I mentioned to my daughter, who always opens up her home to anyone who wants to come over for gatherings, that she doesn't HAVE to have everyone over all the time. I told her this before Memorial Day and gave her permission to NOT have everyone over. Take a day of rest. She did. Nothing has been said about getting together today to celebrate the fourth of July - nor have I mentioned it. Just because she has the biggest house with the most room, it doesn't have to be her responsibility. We didn't even discuss it Tuesday evening when I was there. And that's ok. Hubby and I - well, I have no idea what we will do today. I can almost guarantee movies will be involved. sigh. Prove me wrong, right?
But I do miss the families getting together over a cookout any time. It takes funerals to pull this family together anymore. Not even weddings can get them all.
Yesterday I kept smelling 'smoke'. Not fire smoke, but like pipe smoke. I don't think our neighbors smoke, and we don't. I looked out in to the courtyard to see if someone was sitting out there and it was coming in through the walls. Nope, no one there. I smelled it all afternoon, and it was driving me crazy. I went outside to check my plants late afternoon and it dawned on me what it was. Neighbors are still having work done inside their home - and it happens to be shelving that they need put in the pantry and linen closets..... and the workers had set up the saw and wood out in their driveway. I had been hearing them work all day, but never made the connection until I went out. What I was smelling was the wood being cut with the table saw. It's a sweet smell, but it is annoying. Solved!
I'm looking forward to having lunch with my oldest son tomorrow. We had talked breakfast earlier, and yes, I have been praying that he would get work, for it was hanging on that. I'm selfish, and I'm glad that he didn't so that we can have lunch together. I remembered late last night that I had a hair appointment scheduled at noon - but that's ok. I'd rather have lunch - and I can schedule my hair for another time. Just a trim anyway, much to hubby's dismay. Every time I put on the calendar that I have a hair appointment I get the "what are you going to have done to your hair?" with his hopes of my getting it cut short. I am not his ex-wife who wore her hair short!! I like my hair short, yes, but I also like it long. I've wished many times that I had not cut several inches off the past couple of years. It gets long enough I can put in a bun and out of my way. In the meantime, pony tails will have to do. If we go out I do try to fix it where it looks decent. It's my hair, why can't I have it the way I want it? sigh. Control.
So glad I have today and tomorrow off work - and then the weekend! I really do need the break. Speaking of breaks... no, didn't break anything, other than my bank account. I got that 'urge' once again that said we need to get out and away. Our anniversary is next month (42nd) and I had convinced hubby (much to his happiness for he hasn't been able to save the money this year) that we didn't need to rent an airbnb or get a hotel in cooler areas for our anniversary. 5 days was always too long and we didn't do anything anyway. He doesn't like to walk or hike (yes, I am complaining for I love to walk and hike), he is content to driving around and going out to eat. Or watching tv. BORING. Anyway - we were not going to do anything for our anniversary. But, I have gotten this urge to lay out by a pool and just relax. There is shade. So when I got the discount email from my company I skimmed through it and there were 'staycations' mentioned. I checked out some of the hotels and found one with a junior suite just a little bit north of town, near a shopping center and restaurants. Yes, it will still be hot in the middle of next month. I debated about it. I deleted it. I debated and brought it up again. I deleted it. I finally went and asked hubby if he would pay half and I would pay half, and we could stay there for three nights, and not to buy any anniversary gift. (there is nothing either of us need; last year he gave me a gift card; I forget what I gave him). He agreed. So I went back online and brought up the staycation link through the office and got a decent rate and booked it. We can't go until the evening of our anniversary as I have a board meeting that afternoon, but I figure we can go after that meeting, stay through Saturday and return home. Close enough to home that if we forget something, we can swing by and pick it up. I don't want to stay IN the hotel room all the time as we usually do the entire time; so with being close to the shops..... just saying. At least most of the time he will leave that TV off and read. Plus it has an outside pool so I am hoping (although hubby will need to stay in the shade) that we can not have a bunch of kids in the middle of the week there and we can lay by the pool in quiet and soak up a little vitamin D.
27 out of 50 for 2024. I just remembered I finished a book last night so wanted to check it off on Goodreads as read. My oldest son set me up on this a few years ago, and until last year hadn't paid much attention to it. Last year I exceeded my goal of 35 books, I think it was. This year I raised the bar to 50 books for the year. A drop in the bucket for my son - lol - he has already met his goal of 200+ I think for the year. I hit 27 with this book, so I need to keep pushing through. I am reading two others that I should be finished soon. I'm so glad I love to read, and that at least one of my children continues. My mother was also a reader in our family. I guess I inherited my love of reading from her. I lose myself in the books I read at times. Depends really on what I'm reading. I read very few fiction books, preferring books on spirituality and religion. But occasionally I will read a fiction and I become one of the characters in the book (does that ever happen to you?) until the end. I think that is why I loved reading Grace Livingston Hill books when I was growing up. They were always stories of love, some war, the soldier coming home, falling in love, white picket fences.... and Jesus. I always dreamed of a marriage that was filled with love like these stories were. I need to buy a couple to take on vacation with me. I don't have any of her books anymore. The collection I had (of 5, I think it was), I gave to my oldest granddaughter years ago, for she was a reader as well. I wonder if she ever read them. I remember the title of one that was my very favorite - Through These Fires. Dare I try to fine it and buy it? LOL Grace Livingston Hill has so many books and I only remember that title? That one must have really impressed me. LOL Love and romance is what young girls dream of.... and us older ones too. Why was the last time you 'romanced' your wife? Stop and pick her up one flower. It will mean just as much to her as a dozen. It's the thought and the little things.
Psalm 33:12 (NKJV): Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen as His own inheritance.
I prayed this morning for not only my family, but for this state, this nation. This nation, founded on God, has turned so far away from Him. It is heart-wrenching and soul-crushing to see what the world has become. When we turn away from God and His Word, we turn away from our very foundation of living a blessed life. Sin is rampant throughout the nation. O that God would hear the prayers of His people and open the hearts of those who have turned from Him into their own way. The generation after mine began to quit going to church and in most families, quit even praying to God and seeking Him. This world is the result.
We have celebrities who take the Lord's name in vain and people celebrate them and buy their music. We have movies that are filled with words and visuals that would make a person blush - and yet people keep going to watch them, putting money in the pockets of those who create that garbage. Yes, I'm on a soapbox. This is why I don't care much for going to movies. I remember hubby and I going to watch a movie with another couple, and I was so uncomfortable and wanted to leave (and should have). The husband of my friend recognized my discomfort and after the movie he apologized to me for inviting us to go (I knew nothing about the movie). The choice I now make is not to watch an R rated movie and check out those which are PG even - things that bring me discomfort are not even blinked at anymore. I just don't enjoy going to movies anymore. Now, I DO love movie popcorn. LOL My daughter went to a movie last week and she dropped off what was left of her popcorn for me. And I ate every bit of it.
My stand is that I believe every word in the Bible. If what I am reading, or viewing, is not something I feel that Jesus would read or watch, then I need to walk away from it. Which is why I do not read even a dear friend's fiction books. Not my Christian friend who writes fun romance novels; those I have, read, and give away. But I have another friend who is an author who writes romance books for the world and gets very detailed. As much as I would love to promote her books, I cannot and will not. It hasn't changed our friendship; my life is different than it was 42 years ago. I found Jesus. Although He wasn't lost....... I was.
I was never out of His view, and He brought me back to Him, a response I have never regretted. Jesus is my life and the One to whom I run to with every detail of my life. He is my strength to get through each day - especially when I'm grumpy or having a really bad, stressful day. Each day is a blessing because I am following Jesus.
What about you? Do you have Jesus to run to in times of struggle? Or just to sit at His feet and gaze upon His beauty? Choose Jesus; you will never regret it.
Blessings!
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