Sometimes things just don’t turn out the way you expect!

Well, yesterday was the 4th.  We were anticipating about 20 or so guests–playing corn hoe in the yard, cards on tables set up outdoors, kids in the pool, older adults swinging and rocking on the back porch, tables set up on the pool patio, barbeque and fixins already together, homemade ice cream, ending the evening with a brilliant display of fireworks.  A Norman Rockwell day.  Relaxing and almost nostalgic.

But……………………didn’t happen!  Oh yes, we had the barbecue, the homemade ice cream and almost 30 guests.  No playing cards, no grandparents out on the back porch, swinging and rocking, VERY LITTLE games or swimming outdoors.  (just enough to make a nice mess) And, no tables set up for a back yard barbecue.  What went wrong???? The one thing I had absolutely NO control over.

                  THE WEATHER!!!

                                 

              

                        

Yes, that right……..RAIN.  So, all the food was served indoors, with everyone just finding a place to sit and eat wherever they good.  Back porch packed with people.  People in the floor, at the fireplace, all the seating in the living room and kitchen…………………not my idyllic Norman Rockwell 4th of July holiday.  Now today I deal with the mess.  Picking up cups and plates in places I didn’t get last night.  Finishing dishes, mopping the garage where the salt water from the ice cream freezer spilled…….yuck!  

And the worst of all—-I was too tired to go watch the fireworks display!Oh well, today starts another day - now we’re headed out of town to get Kid #2 his birthday/graduation present.  Tomorrow my baby turns 18!

 

 

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY

Today will be a busy day!  Independence Day celebration.  We will have about 20 family members here for barbecue and all the fixin’s, plus homemake ice cream.  There will be swimming this year - missed that last year because we were having a new liner installed. BIL will bring his corn hoe (I think that’s right) game, washers and bocci ball.  Little brother will bring fireworks (the good kind you can’t buy here).  Got lots to do this morning.  We bought the barbecue yesterday (from Roy’s), so just a matter of heating it.  Still side dishes to make and of course the ice cream - two kinds, chocolate and banana!  Hope you all have a glorious 4th and at this point this morning I hope the weather is good.

I am so behind on so many things.  I have about 500 pictures I need to process and print, scrapbooking that has been abandoned for far too long and various household projects that are going to wait until my guys get settled in at WKU.  So, today, I decided to take a little while and post some of our vacation pictures.  We went to Destin, Florida.  I love the beach, the sand, the water, the sunsets, the air, the salt, the food—–just all of it.  My dream is to own a second home (provided we get the first one paid for) on the beach.  Maybe my mansion is heaven is going to be beachside property!  

  Like I said, it’s a dream.  Hope when you see these pictures, it will bring back beach memories for you.

Cj

 I truly believe that there is no other sin that hinders our walk with God like unforgiveness.  It is consuming and relentless.  It’s no wonder it has been compared to cancer because it may begin as a small spot (offense) then spread to other organs and ultimately, if not extracted, will kill.  Unforgiveness can bring down not only individuals, but entire churches.  I hope we are all challenged on a daily basis to so a self-exam (like we do for cancer) and see if there is any forgiveness needed on our part.  Hope this speaks to you like it did to me.

“Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft (WOW) and stubbornness as the sin of idolatry” (1 Samuel 15:23).Dorothy had been deeply wounded.  The pain was engrained in her soul and she was reminded of it almost daily. She wished she could forgive, she even tried to but somehow she just didn’t know how to get there.Sheri, on the other hand, dug in her heels in and bristled at the thought of forgiveness. She felt no one could understand the deep pain that had wounded her heart and she believed she could never forgive. Quite simply, she did not even want to.

If you struggle with a deep offense in your heart, do a quick check and see what kind of unforgiveness you are harboring. It can be toxic to your soul.

The first kind is found in the heart of one who has had a very real offense committed again her. She would forgive if she could but the deep pain keeps her from getting there.

Imagine your heart as a home. The home looks tidy from all obvious appearances but in one room unforgiveness is stuffed away. At times the whole house is permeated with the offensiveness.

If this is you and you don’t want this but don’t know how to get rid of it, simply tell God you want to give Him the “key” to that room in your “heart home”  As you submit this area to God you are acknowledging your trust in Him. You are agreeing to have Him clean it up and to go with you into that room in God’s time and holding His hand.

It is a willingness to begin the journey of forgiveness with God’s help. He will do an amazing job of house cleaning that will make your heart rejoice.

On the other hand is the unwilling heart. Although it is humanly understandable that one might rebel against forgiveness the result is simply not worth it. Your whole life can become affected as the toxins of anger and mistrust permeate through your “heart home”.

Refusing to forgive is like holding rebellion in your heart. God speaks about such things in His Word…   “Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and stubbornness as the sin of idolatry” (1 Samuel 15:23).

As Christians we would never consider getting involved in witchcraft, yet the rebellion of a heart in unforgiveness can open the same kinds of doors in our lives.  Willful unforgiveness, with no openness to begin the journey of forgiveness, can allow the enemy of your soul to stake a claim. Give God the key today. He can be trusted with the journey to bring your heart to wholeness.

Why is it that the first day back to work after vacation, you come home with a BIG headache!

 Happy Birthday, Stacey♥  Hope

you’ve had a happy one!   

Love you, sister ~

Cj

Well, it’s almost time to hit the road for VACATION!!!!

We are meeting up with two other families who are already on their way this morning (they left at 5:30, ugh).  We are leaving tomorrow right after church, headed for Alabama to spend the night with my brother and then on to the beach, the sun, the sand, seafood, outlet mall shopping and a water park.  Look at where we are staying.  We stayed in this condo last year and loved it—-our building is the one in the middle.  So, today is packing, mowing, and making arrangements for watering flowers and feeding the pets.  Wish you all were going too.   Please pray for us and the other families for traveling mercies.  Love to you all, Cj

Another treasure that I couldn’t help but share.  I hope that all our prayers will be Lord change me!  There are so many areas in my life that I need to be changed in, but I know that in myself I cannot do it.  I need the Holy Spirit to do His transforming work—-even when that transformation calls me to die to self.  I don’t want to always be a worm!!!!  Read on and see what I mean.

As I sat in church, my foot began to tap to the lively praise music. It was refreshing! Then the pastor stood and prayed, “Oh Lord, we have come here today to be changed by You. Please change us.”

The words caught me off guard. I wasn’t sure I had come to be changed; encouraged and refreshed, yes, but changed? I thought about it over the next week.

As Christians we so often want God’s blessing and His strength and His wisdom…but do we willingly say, “Lord, change me?” I knew I didn’t always. Yet it is the thing God calls us to, to be changed.

I thought of the worm and the butterfly. If the worm were asked, I am quite sure that he would not feel the need to change, having no concept of the beautiful, flying creature he would become.

Only the Lord sees us as the finished product of what His grace can do in our lives. Only He knows the butterfly in each of us.

“The Spirit of the Lord works within us to become more and more like Him” (2 Corinthians 3: 18, The Living Bible).

Is the Lord asking you to let Him change you? Change is not always easy. But the joy and the reward of being transformed into the godly person God knows you can be will surprise and delight you. It will bring a fulfillment that is worth every effort. And God will enable you, by His Spirit, to make the changes you have put off too long.

Don’t wait any longer for God to change your circumstances, your boss, your husband or whoever or whatever is holding you back. Ask Him today to change you. He promises to transform you, and you won’t be disappointed with the result!

Came across this when checking email and it seemed so timely for a couple of my nearest and dearest who are having to persevere and endure. (actually me too!)  So…..just had to share.  

MORE THAN GRATITUDE

Becky had often heard the little saying, “Have an attitude of gratitude,” and for the most part she did. She could count her blessings and generally found a thankful spirit.

Yet she could find no thankfulness in this difficult circumstance! Her “attitude of gratitude” could find nothing for which to be thankful for. If she were not careful, her heart could slip into despair and even bitterness.

She didn’t feel like reading her Bible, but she picked it up and flipped through it. Her eyes fell on a familiar verse she had highlighted with red…

“…in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.??? (1 Thessalonians 6:18).

It seemed to hit her with new clarity. It said, “in everything” not, “for everything.” She pondered the thought. If she could not be thankful FOR this particular circumstance, what did it mean to be thankful IN it? 

When we ask sincere questions, with hearts hungry to understand God’s ways, the Holy Spirit shows us the answer.

Thoughts tumbled in her mind. She could be thankful for God’s faithfulness to her. As she recalled times past when life seemed out of control, she recalled God’s steadying hand upon her and how His strength had carried her in difficult times (Matthew 11:28).

She could be thankful that God promised to work things out for good…yes; she had seen His hand bring good out of the most troubling things (Romans 8:28).  

With fresh realization her heart grew a bit lighter as she saw what God meant…be thankful IN her circumstance because she knew God was bigger than any problem and He would be faithful to help her, His child.

 Praying that God will bless each of you abundantly today!

Do you ever have a time where you feel weary and so heavy.  Almost like the gravity in your little circle of space has somehow increased.  That’s how I have been lately.  My heart is so heavy and I can’t seem to lay things at the foot of the cross and leave them there—-people and situations that I feel so much for.  I covet your prayer today. 

Like Wet Granola, I am in organization mode.  My College Boy is home with all the stuff that went there with him.  The Graduate, who has been ruling the roost since College Boy left, has made the living room his domain.  This means that I have guitar, drums, amps, clothes, a tv, duffle bag, laundry, bed linens, sports equipment (need I go on?) all in my living room. 

It’s time to make a change and since I am not scheduled for an episode of Mission Organization anytime soon, I’ll have to do it myself.  These adventures do tend to get worse before they get better, but I made considerable strides on Wednesday (at least until I killed my toe—-turning blacker each day, turning black up on my foot now, but that’s a whole other story). 

Anyway, any organization tips are appreciated and probably beneficial to others as well.  So ladies,  bring out your tried and true and give us the benefit of your experience.  Perhaps a book, a website, something your mother taught you….(Note:  the pictures above are NOT my closets—I just wish!)

Cindy

for you to pray for my dear friend.  She began her chemo the second week of this month and of course the side effects have begun.  I know she can make it through this, but she needs every drop of strength she can get from the prayers of the saints.  The following is an email I got from her today: 

Cindy,

Yes, I have had a few people tell me that they think that she looks like me (referring to her granddaughter’s pictures she sent).  I sure don’t see it though.  She is way too cute to look anything like me. 

Thanks for the prayers and not just yours but the group.  I sure do need them.  I am really having a hard time with it this time.  Besides all of the terrible side effects that come with the chemo and radiation I just can’t seem to keep my spirits up this time.  It seems like I spend most of my days in tears, which I know isn’t good, but I am just having a hard time giving it over to God this time.  Sometimes I just want to give up, which I know is just Satin, but I still have those bouts of depression.  I have watched the movie Facing the Giants a couple of times and am trying to be the farmer who not only prayed for rain but also prepared the fields as well. 

Thanks again for your friendship,

Christie  

 Thanks in advance to all of you.

 Well, we did it again–GRADUATION NIGHT!  A zillion people and hot, hot, hot.  Did I cry? – not until we got in the car to leave and College Boy asked did I cry this much when he graduated—-Hubbie answered, no–MORE! 

I have to say, now that it is over, I don’t quite feel the same sadness that I felt last year.  Maybe because this is not new to me???   Maybe because I know how much he disliked highschool and is ready to get on to life?  I don’t know, I only know I just don’t feel quite the same. 

Last year, it was a little like I couldn’t wholly go forward because I still had one I would leave behind.  Now, I hope that I can embrace their college years and look forward to seeing the men they are to become. 

We have a busy summer ahead and it is already going fast.  We have orientation at his college next week and job interview to go through, vacation coming soon, etc., etc., etc., 

To end this post I just want to say………………………….

I LOVE YOU PRECIOUS BOY AND YOU WILL

ALWAYS BE RIGHT THERE IN MY HEART—

LOVE MOM♥  (SNIFF!)

Today we took off to E’ville to see my latest and greatest, Dr. C.  I have awaiting impatiently to get the results from the last battery of labs that were done 2 months ago.  Got to his office and the med center STILL had not forwarded the results.  Needless to say, he was a bit outdone.  We waited for the fax, it came after 5 minutes of waiting.  He called the lady doc in for a consult and the verdict was that my hormone balance is way out of wack.  Too little estrogen, too little testosterone (buy hey, I thought I was a girl—apparently we have that stuff too).  Actually, way too little, so they are going to add some of that to the mix. Too much MAO–an enzyme which acts like pacman and eats the serotonin in my system. Too little serotonin and you get the eebie jeebies, feel like you have bugs crawling on you, want to jump out of your skin and while you sit and cry all day, not to mention a bunch of other creepy things that are no fun.

Doc says estrogen and MAO need to have some sort balance and I just don’t!  So, once again we try.  Also, he wanted to do another thyroid panel.  The one I had before at the clinic was at the high end of normal—-which may sound okay, but I don’t have a whole thyroid so that means the little guy is pulling extra duty.

In his report (which he gives me a copy of at each visit) he said I was pleasant, alert, perky and “euthymic”!  What is euthymic??  Guess I’m going to learn a new word today! 

Started the day out with a walk on the trail.  It was a magnificent morning and the air was heavy with the aroma of spring.  I passed a wild wisteria and lots and lots of honeysuckle.  It was nice hubbie and me time.  (He has been after me for a while to start doing this before, well……)

Next Micky D’s for a breakfast burrito.  I am addicted to these in the morning. 

Next back home to wash down the back deck, evict all the spiders (who just stood back looking at me like they knew who the boss was), wash the big sisal-type rugs that are back there.  Hose down the rocking chairs and then take on painting some of the other pieces.  Outdoor furniture looks for fresh and clean with new paint. 

Hubby did some more mulching for me (and yes, I really am almost done, just one more area!) 

Now, the problem:  because the ground has not gotten really warm yet, some of my annuals look like they aren’t going to make it. Not to mention that some ornery creature is STILL eating on them.  I guess tomorrow I get serious and bring out the snail bate! 

Supper, and then visit a friend home from the hospital

Back home, a trip to the hot tub and then before long bed—-just to get up and get going again tomorrow.  Happy Wednesday everyone!

Once again my heart breaks and soars at the same time.  Graduation—the end of one leg of a journey—the beginning of another.  A rite of passage.  The official point of departure from childhood into adulthood.  A new adventure.  Our last to move on—so closely after the first. 

This afternoon, the two brothers took on the challenge of taking apart an old four wheeler that has been in my backyard for eons.  Hearing them talking, working, laughing together made me realize that the wind has changed.  They were discussing college this fall.  Orientation still to attend.  The older giving the younger advice—–the younger actually listening and asking questions.  It’s too much—-it’s too fast—I want to hit the pause button, but there is none. 

13 years ago, this same month, my little boy stood on the same stage platform as today.  He was going to be a fireman.  His little ditty was:

I want to be a fireman.

I’ll be brave and strong.

I’ll listen for the fire alarm

all day and all night long.

Today, on that same platform, he stated his name, identified his parents, the school he was graduating from, the college he will attend and this time, instead of a fireman, he is going to be a premed student.

Last time was pretend and we all laughed and thought, how cute.  This time it is for real and I cried. 

The minister commissioned them not to be one of the 80% who will leave their church life behind.  I pray this will not happen to either of my boys.  Suddenly I feel as though I have been so inadequate—-falling so short—praying that God’s sufficientcy will fill in where I have been insufficient.

This Saturday night, I will look on with much love and affection as my youngest marches to his seat,  traditional graduation music playing and at some undetermined, silent, secret moment, I will in my heart release him to grow to be the man God intends for him to be.

Just had to share this beautiful creature with you.  As some of you know I have been working to update some of the landscaping around our house—a lot of sweat equity going on here.  I love the garden.  I love the dirt.  I love the earthworms and the bees and the butterflies.  I DO NOT love the snails because they eat my hostas.  But what I really, really most especially love is the creativity of our Father, with his endless palatte of colors, designs, textures and shapes.  I will have more pics to follow, but this was so beautiful I couldn’t wait.  Hope you enjoy.

Well, I’ve been asking for prayer for my friend Christy (she is in her third occurence of colon cancer).  Just spoke with Nancy the OM and here’s the plan.  Tomorrow Christy will get her port in–that way, not so many bad needle sticks.  This is the beginning of 5 1/2 weeks of chemo and radiation.  Then they redo the scans to see if the tumors have shrunk and to reevaluate her situation.  If things are what they expect—-then surgery, with a temporary ostomy. 

Next, 30 days to heal.  Then, 6 months of more chemo and radiation.  Then, reassess. 

This dear sister needs all the prayer support she can get.  This looks to be a challenging year for her.  Her spirits seem good and she has two grandbabies that she is fighting to live for.  Please remember her.

Thanks

CJ