Okay, so I know I can be opinionated,and I know I can be stubborn. I also know that sometimes I am wrong,and sometimes I am not. I sometimes jump the gun,and speak before I think.(or as in the case I am thinking of, type before I think)
On that note, I am human, I have feelings,and I have struggles. I feel, I think, I laugh and I cry.I hurt,and sometimes I hurt others, I know.
Does that mean though,that it's okay for others to be stressed but I can't be? Does it mean that I can't be passionate about something but have to shut up for fear someone will be offended?
I am right now wavering between anger and hurt. I am tired of being told by a particular person "I am so stressed,and blah blah," but If I am stressed and I speak up about it, God forbid. If I stand for what is right and true, God forbid, I am intolerant. I know this person has alot going on,but some of it is stuff that they have made the choice for it to be that way.
Some of it, they try to control and it's not their job to do that. The situation is hard, but it's time to let go and stop trying to manipulate and control the situation.
I was told that the person may have to block me, just a warning. Well, so be it. I am not going to explain myself, nor am I going to apologize anymore. I have nothing to say.
Right now though, I am angry and hurt and I want to cry but I can't.
I can't be stressed or have feelings, right?? Well... so I am supposed to be happy go lucky all the time. I am ready to just find a hole and hide. I am tired of being this person 's whipping post.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Friday, November 11, 2011
I'm Tired
I know this might not be the cheeriest blog, but I just need to vent. I am tired. I am tired of battles everyday. I am tired of hearing people who are taking trips here or there, to Hawaii or what have you,and we can't afford to even go camping. It sucks.
I am tired of being broke. This route the hubby is on has put us so far behind on credit cards and such that most paydays I don't even get to go grocery shopping.
Then, when a better route comes up, Dick can't have it because someone above him in seniority votes on that route.
We tithe, we give offerings, sow seeds,and serve,and we just can never catch a break.
I don't spend money frivolously, I haven't bought new jeans for myself in a year! My tennis shoes are crap and Annie needs new carpet in her room DESPERATELY. I need restoration!
My hubby works his tail off,and I work when I can at the church. We just always struggle. I am tired of driving Rachel's car and adding extra wear and tear to it.
Some how, God makes it stretch, but I want to be able to buy a steak and have a steak once in a while, or go out with the fam. Is that too much to ask?
I am tired of the Obama adminstration and the state Government of California. The Obamas act like King and Queen with the peons at their disposal. Tax hikes here, bad plans for medical care, and taxpayer funded abortions.
California elects a known liberal governor who signs a bill making it mandatory to teach Homosexual contributions to American History.
I am tired of voting and my vote counts for (sorry,in advance) shit.
California's majority of voters TWICE voted in favor of traditional marriage,and liberal activist judges decide we don't know what we want.
I am tired of just day to day struggles. I am tired of people who make two or three times what we do looking down their nose at us and wondering why we have a hard time making ends meet.
I am just tired,and I need a break. So do alot of us. I wish it were time for Jesus to come.
Jesus, if you aren't going to come yet, can't we catch a break and have some money to do something fun with? Please?
Now I have ranted. Think what you want, it's how I feel right now.
I am tired of being broke. This route the hubby is on has put us so far behind on credit cards and such that most paydays I don't even get to go grocery shopping.
Then, when a better route comes up, Dick can't have it because someone above him in seniority votes on that route.
We tithe, we give offerings, sow seeds,and serve,and we just can never catch a break.
I don't spend money frivolously, I haven't bought new jeans for myself in a year! My tennis shoes are crap and Annie needs new carpet in her room DESPERATELY. I need restoration!
My hubby works his tail off,and I work when I can at the church. We just always struggle. I am tired of driving Rachel's car and adding extra wear and tear to it.
Some how, God makes it stretch, but I want to be able to buy a steak and have a steak once in a while, or go out with the fam. Is that too much to ask?
I am tired of the Obama adminstration and the state Government of California. The Obamas act like King and Queen with the peons at their disposal. Tax hikes here, bad plans for medical care, and taxpayer funded abortions.
California elects a known liberal governor who signs a bill making it mandatory to teach Homosexual contributions to American History.
I am tired of voting and my vote counts for (sorry,in advance) shit.
California's majority of voters TWICE voted in favor of traditional marriage,and liberal activist judges decide we don't know what we want.
I am tired of just day to day struggles. I am tired of people who make two or three times what we do looking down their nose at us and wondering why we have a hard time making ends meet.
I am just tired,and I need a break. So do alot of us. I wish it were time for Jesus to come.
Jesus, if you aren't going to come yet, can't we catch a break and have some money to do something fun with? Please?
Now I have ranted. Think what you want, it's how I feel right now.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Wishing and griping
Lately, I have been really struggling with some things. For one; we tithe faithfully nearly every payday. That isn't a gripe. However; we still struggle to make ends meet.
On top of that, Dick has had a route for the last six months that doesn't allow for much overtime.
That makes it really hard to stay on top of things. One week, his check for two weeks was 1100.00. Our mortgage is 1199.00. Add utilities, food(what food? Grocery shopping? really? what's that?)
you get the idea.
I see so many people who don't serve God, don't pay taxes, and definitely don't tithe and they have oodles of money to do things. WE didn't even get to go camping this summer!
I am tired of seeing posts on facebook about "Going to eat here" or "In San Diego" or even a movie,and we can't do much of anything. I am tired of trying to figure out which bill I can pay,and how am I going to get the shoes I so desperately need? I am tired of struggling,and tired (frankly) of trying to be faithful,and we just can't catch a break. I am so done. Stick a fork in me.
On top of that, Dick has had a route for the last six months that doesn't allow for much overtime.
That makes it really hard to stay on top of things. One week, his check for two weeks was 1100.00. Our mortgage is 1199.00. Add utilities, food(what food? Grocery shopping? really? what's that?)
you get the idea.
I see so many people who don't serve God, don't pay taxes, and definitely don't tithe and they have oodles of money to do things. WE didn't even get to go camping this summer!
I am tired of seeing posts on facebook about "Going to eat here" or "In San Diego" or even a movie,and we can't do much of anything. I am tired of trying to figure out which bill I can pay,and how am I going to get the shoes I so desperately need? I am tired of struggling,and tired (frankly) of trying to be faithful,and we just can't catch a break. I am so done. Stick a fork in me.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Finding Daddy in God
A week or so ago, I was scrolling through my ipod looking for something to listen to. I saw the name "Jennifer Miller" curious, I decided to give it a go.
Before I go further, let me set this up. I grew up in a two parent family, (for the most part, they separated several times and nearly divorced once) my dad is the kind of person that if you ask for something, and he gives it to you, there are strings attached, or he wants a lot of information; what is it for, don't give it to the church, etc. So, asking for anything from my dad is something I absolutely loathe doing.
Jennifer's story is that her family seemed happy enough, and they all loved the Lord until her dad left when she was 7. That pretty much left them with no income. When her dad lived with them, she could go to her dad whenever she needed something.
When he left, her mother told the children that God was their daddy,and if they needed something, they should ask their daddy. They did,and time and time again, he came through. In an amazing way. The family's faith was amazing.
It's easy for me to say to someone else that God is their daddy, and he will provide all your needs, but for whatever reason, although I know he loves me, it's been hard for me to think of him as MY daddy.
After listening to Jennifer Miller, I laid in bed that night thinking about what she said,and her testimony.
With a daughter getting married, it's really tight here. We are doing a wedding on a ridiculously small budget, less than 3,000.00 .
No one has offered help with money,but we have had offers of decorating items that will save us plenty and one friend offered a chocolate fountain and fruit to go with it ,as her gift to Hannah!
One thing Hannah and her fiancee thought would be helpful is if family wanted to, would they pitch in on the photographer.
I asked my dad,and opened a can of worms. "I never thought that would be a wedding gift I would want to give my grand daughter" "What do you mean, transportation?" "Isn't there a photographer in town who can do the pictures?"(Not for the price she is doing it for) " Does she have experience?" "Why isn't Hannah asking me this?" Those are really questions that he asked me. I cried.
That is exactly why I didn't want to ask,but did anyway, and wished I hadn't, as is the usual result. Ugh.
Wonder if I will ever learn.
Back to God, I laid in bed that night and thought about how 450.00 would be awesome right now. I decided to give God a try, asking him as daddy, not just God.
Oh boy. I thought I was going to just be able to do it without a problem. Not so. I began praying (out loud) "God..." I felt the impression "I am your DADDY" I tried again "God..." ugh. I should be able to do this! I am a grown woman for goodness sake!
"I am your DADDY ask me as your daddy" Okay, here goes. I literally closed my eyes, squinted them shut, really, and decided I was going to do it. "Daddy, I need $450.00" (only if I typed the way I said it , it would be "DaddyIneed450.00" I laid there for a second, waiting, with my eyes still squinted shut.
Nothing. By that I mean, I didn't get the usual 3rd degree that I do with my biological father.
"Hmmm..." I thought. "That wasn't so bad" I don't know if he will give me $450.00 but I just know that I didn't get the barrage of questions that I do with my biological dad.
Don't get the impression that I don't love my dad, I do. He is my dad,but I also know him,and I know how it is every time I ask for something. I get the 3rd degree, or there are strings attached. When my mom died, he had us go through the house and my mom's clothes only a few days after we buried mom. As we were going through the house, he would say things like "This is MINE. ,and that is so and so's" or "I bought that bedroom set for your mom" The day we had the funeral, we got back to my Grandma's house,and he had my sisters and I go through mom's jewelry. Every time I would say there was something I wanted, my sister would say she wanted it. Finally, we came to a ring and earring set made of coral that mom got in Hawaii. I wanted it. I practically had to beg my dad for it. It was basically the only thing I got out of all my mom' s jewelry. I had to tell my dad how much it meant to me,how badly I wanted it,and I didn't care if I got anything else(Mom had some pretty pieces of jewelry) just the ring and earrings. I got it, but at a price. That's how it is with my dad.
That night though, when I asked my daddy God, I didn't get the barrage of questions.I didn't get the strings that always come with, or the feeling of guilt for asking. And feeling like a beggar.
I don't know if that is how dad intends to be, but it's how he is. He's not a bad guy, he is careful with his money,and I get that. I try to be careful with ours as well. But we struggle,and trying to do this wedding on a super tight, practically impossible budget is daunting.
Now though, even if I don't get the 450.00, I know that I can go to my daddy God,with my needs and wants,and I won' t have to feel like I am on trial! I think I can call him daddy, at least much easier than before!
Before I go further, let me set this up. I grew up in a two parent family, (for the most part, they separated several times and nearly divorced once) my dad is the kind of person that if you ask for something, and he gives it to you, there are strings attached, or he wants a lot of information; what is it for, don't give it to the church, etc. So, asking for anything from my dad is something I absolutely loathe doing.
Jennifer's story is that her family seemed happy enough, and they all loved the Lord until her dad left when she was 7. That pretty much left them with no income. When her dad lived with them, she could go to her dad whenever she needed something.
When he left, her mother told the children that God was their daddy,and if they needed something, they should ask their daddy. They did,and time and time again, he came through. In an amazing way. The family's faith was amazing.
It's easy for me to say to someone else that God is their daddy, and he will provide all your needs, but for whatever reason, although I know he loves me, it's been hard for me to think of him as MY daddy.
After listening to Jennifer Miller, I laid in bed that night thinking about what she said,and her testimony.
With a daughter getting married, it's really tight here. We are doing a wedding on a ridiculously small budget, less than 3,000.00 .
No one has offered help with money,but we have had offers of decorating items that will save us plenty and one friend offered a chocolate fountain and fruit to go with it ,as her gift to Hannah!
One thing Hannah and her fiancee thought would be helpful is if family wanted to, would they pitch in on the photographer.
I asked my dad,and opened a can of worms. "I never thought that would be a wedding gift I would want to give my grand daughter" "What do you mean, transportation?" "Isn't there a photographer in town who can do the pictures?"(Not for the price she is doing it for) " Does she have experience?" "Why isn't Hannah asking me this?" Those are really questions that he asked me. I cried.
That is exactly why I didn't want to ask,but did anyway, and wished I hadn't, as is the usual result. Ugh.
Wonder if I will ever learn.
Back to God, I laid in bed that night and thought about how 450.00 would be awesome right now. I decided to give God a try, asking him as daddy, not just God.
Oh boy. I thought I was going to just be able to do it without a problem. Not so. I began praying (out loud) "God..." I felt the impression "I am your DADDY" I tried again "God..." ugh. I should be able to do this! I am a grown woman for goodness sake!
"I am your DADDY ask me as your daddy" Okay, here goes. I literally closed my eyes, squinted them shut, really, and decided I was going to do it. "Daddy, I need $450.00" (only if I typed the way I said it , it would be "DaddyIneed450.00" I laid there for a second, waiting, with my eyes still squinted shut.
Nothing. By that I mean, I didn't get the usual 3rd degree that I do with my biological father.
"Hmmm..." I thought. "That wasn't so bad" I don't know if he will give me $450.00 but I just know that I didn't get the barrage of questions that I do with my biological dad.
Don't get the impression that I don't love my dad, I do. He is my dad,but I also know him,and I know how it is every time I ask for something. I get the 3rd degree, or there are strings attached. When my mom died, he had us go through the house and my mom's clothes only a few days after we buried mom. As we were going through the house, he would say things like "This is MINE. ,and that is so and so's" or "I bought that bedroom set for your mom" The day we had the funeral, we got back to my Grandma's house,and he had my sisters and I go through mom's jewelry. Every time I would say there was something I wanted, my sister would say she wanted it. Finally, we came to a ring and earring set made of coral that mom got in Hawaii. I wanted it. I practically had to beg my dad for it. It was basically the only thing I got out of all my mom' s jewelry. I had to tell my dad how much it meant to me,how badly I wanted it,and I didn't care if I got anything else(Mom had some pretty pieces of jewelry) just the ring and earrings. I got it, but at a price. That's how it is with my dad.
That night though, when I asked my daddy God, I didn't get the barrage of questions.I didn't get the strings that always come with, or the feeling of guilt for asking. And feeling like a beggar.
I don't know if that is how dad intends to be, but it's how he is. He's not a bad guy, he is careful with his money,and I get that. I try to be careful with ours as well. But we struggle,and trying to do this wedding on a super tight, practically impossible budget is daunting.
Now though, even if I don't get the 450.00, I know that I can go to my daddy God,with my needs and wants,and I won' t have to feel like I am on trial! I think I can call him daddy, at least much easier than before!
Monday, January 24, 2011
When You Least Expect It!
Wow. Can't believe it's been nearly a year since I last blogged. Well, since I blogged on this one. I have another blog, but it is for only a few peeps right now. I may make it more public one day, when the journey is done.
Anyhow, I wanted to blog about a way that God used me Saturday night. JoAnn McFatter was at church, doing worship. I was pretty down, it had been a rough week.During worship, my friend Sheila was going full speed as usual. Suddenly, I saw her arcing backwards, and I knew she was going to end up on the floor. Sure enough, she ended up on the floor, very pretzel like. Feet under the knees, on her elbows, panting. I looked at her,and put my hand on her. "More Jesus, More"I said. (Not for my benefit) Then I had a picture of a cloud blowing wind. Just like in the old cartoons, when the cartoonist would depict the wind, with a drawing of a cloud, with big cheeks, puckered lips,and lines to represent the air being blown out. I stood for a few seconds,and kept seeing the picture in my minds eye. Thinking maybe I was supposed to say something to Sheila about it, I knelt down and told her. A few minutes later,when she was able, she got up and told me I had hit it on the head.
Sheila said she didn't fall down herself (I knew that) but that she felt air being blown into her!
Wow. I just stood there, I am sure mouth hanging open! Then, we got confirmation right after that. JoAnn said something about the breath of God. Then, shortly after that, yet another confirmation.I was just amazed. I hadn't gotten up from the floor yet,and after Sheila telling me I couldn't get up for a few minutes! I just laughed, thinking how I came in so discouraged,and worn out, and God used me to encourage someone else, leaving ME feeling more encouraged as well!
The whole vision thing is fairly new to me, so I am not always sure if I am seeing what I think I am. This I think is the first time that I have received confirmation!
Thank you Jesus, for allowing me to be blessed and encouraged in a way that was totally not about me! I try not to be selfish and self centered. Sometimes, with the stuff that has been going on, it's hard to see beyond this household. I am so happy that I was able to get outside of that,and do something that encouraged someone else in such a big way!
Help me to stay humble, God. I don't want it to be "Me me me" I really don't!
Anyhow, I wanted to blog about a way that God used me Saturday night. JoAnn McFatter was at church, doing worship. I was pretty down, it had been a rough week.During worship, my friend Sheila was going full speed as usual. Suddenly, I saw her arcing backwards, and I knew she was going to end up on the floor. Sure enough, she ended up on the floor, very pretzel like. Feet under the knees, on her elbows, panting. I looked at her,and put my hand on her. "More Jesus, More"I said. (Not for my benefit) Then I had a picture of a cloud blowing wind. Just like in the old cartoons, when the cartoonist would depict the wind, with a drawing of a cloud, with big cheeks, puckered lips,and lines to represent the air being blown out. I stood for a few seconds,and kept seeing the picture in my minds eye. Thinking maybe I was supposed to say something to Sheila about it, I knelt down and told her. A few minutes later,when she was able, she got up and told me I had hit it on the head.
Sheila said she didn't fall down herself (I knew that) but that she felt air being blown into her!
Wow. I just stood there, I am sure mouth hanging open! Then, we got confirmation right after that. JoAnn said something about the breath of God. Then, shortly after that, yet another confirmation.I was just amazed. I hadn't gotten up from the floor yet,and after Sheila telling me I couldn't get up for a few minutes! I just laughed, thinking how I came in so discouraged,and worn out, and God used me to encourage someone else, leaving ME feeling more encouraged as well!
The whole vision thing is fairly new to me, so I am not always sure if I am seeing what I think I am. This I think is the first time that I have received confirmation!
Thank you Jesus, for allowing me to be blessed and encouraged in a way that was totally not about me! I try not to be selfish and self centered. Sometimes, with the stuff that has been going on, it's hard to see beyond this household. I am so happy that I was able to get outside of that,and do something that encouraged someone else in such a big way!
Help me to stay humble, God. I don't want it to be "Me me me" I really don't!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Candles
I wrote this late last summer/early fall . I had forgotten that I had it! I thought I would share it, in hopes that it encourages someone else.
A candle can represent several things.
The scent can mask unpleasant odors; or we burn it just for the pleasant smell. That smell can be soothing, relaxing, or serve a particular purpose. It can even provoke memories from our past.
The light from the candle from the candle can have purpose; also. It can create a romantic atmosphere, for one. It can be useful in a storm. When the electricity goes out; the candle gives light.
The light given by the candle can represent Christ.; the light in the darkness. The storm creates darkness, that darkness can be symbolic of life without Christ. We light the candle to illuminate the darkness. Once we touch the match to the wick; the darkness is pierced by that light. In the same way, Christ pierces the darkness of our lives in the midst of the storm.
Jesus is the way, the truth,and the life, and the LIGHT!
A candle can represent several things.
The scent can mask unpleasant odors; or we burn it just for the pleasant smell. That smell can be soothing, relaxing, or serve a particular purpose. It can even provoke memories from our past.
The light from the candle from the candle can have purpose; also. It can create a romantic atmosphere, for one. It can be useful in a storm. When the electricity goes out; the candle gives light.
The light given by the candle can represent Christ.; the light in the darkness. The storm creates darkness, that darkness can be symbolic of life without Christ. We light the candle to illuminate the darkness. Once we touch the match to the wick; the darkness is pierced by that light. In the same way, Christ pierces the darkness of our lives in the midst of the storm.
Jesus is the way, the truth,and the life, and the LIGHT!
Friday, October 9, 2009
The Lie That Grew (and Grew)
Annie came out front while I was mowing the yard.( I had told her earlier she could not be out front since she had left the scooter in front of the neighbor's house and it went missing for a bit. )
Thinking she was looking for an excuse to be in front,I sent her back in. A short time later, she reappeared with Rachel. I could see by their faces something was up, so I shut off the mower.
"Mom, Annie needs to tell you something." Annie whispered to Rachel that she wanted Rachel to tell me. They whispered back and forth a bit and finally Rachel said Annie was swinging on her swing, fell off and a nail poked her in the lip. I looked from Annie to Rachel, trying to discern from Rachel's face whether this could be true.
I told Annie to show me where this nail was, then told Rachel that IF I found a nail, Dad was going to have to talk to the neighbors behind us. (our neighbors have been building a shed. I found several nails near the fence,but back in an area Annie will not usually go, for fear of spiders)
I followed Annie to the back yard and we stopped at the edge of the patio."Show me where you found the nail" I said.
" Well, it was by the clothesline." she replied. I knew it likely wasn't there, but I made a show of looking anyway.
"Annie" I began"There is no way you fell off the swing and bumped your lip on a nail by the clothesline."
It was obvious to me that Annie was lying, but how to get her to admit it and see the importance of telling the truth was going to be difficult.
Trying to be patient, I began again." Annie, if I have to go talk to the neighbors about throwing nails over the fence,and find out that you lied to me, you are going to be in BIG trouble, so you had better tell me where the nail is."
Annie decided that she had thrown it in the grass. "So, If I mow the backyard, I can run over the nail,and it will get thrown up by the lawnmower,and it could hit someone's eye." Annie thought for a moment and quipped" Well, It was over by the ladder,and ..." I had to interrupt." I did not see a single nail over by your ladder. You are not telling me the truth.Now tell me the truth!"
Annie tried again."Well, I threw it away." "Oh," I said, so if I check the garbage can am I going to find it?" Annie thought for a moment."You see, it went BEHIND the Garbage can."
I told her I was going to check. "Well..." (By now, I am thinking that word has become Annie's favorite out of all the words in her vast vocabulary.)"you won't see it,because it went behind that big air thing"(the water heater)
I told her that was funny, I didn't think she could have thrown it that far. Annie tried again."Well, it went into the mouse hole" I informed her that there was no mouse hole.
By this time, Annie's responses were coming slower, I could see that she was really trying to think of something that might make her story believable.
She thought a moment more,and spoke again." You won't see it down there,because I threw it really high and it went into a mouse hole way up there."
She pointed to the rafters above the washer and dryer.
Rachel had been watching the entire time,and finally couldn't stand it anymore. Trying not to laugh, she said" That's a good one Annie!"
Annie stood for a minute,and then laughed,as if she was just kidding the whole time. She waltzed off to play, as if nothing had happened.
That is the lie that grew and grew .The only truth we could discern was that she had indeed fallen off the swingset, but apparently had decided the nail idea was a bit more of an exciting story.
Thinking she was looking for an excuse to be in front,I sent her back in. A short time later, she reappeared with Rachel. I could see by their faces something was up, so I shut off the mower.
"Mom, Annie needs to tell you something." Annie whispered to Rachel that she wanted Rachel to tell me. They whispered back and forth a bit and finally Rachel said Annie was swinging on her swing, fell off and a nail poked her in the lip. I looked from Annie to Rachel, trying to discern from Rachel's face whether this could be true.
I told Annie to show me where this nail was, then told Rachel that IF I found a nail, Dad was going to have to talk to the neighbors behind us. (our neighbors have been building a shed. I found several nails near the fence,but back in an area Annie will not usually go, for fear of spiders)
I followed Annie to the back yard and we stopped at the edge of the patio."Show me where you found the nail" I said.
" Well, it was by the clothesline." she replied. I knew it likely wasn't there, but I made a show of looking anyway.
"Annie" I began"There is no way you fell off the swing and bumped your lip on a nail by the clothesline."
It was obvious to me that Annie was lying, but how to get her to admit it and see the importance of telling the truth was going to be difficult.
Trying to be patient, I began again." Annie, if I have to go talk to the neighbors about throwing nails over the fence,and find out that you lied to me, you are going to be in BIG trouble, so you had better tell me where the nail is."
Annie decided that she had thrown it in the grass. "So, If I mow the backyard, I can run over the nail,and it will get thrown up by the lawnmower,and it could hit someone's eye." Annie thought for a moment and quipped" Well, It was over by the ladder,and ..." I had to interrupt." I did not see a single nail over by your ladder. You are not telling me the truth.Now tell me the truth!"
Annie tried again."Well, I threw it away." "Oh," I said, so if I check the garbage can am I going to find it?" Annie thought for a moment."You see, it went BEHIND the Garbage can."
I told her I was going to check. "Well..." (By now, I am thinking that word has become Annie's favorite out of all the words in her vast vocabulary.)"you won't see it,because it went behind that big air thing"(the water heater)
I told her that was funny, I didn't think she could have thrown it that far. Annie tried again."Well, it went into the mouse hole" I informed her that there was no mouse hole.
By this time, Annie's responses were coming slower, I could see that she was really trying to think of something that might make her story believable.
She thought a moment more,and spoke again." You won't see it down there,because I threw it really high and it went into a mouse hole way up there."
She pointed to the rafters above the washer and dryer.
Rachel had been watching the entire time,and finally couldn't stand it anymore. Trying not to laugh, she said" That's a good one Annie!"
Annie stood for a minute,and then laughed,as if she was just kidding the whole time. She waltzed off to play, as if nothing had happened.
That is the lie that grew and grew .The only truth we could discern was that she had indeed fallen off the swingset, but apparently had decided the nail idea was a bit more of an exciting story.
Monday, September 14, 2009
The ( Could Have Been) National Lampoon Camping Trip
It all started out innocently enough. Our oldest daughter, Laura wanted to go camping for her birthday. So, plans were made to go to Little Grass Valley, her favorite place to camp.
As soon as Dick got off work, we loaded up the gear and the dog and headed up the hill. Thus began what we fully expected to be a fun family camping trip. Little did we know, it would be a weekend we would not soon forget.
As we pulled into Little Beaver; loop A was much more full than we expected, even for a July weekend. Fortunately, we found one of our favorite spots was available; so we wasted no time setting up camp.
As we did so, we noticed we had two extra children hanging around. Our neighbor’s children; (naturally curious and not naturally shy), decided to make their presence known.
Quickly realizing that they had no plans to go back to their camp, and noticing that mom had no interest in telling them to come back; I tried to politely send them on their way.
After a couple of attempts; their mother got the hint and called them back to their camp.
Thinking that was the end of that, we went on about fixing dinner and getting ready for the next day.
As darkness began to fall; we made sure to lock all our ice chests and other food items in the car, to discourage any bears from invading our camp.
Noticing that our neighbors had not put their ice chests away; Dick went over to talk to the neighbors, thinking maybe they were unaware of the bear threat.
As luck would have it, we found out they were “clampers” and this was their annual weekend gathering at Little Grass Valley. They always chose Little Beaver, and chose loop A, they told us, because that was the best campground at the resort.
“Oh, Hooray” we thought. “This is going to be an interesting weekend.” (E Clampus Vitus has a reputation for some wild partying.) We tried to think positively, but none of us was having much success.
As the conversation went on; Dick asked; “You are going to put your food away, right?”
“We know” the man replied. “But, are you going to put it away?” Dick asked again. “We know” the man answered again.
It didn’t take long to figure out that they were not going to lock up their food. All we could do was pray (literally!) and hope the bears decided not to be hungry that night.
We went to bed, unsure of whether we could or should sleep that night.
I woke up a while later to a rather unpleasant smell. “Oh, great, the bear has pooped right next to my side of the tent!” I thought.
Since I was not about to go out and look, I tried to ignore the smell and went back to sleep. A bit later; I felt a little body lying on top of me. Half asleep, I absently reached up to pat the body. I realized quickly, that it was our youngest, Chloe, and she was naked.
“What are you doing?” I asked. “ I just wanted to snuggle with you, mom.” Came the reply. I looked at the alarm clock and noted the time; 2:00 a.m. “AT two o’clock in the morning?”
“Where are your pajamas?” I asked Chloe. “I was hot, so I took them off!”
“Go get your pajamas back on and get back in bed” I ordered, suddenly wide awake..
As Chloe got up to go back to her sleeping bag, I thought maybe I should turn on the flashlight so she could see where she was going. As I did so, I suddenly realized that what I thought was the bear’s bodily waste I smelled, was not the bear after all; but Chloe.
“Don’t get back in that sleeping bag!” I exclaimed. Chloe stood there, waiting to see what she should do next.. I yelled at Dick to get up and help me. I began tossing soiled clothes and bedding out of the tent. Dick took over that job and I began trying to clean Chloe enough until I could bathe her properly.
“Do we have to go home?” she asked. “Not now, but we may have to go home tomorrow” I replied. Chloe began to cry “I didn’t mean to! I couldn’t help it!” Realizing the poor girl thought it was her fault, and that she was in trouble, I tried to reassure her that neither was the case, but that we couldn’t stay if she was sick. By this time, Laura was awake, vocalizing her opinion about her sister ruining HER birthday camping trip.
“Go back to sleep and mind your own business!” I snapped. Laura reluctantly laid back down and kept quiet. I apologized, and informed Laura that it was not her sister’s fault. Accidents happen.. We got things cleaned up as best we could and tried to go back to sleep.
A short time later, we woke again, to the neighbor’s dog and our dog’s barking and the neighbors shouting. The bear had decided to visit and their dog had treed the bear. The girls wanted to see. Dick firmly told the girls to stay put.. We waited, hoping the neighbors would call off their dog, the bear would leave, and we could go back to sleep.
It was not to be. The two men in the camp decided to stay up, since quiet time ended in only two more hours. Suffice it to say they were NOT quiet, and I think I even yelled at them that people were trying to SLEEP! Obviously, it was a wasted effort.
We did finally manage to get an hour or two of sleep. Chloe informed us after the short sleep we all had that she was just fine, could we please stay one more night?
Since there had been no other incidents that could be mistaken for the bear, we agreed that we could stay another night. Fortunately, I had a plastic zipper bag from a bedspread I had recently bought. We put all the soiled items in the bag, and set it away from the tent.
In the meantime, our dog had made herself comfortable on Chloe’s egg crate foam. After wrestling with the dog; I managed to get her off of it and haul it to the dumpster. I could feel the pitiful brown eyes following me to the dumpster. I could imagine what Callie’s opinion of me was at that moment.
(later, both the dog and Chloe got a bath in the lake!)
The plan for the day, as per Laura’s request was fishing, and then Italian Sausages and roasted bell peppers for dinner, to be followed by opening presents, easy enough. ( or so I thought) We packed up our lunch, scratched the dog goodbye and headed out for a day of fishing on the lake, putting the events of the night and early morning behind us.
After a successful fishing expedition, we returned to camp, our mouths watering at the thought of sausage and peppers for dinner.
Dick offered to start the camp stove and barbeque for me, but where were the matches?
I informed him that they were right next to the camp stove, where we usually kept them. I walked over to show him. The matches were not there. Dick happened to look down, and pointed. Every match in the box (it had been full to start) had been lit and thrown on the ground. Dick voiced the thought that maybe our girls had been playing with the matches. I reminded him that we had been gone all day, so that was not possible.
Reluctantly, Dick asked our neighbor woman if we could borrow some matches. Her children followed us back and informed us that they had lit our matches, and tried to light our stove.
I could not believe what I was hearing. “We took your dog for a walk, too!” the little girl informed me. “And, we fed her some hot dogs! “the girl’s brother chimed in. “You shouldn’t have done that” I scolded. I looked at their mother, hoping for some input, but she had her nose in a book and was obviously unconcerned.
When the children asked why they should not have done that, I tried maintain my calm and explain that the dog could have bit someone, and we would have been in trouble. “But she is a nice dog!” they added, as if I was being told something new. “It doesn’t matter, she is NOT your dog, you should NEVER take someone else’ dog for a walk without asking! You also should not play with matches, you could have been hurt!” “Oh,” was all they said, obviously not getting the point I was trying to make.
Frustrated with the children and their mother’s lack of guidance, I tried to remain calm.
I told them they needed to go back to their camp, that we were going to be eating. “Oh, what are you having for dinner?” the children asked. “Sausage and peppers” I grumbled. “Can we eat with you? “ “NO!” Laura exclaimed, before I could get the words out.
She had been quiet for the most part, but she had taken all she could. “NO, you can’t, and you need to go back to your camp!” Laura shouted at them.
I tried to smooth things over a bit, but the two children did not understand. I finally had to firmly tell them that it was not okay to play with matches. It was not okay to take a strange dog for a walk, and it was not polite to ask if you could eat dinner with someone, now please go back to your camp.
Mom must have gotten the hint, finally, because she timidly told them to come back.
We ate dinner in peace, and after dinner, Laura was able to open her presents. I could feel the eyes of the two children next door watching Laura as she opened her gifts. I felt a twinge of sympathy for them. They were obviously lonely and needed a mother’s attention.
That evening, Dick went next door again, to inquire if the neighbors were going to put their food away. “Yeah, we just wanted to give our kids some excitement” was their reply. Dick couldn’t resist “Well, you did. Your dog treed the bear on the side of the tent that your kids were sleeping on!” “ What would you have done if the bear fell out of the tree?” No reply. Dick continued on “You gave your kids some excitement, alright, along with everyone else!”
“Yeah, guess we should lock up our food tonight” they finally managed. Satisfied, we began to get ready for bed.
Everyone went to bed, and if the bear came through, either everyone was too tired (including the dogs) to notice, or the bear couldn’t find anything worthwhile to stick around for.
So the camping trip ended, but Laura made it clear that not only did she never want to go camping for her birthday again; she especially never wanted to camp at Little Grass Valley for her birthday again.
We did find out later that the camp had decided to move the “Clampers” to another campground farther down the road from then on. Little Beaver is too popular and there had been too many complaints from other campers. Still, even that could not convince Laura to go to Little Grass Valley on or near her birthday from then on.
Thus ended the camping expedition that (could have been) something from National Lampoon’s vacation.
As I said, some names have been changed, mainly to protect ME from the wrath of my children and any perceived humiliation on their part.
As soon as Dick got off work, we loaded up the gear and the dog and headed up the hill. Thus began what we fully expected to be a fun family camping trip. Little did we know, it would be a weekend we would not soon forget.
As we pulled into Little Beaver; loop A was much more full than we expected, even for a July weekend. Fortunately, we found one of our favorite spots was available; so we wasted no time setting up camp.
As we did so, we noticed we had two extra children hanging around. Our neighbor’s children; (naturally curious and not naturally shy), decided to make their presence known.
Quickly realizing that they had no plans to go back to their camp, and noticing that mom had no interest in telling them to come back; I tried to politely send them on their way.
After a couple of attempts; their mother got the hint and called them back to their camp.
Thinking that was the end of that, we went on about fixing dinner and getting ready for the next day.
As darkness began to fall; we made sure to lock all our ice chests and other food items in the car, to discourage any bears from invading our camp.
Noticing that our neighbors had not put their ice chests away; Dick went over to talk to the neighbors, thinking maybe they were unaware of the bear threat.
As luck would have it, we found out they were “clampers” and this was their annual weekend gathering at Little Grass Valley. They always chose Little Beaver, and chose loop A, they told us, because that was the best campground at the resort.
“Oh, Hooray” we thought. “This is going to be an interesting weekend.” (E Clampus Vitus has a reputation for some wild partying.) We tried to think positively, but none of us was having much success.
As the conversation went on; Dick asked; “You are going to put your food away, right?”
“We know” the man replied. “But, are you going to put it away?” Dick asked again. “We know” the man answered again.
It didn’t take long to figure out that they were not going to lock up their food. All we could do was pray (literally!) and hope the bears decided not to be hungry that night.
We went to bed, unsure of whether we could or should sleep that night.
I woke up a while later to a rather unpleasant smell. “Oh, great, the bear has pooped right next to my side of the tent!” I thought.
Since I was not about to go out and look, I tried to ignore the smell and went back to sleep. A bit later; I felt a little body lying on top of me. Half asleep, I absently reached up to pat the body. I realized quickly, that it was our youngest, Chloe, and she was naked.
“What are you doing?” I asked. “ I just wanted to snuggle with you, mom.” Came the reply. I looked at the alarm clock and noted the time; 2:00 a.m. “AT two o’clock in the morning?”
“Where are your pajamas?” I asked Chloe. “I was hot, so I took them off!”
“Go get your pajamas back on and get back in bed” I ordered, suddenly wide awake..
As Chloe got up to go back to her sleeping bag, I thought maybe I should turn on the flashlight so she could see where she was going. As I did so, I suddenly realized that what I thought was the bear’s bodily waste I smelled, was not the bear after all; but Chloe.
“Don’t get back in that sleeping bag!” I exclaimed. Chloe stood there, waiting to see what she should do next.. I yelled at Dick to get up and help me. I began tossing soiled clothes and bedding out of the tent. Dick took over that job and I began trying to clean Chloe enough until I could bathe her properly.
“Do we have to go home?” she asked. “Not now, but we may have to go home tomorrow” I replied. Chloe began to cry “I didn’t mean to! I couldn’t help it!” Realizing the poor girl thought it was her fault, and that she was in trouble, I tried to reassure her that neither was the case, but that we couldn’t stay if she was sick. By this time, Laura was awake, vocalizing her opinion about her sister ruining HER birthday camping trip.
“Go back to sleep and mind your own business!” I snapped. Laura reluctantly laid back down and kept quiet. I apologized, and informed Laura that it was not her sister’s fault. Accidents happen.. We got things cleaned up as best we could and tried to go back to sleep.
A short time later, we woke again, to the neighbor’s dog and our dog’s barking and the neighbors shouting. The bear had decided to visit and their dog had treed the bear. The girls wanted to see. Dick firmly told the girls to stay put.. We waited, hoping the neighbors would call off their dog, the bear would leave, and we could go back to sleep.
It was not to be. The two men in the camp decided to stay up, since quiet time ended in only two more hours. Suffice it to say they were NOT quiet, and I think I even yelled at them that people were trying to SLEEP! Obviously, it was a wasted effort.
We did finally manage to get an hour or two of sleep. Chloe informed us after the short sleep we all had that she was just fine, could we please stay one more night?
Since there had been no other incidents that could be mistaken for the bear, we agreed that we could stay another night. Fortunately, I had a plastic zipper bag from a bedspread I had recently bought. We put all the soiled items in the bag, and set it away from the tent.
In the meantime, our dog had made herself comfortable on Chloe’s egg crate foam. After wrestling with the dog; I managed to get her off of it and haul it to the dumpster. I could feel the pitiful brown eyes following me to the dumpster. I could imagine what Callie’s opinion of me was at that moment.
(later, both the dog and Chloe got a bath in the lake!)
The plan for the day, as per Laura’s request was fishing, and then Italian Sausages and roasted bell peppers for dinner, to be followed by opening presents, easy enough. ( or so I thought) We packed up our lunch, scratched the dog goodbye and headed out for a day of fishing on the lake, putting the events of the night and early morning behind us.
After a successful fishing expedition, we returned to camp, our mouths watering at the thought of sausage and peppers for dinner.
Dick offered to start the camp stove and barbeque for me, but where were the matches?
I informed him that they were right next to the camp stove, where we usually kept them. I walked over to show him. The matches were not there. Dick happened to look down, and pointed. Every match in the box (it had been full to start) had been lit and thrown on the ground. Dick voiced the thought that maybe our girls had been playing with the matches. I reminded him that we had been gone all day, so that was not possible.
Reluctantly, Dick asked our neighbor woman if we could borrow some matches. Her children followed us back and informed us that they had lit our matches, and tried to light our stove.
I could not believe what I was hearing. “We took your dog for a walk, too!” the little girl informed me. “And, we fed her some hot dogs! “the girl’s brother chimed in. “You shouldn’t have done that” I scolded. I looked at their mother, hoping for some input, but she had her nose in a book and was obviously unconcerned.
When the children asked why they should not have done that, I tried maintain my calm and explain that the dog could have bit someone, and we would have been in trouble. “But she is a nice dog!” they added, as if I was being told something new. “It doesn’t matter, she is NOT your dog, you should NEVER take someone else’ dog for a walk without asking! You also should not play with matches, you could have been hurt!” “Oh,” was all they said, obviously not getting the point I was trying to make.
Frustrated with the children and their mother’s lack of guidance, I tried to remain calm.
I told them they needed to go back to their camp, that we were going to be eating. “Oh, what are you having for dinner?” the children asked. “Sausage and peppers” I grumbled. “Can we eat with you? “ “NO!” Laura exclaimed, before I could get the words out.
She had been quiet for the most part, but she had taken all she could. “NO, you can’t, and you need to go back to your camp!” Laura shouted at them.
I tried to smooth things over a bit, but the two children did not understand. I finally had to firmly tell them that it was not okay to play with matches. It was not okay to take a strange dog for a walk, and it was not polite to ask if you could eat dinner with someone, now please go back to your camp.
Mom must have gotten the hint, finally, because she timidly told them to come back.
We ate dinner in peace, and after dinner, Laura was able to open her presents. I could feel the eyes of the two children next door watching Laura as she opened her gifts. I felt a twinge of sympathy for them. They were obviously lonely and needed a mother’s attention.
That evening, Dick went next door again, to inquire if the neighbors were going to put their food away. “Yeah, we just wanted to give our kids some excitement” was their reply. Dick couldn’t resist “Well, you did. Your dog treed the bear on the side of the tent that your kids were sleeping on!” “ What would you have done if the bear fell out of the tree?” No reply. Dick continued on “You gave your kids some excitement, alright, along with everyone else!”
“Yeah, guess we should lock up our food tonight” they finally managed. Satisfied, we began to get ready for bed.
Everyone went to bed, and if the bear came through, either everyone was too tired (including the dogs) to notice, or the bear couldn’t find anything worthwhile to stick around for.
So the camping trip ended, but Laura made it clear that not only did she never want to go camping for her birthday again; she especially never wanted to camp at Little Grass Valley for her birthday again.
We did find out later that the camp had decided to move the “Clampers” to another campground farther down the road from then on. Little Beaver is too popular and there had been too many complaints from other campers. Still, even that could not convince Laura to go to Little Grass Valley on or near her birthday from then on.
Thus ended the camping expedition that (could have been) something from National Lampoon’s vacation.
As I said, some names have been changed, mainly to protect ME from the wrath of my children and any perceived humiliation on their part.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Food for thought
Earlier this month, Rachel was able to go to the School of Healing at Bethel in Redding. (lucky girl!) She shared something with me that really made me think, so I thought I would share it with you.
Some of you know(and some of you have been or are yourselves) we did foster care for awhile.
Oftentimes, foster children will stuff more food in their mouths than they can eat, looking like a chipmunk. Sometimes they will take the food from the table and run off with it, worried that that is all they will get. Other times,they will sneak food into their rooms,hide it under the bed, etc.
As a foster parent, we just have to reassure them they will be able to eat when they want,and there will be enough. It sometimes takes awhile,but they usually figure it out after a bit.
One of the speakers was (is) himself a foster parent. He used the above as an analogy. He shared that often times; we are like that with God. God gives us something,and we will take it, run with it, afraid there won't be a "next time", or enough. We also sometimes hide it, afraid we won't get anything else.
What we need to realize is that God's gifts are always there for us. God will always make sure there is enough,if we will just stop hoarding it, or try to use it as quickly as possible, afraid there isn't going to be anymore. We are often like some of those foster children who didn't get enough to eat in their homes,and have a hard time understanding that there IS enough in this home, and there will ALWAYS be enough.
For me;this was a big eye opener. I had honestly never thought about God's gifts in that perspective. Now, I just have to remember there IS enough, WILL be enough,and I don't have to hoard the gift, or stuff it in my mouth, afraid that I won't get anything else.
Wow! It is something I am going to work on!
Some of you know(and some of you have been or are yourselves) we did foster care for awhile.
Oftentimes, foster children will stuff more food in their mouths than they can eat, looking like a chipmunk. Sometimes they will take the food from the table and run off with it, worried that that is all they will get. Other times,they will sneak food into their rooms,hide it under the bed, etc.
As a foster parent, we just have to reassure them they will be able to eat when they want,and there will be enough. It sometimes takes awhile,but they usually figure it out after a bit.
One of the speakers was (is) himself a foster parent. He used the above as an analogy. He shared that often times; we are like that with God. God gives us something,and we will take it, run with it, afraid there won't be a "next time", or enough. We also sometimes hide it, afraid we won't get anything else.
What we need to realize is that God's gifts are always there for us. God will always make sure there is enough,if we will just stop hoarding it, or try to use it as quickly as possible, afraid there isn't going to be anymore. We are often like some of those foster children who didn't get enough to eat in their homes,and have a hard time understanding that there IS enough in this home, and there will ALWAYS be enough.
For me;this was a big eye opener. I had honestly never thought about God's gifts in that perspective. Now, I just have to remember there IS enough, WILL be enough,and I don't have to hoard the gift, or stuff it in my mouth, afraid that I won't get anything else.
Wow! It is something I am going to work on!
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Costco reciepts
We made our way through the main aisle of Costco, with the usual stops one needs to make with a 5 year old who wants to sample anything available.
We finally made it over to the deli section to pick the meat and bread we wanted for our sandwiches.
Content with our selection; we made our way to the front registers to pay for our items. Dick ordered a couple of hot dog combos while there,and paid for our items.
In his haste, he nearly forgot to take the reciept with him to the snack bar. I handed him the reciept, unaware of the fact that there were two reciepts.
After he put all the goodies on his hot dogs, we headed for the door.
Dick handed the door man the reciept in the box. The man looked at the reciept. "Where is your reciept?" the doorman asked. He continued " This one is for the hot dogs and drinks,and it LOOKS like you have some meat, cheese and bread in this box." I felt a big "DUH" coming on at the word "LOOKS" but kept my mouth shut.
Dick looked at me and said "YOU gave me the wrong reciept." I couldn't help but reply in defense "Don't blame me!" "I didn't know there were two reciepts!"
Grumbling that the snack bar had probably thrown away the reciept, and without any suggestions from the doorman, Dick started off on a seemingly wild goose chase.
Annie and I stayed behind with the food we had paid for, but not having the reciept to prove it, we waited; one patiently, the other NOT so patiently.
(patient is an adjective that would NOT correctly describe the noun known as Annie.)
I watched as Dick first went to the snack bar, then over to the customer service desk. From there; I could not see where he went. I began to wonder if Costco was going to keep my hubby as proof of purchase.
After what seemed an eternity; he came back with a computer printout of our proof of purchase.
I felt by then that Annie and I should have been bestowed with some sort of an award for our PATIENCE or at least my creativity in trying to keep Annie occupied and out of trouble during the wait.
We once again made our way to the door; with Dick's irritation written all over his face. The doorman meekly thanked us,and we left, on our not so merry way.
By the time we made it to the car, Dick's irritation had subsided,and he happily ate his late lunch of hot dogs,while I ate a late lunch consisting of my cinnamon roll from Cinnabon. (and,yes, I enjoyed every bite!)
We finally made it over to the deli section to pick the meat and bread we wanted for our sandwiches.
Content with our selection; we made our way to the front registers to pay for our items. Dick ordered a couple of hot dog combos while there,and paid for our items.
In his haste, he nearly forgot to take the reciept with him to the snack bar. I handed him the reciept, unaware of the fact that there were two reciepts.
After he put all the goodies on his hot dogs, we headed for the door.
Dick handed the door man the reciept in the box. The man looked at the reciept. "Where is your reciept?" the doorman asked. He continued " This one is for the hot dogs and drinks,and it LOOKS like you have some meat, cheese and bread in this box." I felt a big "DUH" coming on at the word "LOOKS" but kept my mouth shut.
Dick looked at me and said "YOU gave me the wrong reciept." I couldn't help but reply in defense "Don't blame me!" "I didn't know there were two reciepts!"
Grumbling that the snack bar had probably thrown away the reciept, and without any suggestions from the doorman, Dick started off on a seemingly wild goose chase.
Annie and I stayed behind with the food we had paid for, but not having the reciept to prove it, we waited; one patiently, the other NOT so patiently.
(patient is an adjective that would NOT correctly describe the noun known as Annie.)
I watched as Dick first went to the snack bar, then over to the customer service desk. From there; I could not see where he went. I began to wonder if Costco was going to keep my hubby as proof of purchase.
After what seemed an eternity; he came back with a computer printout of our proof of purchase.
I felt by then that Annie and I should have been bestowed with some sort of an award for our PATIENCE or at least my creativity in trying to keep Annie occupied and out of trouble during the wait.
We once again made our way to the door; with Dick's irritation written all over his face. The doorman meekly thanked us,and we left, on our not so merry way.
By the time we made it to the car, Dick's irritation had subsided,and he happily ate his late lunch of hot dogs,while I ate a late lunch consisting of my cinnamon roll from Cinnabon. (and,yes, I enjoyed every bite!)
Thursday, June 11, 2009
A Child's View of the Fog
About a year or so ago, I was talking with one of my assistants in my tiny tots class.It had been foggy, and thus the subject of our conversation. On our way out to the church,Annie(being only 4 at the time,although she is 5 now and still wants me to "LOOKAT!" ) was saying "mom, look at me!" I patiently tried to explain that I needed to pay attention to my driving,as it was foggy.
She quipped "I'll watch the fog for you, my eyes work better than yours!" I laughed, ableit a bit chagrined. After a couple of minutes, she reminded me that she was still watching the fog for me. I laughed again,and told her she cracks me up! I thought I might have to pull over, for laughing,but did fine.
I thought Annie's quote was funny, but read on, because my friend's daughter had a quote that takes the cake!
The mom told me that as they were getting into the car to leave for church; her daughter(who was 6 ) looked around and asked ;" Mommy; why is there dog breath outside?"
Kids are just too funny!
I am so glad I get to do the job I get to do! It is never boring,and kids just come up with great stuff!
She quipped "I'll watch the fog for you, my eyes work better than yours!" I laughed, ableit a bit chagrined. After a couple of minutes, she reminded me that she was still watching the fog for me. I laughed again,and told her she cracks me up! I thought I might have to pull over, for laughing,but did fine.
I thought Annie's quote was funny, but read on, because my friend's daughter had a quote that takes the cake!
The mom told me that as they were getting into the car to leave for church; her daughter(who was 6 ) looked around and asked ;" Mommy; why is there dog breath outside?"
Kids are just too funny!
I am so glad I get to do the job I get to do! It is never boring,and kids just come up with great stuff!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
George "The KIller" Tiller
I heard that George "The Killer" Tiller was murdered today. (I am NOT the one who gave him that moniker) He was shot while in church.
First, I cannot fathom how someone who murders babies( he was one who did Partial Birth abortions) can sit in a church with a clear conscience.
Don't get me wrong,I am NOT condoning his murder, it was wrong, as much as what George Tiller was doing. Murdering an abortion doctor isn't the answer.
I wish the case against him could have been successful and he would have been sitting in prison or at least stripped of his medical license, instead of mocking God(I feel) by sitting in church with innocent blood on his hands.
I wonder though,how much longer he would have been able to continue killing innocent children without God's judgement eventually catching up with him.
I wonder how he felt standing in front of his creator, knowing he snuffed out so many of the lives his creator created?(I know, that doesn't sound grammatically correct. but I want it that way)
I don't think I would have been able to look God in the eye.
Did it ever cross his mind that these babies are God' s creation? Did he Ever once feel any guilt?I am sure he felt no compassion.
In a strange way, I am not so surprised that George Tiller was killed. I hope he hears the cries of the babies he killed for the rest of eternity. That may be the wrong attitude, but that is how I feel. I have never had an abortion myself, but I have been affected by the choice someone I know made to abort, and it broke my heart that she made that choice. I have no compassion for the doctors who perform these abortions, it is all about money. Not about compassion.
Maybe I should feel some compassion for the doctors and clinic operators, but right now, I do not. I only feel compassion for these innocents.,and only that some of them are so decieved, they sincerely believe they are helping women.
I suppose maybe I might feel a bit of compassion for The KIller Tiller, but only in that he had to stand before God knowing he grieved our creator deeply.
First, I cannot fathom how someone who murders babies( he was one who did Partial Birth abortions) can sit in a church with a clear conscience.
Don't get me wrong,I am NOT condoning his murder, it was wrong, as much as what George Tiller was doing. Murdering an abortion doctor isn't the answer.
I wish the case against him could have been successful and he would have been sitting in prison or at least stripped of his medical license, instead of mocking God(I feel) by sitting in church with innocent blood on his hands.
I wonder though,how much longer he would have been able to continue killing innocent children without God's judgement eventually catching up with him.
I wonder how he felt standing in front of his creator, knowing he snuffed out so many of the lives his creator created?(I know, that doesn't sound grammatically correct. but I want it that way)
I don't think I would have been able to look God in the eye.
Did it ever cross his mind that these babies are God' s creation? Did he Ever once feel any guilt?I am sure he felt no compassion.
In a strange way, I am not so surprised that George Tiller was killed. I hope he hears the cries of the babies he killed for the rest of eternity. That may be the wrong attitude, but that is how I feel. I have never had an abortion myself, but I have been affected by the choice someone I know made to abort, and it broke my heart that she made that choice. I have no compassion for the doctors who perform these abortions, it is all about money. Not about compassion.
Maybe I should feel some compassion for the doctors and clinic operators, but right now, I do not. I only feel compassion for these innocents.,and only that some of them are so decieved, they sincerely believe they are helping women.
I suppose maybe I might feel a bit of compassion for The KIller Tiller, but only in that he had to stand before God knowing he grieved our creator deeply.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
It's okay to be pretty
Today, in the ladies meeting, one of the ladies(whom I happened to think of as pretty even before today) Shared about humility and being pretty.
She shared how God showed her it's okay to be outwardly pretty,because he created beauty!
It really got me to thinking because I have never allowed myself to really think I was pretty.
For some stupid reason; I would tell myself that(in jr. High and high school) that I wasn't anything special because I didn't want to be stuck up. Some of the friends I had in elementary school were pretty,and when we got into jr.high they became popular and decided they couldn't be my friend anymore. So, I guess I was afraid of being like that,and took it to another extreme. I honestly don't remember my mom saying I looked pretty too many times, I can think of one for sure. I do remember always thinking that my sisters were the pretty ones; and they really were (are) pretty. I look at my youngest sister and often think she is very pretty. It is kind of silly I suppose,that I didn't let myself believe that I could be pretty like my sisters!
Even when I met my husband, and he would tell me I was beautiful, I couldn't figure out what he was seeing! (this is kind of funny, but I thought at first he liked another girl in church , who was my friend. When I realized it was me, not Linda, I was a bit taken aback!)
Over time, I did begin to allow myself to look in the mirror and say "not bad" but that was about it. About a year ago, I invited a neighbor to go to a Mary Kay event as my guest. We were playing with color,and I tried a new lip color. One of the other consultants said I looked beautiful.(again, I thought ; ME??) my neighbor said "Kim is gorgeous anyway" I was really surprised.
When my friend shared today how God told her He didn't have a problem with her image; that SHE did,it really hit me and made me think. She said God had told her it's okay to be pretty.
I have never had a problem with someone else being pretty; I just couldn't let myself think that.
I have always been self concious, and not one who wanted to stand out. If I met someone who was pretty,and they wanted to be my friend, I was always a little taken aback, thinking "She wants to be friends with ME??" I wasn't pretty or good enough!
Today though, I found out different. I learned it's okay to look at myself longer than it takes to put my makeup on. It's okay to look at myself in the mirror and think I look pretty.
I am made in my Father's image,and God created me to look like I do! I even look like him! (wow.)
It's going to take some practice, but I think I can do this! I know I am not a snob,and I am not stuck up,and just because I might look in the mirror and like the way I look, doesn't mean that it's wrong. God doesn't have a problem with the way I look, so I shouldn't either, and nor should you. Thanks Jen, for sharing!!
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Grandpa Wizner
One of the most colorful members of my family is My Grandpa(Great Grandfather) Wizner. Grandpa was my paternal Great Grandfather, my Grandmother's dad. I can remember listening to family stories of him when I was a little girl. It used to amaze me that all these stories were about one man!
I don't remember when he was born; I do remember he always seemed old to me! That didn't mask the fact that he was extremely ornery.
William Wizner was the kind of man who was not easy to figure out.
One would probably know if they were on his "bad side" but it was likely you otherwise didn't know where you stood.
He loved jokes, especially practical jokes,but only as long as he wasn't the object of the joke.
He was sneaky,and very clever. I remember once going to see him in the hospital. He loved to smoke. He really liked my mom,and I think he figured since my mom liked him in return,she would do his bidding.
I remember he begged my mom for some cigarettes. He wanted her to sneak them up to his room. I think in those days, smoking was allowed in some areas of the hospital, but the doctor had told Grandpa no smoking! He was a chain smoker,and the Dr.had told him he needed to quit or he would likely die. As far as Grandpa cared, he had been smoking his entire adult life(or longer) and hadn't died yet. He got his wish,mom felt sorry for him and brought him some cigarettes. I don't know how things turned out after that. I remember thinking my mom was going to be in big trouble! I remember questioning her,and she told me that he had been smoking for so long that a few more cigarettes wouldn't hurt him, it was better than making him miserable.
Grandpa wasn't a big man. He stood about 5'8'and was rather stoop shouldered. He was rather thin,weighing about one hundred forty eight pounds. He wasn't especially handsome. He had a big nose(some would say it rivals Jimmy Durante's)a wide toothless smile,and looked quite a bit like Will Rogers, SR. As a matter of fact; Grandpa almost got to play Will Rogers in a movie about Roger's life! If I remember right; it ended up that Will Rogers Jr. played his father instead of Grandpa.
Grandpa also had a temper. It didn't take much to make him mad. When that happened, he stayed angry for some time. My Grandma told me that she and her brothers(there were 3 boys and one girl)had certain chores to be done every day when they were young. One day, she and her brother, Ken were working in their garden. They began to throw tomatoes at each other. They were having so much fun that they didn't see Grandpa coming up out of the basement just a few feet away. Uncle Ken took aim and threw a tomato intending to hit Grandma. Fortunately for Grandma(and Unfortunately for Uncle Ken) she ducked. The tomato missed it's intended target, and Grandpa caught a rotten one in the face!
Grandpa began hurling a string of profanity and threatened to skin alive the responsible party. Grandma and Uncle Ken decided they had better stay out of sight for a while and decided to hide in the garden until they felt it was safe to come out. I don't know if Grandpa ever found out who it was. I suspect he did, but never followed through on his threat.
Grandpa was also greedy(perhaps miserly might work better) and would do nearly anything to save some money. One day, he told my Grandmother(I believe she said she was about 5 at the time.) to take the milk cows (except one)out to the woods behind the house and tie them up. She did as she was told, but wondered why did Grandpa want her take them to the woods, of all places! She didn't dare ask questions, she knew better than to question her father!
When she returned to the house, she saw him talking to a strange man. She walked over and quietly stood beside Grandpa. When the man asked if the one milk cow was all they had; Grandma piped up before Grandpa could say anything and said"No Sir!" "There are more in the woods!" Realizing she had said something wrong, my grandmother ran into the house and told her mother what had just taken place,perhaps she figured there would be some relative safety if she told her mother before her Dad could!
I guess I can't blame Grandpa for trying to avoid the tax man!
When Grandpa returned to the house, he calmly took Grandma aside explained that she shouldn't have said anything about the cows, the strange man was from the income tax service!
I think I remember Grandma telling me that she was really surprised that Great Grandpa was that calm. I am sure she expected otherwise!Grandpa wasn't all bad. He meant well much of the time, but it seemed to get lost in translation.Grandpa was full of surprises!
Even those who thought they knew him best found him to be full of surprises.
Frequently,he would bring home poor man he found wandering in the woods or along the side of the road. I guess he figured that he could share what they had.
My Grandmother told me that these men would stay anywhere from just a few hours, to months at a time.
One man in particular stayed so long, that Grandma Wizner finally told him either he could help with the chores, or leave. The man decided he would rather not work, so he left, never to be seen again!
Grandpa Wizner was quite remarkable. He never seemed to run out of energy,or ways to con people in order to get his way.
Even though he was ornery, he had a sort of endearing quality about him that one couldn't help but like or love him, especially his wife,Great Grandma Myrtle(yes, that was her name!)He was always playing mean tricks on her. Once, he poured ketchup all over his shirt,and came stumbling out of the kitchen yelling; "I'm hurt, Myrtle, I'm hurt!" (That one was especially bad, because they were getting along in age and Grandma Wizner had heart problems. ) He dropped onto the floor, pretending to be unconscious! I don't remember hearing whether Grandma Myrtle fell for it or not. I suspect she probably knew him well enough to know he was trying to fool her!
Another story that comes to mind is one when he and Grandma Wizner were in a convalescent home. Neither was able to take care of themselves, so my Grandmother was the one responsible for their social security checks, etc, as she was the closest living relative. Grandpa became convinced that my Grandmother was stealing from him,and that she wasn't giving him his money.(This of course, was not true, My Grandma Dorothy was a very devoted daughter, and she and my Grandpa did not need Great-Grandpa's money.) He turned Grandma into the authorities , despite the nursing home staff trying to convince him that his money was indeed safe,and his daughter was not stealing from him. Thankfully, the allegations were found to be false, and that ended that, at least where the stealing theory was concerned!
He didn't let that end his ornery streak, though. Another time, he was wheeling down the hall in the convalescent home,and spotted money sitting on the counter at the nurse's station. He casually rolled up, grabbed the money,and took off down the hall, with nurses in hot pursuit!
I am not sure if Grandpa thought he might actually succeed with taking the money,or if it was just to get a rise out of the nurses. If he was trying for the latter, it was a success!
Grandpa is dead now, but I remember him very clearly,and I still think he is probably the most interesting person I have ever known!
Monday, January 26, 2009
A 21st century Pharaoh?
I was reading in Exodus last night. (I think it was chapters 9 and 10) Moses and Aaron are trying to get Pharaoh to let their people go. There have been locusts, water turning to blood, gnats(the locusts and gnats would have been more than enough for me, I hate bugs!), just to name a few.
Each time God sends a plague, Pharaoh's heart remains hardened. I had a thought, while reading that, and I am pretty sure God was showing me something. Since taking the oath of office only 6 ago, President Obama has signed several executive orders. I keep asking God "What is it going to take to get this President to see he is wrong?" I want to beat my head against the wall. I am a common sense type of person,and this is really aggravating me!
I believe it was no mistake that I read those two chapters last night,and here's what I think God is showing me: I think our new President is somewhat like Pharaoh of Moses' time. He knows the decisions he has made are not in our best interest, but yet he has hardened his heart to what he knows is right. It took many plagues to get Pharaoh's attention his heart was so hard!
I am thinking we have to keep petitioning God for our President's salvation and for God to soften his heart. I know we all know we are supposed to pray for our leaders, but this is one we have to keep praying hard for! Don't get me wrong, I am NOT easily inclined to pray for our new President, I really have to make myself do it. I am trying to find good , and having a hard time of it. I just want to throw up my hands and say "forget it!" I am stubborn that way sometimes.
On a different note; I am amazed at how each time I read a book of the
Bible, God speaks to me in new and different ways. I am amazed that God would show ME some of the things he does, and speak to me in the ways he does. I am the type that thinks of God speaking to everyone BUT me, so it just amazes me that he gives me the privilege of hearing from him. I know I am not any big shot, but I also know that I don't need to be or have to be! I just have to be willing,and LISTEN. The listening part is something I am working really hard on!!!
Tomorrow, I will post another, completely different, and fun blog!! I hope you'll read it and laugh! I know I could use a good laugh!
Each time God sends a plague, Pharaoh's heart remains hardened. I had a thought, while reading that, and I am pretty sure God was showing me something. Since taking the oath of office only 6 ago, President Obama has signed several executive orders. I keep asking God "What is it going to take to get this President to see he is wrong?" I want to beat my head against the wall. I am a common sense type of person,and this is really aggravating me!
I believe it was no mistake that I read those two chapters last night,and here's what I think God is showing me: I think our new President is somewhat like Pharaoh of Moses' time. He knows the decisions he has made are not in our best interest, but yet he has hardened his heart to what he knows is right. It took many plagues to get Pharaoh's attention his heart was so hard!
I am thinking we have to keep petitioning God for our President's salvation and for God to soften his heart. I know we all know we are supposed to pray for our leaders, but this is one we have to keep praying hard for! Don't get me wrong, I am NOT easily inclined to pray for our new President, I really have to make myself do it. I am trying to find good , and having a hard time of it. I just want to throw up my hands and say "forget it!" I am stubborn that way sometimes.
On a different note; I am amazed at how each time I read a book of the
Bible, God speaks to me in new and different ways. I am amazed that God would show ME some of the things he does, and speak to me in the ways he does. I am the type that thinks of God speaking to everyone BUT me, so it just amazes me that he gives me the privilege of hearing from him. I know I am not any big shot, but I also know that I don't need to be or have to be! I just have to be willing,and LISTEN. The listening part is something I am working really hard on!!!
Tomorrow, I will post another, completely different, and fun blog!! I hope you'll read it and laugh! I know I could use a good laugh!
Saturday, December 13, 2008
The Ondracek Refrigerator Saga (and how I almost lost my mind...)
Last week, (Wednesday to be exact) I got up, got my coffee and sat down at the computer after snuggle time with Annie; my usual morning routine before we do school.MY phone rang, it was my hubby. "Is your refrigerator running?" he asked. Knowing his sense of humor, I replied"oh, I need to go catch it, right" "I'm serious!" he replied.I opened my refrigerator, hoping it was all a joke, but knowing it really wasn't. My freezer was at 39 degrees, the fridge at 47. "oh, no" I groaned. I closed the fridge,hoping it had not been shut all the way,and just needed to cool down. I hung up the phone ; waited a bit, and checked again. The freezer was about the same; the fridge at about 54 degrees. I shut the doors, ran to the garage and grabbed an ice chest. I began chucking items as fast as I could into the ice chest, dumping what little ice we had on top of what I was trying to salvage.I ran next door, loaded with egg nog and cheese, explaining quickly the situation,and please enjoy.Thus began my week long(not ended quite yet) refrigerator saga. I called the local appliance service company. They came out the next day. Thinking my fridge was no longer under warranty(It's only two years old) I figured we would be whipping out the old visa to pay the bill, and bite the bullet later. The repair man informed me my evaporator was out, there was no coolant(a leak or blockage somewhere) and it would be an expensive fix. "yippee" I thought. This is the second time in two years something major has gone wrong with my fridge. The motor went out in the first year. The repair man suggested I call Maytag, to see if there is something they can do, since the fridge is still fairly new. Taking his advice, I called. "We can give you half off the part" the operator tells me. "I guess it's better than nothing, I'll call you back in a bit" I replied. I got online, posted on myspace and facebook my frustration. I needed some time to sit and veg before I tackled the situation again. My sister in law posted a message" you should call Maytag!" I had already done so once,but in the meantime had contemplated trying again. I kept thinking this fridge was still new enough that this shouldn't be happening.(not to mention the expense in purchasing the fridge) That was all the confirmation I needed. "Thank YOu, Lord for the confirmation!" I found another number for maytag, and hoping it might yield different results; I tried it. I explained my situation to the man who answered. He connected me to another operator. Armed with the information that the evaporator was kaput, I informed her of my situation. "Your sealed system is covered under a 5 year warranty!" She tells me. Relieved, I told her she had just made my day. " I told her who I had called for repair,and she told me they were an approved company by Maytag. I was so relieved! She put me on hold, while she called the local company and explained that they could go ahead with repairs. I thought that was the end of things. The appliance repair called and set up for the following Tuesday. (bear in mind, this is still Thursday, so we were looking at 4 more days.) "I'll take it, if it's the soonest you have" . The next Tuesday, I left to do childcare for the Bible Study., happily thinking when I got home I would find the fridge repaired,and maybe the ice chests would be emptied, food replaced in the fridge. WRONG! Dick called "the fridge isn't fixed" When I got home, I called the repair company. "they fixed it" she tells me. "No, it's not cooling" I tell her. "It takes about 24 hours to regulate." she replies."OOOkkayy..."(I am feeling rather doubtful, since the fridge had actually gone up a degree or two while I was on the phone.) Dick begins to try and tell me to tell her what the repairman said, so I hand the phone over. They set up another appointment for Thursday. In the meantime, I find out via "Tracy" from another phone call, that no, they had not installed the evaporator(I found out yesterday the part had not even been ordered yet), they needed an authorization number from Maytag. (ARRGGH!) In between allt his, I had been talking with Maytag , trying to get someone to get this straightened out. (I am nearly in tears by this point) I explain to Tracy at the repair company that this warranty that she seems to think I purchased through home depot is the MANUFACTUER warranty, I did not purchase this warranty through ANYONE, it is in the owner's manual,and not an extended warranty. "we have to have an authorization number!" I call maytag again. The operator tells me they don't need an authorization number, but I can try another repair company. So, I call A&E factory service. The operator there(who barely speaks English) sets up an appointment, explains they will diagnose the problem, order the part, blah blah (.The woman from our local repair place said Maytag was going to waive another diagnosis , just to tell the repair place what I needed, per whomever she had spoken to from Maytag. ) ( I am nearly hanging from the ceiling fan by now.) She then begins informing me of fees, etc. I tell her I am not paying anything. She tells me this price, that price. "This is a manufacturer warranty, and I am not paying a dime for any repairs!" "your warranty is expired" she says. "No it's NOT!"(I am nearly shouting by now) "Yes it is,you have a one year warranty" "No, it is a 5 year sealed system warranty! (I am ready to begin spelling everything by now in hopes of getting her to listen. The evaporator is part of the sealed system!" "No it's not" "Yes, it is! " I ask to speak to a supervisor. I am put on hold. She comes back, explains the same story she had tried already. "I want to speak to supervisor!!!" "I am telling you what the supervisor said" "Fine then" I hang up. I call Maytag once again. I am so frustrated by now, I am not sure I can be civil,but I pray and find myself feeling like I can do this. Knowing I am covered by the warranty, I try once again. Explaining the situation,and telling her I cannot live out of ice chests for another week, it's costing a fortune, she checks my file. Agreeing I am under warranty, she apologizes(sounding very sincere) for my difficutly and tells me the repair place needs no auth. number. "I have been trying to tell them that all week!" I exclaim. She puts me on hold, and a few minutes later, apologizing for the delay, explains she had brought a supervisor on to the line, called the repair place and asked me to read the warranty. I do so. She tells me they(Maytag) have to honor it, and can I please fax a copy of the warranty to her, she will fax it to the repair place.Yesterday morning, I received a call from Linda, at Maytag(the woman I spoke to on Wednesday). She informs me that everything has been taken care of,and I should hear from "M's" appliance shortly.I did get the call from "M's " appliance. They told me the part would be ordered(My heart begins to sink, thinking another week, minimum of living out of ice chests) and in the meantime, they would bring me out a loaner refrigerator. I exclaim my thanks. She tells me it may not be the prettiest; but it would keep my food fresh. "I don't care what it looks like,as long as it works! " I exclaim in reply.Yesterday afternoon, they brought me out the loaner fridge. To my pleasant surprise, it is clean inside(albeit a litttle dusty on the outside, but that was easily taken care of. ) ! It isn't bad, a few dents, but it works,and I can actually go grocery shopping! The best part is; I can put my ice chests away (hopefully) until summer when I WANT To use them for camping!
So, that is the end( I hope) of the Ondracek refrigerator saga. I still have my hair, I did not find myself swinging from the ceiling fan,and did not completely lose my mind. I did find myself telling Hannah that if I had to live out of ice chests, couldn't I at least have an old fashioned"ice box" to use in the house? I seriously meant it. I figured I could handle that for a fridge since I had the big freezer in the garage. So, for those of you who may have read my status posts, and wondered if I had gone off the deep end, well, I may have teetered on the edge, but with God, I made it through!
So, that is the end( I hope) of the Ondracek refrigerator saga. I still have my hair, I did not find myself swinging from the ceiling fan,and did not completely lose my mind. I did find myself telling Hannah that if I had to live out of ice chests, couldn't I at least have an old fashioned"ice box" to use in the house? I seriously meant it. I figured I could handle that for a fridge since I had the big freezer in the garage. So, for those of you who may have read my status posts, and wondered if I had gone off the deep end, well, I may have teetered on the edge, but with God, I made it through!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Dear Mr. Obama
Dear Mr. Obama,
I am writing this to you, doubting you will ever see it, but writing it nonetheless.
You have won the Presidential election and on January 20 you will be sworn in.
I did not vote for you, I don't agree with your ideas and I don't like the ideals of some of the people you associate with.
That being said; You will be President, and I want you to know something.
You will be prayed for. I will be praying for the people you choose to put in your cabinet,and I will be praying for your family. While I am not happy that you won, I owe you that much. I have prayed for other presidents,and owe you no less.
I will pray you make the right decisions, to keep our country safe. We have not had a terrorist attack since 9/11, and that is not a coincidence. I am sure you want America to remain safe.
I will pray for you to change your views on life. You seem have no problem letting an aborted baby born alive die, but I do. I will pray that God changes your heart. I know you have two little girls, and seem to be a devoted father. Think of those precious babies as your own! Imagine what you want life to be for your two babies,and the potential they have. Then think of those babies that are born alive despite being aborted,and the potential they have,and that God has given them. No child is a mistake; and I pray you will reconsider your views on abortion.
I pray that you will honor the institution of marriage. I do not want Gay people discriminated against, but I believe marriage is between a man and a woman, as God intended it to be. You know as well as I that is what marriage is; a union between a man and woman. I pray you will honor our military , and you will put America's priorities above any other agendas.
I wish you no ill will, but rather, I wish you well. You have a big job ahead of you, and the responsibilities are huge. It is not a job I think I would want.
Although I don't agree with your views, (I don't think there is one view I agree with) and I don't understand why you believe the things you do, I will pray for you, because God commands us to pray for our leaders,and because I love my country.
America is the greatest nation on earth,and many have given their lives to keep it that way.
We have so many things to be thankful for. We have the freedom to worship as we choose, the freedom to earn as little or as much as we want; and the freedom to vote for the candidate of our choice,and vote without fear of retribution if we don't vote for the candidate we disagree with.
My prayer is that you will remember what our forefathers intended for this country,and why so many come here from other countries. America is a land of opportunity. I just pray you remember that, and that you will let God lead you in your decisions.
I pray you make decisions that are not politcially correct, but rather, morally correct.
I pray that you come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ,and that you find the joy that comes in a personal relationship with him. I pray that God blesses you and that God blesses America.
Don't worry, I am not going to pray ANY ill will for you , your family, or friends. I want you to be a good leader, and I know you want to be remembered as a great president. I hope you accomplish that goal, with God and America's best interest at heart.
I am writing this to you, doubting you will ever see it, but writing it nonetheless.
You have won the Presidential election and on January 20 you will be sworn in.
I did not vote for you, I don't agree with your ideas and I don't like the ideals of some of the people you associate with.
That being said; You will be President, and I want you to know something.
You will be prayed for. I will be praying for the people you choose to put in your cabinet,and I will be praying for your family. While I am not happy that you won, I owe you that much. I have prayed for other presidents,and owe you no less.
I will pray you make the right decisions, to keep our country safe. We have not had a terrorist attack since 9/11, and that is not a coincidence. I am sure you want America to remain safe.
I will pray for you to change your views on life. You seem have no problem letting an aborted baby born alive die, but I do. I will pray that God changes your heart. I know you have two little girls, and seem to be a devoted father. Think of those precious babies as your own! Imagine what you want life to be for your two babies,and the potential they have. Then think of those babies that are born alive despite being aborted,and the potential they have,and that God has given them. No child is a mistake; and I pray you will reconsider your views on abortion.
I pray that you will honor the institution of marriage. I do not want Gay people discriminated against, but I believe marriage is between a man and a woman, as God intended it to be. You know as well as I that is what marriage is; a union between a man and woman. I pray you will honor our military , and you will put America's priorities above any other agendas.
I wish you no ill will, but rather, I wish you well. You have a big job ahead of you, and the responsibilities are huge. It is not a job I think I would want.
Although I don't agree with your views, (I don't think there is one view I agree with) and I don't understand why you believe the things you do, I will pray for you, because God commands us to pray for our leaders,and because I love my country.
America is the greatest nation on earth,and many have given their lives to keep it that way.
We have so many things to be thankful for. We have the freedom to worship as we choose, the freedom to earn as little or as much as we want; and the freedom to vote for the candidate of our choice,and vote without fear of retribution if we don't vote for the candidate we disagree with.
My prayer is that you will remember what our forefathers intended for this country,and why so many come here from other countries. America is a land of opportunity. I just pray you remember that, and that you will let God lead you in your decisions.
I pray you make decisions that are not politcially correct, but rather, morally correct.
I pray that you come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ,and that you find the joy that comes in a personal relationship with him. I pray that God blesses you and that God blesses America.
Don't worry, I am not going to pray ANY ill will for you , your family, or friends. I want you to be a good leader, and I know you want to be remembered as a great president. I hope you accomplish that goal, with God and America's best interest at heart.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Random thoughts and wishes
Lately, I have been doing some thinking, about many things, but for now, I 'll start with Jesus. I wonder what it would be like to touch his robes? I have so many questions. I wonder what he smells like?
Smell is something I know can bring up memories. Certain smells remind me of my Grandma Dorothy's house. I always felt so at home there, more than I did in my own home growing up! Her house always had a certain smell. I never want to forget that smell. When she died, I went to her closet and smelled her clothes, I couldn't help it. I NEEDED to. My sister asked me to stop. I guess I did, I know it was hard for her to watch.
Anyhow, I wonder what does Jesus smell like? I want to smell him, touch him, I want to enter the throne room,like some people have.It would be so cool to smell him,and then know when I walk into a room,that he is or has been there because of that smell, kind of like knowing the smell of Grandma's house. (actually, to know he is there or has been there in any way would be awesome!) I know what I want and what Jesus wants may be two different things. I just want to experience more of him. I want to go to a deeper level with Jesus, not just "oh, yeah,I love Jesus,and I know he loves me. " I mean really go deeper.
One of my loved ones has seen Jesus. She has been to the throne room. She has other experiences,and gifts from God that I would love to experience myself!
I wish I had a place here at home where I could go to seek him, where I couldn't be interrupted. Not to escape daily life, I have responsibilites that have to be attended to, but just a private place where I could pray and seek him.
Ultitmately, whatever Jesus gives me, I will take. SOmeone I know once said she would take everyone's leftovers, but she also said she knows that leftovers aren't really what Jesus wants to give her. I know what she means, though! I sometimes feel the same way. I haven't a clue whether this makes any sense or not, but these are my thoughts, wishes, etc. I can say that I have experienced Jesus and the things of God in a way I haven't ever before, in the last couple of years. I just want so much more. I am grateful for what He has done for me and what he has given me, don't get me wrong!!! I just know there is more,and I can't wait to find out what it is.
That having been said, I guess I have to wait and see! I don't necessarily want to know ahead of time, because I love surprises and presents, too!
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