Happy Halloween

I can't help myself.

Here are my cute daughter and granddaughter.

Youngest Sweetie is a hatching chick.

The sleepy look.

She's mesmerized by the camera's flashing red light.

Not a big fan of her head covering....
hence it's on the floor.

A little attitude-ish yet so much fun for us!

Happy First Halloween Youngest Sweetie!

Thanks for the great memories!

One Thousand Gifts (994-1000)

Continuing my journey toward one thousand gifts....

Our neighbor's tree is once again picking on our little one. I was looking through the window and saw the branch break off.

Hurricane Sandy is still off the coast but we're experiencing the winds and rain.

#994 - 1000 on my list of One Thousand Gifts. I'm thankful for:

994. having advance notice to prepare before Hurricane Sandy comes inland

995. local weather reports

996. Wonderful Husband who is calm

997. Bible Study being canceled this week. Having an extra week to prayerfully and thoughtfully finish the last week of homework.

998. reading What Good is God? In Search of a Faith That Matters by Philip Yancey. My highlighter is working overtime on this book.

999. our granddaughter, Youngest Sweetie, playing the guitar with Grandpop

She thinks Grandpop is a rock star!

 1000. arriving home safely after losing power at work

This post is linked to A Holy Experience: Multitudes on Mondays, One Thousand Gifts.

I'm praying for everyone's safety during the storm.

Please join me.

Preparation with Sugar

I asked Wonderful Husband to stop at a store on Friday to pick up "important stuff" like soda and a gift card.

After work he texted me with the question, "Soda and what else?" I replied, "Gift card."

A few minutes later I texted, "Still there?" but didn't receive a reply. I was going to suggest a couple more items but no big deal. I wonder if he knew why I asked and decided to "not get" the text? Hmmmm....

When he arrived home he said he bought more than what I asked for and we both started laughing when he brought in the bags and started unloading them.

You see, Hurricane Sandy is in the news with plenty of notice before her arrival. We're fortunate to live inland and to have plenty of water, flashlights, food, and all the laundry is washed, dried and put away. We're expecting a lot of rain and high winds and if you're nearby....come on over to what is now known as "The Sugar House."

We have crackers, cookies, and candy corn to share.

Note to self: Keep Wonderful Husband off the aisle with
merchandise which begins with the letter "C."

We have enough to be on a sugar-high for a few days if the electricity goes out.

Here's a picture of the sky at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday. They're forecasting heavy rain to begin around 11:00 p.m. tonight, through Monday and into Tuesday. Sustained winds of 50-80 mph are in our forecast too.

Awfully dark and gray for 10:00 a.m.

My questions are:

Would you add us to your Prep Team?

Or only invite us to participate if you're running low on sugar?

I think we have the sugar "food group" covered!

Words That Bless

Our son (The Teacher) called on Wednesday night and we talked about his job, my job, God, Jesus and life.

He said that he was thankful that his dad and I were his parents. He has compassion for students who have difficult home lives and realizes that we did our best with parenting him and his sister.

I am most grateful that he knows that we weren't and still aren't perfect parents. 

For years I wanted my kids to think of me as perfect, knowing all the answers to life's big and small questions. I could only hold on to that silly dream self-imposed expectation until they hit high school age. Then it was more difficult to hide my flawed, imperfect "human-ness" from them.

We are blessed to have a 25 year old son who appreciates us even though we're not perfect.

And I exhale a happy sigh.

Happy Friday friends!

One Thousand Gifts (980-993)

Continuing on my journey toward one thousand gifts....

Thank you Lord for your timing.

Sometimes it makes me laugh.

Last Tuesday (October 16th) at Bible Study someone mentioned the story of the workers in the field and how they were hired at different times throughout the day. Diane looked over to me with a questioning look and I said I'd find it and email it later.

The next day, I had to email her to ask what the topic was since I remembered I wanted to look something up for her, but could remember what it was.

Heavy sigh.

Good thing she has a working memory because after she replied, I was able to find Matthew 20:1-16 (The Story of the Vineyard Workers) and send it off to her.

Imagine my delight this morning when I open up The One Year Chronological Bible and the first reading for October 22nd?

Matthew 20:1-16.

I had to laugh!

980 - 993 on my list of One Thousand Gifts. I'm thankful for:

980. God's timing

981. Diane's good memory

982. watching Youngest Sweetie dig through my books

Yes, she reads upside down.

She's very smart!

983. celebrating Paula's birthday over breakfast

984. assignment received from the breakfast group regarding Luke 17:1-4 (on forgiveness)

985. looking forward to our next breakfast to discuss the assigned topic

986. receiving encouraging words (spoken and emailed)

987. the colors of Autumn. Even on gray, cloudy, rainy days the yellow leaves bring happiness to my soul.

988. thinking more about the term "Sandwich Generation" as I keep others in my prayers who are taking care of both their parents and children. Lord give us strength!

989. my brother-in-law finding permanent, full-time employment

990. an early morning stop-by to borrow a cooler by our daughter and our waving to Youngest Sweetie while she waited (patiently) in the car

991. hard eucharisteo: my sister-in-law getting laid off from her job. Sending encouragement and prayers in a card.

992. a Sunday afternoon walk with Wonderful Husband

993. my brother's birthday tomorrow (already clearing my throat to prepare to sing! Ha!)

This post is linked to A Holy Experience: Multitudes on Mondays, One Thousand Gifts.

Do you have memory challenges like me?

One Thousand Gifts (962-979)

Continuing on my journey toward one thousand gifts....

Last week was a rough week which began with a visit to the doctor and a diagnosis of an infection in my parotid gland, blood taken, antibiotic prescribed, and he used the word "fascinating."

At the end of the week I saw an ENT doctor. Actually he would be called an otolaryngologist. (Now I know why he's called an ENT!) He agreed with the infection diagnosis, told me to finish my meds, and come back only if I got worse.

I think I'm on the mend and tried taking some pictures of my half swollen face. Believe me, there was not good camera angle, so instead....

Youngest Sweetie. 11 months young.

....I took a picture of my granddaughter's cute face. You are welcome! :)

962 - 979 on my list of one thousand gifts. I'm thankful for:

962. an infection free parotid gland

963. the doctors' diagnosis and treatment

964. friends who prayed for my healing

965. God the Healer

966. a save-the-date email for our nephew's wedding in 2013

967. an amazing post at (in)courage.me entitled Sandpaper People by Robin Dance

968. signing our Wills and Living Wills

969. our son-in-law coming over for dinner with Youngest Sweetie on Friday

970. visiting our son, The Teacher in VA on Saturday

971. sopapillas at Pancho Villa  in VA

972. our daughter, Young Sweetie visiting on Sunday with Youngest Sweetie

973. taking a walk in our neighborhood with Youngest Sweetie (in her stroller) and Diane

974. ordering Terri's Christmas present and having it delivered to her. (Don't worry. I told her she could open it immediately. I am not mean enough to say....don't open until Christmas day! :)

975. crisp, sunny, Fall mornings in PA

976. Joanne (my hairdresser) who magically makes the gray disappear and is a genius with scissors

977. a new mousepad from Wonderful Husband. (I asked for one, he brought home four. I should have asked for diamonds! Ha!)

978. my Bible Study buddies and shared prayer requests

979. God who listens and loves us all

This post is linked to A Holy Experience: Multitudes on Monday, One Thousand Gifts.

How was your week?

One Thousand Gifts (953-961)

Continuing on my journey toward one thousand gifts.....

I see a tree loaded with leaves of Fall red and other leaves of Summer green.

It's the in-between time when my geraniums survive

and my newly planted yellow mums bloom.

We have weather that dips cold during the night into the 40s and day time temperatures soaring toward 80.

I wear summer capris, sleeveless blouses and flip-flops one day, and corduroy pants, sleeved shirts and enclosed shoes the next day.

It's a confusing time of year in PA.

Is it Summer or Fall?

This past week was mostly gray days with some rain. Very hard on my sun-craving soul.

On Tuesday, Wonderful Husband and I went to a lawyer's office to begin the process of drawing up our Last Will and Testament. Preparing for our future. Yet once we're gone, we have no control and won't care what happens to our stuff.

Maybe the whole "will thing" put me in a sad place emotionally yet I was startled when Maria called on Thursday and after explaining my "blah-ness" she immediately asked if I'd thought about hormone replacement therapy. Ha! (And no, I have not.)

953 - 961 on my list of One Thousand Gifts. I'm thankful for:

953. beginning the Will process

954. Wonderful Husband picking up my free baker's dozen multi-grain bagels. Best. Husband. Ever.

955. seeing a Downy Woodpecker eating bugs off of our front porch. I've never seen any bird like her before!

Picture from Wikipedia.
Female doesn't have red patch on back of head.

956. seeing a blue jay tossing mulch around in our front flower bed

957. seeing a chubby squirrel not in my geranium planters

958. God's creations visible and busy outside my front window

959. Judy's conversation after church on Sunday. She was very kind and introduced herself to us.

960. God's hand in that situation since I had been thinking earlier that day that we hadn't spoken to anyone there yet. His perfect timing again.

961. hard eucharisteo: a swollen jaw began on Saturday. Waiting to see the doctor on Monday. Thankful for medical care nearby.

This post is linked to A Holy Experience: Multitude Mondays, One Thousand Gifts.

May I ask for healing prayers for a jaw that swells during eating? 
Maybe God's way of saying to eat less?
Wonderful Husband laughed when I said maybe it was a hint that I should talk less.

Update: A swollen parotid gland. Taking antibiotics to see if it's an infection.

Lutheran Visit

If you wish, you can read:

Part 1 From Thought to Action
Part 2 Wonderful Christian Women
Part 3 United Methodist Visit
Part 4 Non Denominational Visit
and 
Part 5 Presbyterian Visit

Recently I was watching Dr. David Jeremiah on TV and he pointed out that one cure for immaturity in faith is "exposure to teaching that goes beyond the basics."

Yes.
****

We were driving through town and Wonderful Husband pointed at a Lutheran church saying, "We haven't visited there yet." So our next visit was to the local Lutheran church.

The first service was at 8:00 a.m., earlier than we are used to yet we arrived in time for the beginning of the service.

My thoughts:

• The simple beauty of the sanctuary with sun streaming through the small stained glass windows and refracting onto the opposite wall.
• The sermon was about putting on the full amour of God. 
• Battles, technology and 3 references to Presbyterians. 
• The pastor quoted authors, movie stars, newspaper articles, NPR, and deceased preachers. 
• We sang "Onward Christian Soldiers." A song remembered from my childhood.
• The organist and trumpeter were unseen (somewhere behind).
• Picked up a visitor's welcome bag and the surprise of a loaf of homemade bread inside.
• Afterward I told Wonderful Husband that I had felt absolutely battered by words. 
• A very intellectual preacher with not much spiritual nourishment included. 
• Not a soothing worship experience to say the least. 
• Not going back for sure. 

But it gave me a lot to think about since I had unknowingly sat beside a couple where the wife was fidgeting and murmuring to her husband. He would shush her and she would go silent for a bit.

It was not terribly disruptive, yet it made me think about the future. The husband that brings his (early dementia) wife to church to worship, and how much longer he'll be able to do that. Was he able to enjoy his worship time? Was she?

I've been thinking about our future of maybe facing that one day. 

The fear of the unknown perhaps.

Time to pull my mind off that "slippery slope."

I am thankful we visited this church.

****
The reasons we began this adventure to find a new church were:
I need life application from the sermon, stronger leadership, more Christ, and a need/desire to be a part of a faith community.

to be continued....

One Thousand Gifts (942-952)

Continuing on my journey toward one thousand gifts....

I joined a Bible Study group a couple weeks ago. We are reading Walking By Faith: Lessons Learned in the Dark by Jennifer Rothschild and I see the theme "trust in the Lord."

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT)

942 - 952 on my list of One Thousand Gifts. I'm thankful for:

942. my new Bible Study group. A kind and welcoming group of ladies.

943. realizing my need to trust God

944. seeing an old church friend (Terri) at the grocery store and catching up with her

945. my father-in-law's birthday

946. my father and remembering him on the 20th anniversary of his death

946. our grand-nephew's 3rd birthday

947. our daughter helping me avoid making a major faux pas when I was about to buy a birthday card with the number "2" instead of the correct number "3." Thank you Young Sweetie!

948. Wonderful Husband going clothes shopping with me. I value his honesty and patience while I tried on a multitude of pants.

949. a flu shot that gives me peace of mind

950. a surprise rainbow

951. our daughter sending us a picture of our standing granddaughter. I giggle about her "skinny jeans!"

Hey! Where are her shoes?

952. the beginning of October

This post is linked to A Holy Experience: Multitudes on Mondays, One Thousand Gifts.