Yeah, I may have slept until 5:15AM yesterday, but it was 2:20AM that I awoke this morning and struggled to go back to sleep. I finally arose at 3AM because I couldn't sleep, no matter how hard I tried. So I came into my room and glanced at my phone, in case there was something my kids might have sent after I went to bed. I did go to bed around 8:15PM last night. Will explain that later. Anyway, no messages other than Fitbit telling me the challenge for the week had started and I was 11 steps ahead of my daughter. At 3AM? Give me a break! She must have gone to the bathroom in the middle of the night and Fitbit counted 11 steps. LOL
Anyway, I check Facebook real quick (which I normally do NOT do in the mornings, but it WAS 3AM, and I figured God got me up for a reason, cause I was still sleepy! Pastor Dean Ward, a friend of mine who lives in Pennsylvania, was doing his morning 'watch party'. He is 3 hours ahead and he had just started. He just chatted this morning; usually he has a short message he shares. He had errands to run and needed to get started so just shared a few things. I watched the 15 minutes he was on and sent him a note that 3AM was just too early to get up to watch him. It will be fun to read what he responds.
Pastor Steve Chiles, my mentor and dearest friend, comes on at 10AM every Wednesday on Facebook. His messages are called 'Stories from the Heart', I think it is. But I always love to hear him. I don't always catch him as I am working. Or is it 12PM he comes on. I can't remember - it's 2 hours difference for us and when I get the facebook reminder, it depends on what I am doing if I watch him or not.
Another pastor friend, Pastor Terry Ardizzone also has a short message and I think it is daily, but I don't always catch him. Right now they are sketchy. He lives in Lake Charles that got hit by Hurricane Laura. He got some damage on his home and on the church, but not extensive. He lives on what he calls Ardizzone Acres. I don't know how much land he has, but several acres, I think. He showed photos the other day of several very large trees that had been there forever that had been uprooted. He is an avid hunter and pastor and is currently coordinating relief efforts from his church to the entire community.
Both Pastor Dean and Pastor Terry have stayed with us a couple times when Pastor Steve was our pastor in town. The three get together and do a sermon series study for the following year, spending a week together. I fixed taco soup one night and salsa for them while they were here. They made me smile when they both asked for the recipes and Pastor Dean would send me emails they were having taco soup frequently at his house, while Pastor Terry said he was always making my salsa. In fact, it is tradition for them now that when the three pastors get together wherever they meet up - which is anywhere - Pastor Terry will call or text me and say they are at the grocer store, picking up ingredients for him to make salsa when they got back to where they were staying. That is my attachment with them. And I love it. It always makes me smile when I think about it.
It's been awhile since I've made my salsa. It used to be my kids wanted it all the time, but I guess it has run its course. And that's ok. I usually make up about 16 pints and a few quarts of it at Christmas time and tell them to take what they want. And they do. I give a lot of it away as well to friends at work who like it.
One friend reminded me the other day that she is missing my gingersnap cookies. We have tentatively made plans to meet up at the office on October 5th so I hope to remember and make some to take to her when we go. That is just how I roll. If someone says they like something I make, I will make it for them. My boss likes my salsa, and my cheeseball, and my bread and butter pickles. When she has a family gathering (well, when we saw each other on a daily basis) she would ask if I could make her some. And I do. I don't mind. I know all her family, after all, we've worked together 30 years or so.
It is now 5:30AM. I've done my Bible reading, done some praying, tried to sleep again for a quick nap. Hubby brought my coffee in about 4:45-ish I think it was and it's gone. I think today may be a two -cup morning. It is still pretty dark out so won't be taking Sheeba out for a walk for another 45 minutes or so. I didn't take her walking yesterday and she wasn't real happy about that.
I could have walked her yesterday, but we did sleep a little later than usual (which is probably why I woke up so early today) and I didn't have much time before watching Pastor Jentezen Franklin. Yesterday's service had me crying from the songs through most of the message. I'm not sure what that was all about, but I couldn't stop my tears from falling. Great message. PLEASE look him up on Facebook (Jentezen Franklin or Free Chapel Church) and watch it. Great message, and I do plan to watch it again this week. Thought about it this morning but wanted to stick to my routine.
Today I am back at work at 7AM. What am I going to do when I have to leave the house at 6AM again to get to work. I will do it, and once I get back into THAT routine, it will be ok. It's just the thought I can't sit here in my pajamas until I get ready to walk Sheeba; and in fact, I won't be able to walk Sheeba and hubby just doesn't do it. He doesn't want to deal with it. And she is his dog. I feel bad for Sheeba because I will be gone all day. Not that she requires a lot of care, but hubby doesn't like his day interrupted, and with me being home, I've taken care of her. Now her meals he has pretty much done, but for walking, naw, it's been me. That makes me sad cause I can't do it once I go back to work. And it's good for me too.
I'm sitting here thinking that if someone asked me what was so special about Pastor Jentezen's message yesterday that got to me, I don't know how to answer that. Most Sundays it is a 'good' message. Yesterday it was better than good. I remember hearing about how much Jesus loves me. He loved me so much He died for me. Yes, we all know that. But the way the songs were sung, the way the message was preached.... well, I challenge YOU to listen to it. I would be interested in how you respond to it. And don't be hard-nosed about it. Be open to hearing - and believing. God is so good. He is so faithful. Even when we don't believe He can, He always will.
I remember when a friend of mine years ago was separated a short time and she said she had a stack of bills to pay and didn't know what to do. She prayed and asked God to help her with paying the bills and show her what she needed to pay. And He did. He provided all that she needed - and she even was able to tithe that week. No, God didn't bring a handful of money to her. She paid what she could, but she asked God what He thought she should pay, and she did. She had the faith, and belief, that if she asked, He would provide. And He did.
And He always will. But first, we have to ask.
Blessings!
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