Friday, August 29, 2008

Serenity

Serenity: Noun form of the adjective serene. Serene (suh-reen) adjective Calm and peaceful, as in a serene setting.

We providentially met a little girl named Serenity this Monday. It was a great meeting at the park. I was blessed.

I tend to stress out about so much. Folk tend to ask how I do it all. The answer is that I haven't been. I haven't been letting the Lord carry it either. I took a stress test. It said that I had severe demands on my body, but my support was good. That means I could do more in limiting my stress as well as improve the support I give myself.

I have wanted to lose weight. I have been eating right and exercising and nothing. I was getting stressed at what else I need to be doing in order to lose weight. I was so gratified to find out that I actually needed to rest more and eat regularly. So I have been seeking serenity (not new agey, but the Lord's way). TODR has been letting me walk everyday (I can go by myself or I only take one child). I have been taking time to do my devotions and do calming things. I have also started taking some Flaxseed Oil, Ginseng as well as my Vitamins and Spirulina.

You know what? I feel good. TODR looked at me yesterday and said he thought I was losing weight. I have yet to verify that on a scale, but I am feeling peaceful and hopeful (not about the weight just in general).

Well, I need to get going on routine and tend to my children that are definately not serene right now:)

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Stress Reliever

There are lots of things out there to relieve stress. The best is learning to trust God. I get lost into getting things done on my own an awful lot. With our family budget getting into place again I find myself back in the position to pray for my needs to be met. It is always so wonderful to feel so loved when the Sovereign Lord of the Universe obviously cares for me.

He provided a nice couch when I needed one (for $15.00 and it is really nice). Now the bigger kids are going to go camping next week. They had some clothing needs. I had a small amount of cash. I also had some $ on account at the children's consignment store. So I scored! For the grand total of $8.00 cash we got: Three pairs of jeans for my oldest daughter she also got a zip-up camo. sweatshirt, a couple pairs of new jeans for C.J., a pair of really nice almost new camo. pants for our oldest boy, belts for the four oldest kiddos, warm tights and shoes for some smaller girls and three tea lights for birthday decorations. Oh! and a couple of hats for dress up.

Naturally I don't like to be dependent, but when I go to the Lord I am always so blessed. You would think I would learn. I am definately a work in progress. I want to be content to dwell in the Lord's presence whether I am in need or in plenty.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Truth is stranger than fiction!


HowManyOfMe.com
LogoThere are
12
people with my name in the U.S.A.

How many have your name?


On that note I should relate a strange incident that happened almost 2 years ago now.

We live in a small town in an area called the Big Bottom Valley. Didn't know if you had guessed that or not:) The Big Bottom Valley is not heavily populated. Two years ago this Oct./Nov. we had some unseasonal and very bad flooding in our area. There was a news program on it showing one young woman getting evacuated from her home. I had friends that saw the news clip and were horrified when they heard my name mentioned. Then they looked and saw it was not me. I had several people tell me about it. I didn't think much about it until that Christmas.

I got a Christmas card in the mail that seemed weird. I didn't recognize the return address, but it had my name on it. I opened it expecting to be able to figure out what odd relation sent me a card. When I opened it a check fell out. The card was signed from Grandma. I was horrified when it sunk in that it really was not my Christmas card. When I couldn't get ahold of the real recipient I packaged opened envelope, card and check into a bigger envelope. I enclosed a note explaining what had happened and posted it back to the return address. I felt like a criminal. I was taught to NEVER, NEVER open someone else's mail!

Then later that year I started getting strange things in the mail. The address was for around the corner, but it had MY NAME on it. The other disconcerting thing was I was not getting some things I should. Finally, a young woman showed up at our house with my son's CDs we had been expecting for an overly long time. She was the girl with my name from the flood and she had temporarily moved down the street with relatives. She had put in a change of address form at the post office. Our poor mail lady had been very confused.

The mail lady knows everyone on her route so she had thought the mail was misaddressed. She then tried to kindly correct the mistake. I finally went in and righted the wrong in the post office. They were so embarrased. At least the other person with my name has a different middle name. Still what are the odds to live down the street from someone with the same name? Especially when they are no relation to you whatsoever! It isn't like my name is John Smith!

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

What happened to that man I married?

I was cutting TODR's hair last night. I looked at the floor. There deposited in big fluffs was huge amounts of brown hair, dark brown hair at that!

When we got married 13 years ago we lived in Southern California. We surfed and went to the beach often. I mean really often. Okay, we lived on the beach. (Spiderweb side note: I miss the beach an awful lot, storm-tossed, raging wave times the most) Anyway... The long and the short of it is that I married a very blond man. Over the years away from the beach (I am sure age is apart of it too) it has become this dark brown color. I think it is funny.

He wouldn't want me to mention the weight he has put on either. Or the fact that for reasons not understandable to him that I find him more attractive with a heavier build not less. So I won't mention that. He still has the most incredible blue eyes. Some of our children have inherited those eyes. Our baby has those eyes. Whenever some one remarks on the beauty of her eyes I respond with, "That is why I married her daddy."

Of course, eye color is an incredibly shallow reason to be interested in some one let alone marry them. It isn't just that his eyes are a great shade of blue, it is the passion that is visible in them. I will never forget the first time I met him at his ocean baptism. He came out of the ocean and all you could see were those passionate, sparkin' blue orbs.

He may have had some dramatic changes on the outside, but "in essentials I find him very much the same." (Anyone want to venture a guess on the quote? If you know me at all you know it is Austen or Shakespeare)

Yes, Mr. Heath the best thing in my life is the Lord, but you are my biggest blessing!

Thursday, August 14, 2008

JUDGEMENT/JUDGMENT

I do learn something new everyday. I think I do anyway...

I was listening to my husband quote Romans last night and I thought I had found a typo in his Bible! It was judgment. No E inbetween G and M. Hmmmm.....I found it a second time. I thought whoa, whoa, whoa. How could this be? The answer is that judgement as well as judgment are acceptable spellings. I looked it up in the dictionary. I wonder why I never caught this before?

Did anyone else know this?

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

13 LONG years.


Yesterday TODR gave me a card with a similar cat picture on it. The caption, however, was different. It said, "If you want rainbows, you've got to put up with the rain."
Why did he give me such a card? Well, one reason is that he has a good sense of humor. The other is that it was our anniversary yesterday. Thirteen years ago we made a huge commitment to each other. It hasn't been happily ever after, but that is an unreal fairie tale expectation anyhow. We have seen rain and shine in our marriage. I think the real secret is to watch for the rainbows. I too often only see the rain and not the beautiful plants growing and flourishing with the rain and sun. God be praised that I honestly believe that he is growing beautiful things in and through our marriage. He even throws in some gorgeous rainbows.

Thursday, August 07, 2008

Asundry Photos




Yes, I am better now


Nothing catastrophic or really out of the ordinary happened. Just a whole lot of life converged and I was so overwhelmed.

I am better now. I worked some stuff out of my system. I ALSO GOT MY CAMERA TO WORK. Yes I did! Even with all the unhelpful suggestions from tech. support. I truly am glad that I know some really neat computer geek folk. If I didn't and I only dealt with folk on tech. support I might conclude that computer geeks have no sense of humor. Or reality... Or something...

I can now get my pictures to load from my awesome camera to the computer. Now I can even post them. I have my suspicions on what caused the problem. He shall remain nameless, but if he EVER messes with my picture settings again there will be dire consequences involving tortures of inquistional porportions!

It does make me feel some better that I have conquered this nagging problem.

I also feel better being released from some of my self-imposed requirements in life.

I will post some of my dazzling pictures.

Friday, August 01, 2008

Blogging Break

Life doesn't always turn out like you plan. Actually, I think very rarely, if ever life turns out like you plan.

I have too much of that in my life right now. I feel like I have many hopes dashed to the ground. I have a great deal that I need to be before God's throne hoping that He will answer me as a dear child. I hate trying to be happy when I am not. Since my blog is one that I try not to get too personal with I am taking a break. I need my Abba Father to mend my heart with joy in Him.

So on that happy note, I hit the snooze button...