Father's Day...

Hi. Happy Father's Day to all.

I was reading a friends blog and he reminded me about who else to concentrate my "Happy Father's Day" too....God. Our Heavenly Father does deserve a "shout out" of Happy, Happy Father's day to the God. He created me! Thank you. You deserve so much more from me then a "shout out". As my friend said...i need to be in prayer and praise mode to Him today and always. (he said something along that line, if you are reading this John...i am poorly paraphrasing you!but you are smiling!!)

But I have thought alot about God and appreciating the "moments" (even the oops moments) lately. I have a friend (jacki) who has cancer. She is amazing woman/friend. She has witnessed to me so much this week. I have been blessed to sit with her and pray with her and hold her hand. wow. there are no "oops" in Jacki's life right now. She is focusing on God, her Heavenly Father, the Great Physician, the Great Healer. She is quoting scripture and holding tight to it through these uncertain times. She has such a beautiful smile. We laughed. We prayed. We chatted. She talked. It was all precious.

Visiting with Jacki has really brought me to the realization of "time". We talked about how today is a gift. We are never promised tomorrow. She is not bitter. She is very focused on God and His word. It is because of Jacki this day and lately...that i feel blessed to vaccum my house, dry my hair, float in my pool, watch my girls, laugh with my husband and much more. I look at things through Jacki Eyes...grateful. appreciative. thankful. blessed. awed by my Heavenly Father.

thank you Jacki for waking me up. giving me a reality check. But i will still mess up, but Jacki is thankful for God's grace.(and so am i!)

So pray for Jacki. And be thankful for the moments and the "oops" moments in your lives. Say "happy Father's Day" to our Heavenly Father. Shout out a "PRAISE" to Him. (thanks John for your blog blutness).

Here is to our earthly father's who are now with our Heavenly Father....Happy Father's day- Dad. (July 27,1993) and Happy Father's Day - Chip (brian's dad) 2/28/09. I know you are well....it is well with your souls. (but we still miss you!)

oops

my life is sometimes full of "oops" moments. Do you have those? these are my "oops" moments lately.

• not keeping up with my blog..oops
• not keeping up with my reading the bible through the year...oops
• not being more patient with my girls...ooops.
• not getting as much done in my day that i would like...oops
• eating the wrong things...oops
• biking has been cut back...it is too hot...oops
• trying to think of more oops moments...oops.

so whatever your "oops" moments may be know to God they are not "oops" they are learning times with Him. He is calling my name...trying to get my attention...getting me to slow down...capture the moment. Be okay about the "oops" (but recovery is important).

I have to go get my hair cut and cover the gray...or that would be an "oops" moment we DON'T want to deal with!

I am glad when i sit and type my blog. I truly think that God has giving me a gift that needs to be explored or used more...writing (just like my friend Dawn). I love to write. I am positive i am not a "great use of english rules and language" writer...but i am fun and try to write from my heart! Try to minister through words.

So have a "oops" free day and more importantly a JOY-FILLED day!

setting sail...so a good bye and a prayer request

Good day blog world.
Wanted to ask for your prayers for a sweet family from church. We love, love Jackie and this week they found she had brain cancer...blah. So would you pray for her and her family Mike (husband) and son Jonathan. They started intensive radiation yesterday ( 5days for 3 wks). Pray for God's strength, peace, wisdom, will, and thank Him for being with Jackie and family right now. Thank you that she wants to witness to others through this! she is amazing. Thank you. It just seems when you hear about something like this..nothing else matters. You are just thinking positive she will be a survivor. God is in control. God is bigger than cancer. So thank you for praying!

I will be out of town (as you know) so no blog for the next week. see you and keep praying for our friends.

thunder, lightning, oh my

hey there.
I am sitting at my kitchen table. There is a very dark cloud over our pool cage...thunder in the back ground...ahh, my favorite weather. A good thunderstorm!

I fall to sleep at night with the "thunderstorm" music on my iPod. I find it very soothing. I have written about my obession over storms...so no more.

I recently got "reunited" with a special friend, Amy R. She now gives her life on the mission field in Ghana with her husband Terry. Ahhh, the Ruff family, truly God's servants! God bless you both! Molly wants to come to see you all!

Megan is busy filling out teaching applications. Brian is at work. Molly is at Busch Gardens with girlfriends. And i have been "peeking" at blogs. Such cute ones out there and their homes are amazing. It makes me want to go and be "crafty" in my craft room. hmmm...well maybe, tomorrow.

It is Memorial Day...thanks to all those who have served, are serving, and will be serving! amazing servants!

Brian and I went to a dollar flic (actually costs 2.00) last night called "The Knowing". Jeeper, creepers...i was "creeped" out! I kept putting my feet up off the ground. It was good just creepy. There was a "spiritual" side to it...if you choose to go that direction. Which we did.

We are cruising soon. Yes, Brian has decided to sweep me off my feet and take me away for more than "calgon" nights. He is taking me on a 5 day cruise. It is leaving out of Tampa (close!) and it is only stopping at Grand Cayman (2 nights). So that should be fun. I am trying not to focus on the fact he did not give me a chance to lose 20lbs before i leave. And just focus on the fact he wants to take me away. So God bless this time. Brian said he is very "tired" and needs to get away and just R&R (rest and read). So we leave a week from today...yikes...but I tell myself NOT to go there!

So please every once in awhile "comment" so i know i have someone reading this. That is probably very selfish of me...or pitiful!

So I am going to go into my craft room and clean out the cedar chest my parents gave me. See if I can put it to better use. Is there such a thing as "summer" cleaning, since I obviously missed "spring" cleaning.

So have a great God filled day...look for the blessings He has for you. Are we not just blessed to BE HERE! To KNOW HIM. To live where we can WORSHIP freely. Wow! I am awed at the thought of how Awesome God is...but am such a small being that i do not think i can truly fathom just how AWESOME OUR GOD IS!

My life is not "real simple" right now...

Hellllllooooo out there in blog world.

I don't even know if i even have followers right now. If so...thanks. I have been deliquient (sp) due to graduation and just recently "soon to be graduate from H.S." stuff.

Yes, we made it through Megan's open house. (thanks John for coming!) It was fun. It was alot of clean up and leftover carrots! (and cake!) Actually the two compliment each other...you eat a healthy carrot and then a bite of cake! evens things out, so to speak! ha! Not really. the cake is still in the neighbors fridge...(they come this Sunday). I need to throw it away. But the good thing is no one is eating it! yeah! Maybe that is the "new diet" keep your "yummy food" in the neighbors fridge and NEVER go over to get it! Yeah for me!

Molly had her "promotion day" last friday. So she is an OFFICIAL SENIOR! oh my...can i not have a small rest from the college graduate! now my other "baby" is graduating! I know in a year. But going to all these open houses. The "new" senior moms begin to talk about next year's open houses! Wow, I haven't even put this years stuff away!

Molly did really good this year. finished the year with a 3.87....yeah! And got High Honor Roll and a Honor certificate from English. ahhh. The graduation ceremony where molly goes to school is really neat. The senior pass the torch (candle) to the new seniors and pray over them. ahhh.

So today is Monday. I went and swam at the Y but only got 13 laps in before a clash of thunder...bummer. Made list for the girls...things to do list. They would rather have a list then me constantly reminding them. So "list day monday" is done. I make myself a summer list "to do", too. Some summer i will actually complete it! ha! It is always the dumb blinds that get ignored. they are so hard to clean...any suggestions? micro fibers? windex? dust first? wet clean next? let me know.

So what are your plans for the summer? We will be here. Stacation ville. I do not mind it. I like my bed. I like my pool. I like the freedom to roam in my jammies. So i am content.

It is raining. My favorite. Wish i had the time to crawl in a chair and read a book. Catch up on my "bible through the year" reading. I was on a roll, so to speak, but then fell off. But i will get there.

What is your favorite weather? Mine thunderstorms! We Floridians really need this rain, so i am not complaining.

Well, I hope you have a chipper Monday and get your "to do" list complete.

no A/C has slowed this blogger down...

hi...
no a/c since Saturday can make a mess of your life. But I keep thinking of Laura Ingalls and how they lived then. They baked in the heat. They wore long dresses in the heat. They worked the fields in the heat. Who am I to complain. It is only my a/c. I have an acquaintance who is deciding on chemo treatments. Me, only who puts in the new unit. So really in perspective I am really not "down" I am just having to work around an inconvenience.

We did go with a Christian a/c company and they attend our church. Now comes my most important job to show Christ love to them as they work in my hot garage and hot surrounding areas! May I be an good example of cheerfulness, show hospitality and gentleness to them. May I be Jesus with skin on!

So I am going to attempt to make the "monogram" cookies for Megan's open house today. It will be alittle warm, but my mom will be here (in spirit) as I make her famous sugar cookies. I am decorating as that does not make the house hot. I am just rearranging my order of "things to do". I may have to cook more tomorrow. Who knows?

Hope this finds you all well. I look out my window at our pool and would love to jump in but that comes this weekend after the party and on Mother's Day!

By the way Happy Mother's Day to you all!

MEGAN GRADUATES!

God is faithful and true to His promises, as I was able to be reminded today at Megan's graduation. I swallowed many lumps in my throat and just teared up. (I am thinking there are some tears in me waiting to be put in a jar by Jesus). I was soo very proud of her and watching her walk in and up the stage and down and back to her seat and out....was all TOO QUICK! I wanted to stay "HOLD IT" and let me take it all in. I wanted to replay the day over and over again. I wanted to tell others to have a "designated" photographer so you can just "watch and absorb" the moment. I keep replaying the day in my head. I just think it went to fast. But I will be better tomorrow.

My stepdad, Merlin, came. It was good that he was there...the only thing better would have been to see my mom sitting in the front seat. I still visualize her there. And getting out and calling me her "bitsy betsy". But Megs carried a purse that was my mom's (i didn't know) and Merlin recognized it. Ahh, she was there. Megs friend Amanda came too. And my friend Lois and her daughter Michelle. Wow that was some special (and very patient) friends to sit through it all.

No handshaking due to the swine flu...don't get it. Some of the Deans of the specific schools shook hands, but NOT THE DEAN OF EDUCATION. Get over it! my goodness. There was a table of Purell, kleenex and wipes before the graduates came on stage. The President of the University did not shake hands, just a group photo moment with each graduate.

There were two mom's there who accepted diplomas for their children who had died before the graduation. Okay...I HAVE NOTHING to complain about. I may have dark photos but they have nothing but memories. It is all to sad. To puts things in perspective, to say the least. They cried. I teared up just knowing!

Anyway...it is time to wrap up the day...and all I have to say to Megan is "I am proud of you, graduate." "Very, proud."

God is faithful and true to His promises. What promises has He given you?

Well,enjoy your day.....and savor the day!