Koozie People.

This is my thoughts on People Watching and Stillness.....

Today I got to enjoy another wonderful time of women's fellowship and study of the Word. How very blessed I am to have the freedom to do this. And not only, the blessing of that freedom which is invaluable, but with the most beautiful ladies that God has ever made (IMHO).

When it comes to talking about my friends, y'all I'm Niagara Falls. I'm a gusher like the fruit snacks that bear that name. Oh Gushers, you taste so good and so do you Fruit by the Foot. Oh you yard of fruit snack bliss! Stop it. Message to Self: You were talking about friends, not fruit snacks your kid eats that you wish you could still enjoy!

Where was I?

Focus!

In the fabulous study we are doing called, Reclaming Your Joy by Lorraine Hill (recommended!) we talk about Joy. Now, I'm only on Week 3 so know that. But already I've been challenged. I'm a dweller. Anyone, with me?

I dwell on so much. From fruit snacks, to past crud, to future longings; you name it I will dwell on it.

Always with the dwelling.

I wish I thought less. Anyone? Amen?

If only I was a Koozie Person.
"Koozie People"- is a term for a special class of people that I coined sometime ago while on a retreat with several ladies from our Bible Study class. We were on a boat, i.e. in a state of relaxation, and I just felt frazzled. I'm a little high-strung. I love boats and the water by the way.

But I noticed something that day. We kept passing people who were blessed enough to have homes on the side of a lake. Some homes were magnificent and dazzling. Some homes were a little too log-cabinish. Some homes were a little, how do you say, less magnificent? But hey, again, side of a lake ain't too shabby. Whatever.

The point is, the people in the magnificent and the less magnificent homes were all doing something: lounging in chairs (PB teak or Walmart plastic) and holding onto drinks in koozies.
Whoa.
They probably were going to be out there all day with their koozies in hand. Perhaps, in a visor.
 Maybe even smoking some kind of meat and not caring that their hair and clothes so permeated from the smoke would then wreak of said meat-smoking for the rest of the evening. 
I don't know what was in their koozies.
Diet Coke.
Not Coke.
Whatever.
It was just the fact that they had mastered the Skill of Chill.
That they live for the weekend. Listen to BTO. Chillax. Then after all that chillin', they head home, go to sleep and begin a new workweek. Amazing.

I am not a Koozie Folk.
 I have to be moving like a hummingbird or a shark. It's hard to stop. Anyone? But God sure wants me to take a page from their book- maybe more His book and be chill. Or as He puts it, "Be still."

Oh wow, Gillian. Congrats on being so visionary and "writing" a blog post about being still. How new!
No, it's not. I get it. But at least I've let you all in on Koozie People and you will now know that subset of interesting loungers. What do they think? Anything? Nothing? Everything?

As I ask God to prepare me for the week ahead, I'm trying to channel the inner Koozie Person inside me. Next week I will be going on a trip. A trip with over a thousand junior high students our church likes to call: Beach Retreat.

We are going to South Padre Island, TX and we are going to be meeting Jesus there. We will have awesome worship and one on one time with the Lord and all He has planned. I'm, of course, freaking out. But God has promised to equip me. So, if you can, say a prayer or two for me and all those kiddos next week! This week too- it's the high schoolers turn first! And ask God to speak through me and to whomever He puts in my path.

Thanks,
A Coffee Mug Person.