It's been awhile since we have been out for dinner with friends, but yesterday we did. Our 'new' neighbors who have been across from us for several months now, met us for dinner last night and we took them to Mercer's, one of our hangouts for my salmon meal. (I have yet to find a restaurant that cooks their salmon like they do.) We had a fun dinner and lots of conversation. This is my friend, whom I had shared a bit with of what was going on with my little sister and I... well, she diagnosed a narcisstic personality disorder.... yes, I looked it up... and I think it fits. Of course I didn't ask what 'disorder' I was diagnosed with! Probably stupidity! We had a great evening and it felt good to get out and talk about other things.
Oh - the roof. Yes, the original roofing company came out and ... he said that the right nails were used, but they were put in too deep, causing the shingles to flap and come loose. They will be back out in a few days to replace those shingles FREE OF CHARGE. Imagine that! Only about 20 shingles, but still.... it's FREE.
Of course, then hubby had to remind me of the yearly rec fee that is due. I didn't respond. But, I think (as I did last year), that since it is mandatory we pay it (due to area we live in), we may as well use it. Of course hubby can't bowl anymore because of his shoulder, so that's out for him. Shuffleboard reminds him of old people (huh?), and then there is the gym, of which he has the excuse he really can't work out... and my excuse of being limited with time. BUT, if we have to pay for it, we may as well use it - right? We do have several pools in the rec centers that we can use. One even has a huge water maze that you can walk through and get exercise. We ARE old, whether we want to believe it or not. That's why we live in the area we are in! And we DO need exercise. Yes, I have a treadmill, some weights and my trampoline here at home, and I occasionally get on them. I need to do so more than occasionally. I need to 'just do it'. (I know, here we go again)
My head is hurting this morning and I'm not sure why - are we expecting a big storm? I wish it would rain a soft steady rain and cool down the air, refresh the atmosphere we breathe. I love the smell after a rainstorm. It's bad enough I've had to take something for it. Ick. I hate taking medication.
Medication. I have to tell you this... I'm still going, 'huh'? I have to order my 'daily meds' through our work pharmacy. I placed an order the other day for my Fosamax. Now they come 4 pills in a box, and I get 3 boxes every quarter. My cost is $1.70. They shipped the order in a box like about 18" x 10" x 10" and had them packed in dry ice, shipped Fed Ex. I had to place an order yesterday for my cholesterol pills.... and I'm curious how they will arrive. I will need a refill in a couple weeks on my levothyroxin so will again see how they ship those. What a waste of money for just pills! But it is probably because it is so hot - I have received both in a mailbag before.
Yesterday morning I couldn't get my mind off my older sister. I do miss her, even though we didn't see each other often, and talked infrequently. She drove everyone crazy who knew her, but I loved her. I'm still frustrated my brother and sister didn't contact certain people about her death. I know they would have come to her funeral. But it is just as well they didn't. I would have been ashamed my family spoke nothing about our sister. That really does bother me. Couldn't they have thought of one good things to say? Will anyone say anything 'good' about me when I die? Anyway, I ate two snack bags of M&Ms. There. I confessed. I try to stay out of the candy. Glad I didn't have any M&M peanuts for I would have eaten more. Love those! Love my snickers too, but have been weaning myself off those. I just needed chocolate. LOL My friend and I were talking about our chocolate addiction last night during dinner. She does some of the same things I do! I thought I was alone in my sneaking chocolate and not letting anyone know!
I finished up I Thessalonians this morning with chapter 5. These verses stood out to me; probably because of the things I've been going through lately.
I Thessalonians 5:14-15 (NKJV): "Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all."
Things that catch your eye and make you go hmmmm. 'See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone.' Now I know that we all have felt revengeful at times. They hurt me, so I want to hurt they back, right? They did or said something I didn't like and it made me angry, so I can get back at them, right? Uh, no, that is not what we are called to do. Did I want to retaliate against my little sister for the things she did and said to me? The anguish she puts me through constantly? Do I want to give her my 'what for'? Absolutely. But I can't. Sometimes you can not imagine how hard it is NOT to retort back to her comments. And yes, I'm using her as an example for she usually sets me off about something in some way. It's either her way or I'm wrong. Why don't I retort back to her? Because I can't. It would explode and we would proably not speak for awhile.
We are called to pray for one another, and to love one another, regardless of what they do to us. Jesus says we are to forgive '70x7' and even if that means that every minute of every day the thought of what 'they' did to us comes to mind, we are to forgive them again and again, and pray for them, that they may be healed and whole. That is a hard pill to swallow sometimes. Yes, we need to stay away from toxic people in our lives. People that set us off. But we are also to tolerate them because our lives can influence them and turn them to Jesus. And that is what we are called to do. Show who Jesus is to us by the life that we live.
Some of us can look at specific people and believe they are great Christians. But we only see one side of them. Usually people are 'nice' when they are around us. And when someone close to us isn't so 'nice' in what they do or say... we tend to overlook it because, after all, all of us have our 'bad days' or 'it was justified'. Right? Naw.... we all are called to live holy and blameless lives so that by our lives we can encourage others to live for Jesus.
Loving, living for Jesus, is the best choice I ever made. Do I fail? Absolutely. Many times. But when I go to Jesus and ask for forgiveness, He is always willing to gather me into His arms and love me 'just as I am'. I shudder to think what my life would be without Him. Without His unconditional love for me, regardless of what I do. My mouth, my actions, frequently get me in trouble with others. But Jesus. He hears me when I call out to Him, and He holds me close and helps me right the wrongs; helps me be silent when I need to be, helps me to speak when I need to speak. I'm lost without Him.
And so are you. Think about it. If you allowed Jesus to be Lord of your life, what would be different? He accepts you 'just as you are'. He doesn't say you have to change before He accepts you. He accepts you just as you are. Ask Him to guide you today.
Blessings!
