It's a Great Day to Be Alive!

Good morning and it is a great day to be alive...no particular reason, just that life is a blessing no matter what the day holds.  That's the great part about being a Christian....having a deep, unshakable joy that comes from knowing Jesus.  You know he and the Father are always with you.  They've got your back.

While not a Christian song, this is one of my favorite "happy" songs....it captures that deep welling of "no-reason" joy.

 

We had a pretty good weekend around here.  Nothing major or very exciting, but good, anyway.

Tim worked on the church remodel Saturday and I puttered around here doing laundry, moving some furniture, playing on the computer.....oh, and cooking for the fellowship dinner after church.  I made a key lime pie and then I kind of cheated by finding three containers of hobo beans in the freezer.  I thawed them in the microwave and tossed them into the slow cooker.

Church was awesome!  A lot of people were away this week or busy with their kids' Spring sports so it was a smaller crowd, but it didn't matter.  The message was given by our friends' son.  It was about grace and how God gives it freely to us even though we don't deserve it and there's nothing we can do to earn it.  He was in tears talking about his life, all the reasons why he doesn't deserve grace and all the ways God has shown him grace.  Most of us cried right along with him.  It was a really good message.  And dinner after?  I haven't laughed so hard in a long time.  A few of us leaders were the last ones left after dinner and we ended the night by praying for the people nominated to be on the ballot for church council and for the people who will be voting next Saturday.

Yesterday was a lazy day for us with no one moving much beyond the sofa until noon.  Tim and I went to visit my aunt at the nursing home.  She looked pretty good and was as clear-minded as she ever is (she's had several strokes) so she must have had an oxygen tank with something in it.  She was so glad to see us, but she is depressed (not that I blame her, the home her son dumped her in is a hole) and kept saying how she wishes she was "done."  It's not a new refrain.  She's been wanting to join her husband, her parents, my dad (her brother) and the majority of her other relatives and friends for about 10 years now.  She's 87 and every time she goes to the hospital I think it will be for the last time, but what can I say....she's a tough cookie!

We also had a quick lunch out together and did the grocery shopping and then in the evening I got to chat for a while on Facebook with the son of a couple who used to be very dear friends of ours (more like family, actually) as well as serving our church as the associate pastor.  Ministry took them away and life circumstances and distance kind of ended the friendship.  Oh, we still think of them fondly, but we never talk or get together.  It's just one of those things.  So, it's been such a pleasure to talk with this boy, who was 4 when they moved away and is now a junior in high school!

41.  Spring flowers picked by small hands and given with big hearts and big smiles.

42.  Laughing until it "hurts."

43.  Stories shared by an elderly aunt of times, places and people gone by.

44.  Being able to make someone that happy just by showing up.

45.  Reconnecting.

46.  A God and Savior who has my back.

47.  Emerald green grass that needs to be mowed.

48.  Pomegranate flavored Tootsie Pops.

49.  The wind that stirs the flags, rings the chimes, and whisks away the dirtiness of winter.

50.  Unbelievable grace, given freely to the undeserving.

A Well of Gratitude

source

I'm reading 1 Thessalonians during my morning devotions.  The books to the Thessalonians aren't ones I've spent a great deal of time in, but there is a lot of really good stuff in them.

One of my little "quirks" when I read the Bible is to read the same passage in more than one version.  Sometimes I really like the beautiful language of the King James Version.  The New International Version is probably the most common for study.  But for "getting the feel" of a passage, my favorite, bar-none, is The Message by Eugene H. Peterson.  Written in modern, conversational language it's more like reading a novel.  It isn't the best for studying scriptures, maybe, but it does give me a lot of moments where the fog lifts and I suddenly get it or see something new that I never got before.

This morning I was reading and underlining and highlighting and circling (yeah, my Bibles are a mess) and right there in the middle of 1 Thessalonians 2 I read one verse that spoke volumes, just volumes to my heart.  1 Thessalonians 2:13 in The Message says:

"And now we look back on all this and thank God, an artesian well of thanks!"

I looked up artesian well and it's defined as:  

a well sunk through impermeable strata receiving water from an area at a higher altitude than that of the well, so that there is sufficient pressure to force water to flow upwards.

Basically, water from a higher level flows into rock at a lower level.  As the rock strata fills it comes under pressure.  All that water has to go somewhere.  It seeks an outlet.  All it needs is a small fissure and whooosh! it rushes upward, bubbling freely and endlessly outward.

Do you see where I'm going with this?  God's blessings rain down from heaven and fill us.  As we soak up those blessings and deepen our relationship with God, we (should) become so filled with joy and gratitude that we can't contain it.  We have to let it out.  We have to give it back to God.  We have to share it with others.

My prayer today is that in our thanksgiving we would all bubble forth as freely and endlessly as an artesian well.

Deep & Wide

Today marks one week without our precious little guy, Scooby.  Each day the grip of grief eases just a bit more and allows happy memories to take the place of pain.  That God gives us hearts that can love so much amazes me.  Can you imagine what the depth and breadth of His love must be since we only reflect a portion of what He is?  What He must feel when he "loses" one of us?  Wow, huh?

It was a nice weekend.  We didn't do much, really.  Saturday was snowy and bitterly cold.  Tim got more blood work done first thing.  He has yet another doctor appointment on Wednesday.  I'm not sure what all is going on. He said they told him is liver count was up and to quit taking his cholesterol medication.  He hasn't taken it in months, so that can't be causing it.  He said the doctor is worried about his bladder, too.  Why??  I can't take off work to go with him Wednesday so our friend, who is a pediatrician (but hey, that's still a doctor) is going to go with him to see what's going on.  The steroids they gave him for the pain in his shoulder haven't helped at all and I guess it isn't one of their biggest concerns, but I wish they could find out why he's always so tired.  He goes to work and works hard, but at home unless there is something he has to do all he does is sleep in front of the television and wake up now and then to eat.  At 51, he's too young to be like that.

Saturday night we went to church.  We were blessed by some of the young adults leading worship and rather than a message we had a program from missionaries to the Philippines, which is where our missions money is concentrated as our church began life as a Filipino-American fellowship and we have several Filipino members.  It was very interesting to see pictures of things we've been hearing about.  I've now got a list of foods to avoid when I go there one day.....pig face (yes, FACE!), deep-fried one day old chicks, grilled chicken intestines, and I will especially not be eating chicks one day before they hatch.  Ugh!  I know it's good to accept your host's hospitality on a mission trip so it is good to know that Filipinos are enough like us to not expect those dishes to be eaten.  In fact, many of those I know look decidedly green at the mention of some of those.

The sun came out on Sunday and warmed things up enough to melt the snow.  Tim did some work on the church building, installing electrical boxes and setting windows.  I rearranged our bedroom and did a major cleaning of it...getting rid of a lot of junk.  We also took down the big gate between the kitchen and living room that we used to confine Scooby to the kitchen when our granddaughter was here.  That was a little sad, but I managed.  Later in the afternoon we all took a walk together.  It doesn't happen much any more that we all do something together so I really enjoyed that.

The promised sunshine is not materializing outside my window this morning, but it's still a good day and I am counting my blessings, these earthly ways God shows His love for us:

171.  A happy memory that springs suddenly from nowhere and pushes the pain just a little bit farther away.


172.  My heart jumping in recognition of God's Spirit during worship.


173.  An unexpected and sweet compliment with a kiss and gentle touch.


174.  A snow-laid blanket of diamonds shimmering in the moonlight.


175.  Jobs, when so many are losing theirs.


176.  Finding a half-started and then forgotten prayer journal and writing in it again.


177.  The smell of "clean" when the scrubbing is done.


178.  An ear, nearly perfect again, after being "glued" together with liquid band-aid.


179.  A chat with a dear sister-in-law and good friend.


180.  Sliding into a bed freshly made with clean sheets and snuggling in.

What Would Chuck Norris Do?

I know I've been ignoring the Titus 2 woman....at least on here.  In real life, I'm thinking about her and how to be her, all the time.

Last night was a ladies' night out for some of the women from church.  It was such a fun time of fellowship and laughter (you should see a bunch of middle-aged women getting into their roles as royalty...we are all princesses, you know, daughters of the King).  It was also a great chance to see some Titus 2 women in action and be ministered to by them.  Now, I'm not a newbie in my faith journey and I can and do mentor to younger (physically and spiritually) women, but that doesn't mean I don't need some mentoring, myself.  We all do.  We're never done growing in the Lord.  If we are, then something is very wrong!

Anyway, it was such a joy to have these two women listen to our prayer requests and offer advice on a wide variety of topics.  I'm pretty sure had our group had more time we could have solved all the world's problems.  LOL  Not really, but the conversation was dizzying!

My prayer request was for strength to withstand the enemy's attacks.  The last few months have been a time of incredible spiritual renewal and growth for me and as usually happens when we grow closer to God, Satan gets busy.  I shared that I know what I am to do to withstand, but when there are days that you feel buffeted from all sides...you can get tired, your guard can slip.  And I was feeling particularly vulnerable because taking my beloved pet was a new low and it nearly brought me to my knees.

Source

I woke up this morning feeling strong and energized.  I knew those Titus 2 ladies hadn't been playing lip-service to the I'll-pray-for-you thing.  They really had gone to the Father on my behalf.  Then with this refreshed, strong attitude I got to thinking about most of the action movies I've ever watched.  The fight is going on, the hero is getting his butt whooped, and then the bad guy makes a fatal error.....he hurts the thing closest to the hero....his dog, his girlfriend, his buddy, his kid brother, etc.....and then the hero sees red and goes all Chuck Norris on the bad guy.  So, I was thinking, Satan....you messed with my dog.  Be warned, I'm getting my Chuck Norris on.  You will NOT make me angry at God, nor drive me away from Him.  You don't have that much power over me.  No, you don't have any power at all over me.  So there.

Told him.

This seems the perfect time and frame of mind to revisit what I started in Tending the Garden.  I talked of the importance of knowing who you are and promised my own list.  So, this is my list.  This is stuff I know to be true about me.

1.  I am a princess.  A daughter of the most high King.  My inheritance comes through his Son, Jesus Christ, who took my place in death and forever opened the temple curtain allowing me to come into God's holy presence.

2.  I am a wife, a mother, a daughter, a friend.  I might not be the one you think I should be, but I am the one I was created to be and I strive for all that God has intended.

3.  I am creative.  Not in a crafty way, but I write, I have lots and lots of ideas, I decorate, I draw, I take pictures.

4.  I am a planner and organizer.  I dream up big things.  I make them happen.  From parties, to youth rallies, to community bingos, to weddings....I can do it.

5.  I am forgiving.  You may wrong me and I may get angry, but I am good at seeing what motivates you.  I may not like it, but I can understand and forgive you.  That doesn't mean I will let you do it again.  I am forgiving, but I am not a doormat.

6.  I am discerning.  This is one of my strongest spiritual gifts.  I recognize what is true and what is not.  I also have a way of putting things together.  People call it intuition.  Mine is strong.  It makes gigantic leaps...correctly.

7.  I am a learner.  I love to read and study.  Teach me.

8.  I am a reader.  I love books.  Always have.  Always will.  I am always reading something.

9.  I love animals.  I have never not had a pet.  I've had dogs, cats, birds, fish, turtles, rabbits, a goat, guinea pigs, hamsters, mice, a ferret, and even a fawn.  There will always be an animal in my home.  I don't think a house is a home without a pet.

10.  I am introspective.  Most of the time it's easier and more comfortable for me to deal with my thoughts than to reach out to others.  Small talk and chit-chat are something I've never gotten the hang of.

Grateful

Well, life goes on.  One day at a time.  I want to thank everyone for the words of comfort and sympathy on the loss of my fur baby.  No one will ever convince me the social media venues are a bad thing (if used right).  Yesterday could have been a very lonely and much sadder day if not for the overwhelming outpouring of sympathy from friends here and on Facebook....where the outpouring actually continues today.  We are doing okay.  It all happened so fast.  He got sick on Thursday and died first thing Monday morning.  It doesn't even seem real yet, so that ongoing support is a blessing.

Today is an unused snow make-up day for the school district I drive for so I have this one last day of a 4-day weekend to focus on something more pleasant.  Megan and I are going to visit my aunt at the nursing home this morning.  She is my dad's only sister and the only family, other than my mom, that I have in the area.  We were very close and she is 87.  As I told Megan, I want no regrets there.  And that is something I think I've gotten out of this whole business.  I've always said tomorrow's not guaranteed, but I never really owned it.  Now I do.  Life is precious.  Time is short.  Live in the moment.  Tomorrow is a gift.  Don't put things off.  All apply.

More things to be thankful for:


166.  So many caring voices reaching out in comfort.


167.  Being able to minister in a very relevant way to a friend who also lost her pet suddenly yesterday.


168.  Finding two new friends.


169.  A new dimension in the mother/daughter relationship.


170.  Intensified appreciation of life.


Scooby, even your death has been a blessing, bringing out these gifts from God.  I wish there could have been another way, but am grateful in my grief.

30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 13

I am thankful that my faith is in a living and risen God, who meets me where I am, dwells within me, and transforms me.  It is by grace, through faith, not by any merit of my own, that I have been given this incredible gift.  It is....an amazing love.

Lovin' Me Some Monday

Happy Monday!!!  Yes, yes, I did just say happy Monday.  Sorry, can't help it.  I'm having one of those annoying sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows kind of days.  You know, the kind where you're so happy and perky the people around you either want what you're on (nothing, I swear!!) or want to kill you.  Maybe both.

Life is just goooood today.

The computer is fixed and running like new.  Matt installed some free virus protection and Office Suite so I am totally back in business.  Woot!  I love having a computer geek in the family.

Friday night I finally got together with my sister-in-law, who has agreed to be my prayer partner for the month.  One of my projects for Spiritual Formation is to write a report about what happens when I share specific prayer requests with someone and they pray specifically for me and those requests.  What I'm finding is that it's hard to be on this end.  Oh, I ask for prayer all the time on here and Facebook and in church, but it's still kind of distanced from me, you know?  It was really hard to across from Sally and tell her specifically what I needed prayer in relation to the class and life.  I know it's something God wants us to do, but I'm uncomfortable with it.  I felt greedy or selfish or something.

I got to spend Saturday babysitting my granddaughter while her parents went to Zombie-Fest.  That's , right...all day, just me and her.  She is Nanny's girl (I'm not into this whole getting old thing, but I can totally  get onboard the grandkid train) and cried when she had to go home.  The whole crew was together yesterday to go out and celebrate Matt's 25th birthday, which was actually on the 2nd, but we couldn't all get together until this wdeekend.  He requested Red Lobster for all-you-can-eat shrimp so that's what he got.

And probably most responsible for my bubbly mood....NO STINKING PAPERS TO WRITE THIS WEEK!  I have about 50 pages of reading and a couple of videos to watch.  I can live with that.

Oh, and Toby released a new video.  Red Solo Cup.  It's a drinking song.  A really, really dumb drinking song.  I am in no way condoning getting stupid drunk, but the video is funny!  I think a lot of us can identify, at least in our pasts, with the song.

Just That Good

So our friends asked us to go to lunch with them today.  They had heard of a new (to all of us) place and wanted to try it.  It's called Out of the Fire Cafe and features a lot of fresh seafood and a rather high-end menu (it's the kind of place with no prices on the menu...or anywhere else that I've been able to find).  It was insanely delicious and we were only eating from the lunch menu.  I can't wait to go again and try an entree. 
Since today was just about the most gorgeous weather day you could imagine we opted to eat out on the deck surrounded by overflowing porch boxes and a multitude of butterflies and views of the Laurel Highlands and a fishpond below.
And just as we were ordering our friends informed us it was on them....a treat for my birthday on Monday.  How nice was that??

Tim & I on the deck at Out of the Fire Cafe.

Our dear friends, Christine & Bennie.

On the way home I saw a sign in front of a nursery that said houseplants and tropicals were 50% off so we stopped to look.  I ened up with three nice plants for the pots I have and an enormous hanging philodendron that is easily 6 feet long!  I got everything for $15!!

We all took a break and relaxed at home with our feet up and then tonight we met up again for a concert of latin music in the park. 

It's been an awesome day!

Doin' My Happy Dance!

I am now officially a fan of Monday!  I was checking the Toby Keith fan site to see if they were ever going to sell VIP tickets for his Pittsburgh concert since it was announced over the weekend that general ticket sales start this Saturday....and you know what I found?  YES, those much coveted VIP tickets go on sale Wednesday at noon!

(I will be indisposed and non-communicative at that time as I will be huddled over the keyboard hoping to nab those tickets!  However, should I snag them you will no doubt hear me yelling wherever you are.)

I also discovered that I am the featured fan on the web site.  I'm taking that as a sign.  LOL

On with the celebrating!

A Real Good Day

So, news of Bin Laden's long overdue death aside ('cause I didn't even hear the news until after I got up this morning), I woke up on the right side of the bed this morning with a smile on my face.  Don't you love when you actually wake up in a good mood?  Most mornings I'm still too sleepy to know what I'm feeling or if I'm even actually awake or just dreaming it.....and if I'm honest, most days I'm just a little cranky until I get moving and get some caffeine flowing through my veins.

Why am I in such a good mood?  Well, obviously the whole Bin Laden thing is helping, but mostly it's just that life is good right now.

I love that Megan is so happy with her new boyfriend.  I LOVE that he is such a nice guy and treats her well.  They went to the NRA National Convention with my mom and her husband on Saturday and had a good time.  My mom was on her good behavior and didn't say anything horribly embarrassing, rude, judgemental, or mean the whole day.  I can report that she was the same way with Tim and I yesterday.  Hmmm....who was that woman and what did she do with my mom??  Oh wait, it was her.  You could tell by how critical she was of her husband (it was embarrassing for Tim and I, let alone him).

Speaking of my first NRA convention....  I had a great time.  Okay, I lost interest in looking at guns after a relatively short period of time.  I mean, I like them and I want a pistol, but after a few hundred they all start to blur together.  Same goes for bullets and grips.  Thankfully, there was plenty of other things to see.

If you look carefully, you might see one of us.
Probably not, but you never know.

With Charleton Heston gone.....
he is the man, the myth, the legend....
the face of the NRA.

The highlight of the convention for me was hearing Ted Nugent speak and getting to meet him.  I won't argue that he's not a wild man.  He is.  However, he is also a straight talker and knows his stuff about gun laws, the constitution and freedom like nobody else.  He's an entertaining speaker who had the crowd on its feet.  Mom and I bought copies of his book Ted, White & Blue and got him to sign them.  The money from all the sales at his autograph sessions go to charity.  Megan and Cody met him on Saturday and she got him to sign a ball cap for her and a "Ted Nugent for President" bumper sticker for me.  She also got me a t-shirt.  I expected to be rushed through the line and you were, sort of, but Ted was very nice and very down to earth.  He talked for a minute with everyone and shook hands.  Yes!!!!  I got to touch Ted Nugent.  LOL

The gun bash on Saturday was fun.  We didn't win anything, but it was fun.  I told Tim that next year we should just write a check for a donation and avoid the middle man.

I had a long conversation with a dear friend (who is also our pastor) last night about the kids.  She gave me some great insight and encouragement on the situation with my daughter-in-law and thanked God with me over the developements with Megan.

Then this morning when I got to work I gave my friend a t-shirt I'd bought her at the convention knowing it was really, really her.  She loved it and was so excited she changed into it.  Making her day made me feel good.

That's it.  It's just a great day to be alive.

Thankful Thursday

It's easy to feel thankful today.  After months of snow and cold and dirty, gray, blah-ness....THE SUN IS SHINING AND THE TEMPERATURE IS SUPPOSED TO REACH 60 DEGREES!  It's not going to last for more than a couple of days at this point, but just now, just for today (tho' any day spent on top of the grass is good)....




Other things I'm thankful for this week:

• Megan seems to be losing that all-encompassing drive to move to Alabama.  She is taking more steps to create a life here and she's realizing her cousin and his fiance aren't going to be able to get a place of their own any time soon and that she can't afford a place without them, especially since there is very little work to be had there.  **It isn't that I want to see her dream die and keep her here under my thumb.  I just want to see her go prepared for success, rather than dismal failure and hard times.
• Our new bed.  I actually got up without stiffness this morning.  I don't remember the last time that happened.
• Tim's new truck.  The cost of filling the tank with diesel nearly made me faint the first time (about $100), but he is able to go to work 4 days before he has to fill it again.  The old truck needed filled every day to the tune of around $40 per day!  As for the hefty payments, they're worth it to not have the truck breaking down all the time and worrying about it.
• Zoloft.  Megan and I are getting along really well this week and I give all the credit to that little blue pill.  Meg's doctor thought it would be good for her and it is, it is!  She is much more pleasant to be around and not so quick to jump on the defensive.  She actually wants to do things with me.
• My bloggy friends who cheer me up, encourage me, inspire me, and make me laugh.
• Tim, who has been bending over backward lately to put more effort into our marriage.  As I may have mentioned a time or two....he tends to be a workaholic.  A very serious one. One of my rants hissy fits calm, well thought out discussions must have finally made an impression.
• Scotty McCreedy made it through another round on American Idol, which means Megan will keep watching with me for at least another week.
• Caffeine
• Ibuprofen....a wonder "drug" if ever there was one.
• The dogs, who let us do stupid things to them, laugh at them hysterically....and then still love us all the way to the tips of their wagging tails.  **Last night Megan tied a helium-filled balloon to the hound's collar.  He's afraid of balloons and spent half an hour trying to run away from it while we laughed till tears ran down our cheeks. (There's probably a special corner in hell for us.)

Have a beautiful, joy filled day my friends....and take time to count your blessings!