Nope, not mine. My firstborn. My daughter. I still remember how naive and young I was. I didn't understand what it was all about. Hubby was in Viet Nam; I was living with my in-laws. 3 1/2 weeks past the due date, people were beginning to talk (I heard) as to whether this child belonged to my hubby or someone else. I KNEW it was no one else. He was my soulmate and there was no other. I woke up at 4AM that morning with a bad backache. I had no idea why. (I told you I was naive) I finally got up and my MIL was up and I told her what was going on. That's all I had; a backache. So we sat down to play UNO, a card game we often played together. About 7AM I started filling little twinges, and told my MIL and she suggested I call the doctor. I did, and he told me to go on to the hospital. Mind you, my due date had been December 29 and here it was January 21..... so we go to the doctor and they immediately put me on a drip of some sort that made me drowsy. No kidding. I felt nothing because they had sedated me, I think. My MIL got to stay in the labor room with me since hubby wasn't there. The nurses would come in and awaken me and ask if I was feeling anything, and I'd go 'yeah, yeah' and close my eyes and go back to sleep. I knew nothing until it was all over. I found out later that because I was so large (I had gained 50 pounds which was a lot back then!) the doctor thought there might be twins (this is before ultrasounds) or even the possibility that there could be a deformity, and he didn't want me to know it until afterwards. (Around that time I think, several babies were born without arms or legs because of a drug pregnant women had been given. I hadn't had it so there wasn't a worry, but the doctor wanted to play it safe) Plus the fact that my hubby was in Viet Name and not with me, he didn't want me to face it alone.
But all went well, according to the doctor's plan; I slept through labor and delivered without mishap. Perhaps that is why when my second child was born, I had no clue what was going on when I was in such pain! I did NOT have a caring doctor that time and they let the pain take over! And they even told me to shut up! Can you even imagine??!! Enough of that until his birthday. Maybe.
Day 14 of our fast and hubby is starting to grumble a bit. He misses his TV. He commented yesterday that he is getting tired of reading all the time. Me, shocked, replied "Really? I'm enjoying having the time and quiet to read!!" And that's the difference in the things that we enjoy. :-) Not that either is bad, but I prefer enhancing the mind and enjoying a good story versus watching the boob tube. Why did it ever get called the boob tube anyway? LOL I just googled it.
"The phrase likely stemmed from the process by which televisions exhibited images, each inside bulky, antennae-topped box as a cathode-ray tube, which funneled electrons straight to the glass screen."
"The word 'boob' traces from the Spanish bobo meaning stupid, which comes from the Latin balbus meaning stammering..." and I lost the rest of the definition.
I have been known to call it the 'stupid tube' to hubby because he tends to watch it frequently. So, yes, it has been so nice the past two weeks to NOT have it on and be able to read in the evenings or crochet or just be quiet. I asked him the other day did he notice he wasn't sleeping as much during the day. Around 2PM he would turn the TV on and within 30 minutes or less, he would be asleep and sleep for at least and hour and sometimes more. Then he would complain he couldn't stay asleep at night. And, for some reason, he seems to be sleeping a bit better right now. Hello? Could there be a correlation? He doesn't think so, but I do.
But it was me last night that had trouble staying asleep. I finished a book last night I had started a couple weeks ago. It was a good book by John Bevere. Hubby went to bed about 1/2 hour before I did and he was sound asleep. It was about 9PM, I'd guess.... but I just couldn't get to sleep. So this morning I didn't want to get up.... I felt hubby get up and I tried to go back to sleep, but the mind wouldn't let me, so I got up as well. Got my coffee and well, here is where I have sat for the past two hours doing my reading and quiet time. I may take a nap this afternoon (instead of getting in here and clearing out some of this clutter like I want to. Sigh. It's just hard to do when hubby is home - and when he isn't, I'm so excited about alone time that I forget and do other things!)
I have a 4 day weekend and it's already filling up. Yesterday we had a women's 'thing' at church so went to that, and then went to Sam's club. Came home and got things put away. I think I fixed dinner last night but I don't remember what it was now. I remember we used paper plates. Oh yeah, I bought street tacos with chicken and we ate those. This morning we have church. Crew leaders (which is what they call those who are facilitating classes) are to be in the lobby after church to promote their classes. I told the administrator yesterday that I've reached the point of not caring if we get anyone to join or not. I told her that I have been frustrated over trying to get the word out, having to do it in our home and therefore limiting it to six people, and perhaps this isn't the time to have it. Perhaps it is a closed door - and I've decided I don't care if it is. I'll know more tomorrow as signups will be today and if no one signs up, and I will verify that tomorrow morning, I don't need to worry about it. Even if one woman signs up, I will do it. If it is one man, then hubby will have to take it on, for I cannot teach a man by myself. (come to think about it, that would give me a 'free' evening, huh!) But I love teaching and I love sharing Jesus with others.... I would be the one losing.
Tonight we have been invited to meet with the daughter and her family for dinner at Abuelo's, one of my favorite places to go to. Tomorrow, at lunch time, we have plans with our trainer and his girlfriend. If we have class, it is tomorrow night. Tuesday, we have the Japanese Friendship Gardens. I sure do hope it doesn't rain as it is to start today, I think. Tuesday night would be 'girls night out' maybe... we haven't met in about 3 weeks. Will see. Back to work on Wednesday. Which I will probably repeat daily until then.
Galatians 6:7-8 (NIV): "Do not be deceived; God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life."
How many times have we done something stupid (or wrong) and wondered why it turned out like it did? For an example, and that is all it is - it is just what popped into my mind - say we drink to excess and get drunk. We get in a car and drive and hit someone. We get arrested and go to court. And so on. Who do we have to blame for all that? It was OUR choice to do that. And yet, many people would blame God that He allowed that to happen to them. Why didn't He protect them? Why didn't He stop them? For one reason only.
God gave us free will. He gave us the ability to make our own choices. If we choose to live without His guidance and direction from His Word, it's on us. That argument with the spouse? or our child? It's our 'free will' letting go. Not that it doesn't happen at times when we DO follow God, but we should be able to control our emotions when we are His. We are human; we often fail. I know I do. In many ways. But God offers His grace to us to forgive us.
If you have turned your back on God because He didn't do what you wanted Him to do right then (or ever), please repent and turn back to Him. There is no other way. Teach your spouse, teach your children to follow Him by your example. Jesus is the ONLY way to heaven. I do not want my children to fall into hell because of me. I don't want them to burn in the eternal fire. I want them to run freely in heaven. Cry out to God for their salvation and pray over them that they will seek and find Him while there is still time. Our lives can be taken in a moment, without notice. Will we be burdened with guilt if our child, our friends, do not know Him when we could have told them? Repent, and turn to Jesus. He truly is the only way.
Blessings!
