I survived...

 the 6AM board meeting yesterday without dropping the presentation and having to hunt for it again.  Whew!  Thank You, Jesus!  Yes, I really did pray about it before (and during!) the meeting!  He likes us to ask for the 'little things' as well as the 'big things'.  He is a good, good Father.

In fact, that song has been going through my mind this morning, the one by Chris Tomlin (I think) about a Good, Good, Father.  I really like the one by Crowder that is a bit more peppy and I had that one going through my mind as well.  "Tell me, is He good? (He's good!) Tell me, is He God? (He's God!) He is, Good God Almighty!"  Love it!

Uh oh - my day isn't starting well - I chipped a nail!  Gasp!  I will overcome!

Been busy somewhat already this morning.  Waited until hubby left then put a load of my clothes in the washer.  He hates it when I wash my own clothes!  He says that 'his job' - well, he doesn't do it often enough for me, and although he will 'plan' on doing the laundry probably tomorrow (Saturday), it takes him all day to do just two loads.  So I can do two loads (dark/light) and have dried, folded, and put away in the three hours he is gone on Friday mornings.  Which is why I always hold my breath when he starts talking laundry cause I'm pretty sure I can do my own.  I never have that much; I never go anywhere.  I've even washed my hair and took a shower already this morning!  Granted, I did skip some things this morning in order to do this, but ... I got these done that needed to be.

YAY - first load already in the dryer, second (and last) load in - and it's only 7:05a.  And I fixed myself a bowl of cereal while I was in that area.  You needed to know that - right?  I'm hungry!  LOL  I'm busy today - got to take hubby to go see Dr. Mark - and yes, he said he was going to use the walker to go into his office.  And I'm going to tell on him for NOT using it any other time!

Yesterday I had to take off work early to take hubby over to the dentist office. Actually, I didn't HAVE to take him to the DENTIST, but I wasn't sure how he'd be after sitting in the chair for three hours getting temporary crowns on his two front teeth that had cracked (I told him I think he cracked them one of the times he has fallen).   I was told to call the lab in Tempe on Monday to schedule going down for him to get the shade right, then we go back a second time  to confirm the shade, then the Dentist will put them on for him.  Might go down Wednesday morning since I am already off work, and we won't be leaving until about 1-ish to head to Overgaard.  (I dropped him off at 3p and he wasn't ready until 6p!)

We headed to Master Taco after the dentist office for I was really hungry - and I cleaned up my plate!  It really tasted good last night!  A granddaughter invited us over for a late lunch/early dinner on Sunday for my birthday.  Yes, I will be getting a year older.  Proud of it.  Think about what the alternative is.  Stay at the same age forever or gain another year?!  I can't snack or eat while wearing the invisalign liners and they are difficult to get out (or I just haven't gained that expertise) so I don't snack.  The only thing I can have with them in is water.  So after I eat my cereal, drink my tea (already had a cup of coffee), I will be brushing my teeth and snapping them back in.  Maybe I can actually lose weight because I can't snack!

Hubby won't be visiting Chuck today (who isn't doing well at all) but has gone to his bible study and then will go get his Lupron shot before heading home. He was concerned about getting back in time as we need to leave by 11a to get to Dr. Mark's by 12p.  He's got a biopsy scheduled on a mole.  He was telling me I had to go to Ironwood to pick him up in case the shot runs late.... I told him no, he had plenty of time to get the shot and get home.  So he left angry at me cause I wasn't going with his decision.  Now you watch.... they will run really late (as they always do) and I will have to run down and pick him up and head on to the doctor's office!

I think my eyes were bigger than my stomach again - I filled my bowl up too high with cereal (who can resist the frosted shredded wheat?) .... I don't think I can eat them all now.  Oh well.  Probably shouldn't anyway.

Psalm 71:1 (NKJV):  In You, O Lord, I put my trust; let me never be put to shame.

How much do you trust God?  Many of us would immediately respond with "I trust Him with all my heart!"  But in reality, do we?  Really?  It is one thing to 'say' we trust Him, but does our heart agree with what our mouths say?

As I pause here and think about that, I want to say that Yes, I put all my trust in God.  He has never failed me, why would I not trust Him?  Does He answer every request I've made - no.  Does He even respond with an answer when I ask?  Not usually.  So why do I trust Him so?

Because He is God and I am not.

There doesn't have to be any other reason, does there?  He is my Creator; He created me in my mother's womb.  He caused me to breathe when I was born.  He walked with me through many trials and tribulations as I was growing up; He never left me, even when I had turned away.  He had to turn away for He cannot look upon sin (remember, He turned away from Jesus on the cross because Jesus carried all our sins to the cross on His  shoulders!).  He has never left me alone.

And He won't leave you alone either.  He may - or may not - answer the prayers you pray in the way you ask.  It isn't that He is 'picking and choosing' which ones He wants to answer.  He knows the outcome of those answers and knows what needs to be done.  He does work in mysterious and miraculous ways!  I've seen Him do both!  

But the best thing that God has done for me, is that He chose to save my soul, rescue me from the depths of hell, and set my feet on His solid ground. Hallelujah!  It doesn't mean my life is perfect, by no means!  But I know that if God loves me enough to rescue me, then He loves me enough to walk with me through any trial I face.  He is my strength, my shield, my all in all.  He is my TREASURE here on earth.  My God has cattle on a thousand hills; He can easily take care of whatever troubles me today or any day.  Yeah, He's that good.  And He loves me.  And He loves you.

My friend from work called me yesterday and she is planning a 'glam evening' for several women and invited me to come.  It's in October, and I will need to get a hotel room (she lives in Chandler), but I really want to go. Of course I will probably have to take hubby since I want to stay overnight rather than drive home late, but that's ok. Not the first time, and probably won't be the last. He stays at the hotel.  I'm getting pretty good with navigating myself around anywhere (thanks to GPS).  But it will be a fun time and I get to be with my friend, and other women.  And a weekend getaway for me and hubby.  

Speaking of 'getaway' - we start vacation next Wednesday!  And, in talking with Sue yesterday about the book I read the other night, you know the one where I realized that making my own decision to quit working may not be the plan God has for me, and that I need to keep working until He tells me "you are done'.... I've decided to take more time off work - perhaps only a day here or there, but I think my biggest problem is that I am getting burned out - not so much with work as it is with sitting here at the computer five days a week, with interruptions from hubby every single day, and just not having any time for just me.  I don't know what I'll do on those days, but it is something I am going to be thinking about.

And in thinking, I need to get off here and get to work - have meetings to schedule. Ugh. This one has people in central time, and eastern time, and I have to schedule the people here in MST.  I do not like time zones when it comes to meetings!   Anyway - got to get off here -

Praying for you, that the Lord will bless you today in ways you could never expect.  Be watchful; He is working in you and around you.

Blessings!

A day I wasn't expecting....

 I didn't get anything done yesterday I had planned to do - other than getting to stay in here a little bit longer.  My entire day got turned upside down - and I'm not complaining, just stating facts.

GOOD NEWS - We headed to go see Dr. Mark at noon (appt @ 1PM) and got there a little early.  Dr Mark comes in and says "I don't know what happened, but all the test results are back to normal."  I looked at him and go "DUH, we prayed over him and God healed him!"  Truly - all his numbers are right where they should be - and Dr. Mark said he didn't need to see him again until after the first of the year.  My next appointment is February 9, so there was an opening after mine and we put hubby there so that we only have to make one trip to the doctor.  Guess I will need to plan on taking that day off work. Praise God for healing his body.

After we left the doctor's office and walked to the car, I was in the car first and waiting for hubby to get in it. He didn't, and I kept looking around to see where he was.  I had parked next to a curbed rock divider (separating the parking area in sections).  Finally I saw movement - and jumped out of the car.  Hubby had fallen in the rocks and had hit against the car on the other side of the rocks.  But, he fell knees first on the rocks.  A lady in that car felt it being hit and jumped up and she and I helped him up.  His knees were a bloody mess, literally.  I turned him right around and we walked back in to Dr. Mark's office.  This is why I love Dr. Mark.  He didn't have a patient after hubby so it was perfect timing.  He got hubby up on their 'thing' (can't think what it is called) in the room, had him lay back, and for over an hour, Dr. Mark patiently worked on both knees, pulling out rocks, gently washing, cleansing the areas, putting antibiotics on, and bandaging both knees.  He cut away the peeled skin flaps.  When we finally left, it was probably around 3PM-3:30PM.  We had to stop at Walgreens so that he could get a Tdap shot as it had been several years.  I picked up bandages and tape so that I could fix it again. Dr. Mark had told hubby to get in the shower and let the water hit the knees before taking the bandages off so that they didn't stick, wash out good with soap to get the rest of the little pieces of gravel he could not get out, and then I was to bandage back up.  

Being the knees and the movement causes the bandages to slide down the leg, created problems, but we finally got him home, showered, and re-bandaged.  He didn't go to church last night, but I did.  He managed to get through the night, but when he came in this morning, both bandages had slid off the knee cap.  I told him to cut them off and let the air hit.  He will take a shower and wash them again, and I'll add antibiotics (I have a cream that Dr. Mark said was ok to use) - and suggested he let the air dry it as much as possible.  He isn't going anywhere today so should be ok.  I love, too, that Dr. Mark told him that if he has any problems, to come back to the office and he will look at the knees.

So that was our day yesterday.  I was with hubby from noon until I was able to leave for our group at church.  I got absolutely nothing done that I had planned - including baking cookies for group. I bought a package of Oreos to take.  He is doing fine this morning, I think. He groaned at times during the night, which woke me up, but I think he slept fairly well with the pain.

The youngest made it home yesterday from his travels and first stop (I think) was to see his new granddaughter.  He already has a name for her.  We chatted a bit last night via text. 

My daughter and SIL leave tomorrow morning early to head to New Mexico for a week to visit family there.  Get one back and another leaves.  

Speaking of family - I think I mentioned before a grandson had contacted me last week and wanted to come visit and bring his baby over to meet his great-grandparents.  He touched base again last night and they will be coming over around 11AM today, I think. I told him I had a dr appointment at 10:30 but would be home by 10:45, so he said they would be over after that. I'm thinking 11AM-ish.  We haven't met this little one yet so I'm excited.  I have some baby blankets and will pull some out to see if they want any for him.  When they had the baby shower, I didn't know what sex the baby was so don't think I brought any blankets I had made.  If they don't want any, that's fine, but I will offer.

And today I am back to work in about 20 minutes.  I cleared out some messages from my phone last night. Today I'll skim the deleted ones to make sure I didn't hit one that I need to do something with. My finger swiping sometimes gets carried away.  I have things to get done, but nothing crazy, I don't think. I saw I have a few meetings I need to get scheduled first thing. 

This year is flying by, for sure.  I knew it was coming, but when I saw the email from Lori about Needles of Hope being this Saturday, I was surprised it was time already.  Where is all the time going!  Saturday is November 1st!  Have we packed out days so full that they days no longer stand alone but run together?

I slept a little later this morning as hubby kept me awake most of the night with his groaning and tossing and turning. I was afraid I might hit one of the knees so stayed totally at the edge of the bed, giving hubby full rein of the rest of the room.  And he took it. And we have a king size bed!  Not getting much reading done this morning.  I hope I'm back on track mentally tomorrow and can dive back into my usual routine.

But, for now, I need to jump off here, fire up the work computer, and get dressed.  I guess this is somewhat informative, and yet, full of ramblings once again.  Maybe, just maybe, I'll have something better to share tomorrow.  Until then,

Blessings!

Grateful for Saturday

 My mind awoke at 3AM again this morning and would not shut off. I wish it would stop doing that for I am always thinking one of my boys are 'up to something' or in trouble.  Past experience, I guess? LOL I finally got up out of bed a little after 4AM, I think, and came in here.  Thought about going back to sleep, but remembering it was Saturday, decided not to and instead dove into my Bible reading and other things I want to complete. I will do some more reading when I finish this.  I have Needles of Hope this morning and will be stopping soon to get ready to run away for a few hours. :-)

Hubby's appointment went well yesterday and we both really liked this doctor.  He gave us a lot of information, and would often stop and ask if we had questions. I sent a note to my children to update them so don't need to do it here.  Will just say that it went well, hubby feels a lot better about what is happening and we will take it one day at a time.  Blood work in 2 more weeks and then another kidney doctor appointment to determine next steps. We liked that he said he would give the information, but it was hubby's decision on the next step; it would never be forced upon him, which is what a lot of doctors try to do to you (i.e. his prostate doctor).  Now to wait until the 29th when we visit Dr. Mark and find out more about the liver issue.  Apparently the kidney issue was more critical and needed to be addressed first.

Proverbs 27:1 (NIV):  Do not boast about tomorrow; for you do not know what a  day will bring.

Isn't that a true statement!  We can make all the plans we want for tomorrow, but we have no control of what that day will be or what may happen.  Today may be the last day for some of us.  We may not have tomorrow, and we can plan all we want, but if today is the 'last day', then it doesn't matter what we plan for tomorrow, does it?  Something to think about.

So many times we hear people say "tomorrow we will do this" or "tomorrow we will go here" or "tomorrow will be a better day and we can...." .... and yet, when tomorrow arrives, then what?  What if you plan a picnic and it rains?  What if you plan a trip and the car doesn't start?  What if you plan to visit someone and you get really sick and can't go?  See - anything can happen, so don't boast about what you will do tomorrow, but as it comes into 'today', use it for God's glory, that He has given you this day.

With that being said, I wonder how often I 'boast' of things I'm going to do in an evening or a weekend... and something always changes.  Hmmm

I do want to get some baking done this weekend.  Hubby is really enjoying my peach muffins I have learned to make.  Simple recipe that makes 12 muffins.  He has taken to eating one a day so I need to make up a few batches and put in the freezer.  I think we have three large peaches left in the refrigerator and it only takes one per dozen.  I also like to give them away. LOL  Took two to Morgan on Thursday morning and she was looking forward to enjoying them.  I also need to get on my cranberry pumpkin nut bread, and I have also found a recipe for pumpkin nut bread (a different recipe altogether and without cranberries).  I do love to bake.

I love my little sister; you know I do. But sometimes she drives me crazy.  She told me about a year ago that she has had kidney disease for years - and I believe she said it was stage 3.  Well, being at the nephrologist's office yesterday and listening to everything he told us, I asked my sister about her status.  Now mind you, she goes to the doctor very frequently - like every six weeks or so (more or less) it seems. It's always something.  When I asked her if she had seen a nephrologist (because she had not mentioned anything about her kidneys other than telling me she had stg 3 kidney disease) and what was going on.  She tells me last night that she has never seen a nephrologist, AND she hasn't had blood work done for almost a year!  What???  Then how does her doctor know that her medications are working? We know that my sister doesn't tell everything she should to the doctor. I got her to check her last blood tests - back in Nov 2024 - and she said her GFR was 62 (I made her go back and look it up).  That is stage 2.  Hubby's was 62 last November as well - and it dropped to 31 in July, 30 in September.  So is stage 2 ok and one doesn't have to see a specialist?  I suggested to her to ask her doctor about what was going on with her kidneys and should she see a specialist.  Her response back to me?  I kid you not.  "I will ask, but I don't want to be mean."  Seriously?  I will leave that conversation right there.

If I have something going on within me - and it will happen, I am not immune to changes in my body - I will be on the doctor's doorstep asking what is the next step!   How can we fix this?  What are you going to do?  It is our body and we have a right to know how to take care of it when it doesn't 'behave'!  Right?

And, I've recently have had a realization of how I enable my little sister.  Now you know I love to make things and give away.  I love to do that.  But something my oldest son said one time kind of stuck with me.... and although I can't tell you exactly what he said... it made me step back and look at my relationship with my sister.  (erase, erase).  Sigh.  I don't need to tell you things; some of you already have figured that out, I think.  It has to to with 'making her happy' when she asks for things ...and I do what I can to see she gets it.  It's not my problem and I need to stop it.  Right?  I need to start saying 'no'.

Sigh.  I still want to move from here and get my own place.  With a little yard.  And a shade tree that I can sit under and have time with God.  I keep thinking how I 'need' to rearrange things here to make them work... but I know I can't do it when hubby is home cause he drives me nuts.  I need to move my exercise equipment around cause in another month I will be putting up my Christmas trees.  (Last year I had four; this year I have six). I love Christmas. :-)  I need to move things around to fit everything.

Ms. Diane has been moved to a group home. She doesn't know where, but I think I have figured it out. Her daughter has yet to text me where they have moved her.  I don't get her kids. When they see me, they always say how appreciative they are that I check in on Ms. Diane - but then they don't tell me where they move her!   I'll text her daughter later today and confirm where I think she is - and it isn't far from us.  They have weird visiting hours.  Ms. Diane said no evening visits; only during the day.  I need to check that out as nothing was on that website, if I had the right place.  There are ten other people (or a total of ten) in the group home.  It's across from the hospital so I'm not sure what stages these people are.  But I will go see her this weekend, if I can confirm where she is - or I may just go down and see for myself.

And with that - I need to jump off here and start getting ready for Needles of Hope.  It will be good to be out with some women friends and my thoughts on other things.  Hope that you hang out with people you enjoy being with today.

Blessings!

Vacation... it's finally here

 Actually, one could say that 'vacation started last Saturday because that is a day off work, as is Sunday, but for me vacation is not having the work the workday - which is today.  It will be a busy day of sorts.  I have my doctor appointment / physical at 8:40AM  (at least it is early) and then will come back home to pack the rest of my things.  We don't need to leave until around 11-12... and will stop on the way for lunch, I'm sure.  We can 'check in' at 3PM and plan to stop and pick up a bucket of spaghetti as we go through the town before.

Yep, I said a bucket of spaghetti.  There is a place down from the grocery I found when on Jailbreak this year as we were in the area we are going to today.  Actually, friends told me about it.  It's a 'store' that only sells spaghetti in a bucket.  They have a paper bucket (similar to KFC buckets) and they are in different sizes.  One size is for 4-6 people, and another larger size for others.  You can buy with meatballs (I think they charge by the large meatball - can you believe that?) or without.  I told hubby we could stop there as it is just down the row from the grocery store and pick up spaghetti for dinner tonight  (and probably dinner or lunch tomorrow too). Oh, they also give garlic bread with it.  When we girls got it - it was really good, and I think spaghetti is hubby's favorite meal so he will be in a much better mood and a happy camper.  

Ms. Amy and the daughter next door have decided to move her in 60 days to an assisted living in Ft. Myers, which will be closer to the three daughters.  They plan for the duplex to set empty for several months; asked if we could pick up their mail - mainly junk since all the bills are automatically deducted from her checking account.  I never made it to the assisted living location here... the daughter 'didn't feel like going' on Saturday, and yesterday she decided to go while we were at church versus waiting for me.  I find this out at 3PM when I called to see when she was going; we had agreed on 1:30PM.  Oh well. I called Ms. Amy and will try to call her periodically.  She is a sweetheart.  She is out here alone since her husband died.  It will be good for her to be with her daughters.  Her son, ironically, lives in Indianapolis. 

The message at church yesterday was really good.  Based on Philippians 4:19, Pastor Pat 'preached it'.  What is Philippians 4:19?

Philippians 4:19 (NKJV):  "And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

The title of the message was "God will provide".  But the summary of the entire message can be found in the acronym 'SURE'.

S = Supernaturally.   God will provide for you supernaturally.  It may be an unexpected gift of monies that are needed for a critical need.  It may be a bag of groceries when you are out of food.  It may be your car makes it to a certain location - only your find out it shouldn't have.  Reminds me of my bestest friend Bertie.  She and her hubby were driving to Kalamazoo from PawPaw for an MS rally or something (she had MS)... and the van started acting funny, but they kept driving.  When they got there, David, her husband, stopped at a station for them to look at it.  They had a tire that all the bolts had either broken or fallen off... nothing was holding the tire in place.  And another tire had only one bolt left on it.  Yeah... God provided for them supernaturally.

U = Unexpectedly.  I can remember one Christmas when hubby wasn't working and it was just the two of us left at home, but we were broke.  No money to pay the bills, let alone do much for Christmas for the family.  It was a very painful time for me, and I was constantly praying for God's intervention and for His help.  Christmas morning, before the kids came over, hubby went out front to check on something, and found two grocery sacks sitting on the porch next to the door.  Puzzled, he brought them in.  They weren't full of groceries, but gifts for hubby and I.  I remember I got a nice white sweater.  Hubby probably got a sweater too, and there were a few other gifts for us in there as well.  No name as to who it was from.  But someone knew we weren't having much of a Christmas that year.   God provided and blessed us unexpectedly.  

R = Religiously.  It will always come back to God.  There is a story about a woman who was out of groceries and prayed very loudly every day that God would provide groceries for her.  Every day.  Next door to her lived a person who did not love God and didn't believe in Him.  Every day he listened to this woman loudly praying that God would provide food for her.  The man had a plan.  He went and bought a couple bags of groceries and put them on the porch, rang the doorbell, then hid and waited to see what the woman would do.  She came out and saw the groceries and started praising God for providing for her needs.  The neighbor jumps out from behind the bushes and goes 'Aha!  See!  Your God didn't provide for you - I did!  I bought those groceries!"   And the woman started dancing around and praising God louder and louder and saying that God did provide for her, and He used the devil's money to pay for it!

E - Exponentially.  That means it will keep increasing.  When God provides for you, it isn't always just one time, He continues to provide for you in all things in all ways, when you give Him the glory for providing.  It doesn't matter who or what provides the need physically, it is God working through them to provide it.

Our God is a good, good Father.  He always provides for our needs, and oftentimes gives us what we want as well.  

Sit back and think of some times when God has stepped in and helped you.  Or someone you love.  Perhaps you never asked God for help; but someone else did.  Or perhaps God just saw your need and provided.  Did you stop to thank Him?  It may be 20 years or more ago, but if it has come to your mind as you sit there, then I suggest you pause and just say 'Thank You, Lord, for providing for our need when you....".

God is good, all the time.  And all the time, God is good.

Blessings!