Monday, February 25, 2008

Prayer

Thanks go out to all of you who were praying for my last post on mother's and daughters. Thanks to our awsome God the daughter did not marry said young man. Through some wise counsleling from our pastor, they have deceided to wait till summer. Mother and father are very relieved. (friends of the family are praying this young man will find another love and break off this relationship) Only God can work this out, and he will let this young lady make up her own mind. We keep trying to protect her but she dosen't want protection, she is in "love".

Monday, February 18, 2008

Mothers and Daughters

I have a friend who's daughter is riping her heart out. This daughter was given an engament ring last christmas 2006. My friend and her husband had a talk with said young man who gave said daughter the ring and explained to him that daughter and young man could marry after she finished school this summer. He enlisted in the Navy after graduation in 2006. Well it seems like he has convinced said young lady that he is so in "LOVE"(lust) with her he can't wait till summer. He has been on a ship for the last 6 months. They have to get married this week. He has explained every thing to her how he has worked it out. She can live at home till June then when he gets relocation orders they will move. He will finish making her car payment and pay the insurance. He wasen't paying attention to her parents when they explained to him that if she got married before she finished school this summer, she had to move out. No car, no phone, no place to live. She can't live with him, because he is stationed on the ship in Jacksonville.

I can't fathom where this young ladies mind is at. Well I can!! She has the Cinderella sydrome bad. She is ready to play house. I am going to give away my age here do any of you remember the song by Tammy Wynette "I just wanna play house"? A young mothers struggle with children and responsibilites. Life looked good from the outside now that she is there life dosen't look as good.

I really think this young lady is in for the hurt of her life. She can't see "the forest for the trees'" right now and she is convinced every one is trying to tend to her business. If she would only look and see that with age comes wisdom, and she has no age or wisdom, just raging horomones. We are only trying to get her to see past the physical of this marriage into the reality of what she can expect.

My prayer is for her and her mother today, that God will intervene and stop this wedding this week. I don't care that the child notice I said child, wants to marry this guy just wait and finish her education so she will be able to provide a living for herself when he moves her away from her family and friends. I know that when sailors are stationed on ships they go TDY for 6 months, that is a long time for someone with no family and no friends. Life can be miserable durning that time.

Monday, February 11, 2008

My Love

How do I love you , let me count the ways. Remember that old line. Can you count the ways that you love your spouse? I must admit I have forgotten some of the ways lately. We have been together for 30 years this Valentines Day. We will be married just 28 years this June. Yes we have gotten a little stagnant in our relationship. We have gotten to the point of taking each other for granted. We just assume what the other person wants, we don't always ask maybe because we really don't want to know?

I decided it was time to reread the "love chapter in the bible. You know the one I'm talking about right............Song of Songs. How lovely to read God's word about my lover. To meditate on the words then apply them to my love and life.

I have found renewed joy in my husband, such a treasure is mine. God provided me with a soul mate and I am to be his help mate. Song of Songs 6:3 " I am my lover's and my lover is mine; he browses among the lilies." I am his and he is mine, no one elses. God placed us together for a purpose.

Let me count the ways, you are our example of a christian father. You have extablished a christian home for us. You work a tough job to provide for us, you love me inspite of all my faults. You practice Colossians living. I see many wisdoms listed in Proverbs that you pracice. You teach our children by example, as you try to lead a life pleasing to God. Oh my love the ways you love me are countless.

I shall practice 1Corinthains 7;4&5. 4 The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. 5 Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

Today and for the rest of our days together I will count the ways I love my husband. I will honor him, respect him, bless him, and pray for him. Thank you father for the manual and the opportunity to keep practicing till I get it right. And each time I forget I can refer back to the manual for a refresher course.
Trash Can Monsters, does anyone out there have one besides me? They must exist because why would grown men, teen and pre-teen boys be afraid to take out the trash. I don't think they are visible to the female eye, or you have to have a special looking glass to see them. They tremble and run with fear at the thought of removing the over running trash bag and taking it to the canister at the edge of the street. What gives? I can pull the bag out no problem, nothing attacks me, I can take it to the canister at the edge of the street I'm still fine ( except for the night I took it out because the next day was trash pick up and the neighbors dog decided to greet me. The neighbors like to have lost a dog.) If they do remove the overflowing bag and I do mean overflowing it must be in the middle of the day with bright sunlight and no chance of clouds. Example of overflowing trash bag: place trash in can use size 10 foot to move trash to bottom of bin. Place more trash in bin use same size 10 foot to move trash to bottom of bin. When can becomes full you would think a man with a college degree and a son with a GPA of 97 could figure out that NO MORE will go in said can. Nope. Now we strategically place trash around edge of trash (we have a bin instead of a can) bin. I tried an experiment to see how long before they would remove said bag. They didn't they just got another bag and started filling it up. I love my strong handsome men, but since they are trash wimps I will take out the trash. Maybe they can clean the toilets?

Friday, February 8, 2008

Valentines Day

What ya'll getting for Valentines Day. Wanna know what I'm gettin a new used van. You see the one I drive has 199497 miles on it. It only has 3 gears left reverse, 2nd and low. What says I love you more that transportation. My husband is so romantic I can count on car parts for birthdays and anniveries, I got a starter for Christmas one year. Now don't get me wrong I get lots of things I want, last year I got the new cannon digital camera I wanted for my birthday. I found it on e-bay and won it. My birthday is in May and I won the camera in March. Then I found the DVD camcorder like I wanted, this time I bid on 3. Yes you read me right 3. Seems that if you really want something if you bid on mulitples you have a better chance of winning the one you want. Oh how lucky was I. I almost chocked when I got the email that said I was the winning bidder of all 3. How was I gonna explain that to my husband. Well he was very understanding, I sold one to a gentleman that I work with who was leaving the next week to go to Alaska to see his son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren. Couldn't seem to get rid of the other one, so I put it up saved it for my oldest daughter for her Christmas. So I do get good stuff I just have to buy it myself.


I was trying to deceide what to get my crew for Valentines Day. I got my husband one of those cards that plays music how cool is that. I also found cards for the girls that say exactly what I think about each one of them. I found one for my son that is just like him. Still I haden't deceided what to give each one of them. I went to Beau's room the other day to put something up and saw his little Precious Memoments bible laying on his dresser. It dawned on me that my child of 16 did not have a "grown up bible", no wonder he dosent' carry one to church. When did I miss that? Duh!!!!!!! Any way while I was at the Christian Book store I found him a teen bible, so that is what he is getting, what a better gift to give on Valentines Day the day of "love" than the book of love.

We saw a beautiful silver filagree heart in a sales flyer that came the other day that I think James and I might get for the girls. It was so delicate and beautiful like both of them.

Hope every one of you enjoys your Valentines Day. I know I will because the one who loves me the most loves me the most always.
( If the spelling is bad blame it on the spell check on this program it dosen't seem to want to work)

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Band-aids

Today was a tought day for a friend of my son."R"is one of my unbirthed children. He has a mom and dad it is that he is at my house more than his. They started baseball tryouts yesterday and "R" got cut. "R" dosen't play any other sport just baseball. My son on the other hand plays football, runs cross country, wrestles, and we hope makes the baseball team. He hasen't been able to try out yet because he hasen't finished wrestling season.

I am one of those people who try to fix things, I know life isn't fair and I do not agree with that. I want life to be fair. I want every child to be given a chance to make the team. If you have to many kids make another team is my way of thinking. You see my husband and I coached midget league, farm league, and pony league In midget we had the only girl and the 3 youngest kids in the league. We played every kid on the team. They would alternate in one time and play the field one time they played alternate innings and we batted the whole team. We came in 3rd in the league. We would have won the league that year but lost the championship game on a triple play.

You see I was not athletic in school I did not find my ability until I was in my early 20's. Guess I was a late bloomer. I have three children and my youngest daughter(she is the middle child but don't tell her that) is not athletic yet either. She is a life guard at the Y and is a very good one but don't ask her to walk and chew gum at the same time. She could suffer serious injury.

When I found out "R" got cut my mother instinct took over, I wanted to pull out the Band-aids and make the "boo-boo better. There was nothing Icould say to a 15 year old to make the pain go away. Do I think he is as good as the ones that were left today....yes...but I'm not the coach. I can quote scripture to him and "tell him that all thing work for good according to Gods plan", will that make him feel any better today. No. Does it make me hurt any less for him today. No. Do they make Band-aids for the heart? No. If they did the person that invented them would never have to work again.

Will this leave a lasting scar on "R", maybe not but you never know. Young lives are so fragile and hearts are so tender. Will I be there to help him through this you betcha I will. Maybe I will even encourage him to look at other sports: tennis, golf,track,(naw he don't run so fast, I can beat him). We'll pick up the shatter pieces of his heart and prove to him that life will go on.

Monday, February 4, 2008

Take The Pressure off Valentines Day

WindowsTake the Pressure Off this Valentine's Day
Whitney Von Lake Hopler
Gazing at bright orange and pink colors streaking across a deepening blue sky at sunset, my husband and I held hands atop a platform on the Eiffel Tower. I thought of the thousands of miles we'd traveled and all the money we'd saved to make this trip to Paris for our 10th wedding anniversary. We'd set the stage for the most romantic evening possible ... yet we still ended up with a disappointing experience
The reason my husband held my hand wasn't pure affection; it was because he was trying to steady me on my feet as I wobbled precariously close to fainting. Standing in the middle of a huge crowd for several hours waiting in line to board a tiny elevator wasn't so good for a pregnant woman like me. I felt lightheaded (probably from a lack of food and water, which we'd neglected to bring with us since we thought the wait to reach the top of the tower wouldn't be long), but there was no space to sit down since people were packed tightly around us. Our 7-year-old daughter whined again, "If we can't go up, can we just go down?" and we had to tell her yet again that the wait for the descending elevator was just as long.
Yes, we were on the Eiffel Tower -- the place of our dreams. But we were trapped and miserable.
It didn't help when storm clouds moved in and unleashed a torrent of rain on us, soon after we finally reached the top. When the lightning bolts lashed out, we figured we'd better get down fast, since it's not very wise to stand atop a tall metal tower during a thunderstorm. So, out of desperation, we skipped the long line for the descending elevator and started running down the stairs as fast as we could. My husband and daughter bounded ahead of me, leaving me steaming as I struggled to navigate over the slick steps with my bulging belly. Of course, I was much slower than them, so they soon disappeared from sight and I was on my own.
When I finally arrived at the bottom, I was right in the middle of glowing lights in the City of Light, just as I'd dreamed I someday would be. But suffice it to say that I wasn't exactly feeling romantic. None of the dreaming, planning, saving, traveling, or any other work we'd done to prepare for our big romantic moment at the Eiffel Tower had actually led to experiencing one.
Each Valentine's Day, couples work hard to plan the most romantic celebrations they can imagine. They often spend lots of money (U.S. consumers spent about $16.9 billion on Valentine's Day gifts in 2007, according to the National Retail Federation). But, despite all their efforts, many encounter more disappointment than romance -- just like my husband and I did at the Eiffel Tower.
If you've been married even a short while, you know that even the best laid plans can go awry. So this Valentine's Day, take the pressure off. Instead of breaking the bank to buy the most elaborate experience or expensive gift you can, express your love to your spouse in simple ways. No matter what happens on the big day, you and your spouse can nurture a meaningful connection if you focus on each other instead of on the trappings of romance.
Here are some ideas for celebrating Valentine's Day free of romantic pressure:
Don't limit yourself to tradition. No matter how many ads you see for diamond jewelry or fancy cologne, despite how many boxes of chocolate and bottles of wine you walk past in the stores, nothing says that you have to buy traditional Valentine's Day products to have a romantic holiday. By the same token, there's no reason you can't celebrate a fulfilling holiday without investing in expensive traditional Valentine's Day experiences like eating out and taking trips. Be creative. If you have an idea that doesn't fit the mold of what's traditionally considered romantic, go ahead and pursue it anyway. For example, maybe you and your spouse are looking forward to choosing materials for a home improvement project you plan to work on together. In that case, you both might actually enjoy spending Valentine's Day shopping at hardware store, however unromantic that might seem to others.
Ask instead of assuming. Don't worry about trying to figure out on your own what to get your spouse for Valentine's Day. Rather than just working from your assumptions, ask your spouse what best communicates love to him or her. Although you may think your husband will enjoy eating out at an elegant restaurant, he may actually be hoping that you'll spend a quiet evening at home. You may look forward to surprising your wife with a new silk nightgown, when what she really wants is a handwritten love letter. Before making your Valentine's Day plans, ask your spouse to let you know what specific ways you can make the holiday special for him or her. Be willing to sacrifice what you think would be best for what your spouse would enjoy the most -- even if you don't relate to your spouse's choices. Keep the focus on honoring and blessing your spouse rather than indulging your own desires.
Notice what you already have. Realize that you and your spouse don't have to do something wildly romantic together in order to appreciate each other. Take the time to consider some of the many ways your spouse acts in love toward you every day, and use Valentine's Day to express your appreciation -- both by letting your spouse know that you notice what he or she does for you, and by making a concerted effort to bless your spouse through small yet meaningful acts of affection (such as giving him or her a massage) and service (like taking over one of your spouse's household chores when he or she is especially tired).
Celebrate the greatest love of all. Remember that the greatest love story isn't about you and your spouse, or any other couple, no matter how romantic. Even Saint Valentine served the One who is the source of all love -- Jesus. And the love Jesus has for you and your spouse is greater than even the most exciting romantic thrills you can experience together. So ask your spouse to join you in prayer this Valentine's Day, letting Jesus know how grateful you are for His love in your lives, and loving Him back through your worship. Live Hotmail
bounce-6289632@emailenfuego.net

Raving

Hope each of you can make sence of my earlier post. I think I was just a little hormonal. I saw a mother go off an a child about nothing this weekend. At least it seem like nothing to me and then I compaired it to how I went off on my kids and I guess it was the same.

Family

Family one of the groups we take for granted. No matter what kind of mood we are in we are nice to strangers, but not family. We will jump them in a heartbeat. Let a child leave a dirty towel on the bathroom floor and we go balistic, husband dosen't put his underware in the dirty clothes hamper ( he never has in 28 years of marriage) and we blow up like a puffer fish-run our lips out like a two year old and say nothing is wrong when asked. Why do we do this, human nature? I must of missed that chapter in the manuel of human relations. I need to go back and read it again. We let coworkers take the credit for a project we worked hours, days,and weeks on and get mad at some one at our home for leaving the cap off the toothpaste. How stupid.

Why am I raving so madly today. We all do it. We should love our family undconditionaly, just as Christ loves us. We don't we set guide lines. Ok you follow all the rules today and I will love you. What little idioschyrocies do we have that drive our husbands and children crazy? Our poor children can't say mom the way you fold my socks and underware drives me crazy. They know the wrath they will suffer. My 20 year old whose has always had an opinion of her own explained to me the other day that she did not want her jeans hung up so the would have a crease down the middle at which I explained to her she could fold her own jeans..........

If you have read some of my earlier post you know we lost a 10 year old cousin to lukemia, well yesterday a coworker of mine lost her 19 year old daughter in a horrific car accident. I am very troubled because I do not belive the coworker is saved. She has a very vulgar mouth, I don't see any fruit or works, do not get me wrong I am not judging her just concerned. My point being in this does it matter that my mother tought me to put the creases together and hang up pants and M dosen't like them hung up that way...no!!!!!!!! She could be gone tomorrow and who would care how the pants were hung up. So the towel misses the towel rack and lands on the floor remind them again to try to hit the rack and help mom out just a little bit more. Does getting mad help any thing or any one,no, it certanly dosen't help me only make satan happy. That is the last thing I want to do as a Christian.

So the next time a family member pushes one of you buttons just stop and think is it worth it because this is not the last memory I want to have of them. As I said before I will get up early just to see my children before they leave for school to tell them I love them and I will see them later. I will kiss my husband goodbye as I pick up his dirty underware and carry them to the washer. Life is to short to let satan steal my joy from me with stupid things.