Lunar Eclipse

Awoke at 3:00 a.m.  Looked out the window....clouds!  Everywhere!  No moon to see.  I was disappointed.  Awhile later, I looked again.  Clouds everywhere, solid blanket of clouds.  I was again disappointed.  Frustrated, I looked again.  Clouds everywhere still.   I decided to have a talk with the Lord and tell Him how much I wanted to see the eclipse and how disappointed I was.  About an hour later, getting sleepy now, I decided to take one more look after I turned off the TV.  There it was right outside my bedroom window.  A lunar eclipse on the wane.  It was gorgeous.  No cloud anywhere!  Thank you, Lord.  :)

Music

It's amazing how music can lift my spirit.  God says to wait upon him.  That's what I'm gonna do.  In the meantime, I'll listen to music I like.

Thanksgiving 2010

Yesterday was a busy day.  We dressed, we drove, we visited, we ate, we returned, and went straight to bed!  After I assisted Mama in getting ready for bed, I turned out the light and went to my room to do the same.  Reflecting on the day, I thought about how important family is.  I watched as the grands played - four sweet little boys (Jacob, Connor, Michael, and Kale - in order by age).  And then I realized that there were four generations right there together.  How often does that happen nowadays?  Mama (87) all the way down to Kale (2); 85 years difference. Wow!  Almost a century.  How blessed we are to be in the presence of that.  But looking at the bigger picture, each and every one of those present yesterday have more family connections.  We spread far and wide to locations all over the United States...and beyond. 

Mama's house was filled with the following (in order by age):  Mama (Vivian), Merle, Leo, Palmer, Carol, Me, Janet, Charles, Melanie, Will, Stephanie, Ryan, Joanne, Jacob, Connor, Michael, and Kale.  Well, we just had a great time.  We had a fire in the firepit outside, where we ate, under a large white canopy, filled with white lights and a big star of white lights.  The tablescape was lovely with an expression of a bountiful harvest and the food was all very delicious.  [Fried turkey (Leo), dressing (Carol's veggie), "red" carrot souffle with beets and apples, green beans (Carol), squash cassarole, carrots, brown rice and gravy (Janet), turkey from Honeybaked Ham with dressing (me), and homemade cranberry-orange-walnut relish (me), and several desserts (Carol's pumpkin parfait with deflated whipped cream - LOL! - a cake, and my banana pudding).  Well, it was just good, y'all!]

Thanksgiving is probably my favorite celebration day. One of the reasons is there is no expectation from anyone, just a peaceful, fun time - a time of reuniting and sharing our best - ourselves - a time of reflecting on the importance of family.  I am thankful for my family. Thank you, Lord.

A Message

During the night I awoke at 3:00, unable to go back to sleep quickly, I prayed.  I opened the Bible and read this scripture:   “1. Help, Lord; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men.  2.  They speak vanity every one with his neighbor; with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.  3.  The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things.  4.  Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own; who is lord over us?  5.  For the oppression of the poor, for the sighting of the needy, now will I arise, saith the Lord; I will set him in safety from him who puffeth at him.  6.  The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.  7.  Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation forever.  8.  The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted.”  Psalm 12

I took my Bible and held it against me and prayed.  I asked for Him to protect us, this house, and cleanse it of all evil.  I asked for Him to speak to me.  I prayed for understanding – I said to Him I just don’t understand anything around me.   I prayed earnestly.  I then fell asleep and dreamed this:

I entered a dwelling, for which I had a purpose, a very strong sense of a mission, but not knowing in my finite mind what that mission was, I simply surrendered to it.  I witnessed the suffering of a man, who had thick dark wavy hair and a short beard and mustache.  He was rather slender and he was dark skinned.  He had very dark, almost black eyes.  His demeanor was humble as he had been injured on top of his head and then told it was because of his own stupidity that it happened.  He was bleeding and he didn’t know it.  I then approached him to tell him he was bleeding from his head.  I also told him he didn’t have to accept what he was told about being stupid, and he seemed receptive of my kind words to him.  But then I leaned down next to him and asked him if he knew Jesus Christ?  His expression quickly changed to hard and cold.  He told me that was my belief and his was different.  In that instant I felt very unsafe.  I began to realize that what I was beginning to witness was the religion of Islam.  As I moved through this building, trying to find my way out, I encountered men and women, normal but seemingly with an agenda known only to them.  I had to receive clearance before I could enter into other rooms that were, from my understanding, leading me out and away from this.  Later, it became apparent that I was being watched very closely because of my belief and there was an oppression I was sensing from these people.  They seemed to be instilling fear in me the closer I neared the outside and in each exit, and clearance, there was a reinforcement of that fear.  Before I could leave, I was again given an opportunity to accept their system, a system that I can only liken to more of a mafia style - as long as they accepted what they were told to do and believe, they would live in peace and happiness and they claimed to be a peaceful religion, again, so long as their "way" was accepted - but because I didn’t I would live in fear every where I went and a premature death awaited me but I didn’t know when.  However, I still had some time to cross over to their religion and there would be experiences that would help me decide, yet, if I didn't soon, that death would happen. And then I awoke.

Employed Again

For me, there's nothing quite as fulfilling as working and contributing to the household income.  I just signed up with a local transcription company and am loving it so far.  I'm not making a lot of money, but then again I'm only working part time.  I hope to be an asset to this new company.  The owners are friendly and fun to be around, but mostly I find them approachable and easy to communicate with.  It's always nice to start off on such a good foot.  They're supportive and offer lots of praise and encouragement.  I have positive outlook for this company and am looking forward to a long and successful working relationship. 

No comment!

That's what I see on my blog....0 comments.

Still working on this blogging thing. Every day seems to be lived out with a new idea, but I forget to write about it here. Today, it's about the beauty of living, even in a bad economy.

My brother gave me a birthday present once. It's a book titled "Come to the Table - Food, Fellowship, and a Celebration of God's Bounty." It quotes scripture as a source for its inspiration. For example, "It Is Pleasant for the Eyes to Behold the Sun" is Ecclesiastes 11:7 and the chapter is titled "The First Meal of the Day." 

"Is the first nourishment of your day physical or is it spiritual?" it asks. "Throughout the Bible, morning is imagined in many ways.  In Genesis 3:8 it is the 'cool' of day and in 1 Samuel 9:26 it is the 'dawning.' 

"...imagery has often tethered poets to the Bible....Receive your first meal of the day with gladness.  Recall often the words of the poet Henry David Thoreau:  'Renew thyself completely each day, do it again, and again, and forever again.'" 

"I heard your voice in the garden." is Genesis 3:10.  "Come now, please join us in the garden, your ancestral home!  As you embrace a daily routine of celebration, let your heart become one of a pilgrim, a sacred life traveler.  Be aware, however, that no pilgrimage would be complete without a few unexpected turns.

"Throughout history, in many traditions of faith, the moment of revelation or epiphany has come against a backdrop of the natural world.

"...In both the Old and New Testament, gardens served a myriad of functions.  They were places where food was both grown and eaten....It was in a garden that Jesus surrendered to the will of our Father.  ...We experience the garden not only as a place of magnificent creation and constant renewal, but also as a source of divine resurrection and ultimate redemption."

Well, anyway. It's all about using the resources available to you to improve your surroundings, no matter how small. Try a bouquet of freshly cut foliage and/or flowers from your yard to place on your dinner table, a couple of candles, play some soft music. Enjoy the good life, recognizing the Creator as the source of that.

What are you doing for you?

Alright. I have got to do this now. This blog is about sharing tips and recipes on health, wellness, exercise, weight management, etc. Feel free to leave a comment on what you're doing for yourself. What a great way to connect with others sharing the same struggles.

Wow! Is this Butt Soft or What?!

Wow! Is this Butt Soft or What?!


That’s what I thought as I got out of the bathtub last night with my newest topic.

When I was a little girl (ha!), underneath that big tree Christmas morning was a present for me that has, unfortunately, had a small part in defining who I am. Inside the red and green wrapping was a gadget for me called a Knit Wit.

I learned fairly quickly how to use it and made flower after flower with it, until I became bored and set it aside. During the separation, and unbeknownst to me, my sister picked it up and decided to take it to the next level.  She used it to fashion together a poodle. I wasn’t too pleased though when I found it sitting all alone. Going back to my statement about this present revealing something about who I am, I’m now at a point where I can explain that. I ripped that little poodle to a pile of yarn shreds, thinking she could not outdo me like that. This is MY gadget. How dare her!

Truth is I don’t remember tearing up that poodle, but she said I did and I believe her. It could’ve been one of my brothers. But, either way, it helped to define me.

Ever since then, I cannot and will not be outdone. But no way in hot furnaces could I ever outdo my sister. She is gifted and creative and I gladly take back seat to her.

Back to my title…”Wow! Is this Butt Soft or What?!” It’s what happens when you sit out your life and wait for something good to happen.

William James

William James - American Father of Psychiatry and great western philosopher - once said "Human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives." 

(Picture is borrowed from Wikipedia.)

This month marks the 100th anniversary of his death on August 26, 1910.

First Portrayal

Artistic abilities improve with age. The ability to express oneself through art improves when life has deeper meaning. Prior to that, artistic abilities will be monodimensional (if that's a word) or unidimensional. But what do I know?