Two down, One to go!

 We had such an enjoyable day yesterday with the oldest son and his family.  We missed getting to see one grandson who wasn't feeling well, but we did see him at Thanksgiving.  Another grandson was so tired after working 16 hours - and he mentioned to me separately that he actually hadn't slept in nearly 24 hours, I think he said.  He was exhausted, but I am so glad he came.  I think it all went well - even with lunchmeat sandwiches!  I got to spend extra time with our great-granddaughter as 'Memaw' and 'Oma' sat with her at another table while we had lunch together.  Seeing our granddaughter was exciting too - and knowing that next month we will have another great-granddaughter!  I love how she loves on me and shows me loves.  She is amazing.

I had a great Christmas - again - and I think hubby did as well.  My son and DIL surprised me with a very large bag - and I'm thinking it is only one gift and held  off to the end to unwrap it.  Was I ever surprised when I pulled the tissue paper back and found several packages wrapped INSIDE the big bag!  It was so fun unwrapping each one - and knowing I can put each one to use!  My granddaughter and her family gave me little diamond art projects that I can do when I just have a little time available.  I love it!  And gorgeous stationary!  I do need to write more letters.  The first one, when I get new stationary from her, is to write her the first note.  Hmmm, one letter a year (sometimes) from me, maybe that is why I get new stationary?  

I was able to give to one of the grandsons some of the 'overflow' of Christmas gifts I had purchased.  He needed a new hoodie and I had several!  Was able to pass on a hoodie, a flannel shirt, plus a couple t-shirts for him for work.  Had a nice sweater too that he thought might fit.  Maybe that is why I overbought?  So that I could help supply a need? Grateful to God I did.  Yes, he could buy them on his own, but I had them, so he didn't need to.  Thankful, and grateful I could.  

We have one more Christmas to go and that is Monday around 2PM.  We already got our gifts from this son and I don't know why - but as he had already brought his gifts over, hubby opened them Christmas morning, along with ours.   I think they had just gotten put under the wrong tree and hubby wasn't thinking.  I had already gotten my red slippers.  As hubby opened two gifts from this son, and I had no more, I am thinking one was mine - but it's not a big deal. I looked for the paper to see, but he had already wadded it up.  One was a book - a devotional, I think, and I forget what the other thing was.  I have my slippers, so I'm good.  Oh yeah, hubby got the t-shirt.  So I'm thinking the devotional should have been mine - but that's ok.

I'm speaking today at the RV park and the first thing I did was go through the message this morning and made some changes.  One paragraph just didn't seem to fit so I marked it out. I think I have it down enough now.  We will also do communion this Sunday so I need to remember to take my Bible with me so that I can read the passage.  I picked up a book to read, as I had a little more time in here - and I remembered I hadn't written in here yet.  Wow. Usually I am thinking right away about what I could write about - and this morning I nearly forgot to even write!  Ot type, rather.  Maybe that's a sign that it is time to wind this down.  But then, what would my son read every morning as he wakes up? LOL

We will probably go on over the SA church with our friends after church at the RV park - depending on time.  Then lunch, possibly.  I'm sure this afternoon will be naptime (hubby has already told me as he brought my coffee in that he didn't sleep well, that he was awake since 2AM).  I finished a crochet project last night so now want to get back on the baby quilts I'm making for two great-granddaughters coming in 2025.  The crochet project was for me.  A great-granddaughter gave me to colorful skeins of yarn for Christmas - I had to make something of them and send a photo so that she could see I used them. It is big enough to be a cover for my legs when I'm on the couch; it seems I'm always cool or cold - depending on how high hubby has the fan on. 

Speaking of hubby, he was acting strange at times yesterday.  I had two crockpots going (one with soup, one with cherry cobbler) and the ceiling fan was on in the exercise room - and for some odd reason, he commented he was afraid I'd blow a circuit.  We have often had both fans going, the oven, stove and a crockpot or two without any problems - but yesterday, he voiced he hoped I didn't blow a circuit with just the two crockpots and a fan.  Sigh.  

John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

That is one of the scriptures I am referring to this morning in the message.  The message is about love. We just celebrated Christmas and it is the love of a Heavenly Father who sent His one and only Son to earth to be born of a virgin, and live a life that ended with His body crucified on a wooden cross.... so that we could live.  And why did God do that?  We can come up with many reasons - to reconcile us back to Him; to turn our lives around and know that He alone is God; to... well, you can fill in the blanks.  But I tell you, God did it all because of LOVE.  

God loves you so very much that He allowed His one and only Son to be your  (and my) sacrifice for our sins.  Our sins are many, whether we acknowledge them or not.   We all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  Jesus is our sacrifice for all time.  We don't have to butcher cattle or sheep.  All we need to do is confess our sins and He will forgive us.  Is there something you need to confess this morning? 

Sometimes you just need to sit down and get honest with God.  He will reveal what you need to confess to Him.  Why not take a moment this morning and just sit in His Presence and wait upon Him. Listen for His still voice.  Talk with Him. He's waiting, and listening for you.

Blessings!

.

I made the rounds....

 I was able to get out of the house for a little bit yesterday and made the 'rounds' of dropping off some potato salad and potato soup to a couple of my children.  I was disappointed... yes, I'm just going to say it... to find out that when I made my first stop.... that when I said I was 'on my way over'.... my child LEFT the house!  He let something else be more important than seeing his mother!   But his beautiful wife and youngest son did visit with me some, although I don't recall if the youngest even spoke words... I think he was woken up.... He is the quietest of all his family and sleeps the hardest, I think!  :-)  

After making the 'rounds', I came back home and went over to see Ms. Vicki for a few minutes, then came back home.  Didn't stay and visit long.  I was going to see Ms. Diane, but her daughter was already there and she doesn't need a 'visitor' if someone is already there, so didn't go.  Will see if she is alone after we get out of church today.

Yep - heading to our own church this morning - and they have changed the time to 10AM versus 9AM so we won't be first in line at the restaurants anymore. LOL I think hubby really liked that part. :-)  He does love his food.  he wanted to go out to breakfast yesterday - I suggested we go to Einstein's for something different and he was ok with that.  So we went... and got what was called the 'Farmhouse' sandwich.  It is one egg, ham, and cheese and is usually served wrapped in hash browns but we opted for a bagel instead. It really was good... coffee was even better.  I mixed the dark dark coffee with the vanilla hazelnut and it had a rich flavor. So good, but I couldn't even get through the small cup I had!  I already had 12 ounces at home.  Plus we had orange juice.  Still all that came to $26..... which hubby did comment was still less than what we would have bought at a restaurant.  Breakfasts are not my favorite meals... I can handle only so many eggs...  but can eat them too.... they can get boring unless you 'shake them up' in different things.  I should stop here and go fix hubby breakfast... but... my head is hurting again this morning so may take my time...maybe he will eat cereal. ;-)   Or, If I will get my butt moving and get dressed for church, maybe just go and have a bagel and a good cup of coffee before church...... 

I had a really strange dream last night and I'm not going to go in to it... I have no idea where it could have come from...  but was awakened from it with my alarm going off this morning.  I hate it when a good dream is ruined by the alarm, don't you?  I don't remember much about the dream either, so can't really write it down to ponder what it was about.... I just remember I was happy.  So I'm guessing it was a good dream.

I Peter 5:5-11 (NKJV):  "Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.  Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, cashing all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Did you catch that?  Submit to God, Resist the devil.  The ole devil will do all he can to make the world attractive to you.   He will make things look brighter, look better.  But in the end, they really aren't.  When you follow the devil,, you may think things are looking good... but the devil is like a roaring lion wanting to devour you with the things he entices you with.

But God.  He only wants the best for you.  If you are a Jesus-Follower, and obey Him, you will have troubles, that is a given, but when you get past those troubles, you will be perfected and established, and strengthened in His might.  So put on the Armor of God and keep your mind and body focused on the only One who can keep you.

Jesus is the only answer.  Jesus is the only way.

Blessings!

Relationships are more important ....

 Yes, I know what today is.  I have never forgotten.  And it's also Sheeba's 3rd birthday.  I miss her so much, but it is the best thing for her that we gave her away.  She gets walked every morning, she gets lots of love and attention, and she gets to run free in the fenced back yard.  But I miss her.  But I'm also happy for her.  I could go see her, but I don't want to confuse her, so I don't.  It's best this way.  

Sometimes when we don't know what to say in relationships, we stay away.  We don't say anything.  But I did do 'another' snarky comment yesterday to my male boss.  My favorite boss, a female, checked on me Friday (after the oral surgery on Thursday) via text.  Just a "how are you doing?".  She text'd me again on Sunday with the same question.  I felt loved and cared for.  Not just because she is my boss, and a close friend, but because she cared enough to inquire.  Unlike my male boss.  He didn't say anything to me Wednesday before I took off work.  Nothing from him at all until yesterday afternoon, when I finally sent him a note on Teams, asking him questions about a meeting he wanted me to make.

He had already sent me 7-8 meetings to schedule while I was off work - and I was struggling to get all the leadership in the one he was wanting... so I sent him a Teams message.  And then, when I finished getting the information I needed, I responded back, in all capital letters, "BY THE WAY, I AM DOING VERY WELL, THANK YOU."  He responded back something about did I drool a lot after the visit to the dentist.  That didn't set too well, and I informed him again that I had oral surgery, NOT a dentist visit, and no, I didn't drool.  As I thought about our banter back and forth later last night, I have the urge to send him a note that says

"Relationships are more important than work."

You may, or may not, agree with that statement.  This 'new guy' and I have shared many things, personal family things, thoughts,  as we have gotten to know each other since he started as my boss last August.  But for him not to 'wish me well' on Wednesday, and then not even to send me a text or email (he even has my personal email) to touch base on how I was doing.... and I worked all day yesterday (it was nearly 4PM when we had this conversation)..... without hearing one word from him until I contacted him direct re this meeting, is unacceptable.  I teased that he just had to volunteer me to pull the meeting together (after he told me the big boss was wanting the meeting) and he came back with "better you than me"... and then laughed it off with something about "I better shut up after that comment".  Uh yeah!

But that statement has stayed in my mind during the night and as I was thinking about what to write tis morning, it came back to me.  Relationships are more important than work.  And I'm not just talking about work relationships, although that is where that statement was derived from.  A good working relationship is vital to a positive and creative environment.  You know where you stand.  You know what is expected.  There is freedom in expressing yourself because you know how it will be taken.  Without that relationship build-up, it's "just a job".  In the role that I have as an executive assistant, I have to be personable and friendly.  I deal with way too many people who aren't.  It's easier to send a note back that says "happy to help" and then do it, than it does to ignore the request as it was.

Relationships in family are also important.  I admit, I was happy that all three of my children inquired about me over the weekend.  I didn't ask them to, but I was grateful they did.  Even if it was unintentional as they had other things they wanted to discuss (in some cases), they did stop to ask.  Well, I think all three did... one may not have.... but irrelevant.  They touched base all the same weekend - and it felt good.  Regardless of the reasons they had.

I've tried very hard over the years not to hang over my children's lives as they married and moved on with their lives.  Some of that is to my detriment, I am afraid.  I'm sure their spouses appreciated the fact I wasn't calling all the time.  But I also got left out of a lot of things because I feel we lost what I had hoped we had - that relationship of closeness.   I want to always be there for my children.... in prayer I can be there.  And that is how I stay close.  There are some people that if their child doesn't call them every few days, they are on the phone to them!  I never wanted to be that person.  I want my children to know I'm here... whether it is personally, or I'm touching their lives in prayer.

Proverbs 18:4 (NKJV) "A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than brother."

We can have many friends (relationships) in our lives, but our very best Friend, who will never leave us nor forsake us, is Jesus.  He is the ONLY One in whom we can depend to stick with us through good times and bad.  Through the times that we do things our way.  Through the times we fall on our faces.  Through the good times in life when things are going so well.....we even forget about Him.  

But Jesus is always there.  

Right beside us.

Waiting.

For me, for you.

He's the best Friend ever.

Jesus.