| Author | Message | ||
| Belvalew Registered user Username: Belvalew Post Number: 690 Registered: 7-2004 |
As you all know by now, I drove from the SF Bay Area to Albuquerque and back so I could attend my academy reunion that is held there annually. I think I also drove in order to exorcize some personal demons that have been acquired over the years and I thought a long drive in the high desert would give me a lot of time to think. I wish I could share some of the pictures I took of Shiprock and the fabled Route 666 from Gallup to Shiprock. The route has been renumbered because while it was known as Route 666 there were a lot of strange manifestations taking place on that lonely road. It is now known as the 491 and the only part of the road that is still called 666 is the turn-off from I-40, but I digress. I want to tell you that I didn't see any ghosts on the highway, but I only travelled during the day. There were nearly 100 alumni who came for the reunion last weekend, and not all of them have remained SDA. I'd say that better than half have either fallen off the path, or studied their way onto a better way. The school was always a small one, and being in the Texico Conference, there wasn't much in the way of supporting funds. When I was there the school was self-sufficient because there was a lot of farm property attached to the school and the school ran a dairy, a farm, an orchard, and a furniture factory. Students could work at these enterprises and thus earn their way through school. That is what I did, for the most part, and paid the whole thing off after I got my first job. Since it was a small student body, we became each other's family, and we still feel that way about each other. Everyone has decided not to make religion an issue. That may have been because of the influence of an alumni website that I have been running for a little over two years. I simply will not allow anyone to trash anyone else, or to discuss religion or politics. I've told the members that if they want to do that there are lots of other internet websites that have been established for just that purpose. This website, in my opinion, is one of them, and I'm proud that I'm allowed to post here. There are things I will say here that I wouldn't dare say on my own website. Anyway, after almost three years of discussions that have been tempered by the rules of the alumni website, and by the fact that most of the alumni in attendence are members of that website, we had a wonderful visit. The Formers were good boys and girls and they either chose not to attend the church service on Sabbath morning, or they took the sermon with a grain of salt and knew why they were there so they didn't cause any trouble for the SDA's. I guess I will always consider my classmates to be family, so I'm willing to have family-like disagreements with them from time-to-time. Mostly we acknowledged that we loved each other and had been thrust into a situation where we had to adopt each other as family. The demon I had to exorcize was the demon of uselessness that I had been left with when my marriage recently dissolved. My former husband has his own demons, but seemed to need to make others feel small so he could feel tall. Being able to drive nearly 3,000 miles all alone and get back in one piece was my way of saying that I could still accomplish what I set out to do. Now I have to set out to get a job, so please pray that I will find someplace that I can settle in and stay until retirement. I'm 59, and that makes me a little hard to employ, but I'm not going to accept that it is impossible anymore. God bless you all for your support. Belva | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 1933 Registered: 3-2004  |
Belva, I am so glad you got rid of those demons. I am also glad you had a good time at your reunion. I will pray for you that you will find a job. God will provide for you, because He has promised. He has provided for me at my age, so I know He will provide for you. Our God is awesome. Diana | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 2728 Registered: 12-2003  |
Belva, I'm proud of you! I'll pray re: your job. Remember Ephesians 2:10--I realize it's not expressly about employment, but God already knows where He wants you and is equipping you to do His will there. Colleen (Message edited by Colleentinker on October 16, 2005) |
