It's Just Life

JuJu always says "It's just life, Honey."  She uses this phrase anytime I feel uncomfortable with what's going on in my life.  She uses it anytime she wants to encourage me and let me know that this time in my life will pass and I will feel better soon.  JuJu always knows.  She's seen it all and knows that life goes on.  In her 86 years I'm sure she's felt discouraged but somehow she's always managed a pleasant smile.  I have seen her upset and still she managed to be the matriarch of the family, the rock we all clung to at the difficult time.  So when I say to you, "It's just life, Honey," I'm saying it with as much love as JuJu always tells me.  Afterall, it is just life and this too shall pass. :-)

Thanks for always being there, JuJu!!!  I love you!!!

Secret Apple Dumplin Recipe

2 Grannie Smith Apples, peeled cored and sliced into 16 slices
2 pkgs refrigerated crescent rolls
2 sticks butter
1.5 c sugar
1 t vanilla
cinnamon
1 small can mt dew

Roll ea slice of apple in crescent roll and place in 9 X 13 buttered pan.  Melt butter and add sugar.  Barely stir and add vanilla.  Pour over crescents.  Sprinkle with cinnamon.  Pour mt dew around edges of pan.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.  Spoon sauce over crescents when you serve.  Serve with ice cream for added treat. 

My Heart

My Heart lays heavy this morning with the burdens of this world.  So many things going on in my head.  The loss of a child near the age of mine always makes me stop and think so much.  I am truly thankful for my children and all that they bring me, the good and the bad, the laughs and the trials.  I would not trade a second of it but now I just want to cling to them and have them here with me, have my birdies in the nest where I can protect them.  But they can't live their lives in a bubble and I can't live my life in fear so we go on and hope and pray for the best, praying first of all for their salvation so that no matter what they will be with the Lord should the case arise.  I can only hope that these parents have that peace.  I don't know the children so I don't have that peace for them.  My heart just breaks. 
I am also heavy with the burdens of family troubles -- parent care, sibling issues, salvation issues, health & financial struggles.  I only mention these bc I am listing them in prayer as I do.  God knows the individual issues and now you know that there are things I am praying about within my family.  Please join me in praying for my family and for the families of the lost teens.

Thou Shalt Have Great Sex!!!

I thought that would grab your attention.  It sure did mine as Pastor JD renamed the 7th Commandment today in his sermon.  It's amazing to me week after week the he can take what I think I already know and teach me something.  This week he used this commandment as a tool to teach how God was protecting something invaluable to us -- great sex, a oneness between husband and wife and intermingling of bodies within the confines of marriage.  Yes, he used it to state the obvious things it was against but he made this commandment a beautiful attribute of our marriage to Christ as His bride (once we get past this physical world).  JD was full of hilarity and kept things light while lowering the boom on us about the inproper use of this beautiful tool.  He then clearly gave it flight when he reminded us of the story of Mary Magdalene when Jesus states let he who hath no sin cast the first stone.  "Neither condemn I you; Go and sin no more."  Ahh, restoration no matter where we are in our walk.  I was amazed again.  Neither condemn I you; go and sin no more.  I love you all!!!

Family

Family is an interesting thing, one I am blessed to have a lot of.  Family does not mean minding each other's business.  It merely means being interested in each other and perhaps in each other's business or at least in what they want to share.  Family is always there when friends fail you.  However, family can include your very close friends or at least my family does.  I call this my extended family bc there are so many of them and it's sometimes hard to keep track but I try to touch base as often as possible.  Facebook has been a good tool for me to reach out to those I don't get to see often.  It's made it so I do get to see some extended family members more often (you know who you are and I am thankful for you).  Text msging is another great technique of communication amongst my family.  I am sad to say that not all my family utilizes some of these easy ways of communicating to stay in contact with the family.  I am happy to report that it has brought me closer to those who want to remain in my life and while misunderstandings occur (yes tone can be read in text msgs and fb msgs) I am delighted to have so many family members in my life.  I wish some of my family were closer to me but technology has put us in close contact.  I love my family and want only the best for each one of them.  I hope you are part of my extended family.
P.S.  Caleb is awesome.

Good Friends

What a wonderful treat it is to have so many good friends who care and write or call or text.  They know when things are bad or even when things are good and just want to share my life.  They are too numerous to name now but I love each one of you and you know who you are.  No matter how often or how seldom we get together or talk, know that I think of you often and love hearing from you and find great pleasure in your notes of encouragement.  You are such a blessing to me!!  Thanks for always being there family and friends!!!

A Murderous Heart...

Today's sermon was on the 6th Commandment -- Thou Shalt Not Murder.  Pastor JD talked about how most of us think it doesn't really apply to us but on the contrary it really does bc the murder is in our hearts.  It is in our hearts when we wish evil upon those who haved wronged us and when we don't forgive whole-heartedly and completely.  Harboring the unforgiveness in our hearts creates a sense of evil-doing against the one who has wronged us no matter how simple the wrong has been, an unkind word or deed perhaps.  Because people are made in the image of God they all deserve the love that Christ died to give us.  No, we can't all die to show love for our fellow man but should we be prepared to?  On some level and in some circumstances yes. 
This lesson hit me right between the eyes.  There are many people who have wronged me in the past that I hold in a special place in my heart, a special no-touch place.  That place that I don't talk about or even think about for that matter.  I realize that keeping them there is not forgiveness.  It's more like complacency, an attempt to forget their wrong-doings.  I wonder if I saw them today would I be able to share the love of Jesus.  What do you think?  Could you?

Bitter Sweetness

It is with bitter sweetness as I watch my living room begin to fill up with boxes and luggage and baskets and such.  My youngest returns to college on Monday and even though I knew this day was coming, I wasn't expecting to feel this way.  She is so delighted and bouncing around happy to be returning to her friends and the home she has made at school.  I am truly happy for her and until today was bouncing around with her.  I've worried over this child for 19 years now why would today be any different??  She seems so grown up and so secure in her decisions and yet was it that long ago she was crying on my shoulder needing my advice?  I love this child and need her to need me but know that above all she is the Lord's and was only mine for a time.  I have done my best with her and will always be there for her.  We have many moments left to share; they just won't be daily.  I know other mothers must feel the same way when their birdies fly the coup but today I feel like the only one.

Oh the Blood

Oh, the blood of Jesus!

Oh, the blood of Jesus!

Oh, the blood of Jesus!

It washes white as snow.

What can wash away my sins?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

What can make me whole again?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh, the blood of Jesus!

Oh, the blood of Jesus!

Oh, the blood of Jesus!

It washes white as snow.

What can wash away my sins?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

What can make me whole again?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.


Just felt like singing this morning...

Loneliness??

How can I go from Happiness just two hours ago to Loneliness??  Well, I'm family-oriented.  I love having family around.  My poor Golden Retriever Millie just isn't company enough these days.  I prepared as best I could for the empty-nest syndrome and feel I adapted quite well.  Doug and I settled into a nice routine and got quite comfortable with it.  Then 2010 hit...and my world went haywire.  Doug got promoted at work which sent his schedule into the abyss (to put it nicely), our oldest moved back home for a couple of months unexpectedly and then as quickly as she was here, she was gone moving in with her bf in GA.  Shortly after her uproar came the summer which brought home the younger two college age children and all of their boxes of stuff in my nice clean house.  I gave up on fighting the clutter until they would move back out to college in the fall (or would they?).  June hit with an early month phone call from our oldest announcing her brief engagement to her Coast Guard bf.  They would be married in 9 days -- YIKES!!!  Deep breath, you can handle this, go on.  Three weeks later the middle child, our son announced his intention NOT to return to school in Michigan but to enlist in the NAVY.  Say WHAT?!?  No warning, just BAM!!!  Two weeks after that our youngest, another daughter, had a meltdown and didn't feel she could return to school.  She was transferring to a new school and it felt daunting and she was overwhelmed with fatigue and emotions.  We immediately scheduled appts with drs to see what the trouble was and she was sent to have a nutritional scan done with identified some areas of weakness in her and prescribed some supplements which oddly enough showed immediate improvement in her energy level.  Three weeks after the meltdown, she decided she would try to go back to her original school in the spring.  She knew that is where God wanted her and that she was happy there.  The school misread her app and thought she wanted back for the fall and called her and said they wanted her back and now here we are with one week til classes and she is enrolled!!  OMG!!!  What a whirlwind!!!  I'm exhausted...

Happiness...

I can hardly contain my happiness today (8/18).  Bekah has gotten all of her things done to get back into GDubb and will begin classes there next Wednesday.  She has a GREAT roomie and is almost beside herself with glee, making lists of things she wants to do and take.  Caleb is still searching for a job but has been called back for drug testing at Harris Teeter so is hopeful about that.  Not ideal but will occupy his time until he heads out for the Navy Boot Camp in March.  (Boot Camp btw is in Great Lake, IL so looks like I will finally get to see Chicago.)  Julie is still playing the happy homemaker in GA and is mulling over the thoughts of her wedding reception details.  Gosh, you say, that's a lot, but at least it's somewhat settled.  It's a happy and content feeling, something I've been needing...