Almost heaven, West Virginia. Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River. Life is old there, older than the trees. Younger than the mountains, growin' like a breeze.
This is long, but I promise it’s worth it.
As I sit here thinking about the coal mining tragedy in West Virginia, I can’t quite keep the tears from my eyes. 25 miners killed and 4 missing…3 of the 7 pulled from the mine so far are in the same family. In Montcoal, West Virginia, life will never be the same for those with ties to the Massey Energy Company mine. But, in other parts of West Virginia, life is altered all the time when a mine shuts down. And as tragic as it is to lose 25 miners (probably 29 by the time it’s said and done), you would need to see first-hand to understand just how tragic it is when a mine closes.
Let me tell you, there are people in our own backyard who need us. I am not opposed to foreign missions, don’t get me wrong. In fact, I know that there is a need in places in Africa and South America and other parts of the world for the word of the Lord to be taught. But, until you venture into a “holler” on the backside of a mountain in West Virginia, you may never know the need in our own country, as well. Those hollers hold a special place in my heart, for I’ve been on mission trips to those places in West Virginia. I’d like to go again, but work has not permitted me in recent years. My parents go twice a year to do missions work there, and my dad goes at least two more times than that to take clothes and food.
You see, in small West Virginia communities where the lifeblood was the mine, it’s a stark picture once it shuts down. A mine is generally found in the most rural of places, usually on the backside of the mountain away from all other civilization. And, despite the health risks, as well as the risks of losing your life, a mine provides a steady income for a man providing for his family. When it closes, there is no means of income. There is no way to cross the mountain to a town that has jobs. There is no money for that, and, in the winter, it is impossible to drive across many of these mountains. The roads are too dangerous once covered in snow. By all accounts, these little coal mining towns are forgotten by most.
They are places where sometimes there is no electricity. Sometimes there is no sewage system. Raw sewage runs by way of a pipe from a home into the creek below. How do I know this? Because I’ve seen it. I’ve been to these little hollers. Been warned to stay out of the creeks because of the sewage. I know people live without electricity because of a mission trip not too long ago that my parents took. Their message was “Jesus is the light of the world.” Their idea was to deliver light bulbs to houses and tell the people their message. Imagine their dismay when they came to one house and the lady that answered the door said they would put the light bulb on the mantel and look at it. My mom told the lady that they should use it, and remember the message when they looked at the light. But, this was impossible, the lady told her, because they had no electricity.
It’s heartbreaking. The people in those hollers are a proud people. They do not ask for help. But, they are ever so grateful when they receive it. When clothes and food get delivered from churches in other areas, people line up. But they are not greedy. They take only their share, careful to make sure there is enough for their neighbor. In fact, a story I think speaks to this is one I encountered on a mission trip. I noticed when we gave the children crayons to color that they only took 2 crayons and colored their entire picture with these crayons. They explained to me that at school they get 2 crayons for an entire year. Those are their crayons. When they are gone, they are gone. It makes me cry just thinking about it. Something as simple as a box of crayons that we take for granted, is precious to these kids. These same children will only take one cookie at snack time. Sometimes, if prompted they will take another to take home. Sometimes they will take one home for a brother or sister who could not come. Like I said, never greedy.
And, oh, how they love to come to church and hear the word of God or come to the bible schools set up by churches on mission trips. They will wait for hours in the cold or rain at the foot of their driveway just so they don’t miss the bus when it picks up. The precious hours they spend at church give them a little hope in an otherwise dismal situation. They need the mission groups that visit their little hollers just as much as little villages in Africa and South America and the Middle East. What a difference hearing the word of the Lord makes. It gives them hope that maybe one day their children will make it across the mountain to a college that offers them a scholarship and make something of themselves so they don’t forever live in poverty with little opportunity.
If you want a life-changing experience, one that opens your eyes to just how much you really have, you don’t have to look any further than little communities in the West Virginia mountains. There is no way to go there and not have your heart changed for the better. I promise you will never be the same.
I ask you today to say a prayer for the families of the coal miners in Montcoal, West Virginia, as well as families in the little hollers up in the mountains where mines have closed. Pray that they seek God in even the most trying times.
Tuesday, April 6
Friday, April 2
Obsess much?
There are some really strange people in this world. Here is a case in point.
I stopped in at Which Wich on my lunch break to grab a sandwich. There was a lady in front of me that had her food, but was having them check on the tea machine because it was apparently out of unsweet tea. It had green, sweet, and raspberry, but the line was not hooked up properly for the unsweet tea from what I could gather.
Well, this lady stood there and stood there and stood there...I know for AT LEAST ten minutes while they tried to get the tea machine straight. A coworker of hers came in and ordered and said hello to her and how much she loved Which Wich. At this, the lady replied that she didn't like any place that did not have good tea and the machine for unsweet was not working.
Okay, to me that is a bit neurotic. You really base a restaurant on their tea? Unsweet, mind you, which to me is about as gross as drinking black coffee, but I digress. If it had been me and the sweet tea had not been working, I would have chosen something else. Lemonade, a soft drink, water...there were plenty of viable options. No way would I have waited ten minutes for unsweet tea. And after it was fixed, she still complained that it "wasn't great, but better than before." Sheesh, lady....eat your sandwich and get over it.
I apologize in advance if any of you are picky about your unsweet tea at a restaurant, but I just found this to be a bit odd!
Anyway, happy weekend!
I stopped in at Which Wich on my lunch break to grab a sandwich. There was a lady in front of me that had her food, but was having them check on the tea machine because it was apparently out of unsweet tea. It had green, sweet, and raspberry, but the line was not hooked up properly for the unsweet tea from what I could gather.
Well, this lady stood there and stood there and stood there...I know for AT LEAST ten minutes while they tried to get the tea machine straight. A coworker of hers came in and ordered and said hello to her and how much she loved Which Wich. At this, the lady replied that she didn't like any place that did not have good tea and the machine for unsweet was not working.
Okay, to me that is a bit neurotic. You really base a restaurant on their tea? Unsweet, mind you, which to me is about as gross as drinking black coffee, but I digress. If it had been me and the sweet tea had not been working, I would have chosen something else. Lemonade, a soft drink, water...there were plenty of viable options. No way would I have waited ten minutes for unsweet tea. And after it was fixed, she still complained that it "wasn't great, but better than before." Sheesh, lady....eat your sandwich and get over it.
I apologize in advance if any of you are picky about your unsweet tea at a restaurant, but I just found this to be a bit odd!
Anyway, happy weekend!
Thursday, April 1
Catch-all
First off, the lovely BLC over at The Company She Keeps gave me the Beautiful Blogger award! 
The Award asks to list 7 interesting things about yourself. I did this for a similar award recently, so I'm fresh out of interesting things about myself. But, thank you so much, BLC for thinking of me!!
In other news, I have been in Charlotte 2 days this week for work, so I am trying to play catch up with your blogs. That means I am falling behind in the commenting category- so sorry, ladies, but I am reading!
Is everyone enjoying the beautiful weather? I know those of you in the Northeast are experiencing some crazy flooding. My prayers are with all of you that are dealing with that. However, in the South, we're seeing temperatures in the 80's and I am LOVING it! In fact, I just might pull out my shorts to wear to the baseball game on Saturday. Might as well get a little suntan while I watch my Gamecocks take on the Bulldogs (Mississippi State, that is), right?
I am ready for a not-so-busy weekend at home in Elloree for Easter as a little break before a stretch of weddings, parties, and such start up.
This post was a bit boring, I know. I hope to have something interesting to say in the next few days, but you never know!
Monday, March 29
The greatest sacrifice of all
It was all about a man.
It was all about a cross.
It was all about the blood that was shed
so I would not be lost.
It was all about the love
that was bigger than a life.
It was all about a freedom that was given
through your sacrifice.
'Cause you would rather die
than to ever live without me.
-Jody McBrayer
I love these lyrics and, to me, they symbolize the very essence of Easter. The real reason for such a celebration. It's not about an oversized bunny who delivers baskets full of goodies. I'm not saying I don't enjoy such things. Believe me, I love to get an Easter basket and I'm not against carrying on that tradition, but I think it's important to remember the reason why we have such a holiday. It is all about a man- Jesus- who was crucified upon a cross. A man who chose to die for our sins rather than save his own life, which he could have done. After all, he was the Son of God and capable of such a thing. Instead, he made the ultimate sacrifice for all of us because He loved us so much. So this Easter, amid all the egg dyeing and hiding, and Easter basket goodies, please remember the reason for Easter, and the meaning behind the popular symbols we associate with this time of year.
Eggs, chicks & rabbits- new life and re-birth
Lilies- the purity of Jesus & the resurrection
Lamb- Jesus
Cross- Jesus' victory over death
Happy Easter!
It was all about a cross.
It was all about the blood that was shed
so I would not be lost.
It was all about the love
that was bigger than a life.
It was all about a freedom that was given
through your sacrifice.
'Cause you would rather die
than to ever live without me.
-Jody McBrayer
I love these lyrics and, to me, they symbolize the very essence of Easter. The real reason for such a celebration. It's not about an oversized bunny who delivers baskets full of goodies. I'm not saying I don't enjoy such things. Believe me, I love to get an Easter basket and I'm not against carrying on that tradition, but I think it's important to remember the reason why we have such a holiday. It is all about a man- Jesus- who was crucified upon a cross. A man who chose to die for our sins rather than save his own life, which he could have done. After all, he was the Son of God and capable of such a thing. Instead, he made the ultimate sacrifice for all of us because He loved us so much. So this Easter, amid all the egg dyeing and hiding, and Easter basket goodies, please remember the reason for Easter, and the meaning behind the popular symbols we associate with this time of year.
Eggs, chicks & rabbits- new life and re-birth
Lilies- the purity of Jesus & the resurrection
Lamb- Jesus
Cross- Jesus' victory over death
Happy Easter!
Friday, March 26
What happened to the importance of education?
...Stepping up on my soapbox.....
South Carolina has a problem. Our legislators clearly do not value education in our state. Last year we received the 5th largest cut to education out of the 50 states. We are a state that continually ranks at the bottom in education. To pass along the largest budget cuts to the educational system in a state does not equate to valuing education. How will we ever progress economically if we don't give a damn about educating the people of our state?
Take for example the University of South Carolina, a state supported institution. Right now, our funding from the state is approximately 12% of our operations. 12%!! Tell me how that is still considered "state-supported"? Oh yes, I remember now- the state owns our land and buildings. Now, I know many other states are facing the same thing, as well. I am aware that this is a wide-spread problem. But for now, I'm just talking about SC. This year, the state is expected to cut funding by $20 million to USC. Next year, it will be the same or worse. That's $40 million gone over the course of 2 years, bringing our funding down to $70 million from the state of South Carolina by 2011. It is absurd.
There is no way to make up such a budget cut by raising tuition alone. You can't do that. If we did, students would be unable to afford a higher education in this state. Already it is a struggle for many families to send their children to college. Technical schools are bursting at the seams. College kids are taking the route of going to a local technical college and staying at home rather than going off to school in order to save money. These are sad times for education. And this is not just happening at USC. It's happening at Clemson, at Winthrop, at the College of Charleston, Coastal Carolina, the Citadel, Francis Marion, SC State, and Lander- all of our public universities (apologies if I left a school out). Each of these institutions is going to get the same percentage budget cut. Monetarily, we will get the largest, as we are a state supported institution. Scary times, indeed.
And so far, our dean has done a fabulous job of working with the budget so that she did not have to lay off anyone. Of course, positions have had to be moved around for people who have retired, vacated their positions, etc. because new hires were not feasible, but so far nobody has had to be laid off outright. I fear it will be coming this time around, though, because most of the magic tricks to make up the loss in money have been used. That really leaves a dean no choice. So, guess what? Unemployment will also go up in the state. Fabulous, just fabulous.
Can y'all tell I'm angry and disillusioned by our state representatives and senators? Thank goodness it's the weekend!
...Stepping off my soapbox.
South Carolina has a problem. Our legislators clearly do not value education in our state. Last year we received the 5th largest cut to education out of the 50 states. We are a state that continually ranks at the bottom in education. To pass along the largest budget cuts to the educational system in a state does not equate to valuing education. How will we ever progress economically if we don't give a damn about educating the people of our state?
Take for example the University of South Carolina, a state supported institution. Right now, our funding from the state is approximately 12% of our operations. 12%!! Tell me how that is still considered "state-supported"? Oh yes, I remember now- the state owns our land and buildings. Now, I know many other states are facing the same thing, as well. I am aware that this is a wide-spread problem. But for now, I'm just talking about SC. This year, the state is expected to cut funding by $20 million to USC. Next year, it will be the same or worse. That's $40 million gone over the course of 2 years, bringing our funding down to $70 million from the state of South Carolina by 2011. It is absurd.
There is no way to make up such a budget cut by raising tuition alone. You can't do that. If we did, students would be unable to afford a higher education in this state. Already it is a struggle for many families to send their children to college. Technical schools are bursting at the seams. College kids are taking the route of going to a local technical college and staying at home rather than going off to school in order to save money. These are sad times for education. And this is not just happening at USC. It's happening at Clemson, at Winthrop, at the College of Charleston, Coastal Carolina, the Citadel, Francis Marion, SC State, and Lander- all of our public universities (apologies if I left a school out). Each of these institutions is going to get the same percentage budget cut. Monetarily, we will get the largest, as we are a state supported institution. Scary times, indeed.
And so far, our dean has done a fabulous job of working with the budget so that she did not have to lay off anyone. Of course, positions have had to be moved around for people who have retired, vacated their positions, etc. because new hires were not feasible, but so far nobody has had to be laid off outright. I fear it will be coming this time around, though, because most of the magic tricks to make up the loss in money have been used. That really leaves a dean no choice. So, guess what? Unemployment will also go up in the state. Fabulous, just fabulous.
Can y'all tell I'm angry and disillusioned by our state representatives and senators? Thank goodness it's the weekend!
...Stepping off my soapbox.
Monday, March 22
Weekend Round-up (and an award!)
We had a great weekend! I took Friday off and got some errands and things done around the house. Took Abe to the park and he had a blast! It was a great day not to have to work!
Our friends, Brian and Megan, got married this weekend. Wedding One of 5 that we have to go to this Spring. We attended the rehearsal dinner on Friday night at Terra in West Columbia, and the wedding on Saturday at the Millstone at Adams Pond. The ceremony site was gorgeous and so was the weather! They could not have asked for a prettier day to get married.
Here are a few pictures from the day- Congratulations to Brian & Megan! 
My friend, Bess and me:
In other news, I received a blog award from Kelly over at Life in a Small Town. It's the beautiful blog award. Thank you so much, Kelly!
Our friends, Brian and Megan, got married this weekend. Wedding One of 5 that we have to go to this Spring. We attended the rehearsal dinner on Friday night at Terra in West Columbia, and the wedding on Saturday at the Millstone at Adams Pond. The ceremony site was gorgeous and so was the weather! They could not have asked for a prettier day to get married.
Here are a few pictures from the day- Congratulations to Brian & Megan!
WEG & Me:
My friend, Bess and me:
The groom, Brian:
The bride, Megan:
On Sunday we just lazed around the house and recovered from the events. It was rainy outside, so we took full advantage of staying inside. I did go to the grocery store, but that was the extent of my ventures out of the house.
On Sunday we just lazed around the house and recovered from the events. It was rainy outside, so we took full advantage of staying inside. I did go to the grocery store, but that was the extent of my ventures out of the house.
In other news, I received a blog award from Kelly over at Life in a Small Town. It's the beautiful blog award. Thank you so much, Kelly!
I am supposed to tell y'all 7 things about myself, so here goes.
ONE: I am an only child. Spoiled? Maybe a little bit, but I am not rotten, I promise!
TWO: Because I am the only child of a sports fanatic, I also love sports- especially baseball. My dad didn't have a son to drag along to the baseball field, so as soon as I was out of diapers he took me. I grew up in a dugout and probably have more knowledge of the game than half the males I know. I kept the books for my dad's games for years. The only rule I am still iffy on is a balk. I know what you can't do, but I am terrible at recognizing when it happens!
THREE: Even though I love sports, I am not very athletic. I tried my hand at basketball and volleyball in high school, but didn't stick with it long. Cheerleading was more my calling, even though my basketball coach said I had the best shot on the team. Problem was, I didn't have any ballhandling or defensive skills to go along with it! I am just getting into running, which I enjoy, but I don't see myself ever being a long-distance runner. I think 3 miles is my limit!
FOUR: I am named after my grandmothers. Emily is my dad's mother's name and my middle name was my mom's mother's maiden name. Did you get that?
FIVE: I have 3 degrees from the Univ. of South Carolina. Before you act impressed, let me explain. I have a B.S. and a Master's in Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management and a Master's of Retailing. Not exactly brain busters, but I enjoyed them. And the retail degree was an effort on my part to avoid having to get a real job when I finished with the others. It only took me a year because I had classes that overlapped from my first master's. I wish I could say it didn't cost me a fortune and I didn't have student loans to show for it, but sadly that is the reality.
SIX: I am addicted to food. I am hungry all the time. It's a running joke at our house that I am always the first one done with a clean plate, and I usually go back for seconds. It's a minor miracle that I do not weigh 400 pounds...seriously.
SEVEN: I hate high heels. I would live in flats for the rest of my life if there weren't occasions where I absoutely have to wear heels. I am especially glad it is spring, which means I can pull out my Jack Rogers and wear them nearly every day.
I am supposed to pass this along to 7 bloggers, but I can't choose, and I need to get back to work! Cop-out, I know ;-)
Oh, and I also have a ton of blogs to read in my Google Reader, so I'll be playing catch up. So, comments may be scarce!
Thursday, March 18
Deoderant Fail
I have to be honest because blogs are all about honesty, right? I am not wearing deoderant today. Before you gasp in horror, let me explain. I had a major deoderant fail. I always use the Secret Clinical Strength in the unscented hypoallergenic. Well, on Saturday when I ran out of deoderant, we stopped at Bi-Lo on our way to Charleston and all they had in the clinical strength was the lightly scented. I didn't think this would be a problem and I needed deoderant, so I bought it. Well, 4 days of using it later, my underarms are itching and burning and have little bumps. I have very sensitive skin, and clearly it can't handle anything clinical strength unless it is hypoallergenic. Who knew?? Like I said, major deoderant fail. So, I just could not bring myself to put it on this morning. Let's face it, I don't sweat in my office- in fact, I have my little heater on because I'm cold. And, really, the way my underarms felt last night, I'd rather have a little smell than that much irritation. Sue me. I am going after work to get my correct deoderant. Until then, don't stand too close!
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