Here it is May already and such a beautiful May day here in Central Kentucky this first Sunday of the month. Yesterday was Derby Day and while the weathermen threatened rain and storms it turned out to be a beautiful afternoon for everybody who takes part in Derby activities. The night before wasn’t quite as nice for the Derby parties as rain dampened a few hats. I’m not a Derby partier although I have had the church out for picnics on Derby Day just because it was the only day we could agree on for the most to be able to come. I used to have a picnic here every Spring but then Darrell started being on the road singing most weekends and I have a hard time finding a Saturday when he’s going to be around to help host the event. But in years past, we always had fun. Our church has a small congregation, but we like to think of ourselves as a big family of God. And we are definitely part of the family of believers.
Back to Derby Day. I have never been to a Derby. Don’t really have any plans to ever go to a Derby, but there are those who say every Kentuckian should experience it at least once in his or her lifetime. I do enjoy watching the race on t.v. Of course now the coverage goes on all day and I wouldn’t mind seeing the crazy and the extravagant hats and hearing all those human interest stories about this horse or that trainer or owner, but I don’t have time to watch t.v. all day. I usually just watch the 6 p.m. Run for the Roses. You know I never saw those roses yesterday. Big Brown was being so fiesty after the race, he would have probably eaten them. Of course it was sad with Eight Belles being put down. I’ve researched horse racing for a couple of books in the past and that’s always a sad part of racing. Some horses want to run so much, have such a big heart, that they break down trying too hard.
Anyway, as I was saying, I don’t have time to watch all the race coverage. How often do we say that? We don’t have time. Our pastor used to correct us when we said that we didn’t have time to do this or that. He told us we all had the same amount of time in the day the Lord gave us. It was just how we chose to use that time. Like now I’m blogging when I could be walking in the sunshine or cleaning up my kitchen or reading a book. I could be doing a lot of things and some of them are things I really should be doing. I’ve been putting off doing some chores like cleaning out my closets for so long that my closets are reaching critical mass point where I may very well end up under an avalanche of clothes I should have taken to the Goodwill Store months ago. But there are so many more interesting things to do and so many more “I said I would do it” things to do. I have another speech on Thursday night. They’re expecting me to show up with something to say. All right, those of you who know me — I know what you’re thinking. When doesn’t she have something to say? But I want it to be something that people will enjoy listening to for thirty minutes or so. I want to come up with some fun trivia questions. I want to get some good doorprizes together and I will do my best to get it done. But in order to do that I’m going to have to put those closets off a little longer and hope I survive the avalanche when it comes.
My talk to the Administrative Assistant luncheon on Thursday went okay and I had fun meeting some of the women who keep the churches going in the Frankfort area. The luncheon was sponsored by the Corinth Christian Bookstore in Frankfort. They are so supportive of the area churches and of writers like me. They always let me have a book launch at their store and have other writers in as well. In fact Beverly Lewis is going to be there for a signing on May 16th. They’re excited to have such a well known author at their store. So go by if you’re in the area and you’re a Beverly Lewis fan. I’ve been told she’s a super nice person. I may meet her on the next day at the Blue Grass Festival of Books at Joseph-Beth’s Bookstore in Lexington. I’ll be signing books there on Saturday, May 17 from 9 to 5. I hope some of you will come by and talk to me so I won’t be tempted to wander away from my post and spend all my money on more books I don’t have time to read. See there’s that “I don’t have time” again. It pops up everywhere.
Maybe I should think about how I’m spending my time. Is it the way the Lord wants me to spend it? Is it the way I want to spend it? Am I just letting the hours roll past without thought and those hours are rolling into days and then weeks and way too fast becoming years slipping by. “I don’t have time.” You know, one of these days that’s going to be so true. Now while I do still have the time the Lord has given me, I need to make the best use of it. I need to squeeze and shove all the minutes together and make time for work and family and friends, but first I need to make time for the Lord, the giver of all time. The closets can wait.
Hope you have all the time you need this week and every week.