a month of thanksgiving

there is another social media out there that i am sure most of us if not all of us use from time to time.  somewhere, someone made the decision that we should all follow the lead and give thanks for something each day in celebration of a month of thanksgivings.  and so i embarked upon my 30 day thankful journey.  at first, just trying to whittle it down to one thing was hard.  but i did it and well into the process an old friend of mine commented that she had been watching my posts and really appreciated my thankfulness...  wow.  who would have believed that stating one's thankfulness would impact another.  rising each morning and meeting the day with a thought of thankfulness and a prayer of praise certainly impacted my own attitude.  i believe that is what God has called us to - recognizing Him in our daily ventures.  recognizing His provision is the first step in recognizing Him as God.  i have two more days to go officially and hopefully many days of a lifetime to finish my thankfulness --
above all the crumminess, good days and bad, above all the things i find i still want, in all the things He has given -- in all of that i am so very thankful for a God of grace and forgiveness and more - salvation.

rumbles of weather

up and running - greeting a new day of "cold" weather.  i think winter is now here.  we dropped from a high of  70 to anticipating a 57 today.  and we got some rain!  in this place this is good news.  the air this morning is crisp and clean.  not many days here like that.  and believe it or not, my LOWEST utility bill ever arrived ---for last month  just  i say JUST $67.00. 

The Day the Earth Stood Still

It's coming up on 5:30am, 11/07/12.  although they are still counting, by reason of the electoral vote, Obama remains in office.  what is different today?  nothing.  nothing because millions of people refuse to open their eyes and see clearly their chosen paths.  paths that are self-centered and off-kilter.  if the government is able to provide all their needs, who needs God?  such a false-hope. 

flamingoes you ask?  yes, we were flocked last night.  flocked?  yes, flocked.  flocked by the Student Ministry of St. John's.  luckily they are the kind that leaves no residue.  i hope the neighbors got a good laugh.  i did. 

falling back today...but moving forward.  we have some big things going on this week.  tomorrow - prayer and fasting.  for our country.  for our elections.  that His hand will be upon us - to provide us strength and perseverance in these and every day

be sure to vote.  it does count.

returns

so believe it or not i have been back here at least a half-dozen times, write some, delete all, begin again.  by the time i have sit-down time available, i have no thoughts.  none.  but if i am going to do this, this one must become a reality and be posted.

so lets see.  the most exciting thing in my life nowdays is that we are going have a baby!   that would be a corporate "we"...it will actually be A doing the bearing down and pushing.  wow...brings back some memories...

it is really a bit peculiar, your first grand-child.  in the beginning, right after a&m's announcement random thoughts brought me to this place that my life-cycle is complete...yeah yeah i know, you would think that happens when you have kids, but going to the next generation, is more like re-generation..."the legacy" if you will. 

so that was the philosophical part - first trimester.  the second-trimester brought us an ultra sound pic.  now i have seen a few of these in my time - i am not too particularly impressed.  but this one...this one...could be classified as "picture perfect".  and for me...it made her pregnancy a reality that i got a grand baby coming.

that's cool stuff. 

the picture - is such a clear depiction of God's handiwork.  we are intricately made - woven in the womb  just like the Bible says.  knitted together by God!!!  that just so amazes me.  that He created us for Himself.  I mean he could made a world full of fuzzy puppies for Himself - ones that would be forever loyal to Him...but He made us - - - and when we messed up --- gave us an out through His Son, Jesus so that we could stay forever connected to Him...wow.  sometimes the whole process is just overwhelming. 

time to go. 

ya know...my umbrella is still full :))

the year isn't over...it has just begun

wow things around here (blogger) have changed dramatically since i was last here.  even my password......about three times in the last 15 minutes.  geez.  here i am a computer geek at best and can't even change a password without bumbling.  somebody might be able to guess it, but i can't even remember it.

subjects to choose from:  elections / politics, life changes/family, work-yes i am still there, banger - never leaves my side 'cept for when i go to to work, faith.

so let's start with Reformaton Sunday.  that's today.  actually The Festival of the Reformation in liturgical language.  just think, if good ol' martin luther hadn't nailed those 95 thesises (thesies? thesi?) to the door we wouldn't really understand that it is by grace through faith that we are saved - and be in a never ending state of working our way into heaven - it is He who ('he who'  lol  still makes me laugh) bore our sins on that cross that set us free from it all. 

so there, i have started again...at least for now.

geo

hello?

2012 has arrived.

[tapping screen]  you there?  just thought i'd check.  is been a long time, wonder how long it has been since you even dropped by.  well if you are there - welcome back.

that was a pretty long hiatus and i can't really say i have done anything in particular while you missed me.

life rolls

Chick-Fil-A Leadercast

Our church hosted the 2011 Chick-Fil-A Leadercast live from Atlanta, GA via satellite yesterday.  (A whole other story, I'll share later.)  One of the speakers, Suzy Welch spoke to the subject of "Purpose".  Now Ms. Welch is a somebody out there, but one I do not know of. 
She asked three questions to help you identify your purpose ~ where are you going/what is your goal?  interesting questions I share with you here:
1.  What will make you cry at your 70th birthday? (legacy)
2.  What do people say about you when you are not in the room? (ethics)
3.  "Think about your childhood ~ what did you like about it;  what did you dislike about it? (influence)

just a passing thought.  good event.  full of all kinds of leadership tips.  check out their website:
http://www.chick-fil-aleadercast.com/

If You Knew Her, You Would Say...: Tie a yellow ribbon

If You Knew Her, You Would Say...: Tie a yellow ribbon

refresh, refuel, renew

Awhile back, like maybe a year or so ago, 5 week theme at church was call The 5 Stones.  Each week we listened as Pastor drenched us with His Word, enlightening us as he told us we are to suffer well, make wise choices, that we all have a calling, and we are responsible to manage ourselves....in the end we are to live grace-filled lives.  I only came home with 3 stones.  For a year i had only 3 stones.  Then one day in the garage I found a fourth stone.  That made me really happy and i put it with my collection, still incomplete, but one step closer.

Last week i was pretty put out by another person that happens to occupy some of the space i work and play in.  When I get like this, I just know it will result in a pearl, because oysters are like that.  no i am not an oyster, but if i were i would have one heck of a large pearl by now.  i had to crawl in the floor board of my car (one of the smallest made by the japanese) and reach under the seat to see if i possible dropped my wallet there (i know you think the real story is that I was looking for my cell phone ~ wrong!)  and low and behold....my 5th stone!!!  "Grace-filled"

wowzers.  it keeps coming back to that for me.  grace-filled. 

with His grace.  thank you Lord!

and Lord, please help me to extend that grace to the others around me....

refresh, refuel, renew.  ahhhhhh  better than a day at the spa.

Here I am.....

yeah, i know, you have missed me.  well i am back know, from a recent trip around the world.  been everywhere, done everything....my how blogger has changed!  so many more options!  one day maybe i will sit and check them out and even learn to use them. but until then, its just me and the key board.

christmas has come and gone.  so has my birthday.  pushing 60 now you can say.  you know, i used to didn't have issues with my friends that are older than I am...i envied them.  finally made it to 59, retired, livin' the vida loca....BUT....most of them are turning 65 this year.  That is scary.  real scary.  reality scary.  and then i have a friend that turned 50 but she looks like she's 35.  that is scary.  so really what is age?  and it obviously doesn't matter when you speak in terms of numbers.

the winter has come and gone but this weekend it seems to have come again.  only it didn't drop the first snow in 8 years like they said it would.  we did get rain and it did get cold.  cancelled christmas w/ the other side of the family that was to have been celebrated because of the anticipated road conditions.....geez.  the roads are dry the winds are mild, there is no ice, no snow....de nada.  aint right that we must rely on the weather men for these faulty predictions.  fire them all!  send them to wisconsin.  and celebrate christmas in march....

hows the banger, you ask?  she's still the butterscotch terrier of my life and she says hi.  and she wants you to throw her monkey for her, please.

ugh...time to go running...not literally but there are things to do people to see if you know what i mean...

the birfday dawg

see her.  she knows she's my present.  :))  she laid down there all by herself.

Love

First Corinthians 13

Christmas Version

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows,

strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls,

but do not show love to my family,

I'm just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies,

preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime:

but do not show love to my family,

I'm just another cook.

If I work at a soup kitchen

carol in the nursing home

and give all that I have to charity;

but do not show love to my family,

it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes,

attend a myriad of holiday parties

and sing in the choir's cantata

but do not focus on Christ,

I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child.

Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the spouse.

Love is kind, though harried and tired.

Love doesn't envy another's home

that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.

Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way,

but is thankful they are there to be in the way.

Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return ;

but rejoices in giving to those who can't.

Love bears all things,

believes all things,

hopes all things

endures all things.

Love never fails.

Video games will break,

pearl necklaces will be lost,

golf clubs will rust;

But giving the gift of love will endure.

Author unknown

Three Days ago......

our daughter got married.  it was a wonderful time, a proud moment.  and now we have a son.  that was some long labor ~  a lovely couple indeed.  


Many blessings to you!  Remain faithful to each other, faithful to Him.


~mom~

Isn't she lovely.

unbelievable exists ~ ~

1. I just got in from shopping @ walmart superstore. [my favorite, ya know] on a sunday afternoon after church. there was virtually no one in the store. the parking lot had lots of open spots....lots! unbelievable.

2. I am making my 2nd thanksgiving day turkey. yes, the 2nd. this is what happens when you take two birds out of the freezer to thaw, thinking you would have enough guests to qualify as feeding an army, however, the troops did not land...at our launch site, anyways.... unbelievable.

3. The spa is drained, cleaned, and re-filled. couple more hours....it will be time to git nekid. unbelievable.

and 4. 13 days. unbelievable.

please take the poll a the right

if you don't like any, what would you rather? list it in your reply. my personal favorite...Freak Out...but i am not the father nor the daughter :)

14 days and counting......

what is it that we are missing?

possibly nothing. mi spouso has been unofficially retired for over a year now...some people call it unemployed. he says he's retired. whatever. so yeah we are chowin' down on the uib uncle sammy sends us every couple of weeks. and quite frankly, there is no shame in it...it is one of those funds we all paid into at one point or another....along with our previous employers. so what if we run it out...the pension years are soon upon us.....any way...you get the picture.

but today, a temp agency called on behalf of the local "career services center" known other places as the edd office or the UNemployment department a true tax dollar sucker in its own right. well first he is informed there is a job available but is asked if he would be willing to accept eight bucks an hour!!!!!!! c'mon. that is less than half of what he was making!! have we worked ourselves out of a job....we are talking about someone that has work history and 15 years of experience in the field!!!! or have we just worked ourselves into a frenzy?

not connecting, guys. his pension stimulus pays him more than that to stay here at the house and wait on me!!!!

so yes, its a frenzy. laughable.

to those that ask...

To live victoriously, every day we must learn to pour out our hearts to God, confess sin daily, acknowledge every hollow place, and invite Him to fill us fully! Then we need to continue to fan the flame of His love by reading Scripture, listening to edifying music, and praying often. We also need to avoid things that obviously quench His Spirit. ...make sure you are not hindering the process ~ God will begin to satisfy you more than a double cheeseburger! ~~ Beth Moore, Breaking Free

considering the double cheesburgers in life ~ make mine God.

yes it's halloween....

think i'll go to walmart.....