I had my grandparents and parents over for a Christmas dinner 2 weeks before Christmas. We had a lovely time. I set the table with my Sunday pottery and my special red placemats and cloth napkins and goblets, both wine goblets and water goblets. I put candles on the table as well. I served spiral ham, cream cheese potatoes, kluski noodles, green & yellow beans, pickles, rolls & jelly & butter, peaches & pears, cake & cupcakes, and mint candies. I love hosting parties. It’s a lot of work and I don’t like the cleaning part to get ready and the food prep isn’t my favorite thing but once it’s all prepared and we are ready to roll, I’m having the time of my life! So the meal went smoothly and afterward we visited and I showed them around. I had the house all decked out for Christmas so they walked around and looked at things. I had put new wigs on some dolls that I had gotten for cheap at a re-usit shop so my one grandma had a lot of fun looking at them cause she likes dolls too. I have a gigantic curio full of dolls.
Then the day after I had my grandparents was a Sunday and I had Bible study at my house so I invited the girls for that to come early and help eat leftovers. I decorated for them too then, just because I love parties!
Then the next weekend which was the week before Christmas, I had an engaged friend of mine come over with her 2 kids and also another married friend whose husband didn’t come along so they helped eat more leftovers. (I froze the stuff in between so it wasn’t so old then). I didn’t decorate for them because of the kids and hopefully they didn’t mind. I just knew the kids would destroy things and I didn’t want my party things destroyed! We watched Chonda Pierce then. Did you ever hear of her? She is a Christian comedian. Usually I don’t take time for those kinds of things but I did that time and we really enjoyed her. The kids were still a mess, getting into the cupboards and so on. But, again, that’s life!
Christmas Eve I was with my family. We always get together to eat Papa John’s pizza and celebrate and exchange gifts. Christmas Day Mom had her side of the family over so I went and ate lunch there and then came back and I believe I was home the rest of the day.
New Year’s Eve, I went to see THE SOUND OF MUSIC at the Fulton Opera House. Oh, was it ever good! I have the movie. Everyone loves it. Well this was awesome to see it played out live. I had to go buy some of the songs off of i-tunes! After the play there was champagne and sparkling cider and a bunch of appetizers and tieras and hats and dancing and an orchestra. I wanted to see the dancing and hear the orchestra but the place was so full we kept bumping people so we left after trying some of the sparkling cider and the appetizers. Then we went to a friend’s house where the rest of the folks were and spent maybe 45 minutes there and came home
New Year’s Day a friend of mine is took me out to eat and I helped her print out some pictures at Walmart. In the evening we had a movie night here at my house with a few girls. And, we had Papa John’s pizza, which is the very best pizza in the whole world!
Well, Friday I was sick, and had off work. Thursday I was sick too, but I worked anyway. I woke up with an awful bellyache and managed to work but I had to stop between every little thing I did to lay on my belly. I am a nanny that takes care of 3 children, so they kept asking me what I’m doing when I would lay on the floor for awhile! I managed to get pretty much everything done and had just put the kids down for their naps when the boss walked in. I groaned inside because I thought, “Oh great, now if I lie around she will know I’m sick and yet I can hardly go on working nonstop.” But I didn’t feel like leaving early, I thought surely I can make it til the end of the day somehow. But, she told me she came home early because of a headache and that she’s gonna rest and that since the kids will sleep for awhile I could go home. It was 1:30pm. I was thrilled. So I told her I was sick anyway so that worked out good that she released me early. I took off Friday then because they told me to so I could recuperate. And, it was needed because I was still sick even though not as bad as the day before. I had diarrhea and terrible abdominal cramps and heat flashes where it felt as though I was burning up and achy muscles on Thursday. Friday was just some left over bellyache and none of the other symptoms.
We had a very good sermon in church this morning on Fear. Pastor Tim preached part 1 of a 2 part sermon on fear and today it was geared on fear of God. It was good, although when he said it was about fear I must admit that I was hoping it would be about fear of man. I needa be preached to about that. I never realized how much of a grip fear of man has on me til a few years ago and I can't seem to get out of the rut. I mean, I know it's an issue with me so I guess that's a step because for the first time in my life I am recognizing it but man, how do you get out of the rut. How do you get to the point that it only matters what God thinks about you and other issues of life? How I long to be there......but I see a LONG journey ahead til I get where I needa be on that! Oh, I've come a ways, don't get me wrong. I didn't just recognize it as a problem, I have had some victories. But when I compare the victories to where I needa be, you can barely see any progress. But hey with God's help I will prosper and grow. You know, what other people say and think can really shake me up and rock my world and make me change things, but when I stand before God someday I'm gonna be alone and it's not gonna help me to say, "Oh but so and so said I must do this..." So I should only be letting God shake and rock my world. Of course there is room to let God speak through pastors and mentors and truly godly people too.
I am still looking for a place to move to last week of April-May 1st. Everyone says they won't wait on me, they want someone before that. So I guess I am looking too soon. I gotta believe that God will provide in His time.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Thanksgiving
Well, Thursday was Thanksgiving! A wonderfully deliciously relaxing yummy day it was! I was at church in the morning. We had Stanley Fox from Pleasant Valley as our speaker. I had not heard him for a long time, maybe never. I had heard him talk at Christian Aid Ministries as he is involved in that big time but I don't know that I ever heard him actually speak at a church. He is good! He is charismatic for a Mennonite and I LOVE that! :) He gets loud and paces around and is very expressive with his hands and face as he talks! Gets your attention and keeps you from sleeping!:) LOL! And he doesn't apologize for the Word and he says he didn't come to be nice but to preach the unwatered down WORD! And, you know the Word is not always nice, but it is ALWAYS truth! So anyway, he challenged us how being thankful is not not an option or suggestion, it is actually a commandment from God! "IN EVERYTHING GIVE THANKS FOR THIS IS THE WILL OF CHRIST JESUS CONCERNING YOU!" So, there we have it, no excuses! He also asked how can a Christian go around perpetually grumpy when they have Jesus inside them? Surely it's next to impossible! For if you have Jesus inside you, the joy is gonna HAVE to come bubbling out! So he said if you're one of those normally grumpy people, you had better figure out if you even have Jesus inside you and if not, then do something about that!:)
After church, I went to a family gathering. My dad's side always gets together at Hahnstown School on Thanksgiving Day for lunch, and often the leftovers for supper. Not quite everyone was there this year, but most of em were. Turkey, fillling, noodles, gravy, green beans, cranberry sauce, pickles, and then a table of all kinds of sinful desserts! YUMMY! But, I was a good girl and didn't eat any desserts, just a few pieces of candy. Well, here's the rest of the story.....I was too full from all the hot stuff I ate, so there's a reason I didn't eat dessert! LOL! So, I hung around there til 3:30pm or 4pm. I looked at the fliers for Black Friday to see what I would want to shop for! I always keep my tradition of shopping on Black Friday! Seems there is always something I think I need! And, somehow I always end up with things I don't need! Sigh!
After I left the family gathering, went home to change clothes. I had actually left that early because I had planned to pick up my friend Junise and hang out with her. I was going to pick her up and go visit and old lady that I haven't seen in a long time and then take her over to a friend's house to give a backrub. Junise is really good at backrubs. But, alas! She forgot about me and when I called her to tell her I'm ready to come get her.......she didn't answer.:( So I had to cancel my other plans and tell them we're not coming. Oh, I wasn't bored though! I don't know how to get bored when I'm home! It was perfect timing for me to change the house over into Christmas! So I spent a few hours doing that! Now my house is pleasantly festive! Nativity scene is out and Christmas greenery and snowmen and lights and candles and fake snow and my little winter village and little people figurines! Looks nice, if I do say so myself! And, I was going to go to bed in a decent time since I was to get up at 3AM to shop on Black Friday. But do you think I could sleep? ARGH! Of COURSE not! So very annoying! Whenever I know I gotta get up early, I can't sleep early! So I tossed and turned and finally went to sleep at 11 or so.
4 hours of sleep is not very cool! I was not very smiley when the alarm clock went off! It's good I live alone so when I wake up at that hour, I don't hurt anybody! LOL! NO ONE dares cross over me when I am up THAT early! LOL! So I was ready by 3:30AM to shop but I had to wait on my sibs as they came 10 min. late! Late people are my pet peeve! Oh well, we got to the mall in time. My main goal, first and foremost was to get a vacuum sweeper that was normally $459 or something like that...it was on sale for $219. I love the Dyson Vacuum. I think Rainbow is superior to anything but since I can't afford that, Dyson is next best. My roomy Sharon has one and I loved hers. But since she is getting married, I will need my own in a few months! So Sears opened up at 4AM and I marched back to the vaccums and bought one! There were only 4 and they told me later they had all 4 sold in the first 2 hours they were open! So it pays to be an early bird! It is the same model as what we have as far as I know. Same number but a little different coloring, which I'm okay with. I didn't take it out of the box, didn't think I have to til I have my own place, but perhaps I should just to make sure it's okay! So after that, I paraded after my sis while she looked for specific items. That was new for me, as usually Dad and I are the ones who need things. But after my sweeper, I didn't need anything big, just a few small things I wanted to check out but didn't have to be in a hurry! Suddenly it was time to head to Staples as they open at 6AM and Dad wanted like 3 things there. I tried to persuade Jeremy since he has his license to go there with my car while I stayed at the mall. Hey, it was a privilege that he never had before, to be trusted to drive my car! Never thought I would offer that to him but I did! And.....he didn't take it! Argh! I thought he would be thrilled but he refused to go alone. So, I had to let Sarah at the mall since she was in a long line with some stuff she wanted. I didn't want anything at Staples, it was all stuff for Dad and Jeremy is good at picking that stuff up. Men are pathetic at finding stuff but he is better than me when it comes to Dad's things cause he knows what it looks like and approx. where to look for it. Me, I have no idea what category it comes into or what it's even for so it's hard for me to look for that stuff. I actually got something then while we were waiting in line. Jeremy had a number keypad for Dad that you hook up to laptops that don't have that extra number keypad on the right hand side. I always regretted mine didn't have one. So, now I will have one! Then we went back to the mall after a long wait in line. I felt more free this time though, cause most times I'm so worried we won't get all the things we wish to get because of wasting so much time in line. This time I didn't need as many things so it was alot more relaxing for me and I felt not so pinched but like I could mosey along and not get really mad at all the people. After we got back to the mall we ate breakfast, which was 7:30 or 8ish. I ate Chinese, but they must have been low on veggies....I love crunching on their half soft onions and peas in their fried rice but....alas! There was like only 2 pieces in my rice and maybe 4 onion pieces. Hearbroken!:( And, I never try anything breaded because I don't eat skins or fat/gristle as it is too fattening and not worth the calories. But, this time I tried their orange chicken because the sample she gave me was so good. Alas! My plate had mostly gristle/fat and hardly any meat so I ended up eating mostly rice and nothing else. I figured that wasn't the healthiest so in pentitance I skipped lunch completely then. But I ate a hamball and sourcream mashed potatoes and peas for supper, so I should probably do penance today again! LOL! But, I think I will eat the leftovers from that today!
So, I got some Candles and some wallflowers from Bath & Body and a VIP bag of goodies that was valued at $115 for only $20. Technically it was only $10 though because it came with a $10 gift certificate to use up until Dec. 24. And, I got some more Christmas shopping done. I spent 8 hours shopping. Whew! Was I tired of it all when I was done! LOL! Every year I ask myself, "Why did I do this, was it worth it?" But then I look at my bargains and I know it was worth it to me! I was miserably tired. I tried to sleep from 1::30-3 and maybe I dozed off but I'm not aware of it! Grrr! Miserably tired but can't sleep! What's up with that? So finally at 3 I got up as I had promised to hang out with a friend late afternoon (before I had realized I would be shopping that long, I should not have promised til I knew how I'd feel from all the shopping). I knew she'd be disappointed if I didn't come. So I called her but then we decided I would come after supper so I could be there longer. So I went after supper. She is getting married so she was telling me all about her trip to FLORIDA to get married and swim with the dolphins and have her honeymoon there and all. She wants me to come but I don't know if I can swing that plane ticket for just a weekend! It'd be over July 4 so I could maybe have Monday off....I think I usually have that day off. So it would be a 3 day trip...well I just don't know if I could swing it. But it sure is tempting!
Today, Saturday, I was supposed to work from 10-3 but my boss didn't have any cases so I got to have off! Yay! God is soooo good! I feel like I have alot of odds & ends to do so this is wonderful. So, why am I blogging if I have lots to do? Well, blogging is one of the things, after all, I have not written for almost a whole month and I use my blog for letters often, and I needa get a letter written today so this is a good thing where I can kill two birds in one!
So today I will wrap my mountain of Christmas gifts and maybe write my Christmas letters and stamp my Christmas cards and cut a dress maybe. All kinds of fun odds & ends to do!
Well, that's all for now. Bye til next time!
After church, I went to a family gathering. My dad's side always gets together at Hahnstown School on Thanksgiving Day for lunch, and often the leftovers for supper. Not quite everyone was there this year, but most of em were. Turkey, fillling, noodles, gravy, green beans, cranberry sauce, pickles, and then a table of all kinds of sinful desserts! YUMMY! But, I was a good girl and didn't eat any desserts, just a few pieces of candy. Well, here's the rest of the story.....I was too full from all the hot stuff I ate, so there's a reason I didn't eat dessert! LOL! So, I hung around there til 3:30pm or 4pm. I looked at the fliers for Black Friday to see what I would want to shop for! I always keep my tradition of shopping on Black Friday! Seems there is always something I think I need! And, somehow I always end up with things I don't need! Sigh!
After I left the family gathering, went home to change clothes. I had actually left that early because I had planned to pick up my friend Junise and hang out with her. I was going to pick her up and go visit and old lady that I haven't seen in a long time and then take her over to a friend's house to give a backrub. Junise is really good at backrubs. But, alas! She forgot about me and when I called her to tell her I'm ready to come get her.......she didn't answer.:( So I had to cancel my other plans and tell them we're not coming. Oh, I wasn't bored though! I don't know how to get bored when I'm home! It was perfect timing for me to change the house over into Christmas! So I spent a few hours doing that! Now my house is pleasantly festive! Nativity scene is out and Christmas greenery and snowmen and lights and candles and fake snow and my little winter village and little people figurines! Looks nice, if I do say so myself! And, I was going to go to bed in a decent time since I was to get up at 3AM to shop on Black Friday. But do you think I could sleep? ARGH! Of COURSE not! So very annoying! Whenever I know I gotta get up early, I can't sleep early! So I tossed and turned and finally went to sleep at 11 or so.
4 hours of sleep is not very cool! I was not very smiley when the alarm clock went off! It's good I live alone so when I wake up at that hour, I don't hurt anybody! LOL! NO ONE dares cross over me when I am up THAT early! LOL! So I was ready by 3:30AM to shop but I had to wait on my sibs as they came 10 min. late! Late people are my pet peeve! Oh well, we got to the mall in time. My main goal, first and foremost was to get a vacuum sweeper that was normally $459 or something like that...it was on sale for $219. I love the Dyson Vacuum. I think Rainbow is superior to anything but since I can't afford that, Dyson is next best. My roomy Sharon has one and I loved hers. But since she is getting married, I will need my own in a few months! So Sears opened up at 4AM and I marched back to the vaccums and bought one! There were only 4 and they told me later they had all 4 sold in the first 2 hours they were open! So it pays to be an early bird! It is the same model as what we have as far as I know. Same number but a little different coloring, which I'm okay with. I didn't take it out of the box, didn't think I have to til I have my own place, but perhaps I should just to make sure it's okay! So after that, I paraded after my sis while she looked for specific items. That was new for me, as usually Dad and I are the ones who need things. But after my sweeper, I didn't need anything big, just a few small things I wanted to check out but didn't have to be in a hurry! Suddenly it was time to head to Staples as they open at 6AM and Dad wanted like 3 things there. I tried to persuade Jeremy since he has his license to go there with my car while I stayed at the mall. Hey, it was a privilege that he never had before, to be trusted to drive my car! Never thought I would offer that to him but I did! And.....he didn't take it! Argh! I thought he would be thrilled but he refused to go alone. So, I had to let Sarah at the mall since she was in a long line with some stuff she wanted. I didn't want anything at Staples, it was all stuff for Dad and Jeremy is good at picking that stuff up. Men are pathetic at finding stuff but he is better than me when it comes to Dad's things cause he knows what it looks like and approx. where to look for it. Me, I have no idea what category it comes into or what it's even for so it's hard for me to look for that stuff. I actually got something then while we were waiting in line. Jeremy had a number keypad for Dad that you hook up to laptops that don't have that extra number keypad on the right hand side. I always regretted mine didn't have one. So, now I will have one! Then we went back to the mall after a long wait in line. I felt more free this time though, cause most times I'm so worried we won't get all the things we wish to get because of wasting so much time in line. This time I didn't need as many things so it was alot more relaxing for me and I felt not so pinched but like I could mosey along and not get really mad at all the people. After we got back to the mall we ate breakfast, which was 7:30 or 8ish. I ate Chinese, but they must have been low on veggies....I love crunching on their half soft onions and peas in their fried rice but....alas! There was like only 2 pieces in my rice and maybe 4 onion pieces. Hearbroken!:( And, I never try anything breaded because I don't eat skins or fat/gristle as it is too fattening and not worth the calories. But, this time I tried their orange chicken because the sample she gave me was so good. Alas! My plate had mostly gristle/fat and hardly any meat so I ended up eating mostly rice and nothing else. I figured that wasn't the healthiest so in pentitance I skipped lunch completely then. But I ate a hamball and sourcream mashed potatoes and peas for supper, so I should probably do penance today again! LOL! But, I think I will eat the leftovers from that today!
So, I got some Candles and some wallflowers from Bath & Body and a VIP bag of goodies that was valued at $115 for only $20. Technically it was only $10 though because it came with a $10 gift certificate to use up until Dec. 24. And, I got some more Christmas shopping done. I spent 8 hours shopping. Whew! Was I tired of it all when I was done! LOL! Every year I ask myself, "Why did I do this, was it worth it?" But then I look at my bargains and I know it was worth it to me! I was miserably tired. I tried to sleep from 1::30-3 and maybe I dozed off but I'm not aware of it! Grrr! Miserably tired but can't sleep! What's up with that? So finally at 3 I got up as I had promised to hang out with a friend late afternoon (before I had realized I would be shopping that long, I should not have promised til I knew how I'd feel from all the shopping). I knew she'd be disappointed if I didn't come. So I called her but then we decided I would come after supper so I could be there longer. So I went after supper. She is getting married so she was telling me all about her trip to FLORIDA to get married and swim with the dolphins and have her honeymoon there and all. She wants me to come but I don't know if I can swing that plane ticket for just a weekend! It'd be over July 4 so I could maybe have Monday off....I think I usually have that day off. So it would be a 3 day trip...well I just don't know if I could swing it. But it sure is tempting!
Today, Saturday, I was supposed to work from 10-3 but my boss didn't have any cases so I got to have off! Yay! God is soooo good! I feel like I have alot of odds & ends to do so this is wonderful. So, why am I blogging if I have lots to do? Well, blogging is one of the things, after all, I have not written for almost a whole month and I use my blog for letters often, and I needa get a letter written today so this is a good thing where I can kill two birds in one!
So today I will wrap my mountain of Christmas gifts and maybe write my Christmas letters and stamp my Christmas cards and cut a dress maybe. All kinds of fun odds & ends to do!
Well, that's all for now. Bye til next time!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Going Away Party....my Testimony
Going Away Party
(Bruce Hains)
Born in 1900, she had her share of hard times.
And at the age of 15, she met the love of her life.
And how she adored Him! Loved Him til her dying day;
So we celebrated when we put her in the grave.
Chorus: We threw a going away party, the event of the year;
The day that she lived for is finally here!
The One that she loves, He wants her by His side,
So strike up the band, it’s party time!
For many years, she served her community well
And, on occasion she’d stumble, but this saint of God never fell
She was in love with Jesus, He always stayed on her mind
And now they’re together, having one heavenly time!
(Bruce Hains)
Born in 1900, she had her share of hard times.
And at the age of 15, she met the love of her life.
And how she adored Him! Loved Him til her dying day;
So we celebrated when we put her in the grave.
Chorus: We threw a going away party, the event of the year;
The day that she lived for is finally here!
The One that she loves, He wants her by His side,
So strike up the band, it’s party time!
For many years, she served her community well
And, on occasion she’d stumble, but this saint of God never fell
She was in love with Jesus, He always stayed on her mind
And now they’re together, having one heavenly time!
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Birthday and a Question and Vacation
I have a question. Someone told me that King James did not translate a few things correctly when he made the King James Version of the Bible from the original Greek & Hebrew. Isn't that scary? I know for a fact that there was no James in Bible times. All the places that James is in the Bible, it should be translated as Yaacov (Jacob). King James wanted his name in the Bible so he put it in. But that is just a mere trivial thing that really doesn't matter! However, some things are more important than that. Some people say the whole divorce and remarriage thing was translated wrong. That is not my interest currently. What I want to know is: Is it true that the part where it says it is a shame for a man to have long hair (doesn't nature itself teach that) is that translated wrong like some people say? First, define "long". Some people say men's hair down to the tops of their shoulders is not considered long but half way down the waist and longer would be considered long. Also, there was the Nazarite law that some people followed and that required men to NEVER cut their hair. It was affirmed by the Lord apparently because he asked Samson to take the Nazarite vowel. So why would God ask men to have short hair and say that even nature itself teaches that it is a shame for them to have long hair and yet affirm the Nazarite law? Or did something change in the New Testament that men were to have short hair after Jesus was on earth? It's not like this is a salvation issue, it's perhaps a bit trivial but I wish to know. I'm fine with thinking that men must have short hair, it looks better on some men that way anyway. But if it's not God that says that, then I want to know! Somebody tell me what they think on that! Oh, and another thing, it seems very wrong to question anything the Bible says because God obviously preserved His WORD for us to read and never let it die out. So wouldn't He make sure that there would be one version on this planet at least that would have everything translated correctly. But then I guess the Greek/Hebrew is the correct....but you know English is widespread so you would think that the first popular translated Bible which is KJV would be correct because God would make sure we have it to study as He wrote it. And, not for five seconds do I question the validity or authority of the Bible. It is the first and final word. I would be the last to argue with it. But I wish I could read the Greek/Hebrew so I would know if King James did make some translation errors.
I had a birthday on Monday the 11th. It was a good birthday. I was at the beach for a few hours and lazing around and reading. We left for a family vacation on the 10th. We stayed at Angola by the Bay in DE, where we always stay when we go. We always drive to Assateague Island to enjoy the beach. Not sure why we like that beach best but we do! We often go in May and then it's so miserably cold and we only last like half an hour of that torturous bitter wind. But this time since it was October, we had beautiful sunny weather and the wind was not annoyingly cold and the water was not as freezing as it is in May. My sis and brother and my sis's bf got wet up to their necks but I only got wet up to my knees. The waves were not big enough to be conducive to good boogie boarding so I was fine just getting a little wet. We did alot of shopping on this vacation. My family loves thrift stores and each year we go down we visit the Salvation Army. Well, this time it was gone! I have no idea if it went up the spout or just merely moved to a new location. We asked somewhere and found out that there are 5 different thrift stores in the area. We got them all! I found alot of cheap goodies, including some children's books and records and Christmas decor and just a bunch of this and that. Oh, and for my birthday we ended the day with a meal from Cracker Barrel. They were slower than molasses in January but once we got the food, it was good! When I asked for loaded potatoes, the waitress looked at me as though I was speaking a foreign language. So I explained in detail what I meant and she stammered around and then said she could do them but it would be 99 cents for each topping (bacon, creamcheese, and cheese). I don't know what the deal was with her, I always get those potatoes at Cracker Barrel, they are the highlight! And good grief, it never costs them half of 99 cents for each of those extra toppings! Duh, I guess they make big money off of those potatoes!
My boss just got a baby grand piano for their son who is in first grade. He will be taking piano lessons starting next week. It has a very beautiful sound! I love it! I love to caress the ivory keys and play a song on it. The kids like when I play it. But they want to play too and I'm trying to teach them that we must all take turns playing, we do NOT play simultaneously! Try playing a beautiful song with little fingers from a 3 year old and a 22 month old banging down here and there! LOL! Doesn't work so well! The "beautiful" adjective is replaced with "discordant"!
Another thing I experienced that it is pretty hard to swallow when you gain ground in teaching a child something in accordance with the Bible and you know they understand and believe it and then someone else that they trust and love more than you tells them the opposite. And, to boot, tells them that I lied about it. That is hard to accept because lying is one of the sins that I hate most! And to be called a liar is once of the worst things someone could call me. I don't lie and even if I do say a "white lie" my conscience will not let me rest til I make it right! The Bible is so strong about offending a little one, that it is better that a millstone is hung about your neck and that you are drowned in the sea than for you to offend a little one. And the Bible speaks of how the angels of children are always beholding the face of Jesus. That's powerful if you think of it. Oh, how dare any of us offend a little one????? When someone teaches a child a lie, I call that offending, I think that is what the Word is talking about and I cringe to think about how many children are being taught lies! God be merciful to those teachers in public schools and to parents that teach children to question the authority of the Bible, etc.! I guess it hurts me most because I love and care and about the child I am referring to and I can't stand that it is being taught a lie. I told the child that it does not have to take the opinion that is handed down but is going to have to decide what to believe on its own. The children of today are tomorrow's church! At the rate of today, of how many are being taught lies and accepting them eventually, how many are going to be true born again Christians in tomorrow's church? God help us!
Well, I am pretty hungry, I made myself write before lunch and now it's 1pm. Past time for lunch so this will have to be all I write. Please if you have any encouragement or opinions on these things I wrote about, feel free to comment or message me on FB or email me.
I had a birthday on Monday the 11th. It was a good birthday. I was at the beach for a few hours and lazing around and reading. We left for a family vacation on the 10th. We stayed at Angola by the Bay in DE, where we always stay when we go. We always drive to Assateague Island to enjoy the beach. Not sure why we like that beach best but we do! We often go in May and then it's so miserably cold and we only last like half an hour of that torturous bitter wind. But this time since it was October, we had beautiful sunny weather and the wind was not annoyingly cold and the water was not as freezing as it is in May. My sis and brother and my sis's bf got wet up to their necks but I only got wet up to my knees. The waves were not big enough to be conducive to good boogie boarding so I was fine just getting a little wet. We did alot of shopping on this vacation. My family loves thrift stores and each year we go down we visit the Salvation Army. Well, this time it was gone! I have no idea if it went up the spout or just merely moved to a new location. We asked somewhere and found out that there are 5 different thrift stores in the area. We got them all! I found alot of cheap goodies, including some children's books and records and Christmas decor and just a bunch of this and that. Oh, and for my birthday we ended the day with a meal from Cracker Barrel. They were slower than molasses in January but once we got the food, it was good! When I asked for loaded potatoes, the waitress looked at me as though I was speaking a foreign language. So I explained in detail what I meant and she stammered around and then said she could do them but it would be 99 cents for each topping (bacon, creamcheese, and cheese). I don't know what the deal was with her, I always get those potatoes at Cracker Barrel, they are the highlight! And good grief, it never costs them half of 99 cents for each of those extra toppings! Duh, I guess they make big money off of those potatoes!
My boss just got a baby grand piano for their son who is in first grade. He will be taking piano lessons starting next week. It has a very beautiful sound! I love it! I love to caress the ivory keys and play a song on it. The kids like when I play it. But they want to play too and I'm trying to teach them that we must all take turns playing, we do NOT play simultaneously! Try playing a beautiful song with little fingers from a 3 year old and a 22 month old banging down here and there! LOL! Doesn't work so well! The "beautiful" adjective is replaced with "discordant"!
Another thing I experienced that it is pretty hard to swallow when you gain ground in teaching a child something in accordance with the Bible and you know they understand and believe it and then someone else that they trust and love more than you tells them the opposite. And, to boot, tells them that I lied about it. That is hard to accept because lying is one of the sins that I hate most! And to be called a liar is once of the worst things someone could call me. I don't lie and even if I do say a "white lie" my conscience will not let me rest til I make it right! The Bible is so strong about offending a little one, that it is better that a millstone is hung about your neck and that you are drowned in the sea than for you to offend a little one. And the Bible speaks of how the angels of children are always beholding the face of Jesus. That's powerful if you think of it. Oh, how dare any of us offend a little one????? When someone teaches a child a lie, I call that offending, I think that is what the Word is talking about and I cringe to think about how many children are being taught lies! God be merciful to those teachers in public schools and to parents that teach children to question the authority of the Bible, etc.! I guess it hurts me most because I love and care and about the child I am referring to and I can't stand that it is being taught a lie. I told the child that it does not have to take the opinion that is handed down but is going to have to decide what to believe on its own. The children of today are tomorrow's church! At the rate of today, of how many are being taught lies and accepting them eventually, how many are going to be true born again Christians in tomorrow's church? God help us!
Well, I am pretty hungry, I made myself write before lunch and now it's 1pm. Past time for lunch so this will have to be all I write. Please if you have any encouragement or opinions on these things I wrote about, feel free to comment or message me on FB or email me.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wait
Here's a beautiful poem I recently got ahold of:
WAIT
Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried.
Quietly, patiently, lovingly, God replied.
I pled and wept for a clue to my fate.
And the Master so gently said, "Child you must wait."
"Wait, you say, wait," my indignant reply.
"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!
By faith I have asked and am claiming your Word.
My future and all to which I can relate
Hangs in the balance, and you tell me WAIT?
I'm needing a 'Yes', a go-ahead sign.
Or even a 'No', to which I can resign
And Lord, You promised that if we believe
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
And Lord, I've been asking and this is my cry.
I'm weary of asking, I need a reply."
Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate
As my Master replied once again,
"You must wait."
So I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut
And grumbled to God, "So I'm waiting, for what?"
He seemed then to kneel, and His eyes wept with mine,
And He tenderly said,
"I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead, cause the mountains to run.
All you seek I could give, and pleased you would be.
You would have what you want, but you wouldn't know me.
You'd not know the depth of my love for each saint.
You'd not know the power I give to the faint.
You'd not learn to see through the clouds of despair.
You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there.
You'd not know the joy of resting in me
When darkness and silence were all you could see.
You would never experience that fullness of love
As the peace of the Spirit descends like a dove.
You would not know the depth of the beat of my heart,
The glow of my comfort, late in the night,
The faith that I give, when you walk without sight,
The depth that's beyond getting just what you asked
Of an infinite God who makes what you have lost.
You never would know, would your pain quickly flee,
What it means that "My grace is sufficient for thee."
Yes, your dreams for your heart's cry,
overnight could come true,
But Oh, the loss, if I lost what I am doing in you.
So be silent my child, and in time you will see,
That the greatest of gifts is to get to know Me.
And tho' oft my answers seem terribly late,
My most precious answer of all is still - WAIT."
WAIT
Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried.
Quietly, patiently, lovingly, God replied.
I pled and wept for a clue to my fate.
And the Master so gently said, "Child you must wait."
"Wait, you say, wait," my indignant reply.
"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!
By faith I have asked and am claiming your Word.
My future and all to which I can relate
Hangs in the balance, and you tell me WAIT?
I'm needing a 'Yes', a go-ahead sign.
Or even a 'No', to which I can resign
And Lord, You promised that if we believe
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
And Lord, I've been asking and this is my cry.
I'm weary of asking, I need a reply."
Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate
As my Master replied once again,
"You must wait."
So I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut
And grumbled to God, "So I'm waiting, for what?"
He seemed then to kneel, and His eyes wept with mine,
And He tenderly said,
"I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead, cause the mountains to run.
All you seek I could give, and pleased you would be.
You would have what you want, but you wouldn't know me.
You'd not know the depth of my love for each saint.
You'd not know the power I give to the faint.
You'd not learn to see through the clouds of despair.
You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there.
You'd not know the joy of resting in me
When darkness and silence were all you could see.
You would never experience that fullness of love
As the peace of the Spirit descends like a dove.
You would not know the depth of the beat of my heart,
The glow of my comfort, late in the night,
The faith that I give, when you walk without sight,
The depth that's beyond getting just what you asked
Of an infinite God who makes what you have lost.
You never would know, would your pain quickly flee,
What it means that "My grace is sufficient for thee."
Yes, your dreams for your heart's cry,
overnight could come true,
But Oh, the loss, if I lost what I am doing in you.
So be silent my child, and in time you will see,
That the greatest of gifts is to get to know Me.
And tho' oft my answers seem terribly late,
My most precious answer of all is still - WAIT."
Friday, September 24, 2010
Autumn is almost here!
Here’s part of a circle letter I wrote. Usually I write my blog first and then build my letters off of my blog but this time I did it the other way around!
Nothing really new is happening in my life at the moment. I’m still enjoying being a nanny to three children. Things are much calmer and enjoyable now that the 6 year old went to school. Is that rude of me to say that? I hope not, but it’s the truth! He was the cause of 75% of any & all trouble! He has the attitude and rebellious and mean spirit and all manner of rudeness. The 3 year old boy Evan and almost 2 year old Lyla are so sweet tempered and listen very well most of the time. They don’t fight much at all. But when 6 year old Reece is home, you can forget about any kind of sweet peace you had earlier! He’s very bright for his age and he is the nicest boy when he wants to be….just wish he wanted to be more often! Now that he goes to school he is acting more respectful to me, hope it lasts. It is helping that he has been having a drawn out punishment of no tv and it keeps getting longer from things he does. His parents put that law down and I’m glad because he is definitely a different boy when he doesn’t watch tv. Suddenly I’m not getting a battering ram (his head) in my stomach anymore! Suddenly I’m not being punched. It’s amazing how children try to act like the ugly characters they see on tv. I have grown to despise tv so badly. The things they call children’s shows…some of them are not fit for grownups to watch! Anyway, for schooI I get him up at 6:30 and have him out by the bus stop by 7:15. I don’t see him til 4pm then. Three mornings in a row this week I could not awaken him. Have you ever heard of such a thing? But how do you awaken someone who will not get up? I thought it was stubbornness at first because last year in kindergarten he refused to get out and I had to bribe and /or threaten him each time. But, this year he had been hopping out of bed when I called him….until this week. I realized it must be the cold medicine they gave him for night because he was so knocked out! I took his covers off and his pillow away and his head flopped facedown on the bed and he didn’t budge. I grabbed his arm and shook him back and forth pretty forcibly. I tickled his feet. I poked his side. Finally at long last I slapped his legs hard enough to make them sting, like 6 different times! I had to get his dad to get him up. I was so thankful he hadn’t gone out the door yet. I didn’t know what I was going to try next!
This next week my church has revivals so I will be busy all week. Also, I am going to a woman’s seminar. They say it’s usually really good, I hope they are right. I was never at revivals before so I hate to miss out on some of my church’s revivals but when I signed up for the seminars I had no idea they were over the same time.
I am looking forward so much to meeting my new cousin. My aunt & uncle have adopted 2 adorable Chinese girls over the last several years and now they are supposed to come back from China tonight with a 10 year old boy. He is going to need surgeries on his feet. He was burned with boiling water, I can’t remember if it was abuse or if it was an accident. But I am hoping they aren’t too tired from jetlag and can come to church on Sunday. He doesn’t speak English, only Mandarin. He has some kind of electronic gadget that translates. My aunt is going to homeschool him this school term because he’ll be in and out of the hospital. Not to mention, I don’t think he’d understand all the English!
In August I was at a Bible conference for a week. It’s called Harvey Cedars and it’s on Long Beach Island. I was there last year too. It’s right on the shoreline so pretty much everyone goes to the beach over the afternoon where there’s free time. It’s such an awesome atmosphere…..most of the people there are from the conference and it makes a whole different atmosphere than other beaches. People dress more modestly too. We went over homeschool week so there are a lot of folks from Holiness churches and they dress modestly….they look like Mennonites except without the coverings. I really enjoyed the speakers. One was a scientist, he did really amazing things and was able to bring God into everything. He built his first computer when he was 9! Imagine! We also had the chancellor from a Bible College as well as a guy who tells stories word for word from the Bible and he is on TV on some high falluting show in NY. I bought some of his KJV stories on cd. He reads them with such expression that you don’t even notice the “thee’s and thou’s” of it! It is hard to believe it is straight from the Bible.
This year I was in Cancun Mexico for a whole week at a resort as well as in Florida for a whole week. My boss took me along on their trips so I could take care of the children. I don’t know if they are doing any next year or not. I hope to do a mission trip with my sister but I’m not sure where yet. Nothing so far was falling into place. I guess if God wants us to go somewhere then he will orchestrate the details. It is my only chance to do it with my only sister bccause I’m quite sure she will be getting married in the near future.
Nothing really new is happening in my life at the moment. I’m still enjoying being a nanny to three children. Things are much calmer and enjoyable now that the 6 year old went to school. Is that rude of me to say that? I hope not, but it’s the truth! He was the cause of 75% of any & all trouble! He has the attitude and rebellious and mean spirit and all manner of rudeness. The 3 year old boy Evan and almost 2 year old Lyla are so sweet tempered and listen very well most of the time. They don’t fight much at all. But when 6 year old Reece is home, you can forget about any kind of sweet peace you had earlier! He’s very bright for his age and he is the nicest boy when he wants to be….just wish he wanted to be more often! Now that he goes to school he is acting more respectful to me, hope it lasts. It is helping that he has been having a drawn out punishment of no tv and it keeps getting longer from things he does. His parents put that law down and I’m glad because he is definitely a different boy when he doesn’t watch tv. Suddenly I’m not getting a battering ram (his head) in my stomach anymore! Suddenly I’m not being punched. It’s amazing how children try to act like the ugly characters they see on tv. I have grown to despise tv so badly. The things they call children’s shows…some of them are not fit for grownups to watch! Anyway, for schooI I get him up at 6:30 and have him out by the bus stop by 7:15. I don’t see him til 4pm then. Three mornings in a row this week I could not awaken him. Have you ever heard of such a thing? But how do you awaken someone who will not get up? I thought it was stubbornness at first because last year in kindergarten he refused to get out and I had to bribe and /or threaten him each time. But, this year he had been hopping out of bed when I called him….until this week. I realized it must be the cold medicine they gave him for night because he was so knocked out! I took his covers off and his pillow away and his head flopped facedown on the bed and he didn’t budge. I grabbed his arm and shook him back and forth pretty forcibly. I tickled his feet. I poked his side. Finally at long last I slapped his legs hard enough to make them sting, like 6 different times! I had to get his dad to get him up. I was so thankful he hadn’t gone out the door yet. I didn’t know what I was going to try next!
This next week my church has revivals so I will be busy all week. Also, I am going to a woman’s seminar. They say it’s usually really good, I hope they are right. I was never at revivals before so I hate to miss out on some of my church’s revivals but when I signed up for the seminars I had no idea they were over the same time.
I am looking forward so much to meeting my new cousin. My aunt & uncle have adopted 2 adorable Chinese girls over the last several years and now they are supposed to come back from China tonight with a 10 year old boy. He is going to need surgeries on his feet. He was burned with boiling water, I can’t remember if it was abuse or if it was an accident. But I am hoping they aren’t too tired from jetlag and can come to church on Sunday. He doesn’t speak English, only Mandarin. He has some kind of electronic gadget that translates. My aunt is going to homeschool him this school term because he’ll be in and out of the hospital. Not to mention, I don’t think he’d understand all the English!
In August I was at a Bible conference for a week. It’s called Harvey Cedars and it’s on Long Beach Island. I was there last year too. It’s right on the shoreline so pretty much everyone goes to the beach over the afternoon where there’s free time. It’s such an awesome atmosphere…..most of the people there are from the conference and it makes a whole different atmosphere than other beaches. People dress more modestly too. We went over homeschool week so there are a lot of folks from Holiness churches and they dress modestly….they look like Mennonites except without the coverings. I really enjoyed the speakers. One was a scientist, he did really amazing things and was able to bring God into everything. He built his first computer when he was 9! Imagine! We also had the chancellor from a Bible College as well as a guy who tells stories word for word from the Bible and he is on TV on some high falluting show in NY. I bought some of his KJV stories on cd. He reads them with such expression that you don’t even notice the “thee’s and thou’s” of it! It is hard to believe it is straight from the Bible.
This year I was in Cancun Mexico for a whole week at a resort as well as in Florida for a whole week. My boss took me along on their trips so I could take care of the children. I don’t know if they are doing any next year or not. I hope to do a mission trip with my sister but I’m not sure where yet. Nothing so far was falling into place. I guess if God wants us to go somewhere then he will orchestrate the details. It is my only chance to do it with my only sister bccause I’m quite sure she will be getting married in the near future.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Harvey Cedars
I see it's been awhile since I've written! Where do I begin? I had a very very VERY delightful time this week. I had 9 days off, including both weekends and of course the 5 work days in between. It was delicious! Where do I start? Harvey Cedars is a Bible Conference place right along the beach. Well, within walking distance it is! On Monday Merci, Sharon M, Johann, and Yitzhak & I went to Harvey Cedars which is on Long Beach Island, NJ. Todd had to teach Mon-Wed. so he came with my car on Wednesday.
Last year I was also at Harvey Cedars and I remember the speakers were not fantastic. I don't know if it was just me, that I did not pray for them or that somehow my ears were closed but I know I did not look forward to chapel times, it was rather boring. However, this time it was 100% better! The speakers were dynamic! We had a guy there that does very fun science and weaves the Bible in his science experiments. I mean, he had really neat stuff to show us! I am not a science person, that was the one subject in school that I did not enjoy. That was probably due to the fact that we had those ugly Rod & Staff science books, with only black & white pictures. (I am a picture person, I have photographic memory.) One year we did have A BEKA science, in 6th grade to be exact and I enjoyed science then because those books have pictures on every page and they are very colorful and beautiful and they make science fun. Oh, and in high school we did a few science experiments so that made it interesting....we dissected a shark and found and labeled the different organs! But anyway, I got off on a bunny trail. All this to say I really enjoyed this man's science so that means he was REALLY good if even I enjoyed it! He had a person come up and put on a pair of glasses/goggles type of thing that turns everything upside down. He said they experimented with it and he wore it for like 3 consecutive days (even though he got lots of stares!) and your brain adjusts to something like that so after the 3 days everything was right side up. However, then when he took them off, everything was upside down again and his brain had to take a few days to readjust again. The brain is an amazing thing. He had alot of different illusions and other neat things, I'm just too lazy to write them all down, plus I don't know all the technical wording for exactly what he was doing so instead of mis-informing anyone, I'll just let it at that. Oh, and this guy is on tv so he was a pretty important guy and he had I'm not sure how many degrees but it was a list of em! Also, he built his own computer at age 9. That tells you what kind of genius he is....and he doesn't even look geeky! LOL!
We had another speaker who is the chancelor at CIU (Columbia International University). George Murray. He reminds me alot of Nelson Coblentz from Gospel Express. His build, and his preaching, and his looks, everything. He gets loud, like REALLY LOUD and quiet like Nelson....he could pass for a brother! I really learned alot from his preaching. I got alot out of every single sermon he preached.
Then there was a man who looked no more than 32 and he has 8 children....so he's probably older and anyway, he too was really good. He talked more on homeschooling and raising children so that was not something I could apply presently to my life but hopefully I stacked it away in my brain for future use if it is needed someday.
Oh, and there was a guy who did drama presentations. He too is on tv and he does drama from the KJV and NIV word for word. He does some of the key Bible stories and makes it so interesting and I think it's so cool that he does it word for word from the Bible. That's alot of memorizing. His voice is easy to listen to so I bought his cds of the KJV. I will let my little charges listen to it at work and maybe let some other friends borrow them.
So, the speakers were WONDERFUL and I loved chapel time and I got so fed spiritually. I wish I was going again soon. God really spoke to me this time around. And, today I made a commitment that was really huge for me. I do not make commitments unless I am absolutely willing to go through with them. Especially not with God....because I think it's pretty useless to pretend around Him. Plus I think it's very serious to make a vow to Him and then break it. So I just don't make them. But today I made a commitment. It was huge for me....George Murray had whoever wanted to make the commitment come up to the altar and I went up. I bet almost half the audience did. I don't know if it was huge to anyone else but it sure was for me!
This time at Harvey Cedars has been such a refreshment and I know it was where God wanted me. At present, I cannot disclose some of the reasons but there are several and it's ALL GOOD! There are endless possibilities and I'm excited at what God can do with a person like me. We were taught to live dangerously on edge for God, and that is one thing I hope to learn to do! That will build trust and help me to grow.
Sharon and I watched the sunrise 4 mornings out of the 6. Two of them were cloudy/rainy so we didn't go out then. That was an awesome time of walking the beach, hearing the waves crash, hearing the gulls, looking for seashells, talking to God, listening for Him to speak, reading His Word, and just being still.
The food was great every day. It was so wonderful not to have to cook and to get to eat 3 square meals every day! I loved it! It tasted better than last year or maybe I was just more grateful this year to have food without cooking it myself!
We hit the beach right after lunch most days. One day we went to Barnegate Light. We spent hours on the beach most days. I did boogie boarding most of the time. I just love the thrill and the challenge to get the wave right. I don't need to pay to go to Hershey Park for a thrill when I can boogie board for a thrill! The last day the waves were brutal! The tide was so strong that when it washed ashore you got knocked over sometimes and then as it went back out to the ocean, it took you out with it unless you were bracing yourself with all your might! I saw kids going back and forth like pendulums and I saw grown men falling, that is how strong it was. And, planted my feet in the sand at least 12 inches and I still got sucked up and drug with the tide sometimes! I was a bit scared to boogie board in those waves but I just didn't go out very far, I stayed in towards the shore. But, another day there was a guy who was kind enough to teach me how to catch the waves out farther. It is much harder to do but so rewarding when you get it right because you get a much longer ride then!
I wrote 3 poems while at Harvey Cedars. One was written on the beach, at least part of it. I had not written poems on the beach for years! The one is a song.
I had a really good time with my mentors/2nd family! We had some lively discussions and I was very encouraged.
We went to yard sales Saturday morning. Didn't get much but it was a nice time.... I like seeing other people's junk! LOL!
My head is just about falling down...soooooo sleepy. Hopefully it won't be as long til the next time I write!
Last year I was also at Harvey Cedars and I remember the speakers were not fantastic. I don't know if it was just me, that I did not pray for them or that somehow my ears were closed but I know I did not look forward to chapel times, it was rather boring. However, this time it was 100% better! The speakers were dynamic! We had a guy there that does very fun science and weaves the Bible in his science experiments. I mean, he had really neat stuff to show us! I am not a science person, that was the one subject in school that I did not enjoy. That was probably due to the fact that we had those ugly Rod & Staff science books, with only black & white pictures. (I am a picture person, I have photographic memory.) One year we did have A BEKA science, in 6th grade to be exact and I enjoyed science then because those books have pictures on every page and they are very colorful and beautiful and they make science fun. Oh, and in high school we did a few science experiments so that made it interesting....we dissected a shark and found and labeled the different organs! But anyway, I got off on a bunny trail. All this to say I really enjoyed this man's science so that means he was REALLY good if even I enjoyed it! He had a person come up and put on a pair of glasses/goggles type of thing that turns everything upside down. He said they experimented with it and he wore it for like 3 consecutive days (even though he got lots of stares!) and your brain adjusts to something like that so after the 3 days everything was right side up. However, then when he took them off, everything was upside down again and his brain had to take a few days to readjust again. The brain is an amazing thing. He had alot of different illusions and other neat things, I'm just too lazy to write them all down, plus I don't know all the technical wording for exactly what he was doing so instead of mis-informing anyone, I'll just let it at that. Oh, and this guy is on tv so he was a pretty important guy and he had I'm not sure how many degrees but it was a list of em! Also, he built his own computer at age 9. That tells you what kind of genius he is....and he doesn't even look geeky! LOL!
We had another speaker who is the chancelor at CIU (Columbia International University). George Murray. He reminds me alot of Nelson Coblentz from Gospel Express. His build, and his preaching, and his looks, everything. He gets loud, like REALLY LOUD and quiet like Nelson....he could pass for a brother! I really learned alot from his preaching. I got alot out of every single sermon he preached.
Then there was a man who looked no more than 32 and he has 8 children....so he's probably older and anyway, he too was really good. He talked more on homeschooling and raising children so that was not something I could apply presently to my life but hopefully I stacked it away in my brain for future use if it is needed someday.
Oh, and there was a guy who did drama presentations. He too is on tv and he does drama from the KJV and NIV word for word. He does some of the key Bible stories and makes it so interesting and I think it's so cool that he does it word for word from the Bible. That's alot of memorizing. His voice is easy to listen to so I bought his cds of the KJV. I will let my little charges listen to it at work and maybe let some other friends borrow them.
So, the speakers were WONDERFUL and I loved chapel time and I got so fed spiritually. I wish I was going again soon. God really spoke to me this time around. And, today I made a commitment that was really huge for me. I do not make commitments unless I am absolutely willing to go through with them. Especially not with God....because I think it's pretty useless to pretend around Him. Plus I think it's very serious to make a vow to Him and then break it. So I just don't make them. But today I made a commitment. It was huge for me....George Murray had whoever wanted to make the commitment come up to the altar and I went up. I bet almost half the audience did. I don't know if it was huge to anyone else but it sure was for me!
This time at Harvey Cedars has been such a refreshment and I know it was where God wanted me. At present, I cannot disclose some of the reasons but there are several and it's ALL GOOD! There are endless possibilities and I'm excited at what God can do with a person like me. We were taught to live dangerously on edge for God, and that is one thing I hope to learn to do! That will build trust and help me to grow.
Sharon and I watched the sunrise 4 mornings out of the 6. Two of them were cloudy/rainy so we didn't go out then. That was an awesome time of walking the beach, hearing the waves crash, hearing the gulls, looking for seashells, talking to God, listening for Him to speak, reading His Word, and just being still.
The food was great every day. It was so wonderful not to have to cook and to get to eat 3 square meals every day! I loved it! It tasted better than last year or maybe I was just more grateful this year to have food without cooking it myself!
We hit the beach right after lunch most days. One day we went to Barnegate Light. We spent hours on the beach most days. I did boogie boarding most of the time. I just love the thrill and the challenge to get the wave right. I don't need to pay to go to Hershey Park for a thrill when I can boogie board for a thrill! The last day the waves were brutal! The tide was so strong that when it washed ashore you got knocked over sometimes and then as it went back out to the ocean, it took you out with it unless you were bracing yourself with all your might! I saw kids going back and forth like pendulums and I saw grown men falling, that is how strong it was. And, planted my feet in the sand at least 12 inches and I still got sucked up and drug with the tide sometimes! I was a bit scared to boogie board in those waves but I just didn't go out very far, I stayed in towards the shore. But, another day there was a guy who was kind enough to teach me how to catch the waves out farther. It is much harder to do but so rewarding when you get it right because you get a much longer ride then!
I wrote 3 poems while at Harvey Cedars. One was written on the beach, at least part of it. I had not written poems on the beach for years! The one is a song.
I had a really good time with my mentors/2nd family! We had some lively discussions and I was very encouraged.
We went to yard sales Saturday morning. Didn't get much but it was a nice time.... I like seeing other people's junk! LOL!
My head is just about falling down...soooooo sleepy. Hopefully it won't be as long til the next time I write!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)