I did what I wanted to do....

 For me, yesterday was a good day.  I slept in a little.  I think. Maybe I should read what I wrote yesterday so I'd know.  Anyway, I wanted to go to Walmart first to pick up a few plants to replace the ones in the pots that have died, pick up the hose holder I wanted to get.  Hubby said he'd go with me. No problem.  Walmart's selection of plants was about nil.  Most were dying that were there, many needed water.  I found a couple that looked like they may survive so got them.  Went inside to get the hose holder I wanted.  And hubby had to say the words... "I knew you wouldn't just come in here for plants and the hose holder" as I looked for something else.  I ignored him and finished looking for pots for the back yard and we left.  

He suggested we stop at One Stop Nutrition for protein shakes for breakfast - which we did.  That took care of breakfast.  Shortly after getting back home I started cooking. Which I love to do, as you know. Or suspect.  I made my 'garbage' and divided it up into containers to put in the freezer and for Ms. Diane and Ms. Vicky.  I made my homemade spaghetti sauce.  It stayed in the skilled and simmered and cooled while I visited both of our neighbors.  I took over garbage and frozen strawberry dessert to both.  Ms. Diane ate nearly all of the dessert.  Her daughter had brought her Famous Dave's bbq ribs so she had those for lunch.  After visiting with Ms. Diane, I headed over to Ms. Vicky's with the same thing, only I remembered to grab a bag of strawberries as well.  We visited for about an hour and I came back home to put the spaghetti sauce in containers and in the freezer as well as clean up my messy kitchen.  

Dinner was easy.  I had brought home some wings from the graduation party so heated those up and added garbage to the plate - and that was dinner.  And with eating poorly over the weekend - too much pasta and carbs, for sure, I've gained two pounds. Need to get refocused on cutting the pounds OUT, not adding them IN.  Sigh. It sue is a tough process.  Of course the 4 little cookies I ate before bed didn't help any, I'm sure.  Just carbs, right?  At least I finished the package. I hate having a package of cookies with only one or two left in it.  Might as well get rid of them, right?  I know I'm going to eat them; it's just a matter of 'when'.  Might as well put that to rest, right?

Back to work today.  I work today and tomorrow and then I get to head out - finally - for our Jailbreak Getaway.  Heading to Flagstaff where it is cooler, for sure.  I'm looking forward to doing some fun things (I hope) and relaxing with my girls.  Looking forward to hanging out and getting to 'know' them better.  Other than my daughter, I really don't see anyone very often.  And it's been 2-3 weeks since I've seen her!  She's been gone the last week but I think the plan is they will fly back home tomorrow.  Hope so, since we are to head out on Thursday morning and she is driving!   Which reminds me, I need to get to the bank at some time soon.

Acts 20:24 (NKJV):  However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task that the Lord Jesus has given me - the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace.

I know I have shared before how grateful I am for God's grace, that He would take all the bad stuff I have done in my life, and forgive me, and wipe my slate clean.  He has taken all that ugly black stuff out of my life and replaced it with His love, His joy, His light.  I am so very grateful, for I was a real mess.  Most people don't know my past, and I choose to leave most of the details out when sharing. But know that all of it, even the things I refuse to share with others, God knows, and He forgives my part in it.  I am a sinner, saved by Grace.  Forgiven, not in part, but in whole.  Not just pieces of my past, but all of it.  Grateful to be loved like that.

And you are as well, when you sit yourself down and sincerely talk with God and tell Him what is on your heart.  Tell Him the things of your past you have allowed to burden you and crush you. Your pain, your sorrow, your grief of the past.  He takes all that 'stuff' we hold in, and soothes our troubled soul and cleanses us from all unrighteousness.  Hallelujah!  Thank You Jesus!

Wow - looks at her go!  I have my window shade open and there is this woman quickly walking for her daily walk - she is fast!  I bet she could walk this block in less than a minute!  She is hustling!  That COULD be me, you know.  I COULD not write in here and instead take that 30 minutes that I pause to think of things to write about and try to write about, to get a walk in. But no, I'd rather sit here in my jammies and mentally walk.  Whoa!  There's another one!  The cool mornings have brought a lot of women out.  And then - LOL - there is this guy in a cowboy hat and like a sleeveless high neck shirt carrying his coffee cup and walking his little bitty tiny dog.  LOL  Sorry, it's a funny picture, if you think about it.  Big guy, big coffee cup, big cowboy hat... walking this little 6" dog on a leash.  

And with that - I need to get off here and kick on the work computer.  I know I have a pre-board meeting this morning at 8AM - first one I have to attend for the new board I was given.  Yes, I need to change my attitude on that.  They aren't going to give me back the other.  I told them I'd do both, but no, they would rather force me to do the one I don't want.  UGH.  It's a 6AM board meeting a week from Thursday.  At least it is every other month - but I'm pushing for them to make it once a quarter - and my male boss is in agreement with me.  By the end of the year, we just might get it!

Hope that you had a good weekend and are looking forward to a great week.

Blessings!

Not really a holiday....

 yet it is celebrated as one.  Memorial Day.  A day of remembrance of those who have given the greatest sacrifice; their lives for this country.  I can remember 'way back when' and how we 'celebrated' Memorial Day when I was growing up.  For many it was going to the cemetery to put flowers on a grave of a loved one.  At that time, my relatives graves were all in Tennessee, so we didn't do that.  Back then the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race was also ran on Memorial Day, so the step-father was always at the track as he was one of many 'safety patrol' (as they called them then) who directed traffic for the 500 mile race.  I can see in my mind, after I was married and moved away, of doing my ironing (yes, back then I did iron!) and watching the race on TV.  It was - and still is - big in Indianapolis - although probably not as big as we it was in 'my day'.  

Speaking of race day, during the month of May, each weekend was trials and my step-father had to go each Saturday and Sunday to direct the traffic for those who attended.  On Sundays, Mother would get up early and fry chicken and fix food to go with it and we'd pack it in a picnic basket and immediately after church we would head over to the racetrack.  My stepfather had a section he was responsible for and a place was reserved for his vehicle to park on the grass next to the track.  We always parked there, ate our lunch, then my little brother and I would take off and roam the racetrack grounds, picking up bottles and cans to cash in.  We never feared for our safety and roamed all over that place.  People would sit on their cars to watch the qualifications - women in swimsuits soaking up the sun and men sitting around drinking their beer.  We did that every year, as long as my step-father was involved with the safety patrol.  Seems like he did it for 25 years so he was doing it before he and my mother got married in June, 1959.

One special memory I have of the qualifications at the 500 Race Track.  I had met my first husband at a church youth event at a friend's house.  We 'clicked'.  I wasn't 'allowed' to date, and was actually seeing someone else who didn't come to church with me, but I worked with at W.T.Grant.  We got him a ticket so that he could meet us at the racetrack.  He rode a motorcycle and my step-father thought he was being funny by driving real slow through the gates and through the land to get to where we were to park.  May 7, 1967 was the first time my first husband and I were actually 'together'.... in that I mean he had lunch with us and he and I got to walk the grounds together.  I always considered that our 'first date'.  We had met in January 1967 at the church youth party and had seen each other at church... oddly, I don't remember much between January and May of seeing him.  Perhaps he didn't come that often.  Anyway, that was our first time together and ... by May 29th we were 'going together'.   I've always said we met in January, had our first date May 7th, engaged in October, and were married December 9th... all the same year.  Ah.. the memories of that time; many good, many bad.  But enough of that.  Interesting that thinking about Memorial Day has brought back that memory.  Of course it seems I often have memories come back at odd times.  Little triggers will start something. 

We didn't do 'get togethers' for Memorial day back in 'my day'.... many people were at the race track so the thought of a cookout didn't happen, at least not that I can remember.  But today, there will be a cookout at my daughter's and we have been invited to go over there.  They put up their swimming pool a few weeks ago so hopefully it has warmed up enough to where I might get in it.  Got to be at least 90 degrees or I freeze.  Yeah.  I was not cut out to be a fish.  My youngest son and two of his chidlren and his wife will be there too, so I may not get in at all. I prefer laying on a raft and just relaxing as I float and not have a lot of splashing about me, which is what will probably happen.  Have I gotten so old that I just don't enjoy those things anymore?  Or is it that I have allowed life to be sucked out of me to where I can't do them anymore...........

We had a great service yesterday at church.  Powerful.  I may listen to it again some time this week if I have a chance... which may not happen.... I haven't listened to the last one that I wanted to listen to again.  When I could listen to it, I forget about it.  

Yesterday was a quiet day after church.  I heated leftovers for lunch and hubby wanted to watch the baseball game (and sleep).  He offered to put on the headset and I agreed - which allowed me the opportunity to read.  I finished up two of the books that I had been reading - which made me feel like I did get something done yesterday!  We did watch a movie last night.  Sigh. I know he offers to keep the TV off if I prefer... but his tone of voice is one that shows he really would rather watch a movie.  We watched 'A Man Named Otto' starring Tom Hanks.  My daughter kept telling me it was a good movie to watch.  Well, the language alone was nearly enough for me to turn it off, but we watched it.  I tried to look past the language and the attempts Otto made, and look at his heart and what he was doing for his community.  Don't want to say too much about it.  It was a good movie... and a true story, I hear... but I also see how God intervened many times in his life, although it was never mentioned.  And yes, I cried at the end.

Hubby has gone to the gym this morning for a training session.  He will be going Mondays and Wednesdays, and I will go Tuesdays and Thursdays... but I don't start until next week.  I decided to wait for the first full week in June to start.  Procrastination?  Probably.  Once I get off here and get dressed, maybe I'll get on the treadmill for awhile here.  

Psalm 103:17-18 (NLT):  "But the love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear Him.  His salvation extends to the children's children of those who are faithful to His covenant, of those who obey His commandments."

God gives us promsies, like the one above, when we choose to follow Him.  He loves us. Each one of us.  Yeah, even you, who choose to perhaps believe that He is, but choose also not to follow Him, instead, following the ways of the world.  But because someone in your lineage followed Jesus, the Lord promises that His love will remain forever to the children's children.   Since I choose Jesus, my children's children are included in this covenant.  Because you or your spouse have chosen Jesus, His love is extended to your children's children.  That may be all you have right now... but some day, there will be additional little ones added to your lineage.... will they also have the love of the Lord forever, because you followed in His footsteps?  Will your childrne's children's children come to know the love of Jesus if we don't start at the very top to teach it to our own children?  Taking the children to church isn't all there is.  We need to live the example we want them to follow.  We can teach them all about Jesus.... but if we don't show them how to live with Jesus in the heart; keeping Him on the outside, and in our head knowledge and not the heart knowledge... we have failed.  There are so many years that I regret.  So many things I've done that I failed to show Jesus to my children.  I know that I am forgiven for not knowing Jesus as Lord and not teaching my children about Him... I just did what I was taught growing up.  I took them to church.

But it took one Sunday morning for me to realize my sinfulness and that Jesus is the only way to a satisfying life, and I knew I had to change.   What will it take for you?

As we 'enjoy' this day off work (for some of us) and gather with friends and/or family - or even just stay at home....  take a few minutes not only to thank those who died serving our country....  but re-evaluate your life and where you stand with Jesus.  Today may be the best decision you ever make...if it is to follow Him.  He made the greatest sacrifice of life.  He took all my sins - and all your sins, and bore the burden of them as a sacrifice of His body was made.  

Blessings!