C. S. Hall, MS, LPC, Counseling

11/07/2025

I have said in another post how hard October has always been for me. I don't know what happened to me in my childhood in October that gave me such a visceral experience that it has to manifest each and every year as fear of dying and immense sadness but it does against all odds, against all my religious beliefs, against all my faith and intellectual knowing it happens. This year October is stuck to me like gum on my shoe. Here we are in November and I'm still dragging October around. I have historically had my big sister, Gail Meek to talk me out of the closet. Not this year and that has been hard. I have prayed that I could hear her voice, that someone would speak to me in her voice and put my fears to rest.

God does not disappoint. He told me that she always spoke to me in His voice. That it was His voice that was calming me and He was using her as a vessel. He has shown me that He has many other vessels and He has surrounded me with them this week. My heart is so full. I have had some very surreal experiences this week. Let me tell you about a few.

I made an appointment with a therapist I have seen off and on for years. I had recommended her to Gail when she was going through a rough patch. I saw her Monday. She asked what it was I needed from Gail and I answered "wisdom". Gail's wisdom mixed with humor always anchored me. It kept me from flapping in the breeze from feeling like I was running around with my dress tucked in my panties. It gave me direction and confidence I couldn't muster on my own. She blinked at me a few times and said "You can be your own Gail. You not only look alike, you think alike, you talk alike and you care about others the same way. You have the same quirky way of looking at life." Blink blink blink
That kinda made me mad at first. I paid a lot of money for that. But as the day wore on and I pondered those words they made more sense.

Then Monday night I went to my cousin Eddie Smith's swearing in as Mayor of our fine city. I felt compelled to take a picture of Gail with me. She was so supportive of Eddie and so much smarter than me on the political scene. I knew she would want to be there in spirit so I slipped her in my pocket. There were a lot of her friends there. The Mr. Bean in me wanted to pull her picture out and say Gail says hey, but that would have been even too weird for me so I didn't. Seeing Eddie meet that milestone after recently victoriously overcoming stage 4 cancer in Jesus name was thrilling. Saying the pledge of allegiance was moving and a privilege. Watching the other council men and women take their oaths of office was a very proud experience for me. I'm so thankful to live in a free republic.

THEN on Tuesday morning I went to Eddie's prayer breakfast and patriotism and faith collided into the most beautiful heart warming experience ever. We said the pledge of allegiance again, sang America the Beautiful, sang some old hymns, It's Still The Cross and Because He Lives and heard a moving message from Pastor Jeff Meyers. I left there with my heart so full of pride for Eddie, our city and our country. We need more opportunities to say the pledge and sing America the Beautiful and the Star Spangled Banner. Eddie is going to do great things.

Don't ask God for something and expect mediocre. He doesn't know how to do wimpy. Wednesday morning I met with the monthly group of Christian counselors at ACC and Carolyn led the group with a beautiful story of grace and redemption. Her message was right on target with everything else I had heard all week. It was like a continuation of a conversation God was having with me all week. In Gail's voice no less.

And last but not least last night I attended a prayer and worship service at A Quiet Place Counseling Center. It was so beautifully orchestrated. Soft guitar music playing hymns, corporate prayer, individual prayer, worship and praise. Oh what a night. Oh what a week.

I am so immersed in the Word and God's love right now. I feel like my feet are not even touching the ground. I'm so thankful for people who are willing to pour into others and pour into us who so often pour ourselves out but fail to receive nourishment. I promise to take better care of myself and not have to be reminded that it is a mandate that I be well so that I may be here to minister to those who are in need. We are all in need at times. Be sure to ask for what you need. God will fill your cup to overflowing so that you can pass it on. He is waiting, tenderly calling for you and for me.

10/24/2025

I'm grateful to have another wonderful camping trip with some of my laughing cousins and some friends in the books. Camping is always a deeply sensory experience for me. We spend most of the time outside, my favorite place, regardless of the season or location. We eat fabulous food, either prepared at the campground or eaten at the best restaurants in the area and sometimes those places look like little holes in the wall but come highly recommended by the locals so we listen and are rarely disappointed. This trip was no exception.

The weather was absolutely perfect. The sunsets were gorgeous. I didn't get to see the sunrises, we slept in. Our home wakes us up with the sunrise, but our camper is dark as a cave so we don't wake up until about 7:00 but that is just fine and enough time to meet the group for family breakfast at 8:30 sharp each morning.

I enjoyed meditating under the beautiful sky and trees and taking in the nature sounds and laughter. However I'm going to have to work on my RBF because I got asked several times if I was okay when I was perfectly fine and in "the zone". Maybe I'll get one of those weird red light masks and do two things at once, meditate and rejuvenate my face at the same time. Might also scare off any unwanted visitors. Lol.

I highly recommend spending some time outdoors as much as possible over the next few weeks while the weather is so nice. Drink lots of water, get good sleep, and eat colorful vegetables. Your body and your family will thank you. ❤️

10/12/2025

Look at this happy little leaf I found on a walk in the woods today. It expresses my mood perfectly. Smiling with the eyes as well as the mouth. Love me a nice Sunday afternoon walk in the woods by the lake. So therapeutic on so many levels.

09/27/2025

I'm grateful for family gatherings. There's nothing like breaking bread with family to make your heart feel warm and fuzzy. Especially when a grandchild picks up the check. It's a good testament to family values moving forward. Our granddaughter Heaven Lei and her fiance Chris Wempner took us and her Dad and his wife to dinner last night. What a grand event. It warmed my heart and healed something deep inside of me that had been agitated for over a year. Thank you God for answered prayers.

09/15/2025

This painting describes my current emotions better than any words I can muster.

09/11/2025

Thank you friends.

When grief feels too heavy to carry alone,
friendship becomes the gentle light,
that reminds us we’re not lost in the dark.

True friends don’t try to erase the pain,
they sit with us in it,
offering presence,
when words fall short.

They bring comfort in silence,
laughter when it feels impossible,
and love in the places where loss has left emptiness.

In the hardest seasons,
friendship is the quiet proof,
that even in sorrow,
we’re never truly alone.

Gary Sturgis - Surviving Grief

Artwork Credit: JenniferTalbot - 2025

09/11/2025

My heart is heavy. I am as sad as I was on 9/11/2001 if not more sad. I don't think I was as aware then as I am now of the evil that exists in the world. My friend Margaret Worthington has entrusted The Freedom Angel to me and today is her debut in my yard. I am honored to display her. The first time I laid eyes on her a feeling washed over me that I can't explain. Read her story below.

The Story of the Freedom Angel
Margaret Worthington

After the events of September 11, 2001, like so many, my heart was heavy for a long, long time. As the Christmas season approached, and war came, I felt conflicted. The sparkle and lights seemed a contradiction and mockery. Our beloved USA had been attacked, and the grief still filled so many of us, especially those who had lost someone in the attacks, or were suffering with lingering injuries, not to mention those who had sent loved ones off to war. Too, a nation where the satanic triad mission to steal, kill, and destroy seemed to be thriving, was in pain. A vision of a means of using the season, which we know is not truly Jesus's birthday, to point the way out of the agony and into comfort and victory began to form in my mind in the most urgent way.

I described my vision to my husband, and asked him about a heavy piece of plywood stored in his shop. He was a willing helper in the project. I drew the outline for him to cut out what would be a Freedom Angel, and I eagerly began work on shaping and forming her into the vision of a spiritual figure urging our sorrowing nation to look beyond the Nativity to the Cross, where the Ultimate Sacrifice took place, and Ultimate Victory overcame evil. This was not to be a decoration, but a ministry.

I gave the angel 3D-like shape, using caulk and wood filler, and painted her white with the palest of blue features and shadowing, befitting a spiritual being emphasizing more than herself. As God guided my hand, her face (which resembled a godly friend) reflected sorrow for a bewildered nation seeking consolation, while she gazed to where the hard-won Answer could be found, even as the predicted years of war continued. I used Christmas lighting to draw attention to the Message. My husband built a stable for the small Nativity scene. I painted the figures in carefully chosen colors on a white set I found. My husband also cut the wire to support the big halo that surrounded the angel's head and helped center focus on the Cross.

The end result was a towering messenger that began with the Nativity at her feet, and progressed upward, using symbols of the USA, all pointing toward the Cross: The US Flag, a soaring Eagle whose wings blended with those of the angel, and the pose of the angel's right arm as the Statue of Liberty, with the Torch behind the rough, cruel Cross, which featured strategically placed red sequins, creating an effect of glistening blood drops. The white mesh halo was lit with red, white, and blue mini-lights.

At least one time, I brought the Freedom Angel out for Easter, placing a Crown of Thorns (made by another godly friend, at personal injury) on a larger Cross, and trickling red yarn and red bead blood down her arm and robe, into red flowers that progressed to white lilies at her feet. I emphasized her tears for this.

For almost a decade, the Freedom Angel's timeless ministry was placed in our front yard during the Christmas season, into the start of the New Year. A couple of years ago, I neglected to place the Nativity scene in storage immediately. I never thought any damage could come to it, since nothing had ever affected it during years of outdoor display. I turned the figures so nothing could bump or kick them, and left it on the garage floor. My heart sank when I finally retrieved it some months later to find something had gnawed patches from the figures, leaving jagged white depressions. I felt guilty of neglect of the ministry. I was already sad that the Freedom Angel's message was in such a limited area, and I always hoped her message would be spread to a much wider audience. Discouraged by the damage to the Nativity figures, I only displayed the Freedom Angel one more time. I choose to continue her ministry by publishing her story and her picture where it will be seen by more people in more places, and I pray some who have lost their way will find The Way, perhaps sometimes guided by her.

Margaret Worthington

09/05/2025

09/01/2025

Happy birthday Popray. You are our hero. We hope all your birthday wishes come true.

08/26/2025

Well folks congratulations to the person Silver Sneakers chose for their National Inspiration Award. From what we could see it appeared Ray got over 1700 more votes than the next runner up but for some reason SS didn't see fit to crown him the winner. We asked if there was a criteria we missed. The answer was no but we got a smoke screen about how votes are tallied. 1+1=2 is pretty simple even for us Alabamians.

Ray is my winner and inspiration. Nothing can take away the fact that he climbed back to health and vitality from a devastating surgery. He used the resources he has always depended on... God, the gym and his support group.

Thank you for being there for us. Thank you for voting and cheering him on. It was a fun time.

08/25/2025

I finally got to go to The Plunderosa Flea Market Saturday. It did not disappoint. Literally MILES of stuff. Good stuff. So many walks down memory lane. I saw so many things that brought back fond memories of growing up. Things I remember my parents and grandparents having. I got a few things. I wanted a lot of things. It's hard for me to resist but I did good. You know I've been downsizing for five years so I try to be very selective about what I bring into the house. It needs to either be useful or bring great joy. I think my finds met the criteria.

Yesterday when I was putting out my usual weekend snack display I couldn't help but think that one day all my pretty and special little dishes will be in a flea market for others to reminisce over. I have certain dishes I use for every occasion and some I use for special occasions. I really like pretty dishes. I wonder if there is anyone in our family that is thinking "when Rere is gone I hope I get this dish or that dish". I kind of doubt it.

My maternal grandmother was the family hostess. She could really put on a family dinner and enjoyed feeding anyone who came to her house. It seems I would be the least likely to inherit that gift. I couldn't cook anything tasty when Ray and I married to hear my family tell it so being the one to feed the masses seems an unlikely role for me. However, I am the one. Thanks to the many great family cooks and Jim Sikes who took time to teach me. I enjoy hosting all the traditional family gatherings as well as filling the chairs at my table on an ordinary day. The more the merrier. Getting out my favorite dishes for these occasions is part of the pleasure. They are like old trusty friends. I know exactly what and how much goes in each.

I have spent time in the kitchen with each of my grands and my only great grand so maybe just maybe at least one of them will want to carry the family feeding tradition forward. I have another great grand on the way due in September. Maybe God will bless me with enough years to train a whole nother generation before I go. And maybe they will want my pretty dishes.

Isn't it crazy the things we think about when we are trying not to think about things.