. He saw our reward in heaven and endured so we could have eternal life. He paid the ultimate price for us. And the best part is Christ’s love is completely free as long as we believe in him. And through his love we can be set free. We can be changed by His grace and saved by His love. Through his suffering and death, we inherited so many free rewards. And trust me friends, his rewards continue to get better and better and never cease to leave me in awe of Him.


Saturday I was blessed by my favorite indulgences of all time at no cost to me but there isn’t another free gift comparable to the price Christ paid on the cross. NOTHING leaves me more fulfilled and happy than the freedom I can experience everyday in Christ and knowing that my ultimate reward awaits me in heaven. I know everyone likes free gifts so if you want the only meaningful free gift available to us, let Christ into your heart and watch as one free gift turns into endless free gifts.



Verse to remember: Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.

A great thing never grows old

As I sat down to share with you, yet another brilliantly crafted bouquet of babble from the mashed potatoes inside my head that sometimes resemble a brain, I surveyed my surroundings. (If this isn’t your first ride on the rollercoaster inside the world of Jay Garcia, you will remember that I taught myself to be aware of my surroundings earlier in the week) I was eating jalapeno cheddar potato chips, drinking Gatorade, and wearing sweatpants that said North Marion soccer. I haven’t played soccer since my days at NMHS (almost 10 years ago) and my love for jalapeno potato chips and Gatorade came about sometime during those rebellious adolescent days. I opened up my bible (also part of my surroundings) and the date inside read December 1998, the year I started high school. At this point, I am becoming eerily nostalgic and at the same time wondering, exactly how much in my life has remained the same since high school? I obviously have the same great taste in junk food, feel the most comfortable in worn sweat pants, and read the same bible I’ve had for over a decade but what about “real” constants in my life? To me the “real” essentials of life have always been: faith, family, and friends. A late night of junk food (I have since added pizza rolls to “my surroundings) and a passion to invest in the lives of others led me to realize that the “real” constants of my life since high school have also been the ”real” essentials of my life.


My friends: The infamous BP

If lifetime network wanted to make millions upon millions they would do a movie sequel on us. Over the years we have shared many laughs, heartaches, embarrassing moments, triumphs, defeats, and of course Marlboro lights. As care-free teenagers we filled our days with proms, road trips (usually to a DMB concert), parties (which often led to punishment from our parents), and talks over coffee at the book-N-Bean. As we began college, we were all at different Universities at different times but we managed to use the advancements in technology to stay up-to-speed with boyfriends, classes, new friends, and daily events. As we matured into young women, we celebrated together as one by one we got married, we cried with one another as we lost loved ones, and we delighted in the fact that as we had children they instantly gained many aunts. Together we have overcome trials that alone would have been impossible and we have gained happiness that wouldn’t be as rewarding if anyone of us were missing.

My family:

Since June 11, 1984 I have been a part of this family and I would be lying if I said there weren’t times I had wished otherwise. (Since high school) This family has watched me transform from a girl who wore the infamous green scrunchy to the girl who reads reviews on flat irons and buys hair products that are too expensive. They have supported my every decision from going to college at Marshall (don’t worry my heart always bleed blue and gold) to wanting to turn my basement into a no-kill animal shelter. They cried with me as my hopes for a state championship came to an end, they celebrated with me as I opened my acceptance letter to PT school, and they stood beside me as I battled an unknown stomach disease for an entire year before reaching a diagnosis. Together we overcame trials that alone would have been impossible and we gained happiness that wouldn’t have been as rewarding if any of us were missing.

My Faith:

Although at times my faith was tested and at other times seemed nonexistent, it was ALWAYS there. But it wasn’t my faith that was the constant, it was GOD. God delivered me from a drug addiction, removed the bitterness I had in my heart towards my neglectful mother, and healed the scars from a traumatic event. This same God blessed me with a college degree, acceptance into a doctorate program, and years of happiness. With God I overcame trials that alone would have been impossible and I gained happiness that wouldn’t have been as rewarding if He were missing.

As my trip down memory lane has come to an end and I sit with a half eaten bag of chips and a Gatorade stain on my shirt, I sigh (and wish I had more pizza rolls). I sigh because I know that as we (the BP) continue to grow older our lives will become more hectic and our time spent together will lessen. I sigh because I have experienced saying good-bye to a loved one and know that my family won’t be here in the flesh forever. But unlike a sneeze, I don’t sigh a third time because I know there is only one true constant in all of our lives...God God will remain constant when we have hectic schedules, God will remain constant as we grow older and have harder days, and God will even remain constant in our death.



Verse to remember: 1 John 2:17 The world and its desires will pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

My magical place isn't a fairytale

This morning as I was enjoying my second cup of coffee I sat on my bed with my bible and devotional book. I like to call my morning devotions, ”my quiet time with God” and during this “quiet time I read about Mary Slessor. Born in 1848, Mary grew up with an alcoholic father who often beat and raped her. By the age of 14 she was working 12 hour shifts to support her family, a family which brought her so much pain both emotionally and physically. Sometime later, a job at a city mission led Mary to Africa. Despite living alone in a mud hut and being plagued with Malaria, Mary served God in Africa by rescuing children from rituals that ended with murder, providing food to numerous families suffering from disease, and serving as a peacemaker among different tribes. Mary found splendor in her suffering and was even quoted once saying, “If anyone may testify as to the reality of His presence and power, it is surely this unworthy servant.” After hearing about this woman’s life I wanted to feel sorry for her but oddly enough I didn’t. Instead her pain became real to me. Real because this woman whom I had never met suffered so much and my heart ached for her and real because in the past year, I too, have suffered extreme pain. My mind flashed back to the pain of watching my Pap’s 9 month battle with cancer come to an end, to the pain of hearing a doctor diagnose my grandmother with cancer just 3 months after I said good-bye to my pap, the pain of failing my comprehensive physical therapy exam, the pain that came when my grandmother lost her foot to a disease (cancer) that was overtaking my family, and the physical pain of a chronic stomach disease. For too long, I viewed all of these sufferings as pure misery. But during this alone time, I sensed hope and was finally allowing God to transform my pain into something I could endure. After my morning fix, I was at peace with my pain and so thankful that I could finally turn my pain into something good for myself, for others, for God.


My peace was short lived. A few hours later, I stood holding the hand of a young woman who was getting her very first ultrasound. In an instant, I saw her child on the screen and this life became real and in that same instant, her OBGYN told her there was no heartbeat. The feeling of pain that plagued me for so long became real again and this time it was so intense, I could barely breathe. Someone I loved had lost their child. As I held her in my arms, we were surrounded by brokenness and the only comfort was to cry. In that moment, I felt so inadequate. I knew nothing I could say or do would ease her pain. A pain that I knew was going to take a long time to not only subside but to disappear. After the events of the morning had unraveled, I found myself sitting in my car crying again. Sometime between disbelief and sobs, my heart began to ache and my entire body felt numb. I wanted to go somewhere, anywhere but where I was, somewhere that magically made this pain disappear. In that moment, I examined my life and tried to remember a time that I felt this helpless, broken, and sad. And if there were such a time where did I go? What magical place exchanged my broken heart for a new one filled with rainbows, sprinkles, flying unicorns, endless amounts of ice cream and everything else happy? I closed my eyes tight and I saw the alter at my church. A place I had been many times with a broken heart. I don’t remember the drive to my church, or exactly what I said to our youth pastor as I asked to sit at the alter, or even how long I sat there…the only thing I remember is the “magic” that occurred. Over the years, I have left many, many things at that alter but only taken one thing away with me: God’s love. And today in the mist of possibly the worst day of my life, I left with the exact same thing. Through God’s love, my present pain will decrease over time and I will be able to use what I am going through today to display His splendor through me in the future. So as I faithfully wait on the pain from today to disappear, I will move ahead in obedience, I will continue to serve my God, and I will continue to worship the one who can heal my broken heart without using a single sprinkle or rainbow.

 
Little I knew that morning, God was going to call your name, in life we loved you dearly, in death we do the same. It broke our hearts to lose you, you did not go alone, for part of me went with you the day God called you home. You left us beautiful memories, your love is still our guide, and though we cannot see you, you are always by our side. Our family chain is broken and nothing seems the same, but as God calls us one by one, the chain will link again....Forever in my heart little baby Bray.
 
Verse to remember: Isaiah 61:3 (He will) provide for those who grieve in Zion- to bestow upon them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.

Laugh until milk comes out of your nose

How many times in our lives are we unaware of our surroundings? I know that I often get lost in deep thought or pure boredom during long drives or occasional lectures only to return and humiliate myself by saying things like, “pigmentation causes skin change” during a burn care lecture (clearly not the answer my professor was looking for) or to convince myself that I am lost because I don’t recognize anything around me and I can’t remember the last time I saw Interstate sign. As much as I wish I could rid myself of this, I know that not every lecture topic will hold my interest and that driving a car with no radio ultimately leads to a depleted attention span. But this got the spark plugs of my brain to trigger a thought: How many times am I guilty of ignoring important aspects of my surroundings? As I left my house today, I made a pact to myself (In my opinion, the best kind of pact because no one else knows if you stuck to it) to be aware of my surroundings and notice what I am guilty of taking for granted or fail to see the significance of on a daily basis. Twenty seconds into my pact, my brain is already thinking, “did I remember to unplug my flat iron?” when it should have been thinking today is trash day so watch out for the trash cans at the top of the stairs. After I manage to knock over a trash bag, spill my coffee, and drop my keys; I laugh. And that my friends is how the decision to be aware of laughter today began. Fortunately, for me I share a brain with my best friend Amy and the axons and dendrites that keep our brain together consist of only laughter. Our typical days at the HSC don’t usually begin with laughter but our days are most definitely sustained with laughter. To some our laughter is contagious and to some it isn’t appreciated or understood. For example, as we were buying coffee this morning the barista kindly said, “two dollars” to which I replied do you take PALS cards. She looked at it and responded with this is a PETCO card. I knew it was a PETCO rewards card and my intention was never to use it at the HSC café but instead to generate laughter from the barista, the line forming behind us and Amy. The line of tired college students were annoyed, the woman behind the counter was somewhat confused but managed a grin, and Amy and I were…laughing. As the other half of my brain and I sat outside and drank our coffee (an unplanned delight since we both showed up for class at the wrong time) we were thankful to enjoy the peacefulness that 8:00 brought with it and laughed relentlessly. An already long day, made longer by coming to school an hour earlier by mistake, was made better by a morning coffee break filled with laughter. I continued to be aware of laughter for the remainder of the day but not just my own. I paid close attention to which of my classmates chose laughter during our breaks from our 4 hour lecture instead of gloom. I noticed how laughter changed the demeanor and mannerisms of complete strangers taking a cigarette break outside of the HSC. I got a glimpse of a mother laughing at her daughter who was talking to her stuffed dog. And sadly enough I watched how people had on their blinders and were unaware of all the laughter and joy that surrounded them. After a day of persistent observation, I was amazed at how laughter made friendships stronger, days brighter, and life seem somewhat better. If we are unaware of laughter, what else are we missing out on? I couldn’t help but be drawn to the fact that every day we are all surrounded by the presence of God. Whether it is protection that gets us to work/school safely, his beauty that yields a breathtaking sunset, his mercy that sends a friend when we’ve had a bad day, his strength that allows us to take on all of our life roles, or his favor that gets us out of a parking/speeding ticket which we deserved (yes, I have experienced this favor numerous times), we are surrounded by God's pressence and blessed by His love. I challenge you to ask yourself are you aware of not only the laughter in your life but the presence of God? And if you are aware, are you amazed at the beauty and benefit of laughter and more importantly are you amazed at the depths of God’s love? Today, I kept my pact and as a result I was happy because laughter put a smile on my face and God put a smile in my heart.

Verse to remember: Psalm 89:15 Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your pressence, O Lord.

Not your everyday vacation

When you plan a vacation what factors do you consider? For myself, I think about relaxation, new locations, entertaining nights, and GOOD FOOD. I could travel the world simply in pursuit of new delicious foods! A combination of a college student budget, a summer long rotation, family commitments, and friends who are busy being wives, mothers, and full-time professionals put a hault to my travels this year. I didn’t take a vacation that consisted of any of my favorite “vacation-filled” delights but instead woke up during my “week off” with a chest cold. Like anyone, I thought of course I would get sick this week and then I began to replay the past few days in my mind and realized I had done exactly opposite of what you are supposed to do to prevent sickness. So, here I am lying in my bed feeling miserable, calling myself an idiot over and over again, and somewhere between an aching throat and self-abuse I realize I am hot. Not an “I have a fever” hot but “I’m wearing a parka sitting on the beach” hot. I get up to check my thermostat in my apartment and to my amazement it states 68 degrees (the normal temperature I keep it at while I am sleeping) BUT my house temperature is 78 degrees! Now, in the midst of the already not so good morning, I have a broken air-conditioner. I call my landlord who gives me the number of a repairman he uses. I call on a Monday morning and he kindly tells me he will be there on Wednesday morning to look at it. Had I known then that by Wednesday morning, he really meant Thursday afternoon, I would have stayed elsewhere. But I didn’t. I stayed in an apartment with no air-conditioner. Maybe now is a good time to mention that since I had been gone all summer my apartment also had no cable and a very limited food selection. After medicating myself and trading in my coffee for hot tea, I thought what am I going to do today. And then it hit me like a ton of bricks…all summer you wanted “me time” and here it is! Finally, time alone! Time to forget about tretament plans for knee replacements, grocery lists for my grandmothers, and a month's worth of clothes that were slowly taking over my bedroom floor. Time to get back to me. Like I always do, I began with my true passion and purpose in life…God. In my not so ideal apartment conditions, I examined myself and my life and began to see that for the past year I had made God so small. I had made my desires, my plans, my problems, my trials, and my fears BIG and my God so very small. In pure brokenness, I began to weep. A box of tissues later, I reminded myself that this was my vacation and what better way to spend it than in/with the Lord. So I did. I spent an entire week seeking and listening to God by praying, reading my bible, and listening to Addison Road. I didn’t eat fattening desserts or fresh seafood…I ate chicken noodle soup and drank hot tea. There were no deluxe accommodations…I had no cable, no air-conditioning, and no maid service. And my exciting night life didn’t include live shows, shopping, concerts, or even a good movie. I managed to have a weeklong vacation with none of my normal indulgences and when I ended my vacation I could honestly say, it was the best vacation I ever had!



My vacation reminded me of my passion and my purpose and renewed my spirit. My spirit that exists to brighten days, delight in simple things, laugh a lot, appreciate the beauty friendships, believe in miracles, and most importantly invest in the lives of others. Through this blog may you get inside my brain and share with me the daily adventures I am privileged to call life and may you take with you a piece of my heart that I hope makes a difference during each and every one of my daily adventures.

Verse to Remember: Psalm 62:7  Trust in him at all times, pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge.