How ya doin?
I thought I would answer a couple questions, frequently asked in my comments.
The Theme I’m using in WordPress is Retro-fitted.
As for how to subscribe on the RSS feed – I’m not sure as you all read this blog from different avenues. Sorry I’m not much help.
I start Tai Chi on Saturday – I just have to remember to get up out of bed for the 8am class. I’m not sure where it is … so I had better leave earlier.
Is it me or is winter just a bit more wintery than it has been. I know, I live in an area that has a change of seasons. However, two to three storms a week is getting a bit much. I haven’t been driving due to my eyes. But now that I’m able to see again and I can drive, I won’t drive in snow and ice. Yes, I’m a wimp, but not thrilled about it and I don’t want to!
Work is busy busy busy. I’m loving it as I’m getting more involved in different events, but it does mean that my time is shorter to get my work done. It’s hard to find a healthy balance when so many things are pending and in the air!
We are doing an I Do series at church. Yes, it is geared for marriages and it starts this weekend. One of the weekends we are having a comedy night. I’ve heard the comedian before and he’s hilarious! The weekend after that will be the Love & Respect Conference. One of the best marriage conferences around. It is not geared toward one gender. They speak both genders language. If you have a conference near you – take it, you won’t regret it. If you are single – take it anyway, they give you tools to relate to the opposite sex. It’s a good relational conference.
I started S.T.E.P. (Striving To Experience Peace) last night. I’m re-taking the Anger Management class as I missed half of the classes last time. I really enjoyed it last night and am looking forward to the next 9 weeks. One of the things I love about our church, they care about helping people get over their hurts, habits and hangups by offering many classes. I may have to take the Boundaries class again, as it goes hand in hand with Anger Management. There are so many classes, it’s hard to choose!
How do you get over your past hurts, habits & hangups? Let’s face it, one has to recover from Life. We all are broken and sometimes we can’t get better until we face our brokenness head on. It’s not easy, but it’s definitely worth it!!
So that’s about it for me tonight. I’m tired, as usual and ready to go to sleep. Ya’ll have a great night!
Happy 2013
I woke up this morning wondering what is in store for us this year. Then I saw a FB post about a jar and adding a piece of paper in it with the good things that happen during the year, as it happens. On New Year’s Eve, take them out and read what went on for the year. What a great idea!!! I started my jar. At first I had a jar with no lid, but I remembered I was given a jar for Christmas, it’s perfect – has a lid and all. So my only New Year’s resolution is to make it a point to write down the good that happen for the day. Yesterday, 12/31/12 was our 29th anniversary. Today starts our 30th. What a great way to look back on and celebrate our 30th year of marriage.
So, what to plan dream for the year. I know better than to plan, God always laughs at my plans and then His will be done! So I’ll dream and watch Him make my dreams so much better!
I hope you all had a safe and happy celebration welcoming the new year. We did as we watched the ball drop in NY on the tele and had a glass of sparkling cider.
Honor
Yesterday, Early Evening, the admin staff honored our volunteers. Without them, we would be busier and crazier than normal. It was fun and intimate and the food was yummy! We played Apples to Apples, Jr. Edition and had a blast! I know the admin staff needed to laugh hard as well as the volunteers.
We get so bound up on what is going on in our own lives, that we forget, someone else might be going through something harder. Not all the volunteers knew each other (maybe the name, but not the face) and not all volunteers knew the admin staff, so to end up laughing and having a great time, in spite of the initial uncomfortable feeling, is huge!
Who is the one that is there for you, no matter what? Who will listen to you and not judge, no matter what you have to say? Who does so much for you in the work place, no matter how busy you are?
Have you honored them recently? Have you acknowledged them and verbally thanked them for being your support person, personally and professionally?
Think about it … isn’t it about time you did?
Happy Veterans Day!!!
Thank you to all that are serving and have served in the Armed Forces of these United States! Because of your service and some, their sacrafice, we live in a country of freedom of speech, as well as freedom of religion. So thank you all!!!
The past few months are coming back to me in bits and pieces. In July, I had announced that our middle daughter was expecting. Unfortunately, she lost the baby sometime before her next doctor’s appointment. It broke my heart, not so much for me, but for her and her hubby. I know she has been wanting a baby and to hear she was going to have a baby was such joyful news. When they called to tell me what happened, I felt so sad for them.
She’s doing well now, but a loss can leave a scar so deep that it appears when you least expect it!
At the Women of Faith Conference, one of the speakers talked about losing a child. Then she called those that had lost a child under any circumstances to stand. It was quite comforting when I looked around and realized I wasn’t the only one standing and acknowledging the pain and hurt that goes with losing a baby. Mine wasn’t due to a miscarriage, mine was due to an abortion. Even though it was a choice, I think the part that hurts the most was that it wasn’t my choice. The choice had been made for me by others, unbeknownst to the one I was dating. Even though I’ve worked through so much of my past, I was surprised that just acknowledging what happened during this conference had my memories flooding back. I’m thankful that it wasn’t a shameful memory, but a joyful memory that ended in sadness.
I’m Still Here
I know it’s been some time since I last posted. I am still alive – YAY – and I’m still recovering. Surgery was on July 10th and I survived the face down for a week. I’m not sure my neck has. It’s still sore and moving my neck is still tough, but it’s getting better. A big thank you to my sister who came and spent 2 weeks with us while I recovered, AND in a hot, no air conditioned house, during the Dog Days of Summer! She was a trooper and helped us out quite a bit!!
This same sister went to the hospital on Thursday with a numb arm. Thankfully, after several tests and a night at the hospital, all tests were good. However, they did find arthritis in her neck, which could cause the numbness.
But this got me thinking – in my family my sisters and I are the oldest generation. Considering our oldest sister is 70; the sis I’m talking about is 63; and I’m 53 – we are the older generation. That’s kinda freaky if I think about it. The three of us have health issues and once we are gone, then the next generation will be our children. It’s the way of life, I suppose, but I never thought I’d be one of the oldest generations in my father’s immediate family (I’m still in my 20′s – at least that’s what my brain says.)
The oldest of the next generation (our children) is 47, the youngest is 31. Wow … I do feel old now!!!
I was at a leadership summit and one of the speakers talked about honoring not just the older generation, but also the younger generation. Interesting thought – made me think, do I honor the younger generation?
“Honor believes the best. Dishonor believes the worst
Honor values others. Dishonor devalues others
Honor builds up. Dishonor tears down.
Respect is earned but honor is given
Show honor to those above you.
Show honor to those below you.”
Both generations must be intentional about working together and honoring each other.
Do you honor those above you?
Do you honor those below you?
Do you have work to do? I know I do!!!
Really?
I’ve heard that God doesn’t give you more than you can handle. However, that isn’t in the Bible. Last year our lead pastor taught on this. The verse really says:
1 Corinthians 10:13
New International Version (NIV)
13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be temptedbeyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
What we so mistakenly think the verse says is that through our own strength we can overcome. In reading the actual verse, it says that God is faithful and he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. If you are tempted, he’ll provide a way out …
So why am I bringing this up? Well I’ve got quite a bit on my mind, on my task list and in my heart. Now I have more of those things, as I was in an accident today. Everyone is going to be okay. Right now, I’m experiencing the after shock. I’m feeling like a zombie as it doesn’t seem real even though I know it was.
But as difficult as all this is, I was blessed with amazing people at work. They were there for me once I finished my statement and all that had to be done. They were there to hold me even in the blistering heat. They were there to fold me into their arms to comfort me. They were there with a glass of cold water and a cold towel to help cool down my body. They were there ready to do whatever I needed or get whatever I needed, I just needed to tell them. But the best part was they were there to pray over me. To lift me and the other person up to God and lay us at His feet for His guidance, peace, strength, comfort, grace & mercy.
In my literal mind, I was in His throne room at His feet with all my friends around me interceding in prayer to our Father. There was no temptation, however, I was suffering (maybe still suffering) from shock, sadness, guilt, but God had me encircled by these people who are not just co-workers, but close family. This was God’s way out for me, so I could endure what I’ve experienced today.
I’m thankful that I have tomorrow off and have a day to settle down. I have an advantage as I was given signs to look for and tools to use when I’m spiraling out of control in my thoughts.
I not only love my job, but I LOVE the people I am privileged to spend 8+ hours a day with. Thank you God for all of them.
Small Group
Our church isn’t huge, however, there’s a total of about 1100 adults and children on campus for the weekend. That’s 183 people per pastor. Still a high number for each pastor to know and/or minister to them on the weekend. So they encourage us to get into a small group. Some churches call them growth groups.
This is a small group of people that meet on a regular basis, either at someone’s home or at a coffee shop. There is one that even meets at a cafe for breakfast. They can be couples, singles, people of any stage in life. The purpose is to minister to each other in a smaller setting and be there for one another if one of the group members is struggling with something in their life.
Hubby and I belong to a couple’s group. There are 5 couples in my neighborhood that meet twice a month. We started our group in November of 2011 and we are still going strong. It’s amazing how quickly we have become friends and look forward to our group time.
With our church’s layered learning of The Power of a Whisper by Bill Hybels, our group is meeting every week in March. At first we weren’t sure it was going to work meeting weekly as we all have so many commitments during the week. But with each week, we found ourselves looking forward to the next.
I knew we were short on small group leaders, so I started another small group for women of any stage in life. Although there are only 3 of us in this group, it is still just as fulfilling as the couples group. This Whisper study brought us together for the month of March, however, I think we will continue to meet on a weekly basis. I wasn’t sure if it was a “Whisper” to start this group, however, with our first meeting it became clear that it was God who put us together. They are such a blessing to me. From now on, we’ve decided to make our meetings a pajama night. No work clothes, just arriving at my house in jammies … lol … it should be fun, as we’ll watch our Whisper video, eat popcorn or chips and salsa in a relaxed comfortable atmosphere. I am soooo looking forward to this.
While the cats are away …
All of our pastors and their spouses are gone this week. In addition there are two staff members of Children’s Ministry also gone this week. They all seemed to fret over leaving the remaining staff behind (about 10 of us). I’m thankful my calendar is light … but … it gives me time to dream up things to do while they are gone.
Our one pastor who is quite mischievous was specific on where he wanted his new white board to be installed. So we were thinking of having someone hold it to the ceiling while I take a picture and send it to him, with the caption of …”How does this look?”
Another thing is filming chair races. We definitely are going to have chair races before the week is out, it should provide interesting conversation when we send the clip to them while they are gone.
Someone else is going to bring his clubs so we can pretend to play office golf and hit the cups on the floor.
These are just a few of the things we thought of. We are hoping to get them done and either show them at our next staff meeting, or send them clips while they are away.
Don’t get me wrong, ministry is still happening and the tasks are getting done, but we need to throw in some comic relief here and there.
Have I told you lately, that I love my job?!?!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!
I hope you all have a great day with family and/or friends!! What are your plans today?
As we are without family nearby, one of the church volunteers is having us over for Lu-inner … we’re gonna eat around 2-ish. Also one of our neighbors asked us over for dinner or to hang out. I think we are going there to hang out.
Our church is not a mega church, but last weekend there were approximately 1100 people throughout the whole weekend (3 services). So trying to care for and know everyone, is difficult. One of the things our church has been stressing is becoming a part of a small group. Through a small group, one can grow spiritually, relationally and have a support system. When one person in the small group is hurting, the other members are there.
Within the past few months, we thought some of our neighbors went to our church, but we didn’t know for sure. As only God can orchestrate, when you allow Him, He kept making our paths cross, without even knowing they were our neighbors. Once we all figured it out, one couple had said they’d been wanting to start a small group in our neighborhood. We finally got together for the meet and greet. We all felt comfortable with each other and decided to continue twice a month. It not only gives us a chance to get to know our neighbors, but to have a sense of community. Something this day and age seem to lack.
When we lived in Las Vegas, we didn’t know our neighbors. We knew them by site, maybe their first name, but mostly by site and would wave as we were coming & going. When we moved to Nebraska, we still didn’t know our neighbors. Those we saw, we’d wave hi and bye. Now that we’ve moved to our little neighborhood and have been here for a couple of years … we know the 3 neighbors on our block. One a little too well … yes, the one that I’ve referred to in previous posts as “That Neighbor.” Hubby would talk to the guys on our block, but we really didn’t know what they were all about.
As we’ve just started our small group, we now know there are more of us in the neighborhood that go to our church. We now know that we can call each other, no matter what. Most of the members in the small group live on my street. There is one couple that live on the street over. It’s pretty cool as we don’t just watch out for each other, but also the neighborhood. Definitely a better sense of community!
Sit down with a cup of jo … who knows where I’m going
I have to say thank you to all who’ve commented. Your comments were in my spam comments and I appreciate you taking the time to let me know you were here. I’ve become very lazy or busy or something and I don’t have much time to approve and post your comment, however, I do read them.
This week has been a busy and interesting week. I love the variety of tasks involved with my job. Yesterday, I was able to assist with a brunch. I had a great time and also learned how to make French Pressed coffee. Interesting concept and pretty good also. We had bagels & cream cheese, fruit & yogurt, mini quiches and mini fruit tarts. All pretty yummy, thanks to Raleys!
We sat and talked a little about ourselves and then we were to share our life verses. Life verse? I had no idea. All the verses in the bible are definitely appropriate for my life, but to have one that sticks out and talks about me … well, I haven’t found one … YET! The one that was fresh in my brain and one I mentioned is Proverbs 27:9 (NIV) – “The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense.” As I’m lousy at memorizing scripture, I couldn’t quote the verse, so I said it talked about love and friendship.
So I woke up this morning and started searching for a life verse. Then I came upon a person’s blog that spoke loudly to me. It said that a life verse is also in God’s timing. One may not have found one, but when the time is right, it will speak loudly. That was such a comfort as I felt like such a failure to not have a life verse.
In searching information on life verses, I stumbled upon a birth verse website. When I entered the month and day of my birth, this verse appeared: “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12 NIV I have to say, I love this verse!! It is not only my birth verse, but at present, it is my life verse. It covers all, just as He does.
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