So here we are.... And I'm thinkin you'd like to hear "The Rest of the Story"...
Let me start by saying that it has been my experience that God ALWAYS moves in mysterious ways. We think we have it all figured out, we know what we're to do and how were to do it. Nope.... That's just not how He does things....
I've been contemplating how to impart the "Rest of the Story" to you. There are so many interesting avenues I could expound on here, but again, those stories will come Later. Today I must tell you how the "Silent Auction" ended. Well, much to my dismay the gentelman won the Girmet Dinner For 8.
Let me define "Gormet Dinner for 8": The group that donated this amazing offering for the auction is a group of "Singles", from a neighboring church, that are Gormet food and wine connoisseurs. They travel all around the Northern and Central California wineries and famous eateries. Not to be forgotten, they are all aspiring Chefs as well. So they return from their travels and perfect the recipes and and their wine paring skills on each other and then they offer these amazingly crafted delectable dinners for fundraisers.
It just so happens that one of "Ring Leaders" of these "Galavanting Gormets" was one of my Negibors on "Prarrie View Lane" (which on its own is a whole book of blogs). And had invited us to this event so that I could win this dinner for my "a Ladies of my Life Party", and donate money to the women's shelter ... Now, get this, the year before the dinner went for $300.00..... And as you know, this particular year it went for $600,00..., well after the auction winners were announced this amaxing group of "Galavanting Gormets" came trotting over to our table and
told me that truly would do the dinner for me too.... OHMYGOODNESS ... I was overjoyed...it was a WIN - WIN - WIN situation... So I set my sails to prepare for the party.... My sweet friend and "Prairie View Lane" neighbor offered her home to have the event. Since we were still living in our Motor Coach "TAD"... That was an immense blessing...l oh yeah.... Living in "TAD"... Another whole blog of stories of which I have chronicled and blogged somewhat about in previous blogs.... Any way suffice it to say there was no room to party with 10 guests and 4 chefs...
Sorry guys ... I must digress............. 33 years ago today.... St. Patrick's Day........ Was the last time I saw my Daddy alive...I was able to talk to him regarding his "Final Home" ... He assured me that I would surely see him on the other side.... At that time I was so willing for him to be OUTTA his misery...and to be in our Eternal Home in Heaven....He had been diagnosed with terminal cancer, pretty much all over his body just before Christmas 1981... So now it's the 18th of March, 2015... And I still miss him.... I am almost seven years older than he was when he passed away. He got to see all his grand children born though, and that's a very good thing. He is a funny guy, he really doesn't know what to do with babies but when they get big enough to play and go fishin that's his time. He's a very quiet man.... But you never are at a loss to know how he feels about things... He has "looks" that speak volumes...He is a "meat and potatoes" man every Nite with HOT bread and butter.... He was a skinny guy too...And one of his favorite sayings is...."Hook-Line-and-Sinker"... Daddy's are very special people. I'm so
thankful he is mine..."Here, There or In the air"...and most of all he LOVED and loves my Mom, they are waiting there for us... They are fishin every lake in Heaven, catchin "Big Fish"...
I have lots more to tell you about my LOML Luncheon.... So stay tuned...
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Saturday, March 14, 2015
4 of 52
WHAT????
YES!!!
I figured it out...😊
I can't believe how hard some things seem to be as you grow older.
This is a quote from a post on FB
"Oh My God, what if you wake some day and your 65 or 75 and you've never got your memoir or novel written; or didn't go swimming in the warm pools or oceans for all those years because your thighs were "jiggly"; and you had a nice big comfortable tummy; or you were just too strung out on perfectionism and people pleasing that you forgot to have a big juicy creative life, of imagination and radical silliness and staring off into space like when you were a kid? It's gonna break your heart. Don't let it happen." (This was written by Anne Lamott)
This was read by me yesterday ... I'm almost 69 years old..." I know, I know" ... You say... Cause I'm reminding all of you who read here that at "MY" age, you reflect on things. You see things, you are happy about some things and regretful about others. Start on your bucket list EARLY... Spend your lifetime DOING them, not WAITING to do them when you get older, when your children are raised, when you retire... Unfortunately, some things have to wait for life to take us there, but lots of the IMPORTANT things can be achieved along the way... Don't miss ANYTHING...I think "Bucket
Lists" are important... Understanding "Who You Are" is important.... Knowing that "How you were
created by Father God" is OK, your specifications are yours and no one else's... His opinion of His
creation is ALL that means anything anyway... Stay true to yourself and who and what you are called to be, that mandate is between you and our God... No one knows the promises and challenges He has made to and for you and yours.... His priority system for you is so very important, staying flexible to move as the spirit moves you... Sometimes you just have to "up and go"....others you must "sit and be still"...and "Wait"
I really don't want my words to be sounding as if I'm teaching all the time... I hope to be sharing
experience, to bring light and hope to who ever happens to read this...Everything I will be blogging is out of experience. While trying to follow my heart and endeavoring to follow after God's heart with my family and the destiny that He has set forth for me. It's been fun, sad, challenging, easy, hard, messy, invigorating, enlightening, and sometimes has left me dismayed.... But ALWAYS, "at the end
of the day"...I sought to see JOY...I seek to bring JOY....I remember as a little girl, an adolescent, a teenager and as a young adult sitting in "the big middle" (a phrase from my Momo) of my bed, crying
and pleading and telling God that ALL I ever wanted was to be happy.... In my younger years I didn't realize what a tall order that was, even for God.
This story all started in a seemingly "giving spirit"... At a "Silent Auction"... Raising money for a battered women and children's shelter... I wanted to give... I wanted this dinner that I was bidding on to be a double blessing. There was this "Gentleman " who also wanted this "Gormet Dinner for Eight" as well. We were very successful in driving the price of this meal up to, well I can't really remember the price (you know, at my age and all) that we ended our bidding on. It was not my bid though, and I believe it was about $600.00. Now that might seem extravagant, to say the very least. But let me explain............
On my "Bucket List" was a desire to have a very special "Ladies of My Life" party... The ladies of
my life were: my 2 Sister-In-Laws, my 3 Daughters, My 2 Daughter-In-laws, my oldest
Granddaughter and to round it out one of my oldest and dearest friends...Including me that made, if you were keeping count... That's 10 not 8 .... Oh well I'd just pay a little more for the extras...
Well, needless to say after the bids got up past $600.00... I threw in the towel...and my "Ladies of My Life Dinner" right along with it.... Next post will tell "The Rest Of The Story".
YES!!!
I figured it out...😊
I can't believe how hard some things seem to be as you grow older.
This is a quote from a post on FB
"Oh My God, what if you wake some day and your 65 or 75 and you've never got your memoir or novel written; or didn't go swimming in the warm pools or oceans for all those years because your thighs were "jiggly"; and you had a nice big comfortable tummy; or you were just too strung out on perfectionism and people pleasing that you forgot to have a big juicy creative life, of imagination and radical silliness and staring off into space like when you were a kid? It's gonna break your heart. Don't let it happen." (This was written by Anne Lamott)
This was read by me yesterday ... I'm almost 69 years old..." I know, I know" ... You say... Cause I'm reminding all of you who read here that at "MY" age, you reflect on things. You see things, you are happy about some things and regretful about others. Start on your bucket list EARLY... Spend your lifetime DOING them, not WAITING to do them when you get older, when your children are raised, when you retire... Unfortunately, some things have to wait for life to take us there, but lots of the IMPORTANT things can be achieved along the way... Don't miss ANYTHING...I think "Bucket
Lists" are important... Understanding "Who You Are" is important.... Knowing that "How you were
created by Father God" is OK, your specifications are yours and no one else's... His opinion of His
creation is ALL that means anything anyway... Stay true to yourself and who and what you are called to be, that mandate is between you and our God... No one knows the promises and challenges He has made to and for you and yours.... His priority system for you is so very important, staying flexible to move as the spirit moves you... Sometimes you just have to "up and go"....others you must "sit and be still"...and "Wait"
I really don't want my words to be sounding as if I'm teaching all the time... I hope to be sharing
experience, to bring light and hope to who ever happens to read this...Everything I will be blogging is out of experience. While trying to follow my heart and endeavoring to follow after God's heart with my family and the destiny that He has set forth for me. It's been fun, sad, challenging, easy, hard, messy, invigorating, enlightening, and sometimes has left me dismayed.... But ALWAYS, "at the end
of the day"...I sought to see JOY...I seek to bring JOY....I remember as a little girl, an adolescent, a teenager and as a young adult sitting in "the big middle" (a phrase from my Momo) of my bed, crying
and pleading and telling God that ALL I ever wanted was to be happy.... In my younger years I didn't realize what a tall order that was, even for God.
This story all started in a seemingly "giving spirit"... At a "Silent Auction"... Raising money for a battered women and children's shelter... I wanted to give... I wanted this dinner that I was bidding on to be a double blessing. There was this "Gentleman " who also wanted this "Gormet Dinner for Eight" as well. We were very successful in driving the price of this meal up to, well I can't really remember the price (you know, at my age and all) that we ended our bidding on. It was not my bid though, and I believe it was about $600.00. Now that might seem extravagant, to say the very least. But let me explain............
On my "Bucket List" was a desire to have a very special "Ladies of My Life" party... The ladies of
my life were: my 2 Sister-In-Laws, my 3 Daughters, My 2 Daughter-In-laws, my oldest
Granddaughter and to round it out one of my oldest and dearest friends...Including me that made, if you were keeping count... That's 10 not 8 .... Oh well I'd just pay a little more for the extras...
Well, needless to say after the bids got up past $600.00... I threw in the towel...and my "Ladies of My Life Dinner" right along with it.... Next post will tell "The Rest Of The Story".
Thursday, February 5, 2015
# 3 OF 52 THE TIMES AND TRAVELS OF CHARLIE
Glimpses into our life as we pass through portal after portal, day after day… With wisdom and tidbits of knowledge and frivolity along the way.
Things I want to say about Mikey
I wanna take the time to tell the world of the most wonderful man that I could have ever met, ever. That man is my beloved husband Mikey. Born to Russell and Marian Harris on 9/30/49 . I am so thankful that they raised such a man. He is an awesome husband, a loving father and the best Uncle and Papa ever. I met Mike in the early part of November in 1975. It wasn't “love at first sight” for me. But I gotta say, he certainly impressed me with his manners and respect right from the “get-go”.
I had been married twice before… I had a 7 year old son . When Tommy and I decided we were looking for a new “Man” to be in our lives. There was certain criteria that was in play as we made our choices. He had to be named Mike or Dave and he had to have a 4X4. That was Tommy’s criteria. Mine was a little more realistic than that. This future “man in our lives” needed to LOVE Tommy, I needed to like him, (at least). He needed to have a good job, and like me too. Being a Christian would have been nice. But as I was embarking on my third strike here, and my past experience, I unfortunately, rendered me not too invested in that part of the criteria. Although people, hear me here…. That was the most important criteria of all.
We spent almost three years of marriage with him not knowing the Lord. Not a very nice time in our marriage. But as the Lord will do, He took what the Enemy of our souls meant to destroy us and turned it all around for His glory and our good. He and I served the Lord together for many years in the church. Now we serve our family with the love and care that the Lord has shown us through the years. Sometimes it's in or alongside the church too. The most important thing to us is the gift God has given us in each other and in our family as well as those friends that have come to be our family. Anyway… What I really want to say is we have FUN together. We enjoy our time together. When you get to our age you start really understanding that life is “SHORT”. Way too SHORT. Mikey works away from home for now. Only home on the weekends. We really try to make the most of each and every moment. The Lord knows the number of hairs on our head….as you get older, there
are fewer hairs on your head. But, to state the obvious, somehow they show up in places that you never thought you would ever find hair. And again…he knows the number of our days. He has known these things from the beginning of time eternal. I for one do lean toward the thinking that embraces what “Christianese” refers to ”Pre-Destination". That's the thought that our every move and decision, in our lives …God knows….and has "Pre-Ordained ... Well I don't believe He makes decisions for us, but He surely knows what we will choose and where we will end up. And He knows, truly, what we need
I had been married twice before… I had a 7 year old son . When Tommy and I decided we were looking for a new “Man” to be in our lives. There was certain criteria that was in play as we made our choices. He had to be named Mike or Dave and he had to have a 4X4. That was Tommy’s criteria. Mine was a little more realistic than that. This future “man in our lives” needed to LOVE Tommy, I needed to like him, (at least). He needed to have a good job, and like me too. Being a Christian would have been nice. But as I was embarking on my third strike here, and my past experience, I unfortunately, rendered me not too invested in that part of the criteria. Although people, hear me here…. That was the most important criteria of all.
We spent almost three years of marriage with him not knowing the Lord. Not a very nice time in our marriage. But as the Lord will do, He took what the Enemy of our souls meant to destroy us and turned it all around for His glory and our good. He and I served the Lord together for many years in the church. Now we serve our family with the love and care that the Lord has shown us through the years. Sometimes it's in or alongside the church too. The most important thing to us is the gift God has given us in each other and in our family as well as those friends that have come to be our family. Anyway… What I really want to say is we have FUN together. We enjoy our time together. When you get to our age you start really understanding that life is “SHORT”. Way too SHORT. Mikey works away from home for now. Only home on the weekends. We really try to make the most of each and every moment. The Lord knows the number of hairs on our head….as you get older, there
are fewer hairs on your head. But, to state the obvious, somehow they show up in places that you never thought you would ever find hair. And again…he knows the number of our days. He has known these things from the beginning of time eternal. I for one do lean toward the thinking that embraces what “Christianese” refers to ”Pre-Destination". That's the thought that our every move and decision, in our lives …God knows….and has "Pre-Ordained ... Well I don't believe He makes decisions for us, but He surely knows what we will choose and where we will end up. And He knows, truly, what we need
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
# 2 of 52
Here it is already the 10th of January 2015.... Time is flying... It's only 349 days 'till Christmas... That's CRAZY when you think about it..... So let's not, and say we did... My "Momo", (pronounced Mom-O) usta say that...dI'd t ever and still don't have any idea why she said that...
Thinking of her, My "Momo"... She is what I aspire to be. She loved, she was a "caretaker", she was flamboyant in all the right ways...There was a time in my life that I would pray for a God to take me before her because I didn't think I could or wanted to live my life without her. She passed on Dec. 26, 1977...Two days before Christmas, a few years later, they discovered my Daddy had cancer , I knew I couldn't live past my Daddy passing.... After all he was only 62 years old... He passed on St Patrick's Day The very next year 1982...Then one of our FosterSons passed on January 2 a few years after that. A few years after that my Step-Daughter passed the day after Thanksgiving...Then that brings us to 1/1/06 My Mom passed... All of these were significant losses in my life... All passing anniversaries in less than 6 weeks each and every year.
This morning a very dear friend of ours passed, we celebrated his 70th Birthday New Years Day. He, His loving wife and his family valiantly fought for months with his bout with brain cancer.
I want to take an idea from sports commentator Stewart Scott who passed recently from cancer. During his battle he eluded to the fact that if we pass from cancer, it doesn't necessarily mean we failed in battling it. But that the winning is in how we fight the battle... Our friend and his family fought valiantly, with joy for each and every day with love for each other and sharing every blessed minute...
Another passing/graduation to celebrate during the Holidays.......Joe, we will miss your smile, your love, your caring spirit....man did we have fun... You are an awesome Man, a husband, father, uncle, brother, grandpa and friend. You worked hard at everything you ever did... It was and is an honor to call you our friend.
Grief is totally unpredictable. Grief is personal. Grief is ever-changing. I tell people all the time that loss is undeniable....no one gets through life without it. How we navigate this is the challenge. In my case that people would find it necessary to tell me to ... "Put on my big girl pants and "get over it".... Nope... That wasn't and isn't for me...I can't "get over it". Sincerely, I don't believe it's necessary, to "get over it"... But the thing that is imperative, for me, is that I can endeavor to "live passed it". I work to define a new "Normal" after each great loss. To me the loss of your child or your spouse has to be the worst...but in each and every loss, it's important to allow yourself time and experience... Start learning how to breathe again...Really, you will breathe again....it'll just be different, and different is ok.
So I said all that to say, "The Holidays come with a mixed bag of tricks. This is true for many many others as well. Finding a soft place to land in these times is very important. Surrounding yourselves with loving, gentle, understanding folks is of utmost importance. The Holidays alone are enough to make a sane person talk to themselves...and then you add sickness, loss & grief, well a mountain called "Holiday" can be seriously overwhelming.
At Christmas time we can see the JOY that the Savior brings as we celebrate His Triumphant birth. But it's hard to keep up the pretenses without lots of determination. I have a young friend who has suffered great loss and throughout this past Holiday Season she was able to hang on to and surpass her greatest expectation with a goal that she was determined to accomplish. She had good people around her, she had soft places to rest, she designed her activities to ensure her success. A good lesson for us all. Singlehandedly, we accomplish...."not much".... Together we accomplish "much".
Then comes the January Blues...I'm "Fightin Back With Joy"
Friday, January 9, 2015
"Fight Back With Joy" Blog Blast entry!
I have a disclaimer.... I'm so not experienced in blogging but I wanted too post this for Margaret and for her recently released book " Fight Back With Joy" . So here goes, with help from Jessica aka: the "Chihuahua on Red Bull" ...
Margaret Feinberg, is one of my most loved and respected authors. She has has been through a brutal fight with cancer and shares some very unexpected lessons she discovered along the way. These nuances are expressed in her new book and Bible study “<em><strong>Fight Back With Joy</strong>”</em>.
It’s inspiring to learn how Margaret has been practicing a defiant joy, and I thought you might like to get an insider’s look, a sneak peek of the video and read an interview with Margaret.
<em>http://www.margaretfeinbergstore.com/products/god-bless-this-hot-mess-t-shirt </em>
“The Secret To Living A Defiant Joy”: An interview with Margaret Feinberg
Through a brutal fight with cancer Margaret shares the unexpected lessons she discovered along the way in her new book and Bible study “Fight Back With Joy”.
<em>Preview the 6-Session DVD Bible Study, here.</em>
In her newest book and Bible study, Fight Back With Joy. She shares how the book was born out of her fight with a life-threatening illness. What is your difficult diagnosis, and what has your journey to health entailed?
For the last 18 months, She's been battling breast cancer. Breast cancer isn’t just one disease it represents thousands of different diseases with their varying components and factors. Being diagnosed under the age of 40 is significant. She's been through a brutal year of chemotherapy, radiation, and more surgeries than Anyone would want to count or even want to remember.
Why did she write "Fight Back With Joy"?
She had studied joy for a year and was putting the finishing touches a book on joy—just two weeks from turning it into the publisher, when she received the diagnosis. She had been pursuing and activating joy in her life in the relatively good times, now she had to do it in the midst of darkness, depression, and torturous pain. Through the process, she discovered the breadth, depth, and power of joy—that despite hundreds of sermons and many decades in the church—no one had told her of before.
In Fight Back With Joy book and Bible study, she really pushes the reader to reevaluate their definition of joy. Why do you think this is so important?
Much of the teaching I’ve heard on joy over the years is oversimplified. I remember those days in Sunday school learning that JOY is spelled Jesus, Others, Yourself. While that made perfect sense at 9 years old, I’ve seen how distorted that can become as an adult.
I see friends who love Jesus but spend so much time pouring into their kids, grandkids and others that their joy looks something like this: jOy.
Technically, it still spells joy, but more than anything, these men and women who are so exhausted, so empty, so running on fumes from pouring into others need to pause and take time to focus on themselves. Laying hold of joy right now will require them to reevaluate for a season and discover the joy that comes with JYo.
I also noticed how most of the definitions of joy define it more by what it isn’t than by what it is. I constantly heard that happiness is based on circumstance but joy is not dependent on circumstance.
Biblical expressions of joy turn out to be far different than what I had been taught. She is now convinced the writers of the Bible would say that, the reason we have joy is because we have great circumstances. If you are a child of God, you are drenched in the grace and mercy of God.
No matter what you’re facing: Your circumstances are better than you think.
If you’re not experiencing joy, perhaps it’s because your definition of joy is too narrow.
On a scale of 1-10, how hard was it for Margaret to write this book and Bible study?
An eleven! This journey has been the most painful experience of her life. And, to share about it requires some vulnerability. Okay, a lot of vulnerability. And, that’s really, really hard. But she feels like she's finally ready to share what God has stirred in her heart along the way because although cancer has been the most painful journey—it has also been the most joyful. And no one is more surprised than She is
Pick up a copy of Fight Back With Joy at Amazon or Barnes and Noble today.
<del></del><!--more-->
Margaret Feinberg, is one of my most loved and respected authors. She has has been through a brutal fight with cancer and shares some very unexpected lessons she discovered along the way. These nuances are expressed in her new book and Bible study “<em><strong>Fight Back With Joy</strong>”</em>.
It’s inspiring to learn how Margaret has been practicing a defiant joy, and I thought you might like to get an insider’s look, a sneak peek of the video and read an interview with Margaret.
<em>http://www.margaretfeinbergstore.com/products/god-bless-this-hot-mess-t-shirt </em>
“The Secret To Living A Defiant Joy”: An interview with Margaret Feinberg
Through a brutal fight with cancer Margaret shares the unexpected lessons she discovered along the way in her new book and Bible study “Fight Back With Joy”.
<em>Preview the 6-Session DVD Bible Study, here.</em>
In her newest book and Bible study, Fight Back With Joy. She shares how the book was born out of her fight with a life-threatening illness. What is your difficult diagnosis, and what has your journey to health entailed?
For the last 18 months, She's been battling breast cancer. Breast cancer isn’t just one disease it represents thousands of different diseases with their varying components and factors. Being diagnosed under the age of 40 is significant. She's been through a brutal year of chemotherapy, radiation, and more surgeries than Anyone would want to count or even want to remember.
Why did she write "Fight Back With Joy"?
She had studied joy for a year and was putting the finishing touches a book on joy—just two weeks from turning it into the publisher, when she received the diagnosis. She had been pursuing and activating joy in her life in the relatively good times, now she had to do it in the midst of darkness, depression, and torturous pain. Through the process, she discovered the breadth, depth, and power of joy—that despite hundreds of sermons and many decades in the church—no one had told her of before.
In Fight Back With Joy book and Bible study, she really pushes the reader to reevaluate their definition of joy. Why do you think this is so important?
Much of the teaching I’ve heard on joy over the years is oversimplified. I remember those days in Sunday school learning that JOY is spelled Jesus, Others, Yourself. While that made perfect sense at 9 years old, I’ve seen how distorted that can become as an adult.
I see friends who love Jesus but spend so much time pouring into their kids, grandkids and others that their joy looks something like this: jOy.
Technically, it still spells joy, but more than anything, these men and women who are so exhausted, so empty, so running on fumes from pouring into others need to pause and take time to focus on themselves. Laying hold of joy right now will require them to reevaluate for a season and discover the joy that comes with JYo.
I also noticed how most of the definitions of joy define it more by what it isn’t than by what it is. I constantly heard that happiness is based on circumstance but joy is not dependent on circumstance.
Biblical expressions of joy turn out to be far different than what I had been taught. She is now convinced the writers of the Bible would say that, the reason we have joy is because we have great circumstances. If you are a child of God, you are drenched in the grace and mercy of God.
No matter what you’re facing: Your circumstances are better than you think.
If you’re not experiencing joy, perhaps it’s because your definition of joy is too narrow.
On a scale of 1-10, how hard was it for Margaret to write this book and Bible study?
An eleven! This journey has been the most painful experience of her life. And, to share about it requires some vulnerability. Okay, a lot of vulnerability. And, that’s really, really hard. But she feels like she's finally ready to share what God has stirred in her heart along the way because although cancer has been the most painful journey—it has also been the most joyful. And no one is more surprised than She is
Pick up a copy of Fight Back With Joy at Amazon or Barnes and Noble today.
<del></del><!--more-->
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Blog #1 of 52. Second try at the first one...
Have you ever been at a place in your life that you have so much to say....you don't know how to say it with expertise or even who to say it to? I stand at that place today.
I wrote a post for my very first blog in 2015. The more I read it and perfect spelling, phrasing and all that mechanical stuff, the more I became frustrated with what I wrote.
Why is that the case? I'm contemplating that answer as I write this second try.
Do I live in fear of what others might think of my writing skill? (Of course) Am I afraid that they, whomever "they" are might think my subject matter is silly? (Of course, how silly is that?)
How do I write with "Hope" and "Joy" in every word?
I'm
Gonna
Find
Out
In the first chapter of the Book of John, the Word tells us of a Savior "who was and is and is to come"... John 1:29 "sort of". John the Baptist was heralding the embodiment of the "Savior" spoken of in the Old Testament. If I believe the Word of God is true, and I do, then I must also believe that He is the "Author and Finisher of my faith" and ALL that I do. And if He is ALL that, then I just need to get on with today and this blog, with a 2 & 1/2 year old little granddaughter on my lap and Mr. Peabody & Sherman on the TV.....
The year 2014 was a busy one. But then again, I like busy... I care for 4 of my grand children 4 days a week. So my days are very busy with my kiddos. I'm such a blessed "Mema" and I wouldn't have it any other way. Mike, my husband, works out of town and lives in our Motor Coach during the week...we have a couple, very good friends of ours, that are staying with us until their new home is ready to move in to. They moved here in April last year and they are hoping to be in their new home before Valentine's Day. We started attending a new church this year, ...we went to Cancun to our nieces wedding, we went to South Dakota, I went to Colorado to a writing boot camp with Margaret Feinberg and Jonathan Merritt... I have 5 kids and 10 grand kiddos...so as is every year...it was a busy year...
2015 is looking lots less busy... At least today it does...
My goals???
To live in the "present"...
Being "anxious for nothing"...
Continue to be "Available"...
If I can accomplish all three of these things, even some of the time, I'll allow myself to feel accomplished. I know that these things will not be accomplished if I don't incorporate those three goals. From this point forward I will endeavor to proceed with the confidence that "He that began a good work in me, will see it through to the end...in Him I am successful always.
Have you ever been at a place in your life that you have so much to say....you don't know how to say it with expertise or even who to say it to? I stand at that place today.
I wrote a post for my very first blog in 2015. The more I read it and perfect spelling, phrasing and all that mechanical stuff, the more I became frustrated with what I wrote.
Why is that the case? I'm contemplating that answer as I write this second try.
Do I live in fear of what others might think of my writing skill? (Of course) Am I afraid that they, whomever "they" are might think my subject matter is silly? (Of course, how silly is that?)
How do I write with "Hope" and "Joy" in every word?
I'm
Gonna
Find
Out
In the first chapter of the Book of John, the Word tells us of a Savior "who was and is and is to come"... John 1:29 "sort of". John the Baptist was heralding the embodiment of the "Savior" spoken of in the Old Testament. If I believe the Word of God is true, and I do, then I must also believe that He is the "Author and Finisher of my faith" and ALL that I do. And if He is ALL that, then I just need to get on with today and this blog, with a 2 & 1/2 year old little granddaughter on my lap and Mr. Peabody & Sherman on the TV.....
The year 2014 was a busy one. But then again, I like busy... I care for 4 of my grand children 4 days a week. So my days are very busy with my kiddos. I'm such a blessed "Mema" and I wouldn't have it any other way. Mike, my husband, works out of town and lives in our Motor Coach during the week...we have a couple, very good friends of ours, that are staying with us until their new home is ready to move in to. They moved here in April last year and they are hoping to be in their new home before Valentine's Day. We started attending a new church this year, ...we went to Cancun to our nieces wedding, we went to South Dakota, I went to Colorado to a writing boot camp with Margaret Feinberg and Jonathan Merritt... I have 5 kids and 10 grand kiddos...so as is every year...it was a busy year...
2015 is looking lots less busy... At least today it does...
My goals???
To live in the "present"...
Being "anxious for nothing"...
Continue to be "Available"...
If I can accomplish all three of these things, even some of the time, I'll allow myself to feel accomplished. I know that these things will not be accomplished if I don't incorporate those three goals. From this point forward I will endeavor to proceed with the confidence that "He that began a good work in me, will see it through to the end...in Him I am successful always.
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Pre-Post 12/30/14
Well, here I go.... Or should I say, there I went .....
I think "There I went", is much more appropriate because, I went to the First Ever Writers Boot Camp.....October 27-29, in Littleton, Colorado....
That most probably doesn't sound like much of a feat to most of you but... I'm 68 and 1/2 years old... I've never written much in my life...but I want to...with all the internet and social media available it seems a little more realistic these days. You see I'm from a generation who saw the first in-home black and white TV, the first Swanson TV Dinner. Seriously, our Moms didn't work outside the home. Daddys came home from work, had a cocktail. Dinner was set and the family ate dinner and that was that. And that seemed very normal....
Now that I've given you a glimpse of my "mind-set", you must be wondering why I was ever even considering traveling to Colorado from California alone. Seeing as how I'm "elderly" and all, I say tounge-in-creek...Not to mention that out of the 60 or so people signed in to the WBC2014 were 98% under 40, I have kids older than that. Most had college degrees. Some had written or were writing books and some were already published... No pressure here...Seriously?
Well...it was Margaret Feinberg and Johnathan Merritt, after all. I knew it was my one and only opportunity to have a chance to sit under these two amazing writers... People that I admire so much.
So as one of my "Elderly Friends" had encouraged me to do few years back..... I put on my "Big Girl" pants, made the needed reservations, packed my suit case and off I went.... To be clear... I'm was scared OUTTA my wits.
I arrived. Attended the the intense training, met some extremely wonderful people and had an awesome time. I came away not simply believing you can teach "old dogs" new tricks, I was and am completely sure that you can teach "old dogs" new tricks. And give them the where-with-all to do whatever they set their minds to. In the coming year I hope to impart many things to whomever takes the time to read this blog. All the while understanding that there is a power greater than I, and you that is at work orchestrating each and every one of our lives...How we play it out makes us each have our own individual story...soon I'll start sharing with youhow my story has, is and will continue to play out.
I think "There I went", is much more appropriate because, I went to the First Ever Writers Boot Camp.....October 27-29, in Littleton, Colorado....
That most probably doesn't sound like much of a feat to most of you but... I'm 68 and 1/2 years old... I've never written much in my life...but I want to...with all the internet and social media available it seems a little more realistic these days. You see I'm from a generation who saw the first in-home black and white TV, the first Swanson TV Dinner. Seriously, our Moms didn't work outside the home. Daddys came home from work, had a cocktail. Dinner was set and the family ate dinner and that was that. And that seemed very normal....
Now that I've given you a glimpse of my "mind-set", you must be wondering why I was ever even considering traveling to Colorado from California alone. Seeing as how I'm "elderly" and all, I say tounge-in-creek...Not to mention that out of the 60 or so people signed in to the WBC2014 were 98% under 40, I have kids older than that. Most had college degrees. Some had written or were writing books and some were already published... No pressure here...Seriously?
Well...it was Margaret Feinberg and Johnathan Merritt, after all. I knew it was my one and only opportunity to have a chance to sit under these two amazing writers... People that I admire so much.
So as one of my "Elderly Friends" had encouraged me to do few years back..... I put on my "Big Girl" pants, made the needed reservations, packed my suit case and off I went.... To be clear... I'm was scared OUTTA my wits.
I arrived. Attended the the intense training, met some extremely wonderful people and had an awesome time. I came away not simply believing you can teach "old dogs" new tricks, I was and am completely sure that you can teach "old dogs" new tricks. And give them the where-with-all to do whatever they set their minds to. In the coming year I hope to impart many things to whomever takes the time to read this blog. All the while understanding that there is a power greater than I, and you that is at work orchestrating each and every one of our lives...How we play it out makes us each have our own individual story...soon I'll start sharing with youhow my story has, is and will continue to play out.
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