'Tis the Season!

As some of you know we have moved! We are now living in a luxurious 900 square foot, 2 bedroom, apartment! This was not really the downsizing I had in mind when Pete and I discussed it...but it is not permanent (I hope!!) We are building, uhhhh, we are waiting on permits to build, but we DO have a blueprint, and our house looks wonderful on paper. But the jump from 2900 sf to 900 sf is a bit of a shock. Luke has only 2 places to hide: under the bed, of course, and of all things, in the bathroom cabinet. We lost him for about 45 minutes before we thought to look under that cabinet (he must have been using his Jedi mind control).

Needless to say, we were very happy to escape to my folks house for Christmas day. We normally go by Theresa and Dan's for breakfast and then on to whatever Christmas activities we have on our list but this year I have a terrible cold and Nate has pneumonia and we didn't want to infect each other. (conversation with Nate: I'm sorry I can't come and see you on Christmas but I have a terrible cold and don't want to share it with you...That's ok Mema, I have pneumonia and I don't want to share it with YOU. I love you Nate. I love you too Mema! *wiping away tears* grandkids are soooo special!) So we took gifts to their house and left them on the front porch and rang the doorbell (Pete did that part) and ran back to the car! (Reminds me of high school....but don't tell my kids.) We also hit Daniel and Victoria's and Dave and Kristi's...Kaleb and Hannah caught us as did Jake, who invited us in for breakfast!) We didn't stay (because of my cold...see above explanation) but headed to Ft. Gibson for Christmas there.

When we got there I had to make my salads that I promised to bring for dinner. I couldn't put them together at the apartment because the kitchen is the size of the rumble seat in an old Volkswagen (see above explanation). Anyway, my dad came through the kitchen at my folks house and said he was going to take a shower...fine...didn't think much of it. Awhile later he came back through all squeaky clean and stopped where I was finishing the salad. "Have a good shower?" "Yep, except I thought my feet were really sticky for awhile." "Why? That's strange." "Yeah, but then I realized I had put the bath mat in upside down and was standing on the suction cup side. Didn't have to worry about falling down that way." Yes, Christmas is always strange at my parents house.

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas! and if you try the bath mat thing like my dad, let me know how it works out!

Blender Braining at Christmas

I love this time of year! The reminder of God coming to earth as one of us, the gifts we give to others reminding us again of His gift, the traffic, the snow, the cold, and last but not least, us moving out of our house of 10 1/2 years to a small 2 bedroom apartment until we build a new house. Ok, so some of the things are not to love. (That would be the traffic, snow, cold and moving for those who need explaination.) Thank goodness the excitement of building is off setting (most of the time) the sadness of leaving a house with all the memories of my kids becoming adults and grandkids entering our lives. God is so good to give us these times of reflecting and anticipation! So before I forget (told you that the blender brain is online!) I would like to wish Merry Christmas to all, and bless you with the words from a Dennis Jernigan song:

Merry Christmas, I wish you
May joy, like snow, fall daily new
May each day find hope and truth
And memories sweet
Merry Christmas, peace on earth
May Christ reveal your depth of worth
You are why He came to earth
Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas
From my heart
From my heart to you

Merry Christmas, bless you friend
May every wound find grace to mend
Daily strength renewed again
By God's own hand
Merry Christmas, may you see
The way God sees you and receive
His love and life abundantly
Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas
From my heart
From my heart to you

Luke

Ok...this blogging thing is kinda new to me so my daughter is giving me advice on what to blog...I tend toward deep, life experience things (except my House addiction) and she said to blog lighter, real live experiences too...ok...here it goes. We have a cat, actually it is my son-in-law, Dan's cat (he reminds me often) that he gave to me when their other cats decided to not play nice with him. His name is Luke Skywalker, Luke for short, and yes he has a "sissstteerrr" named Leah. He does not play well with...well...just about anyone under the age of 20. He is scared of his own shadow and thinks the leaves blowing in the yard are deadly beings trying to destroy him. But to my husband Pete and me, he is loving and affectionate (until the doorbell rings and he runs to hide in the nearest dark corner preferably under the heaviest furniture). He thinks he is brave and quite intimidating when it is just the three of us around and will tackle crickets, flies or any other intruder of that sort with a vengeance (light sabre not included).
The other day I heard him coming down the stairs and meowing quite strangely. When I looked up at him he had a bottle cap in his mouth, meowing around it. He immediately dropped it and batted it towards me. I picked it up and there were words written inside the cap...."You are deeply attached to your family and home." He then proceeded to purr and rub against my ankles. Sorry, Dan, I think Luke has taken up permanent residence with us. At least that's what the bottle cap said.

I Am a House Addict

No I don't sell real estate nor am I a landlord...it is worse! I get the twitches when my favorite TV show is preempted...I am a House addict. I even have the first season on DVD! If you too are a House addict (or just enjoy the show like normal) have fun with the links...If you don't know what I am talking about...I apologize.

http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/4017/housemdin12secjt8.gif

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qNBOoDiG0w

Please Do Disturb

"O Lord, you have searched me and you know me." Psalm 139:1

Sunday morning during Bible class, one of our elders (Ron), brought up the idea that God reaches into our sleeping minds and wakes us to commune with Him in some way...through prayer, study, meditation, or just listening for Him. I have had this experience many times and discussed it with others who agreed that God works in our sleep, but when Ron said it this time it struck me as very personal...I mean my sleep is sacred (just ask any of my kids who have experienced waking me, for whatever reason...I can be...grumpy!) but God, the creator of the universe waking me up?? Me be grumpy?? At first yes. It took me several months to let go of my (assumed) need for sleep but when I finally gave in, I was able to listen to the scripture or thought He brought to mind and was amazed to find my thoughts so alive and coherent in the middle of the night. Or a person I really needed to talk to God about popping into mind and really being able to bring them before the throne of God. How dare I to be grumpy...amazed, privileged, humbled, valued...yes, God does change people, even in the middle of the night. Please realize how valued you are in God's sight! "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Psalms 139: 14...We are the works that David speaks of being wonderful...how blessed we are when we know how the Father views us!
Thank you Father, for letting me know how valued I am in your sight! That you want to speak to me. And that you are God over all my being whether asleep or awake.

Give Thanks

"God doesn't expect us to be thankful FOR all things, but He does expect us to be thankful IN all things." (Joyce Meyers)

Thanksgiving is tomorrow...currently our family (church) is experiencing great sadness at the loss of a father and a mother, and the decline of a husband, but great joy at the healing of a friend. The force of emotion from extreme to extreme is painful, confusing, and quite unwelcome. It is truly easy to rejoice when God moves the way I want...and thankfulness follows, sometimes overflowing to the point ridiculous. But when He, in His wisdom, goes against what I would will for a person, one of the last things I want to do is get on my knees in thankfulness...but I am learning. In thanks, I learned this week to say "I love you" more often and really mean it because (temporary) separation through death could come at any moment. I have learned to be thankful for the moment, not looking to the future, not focusing on the past, but what moment I am in with whoever I am with...for that moment will not happen again. I am thankful for words and actions that bring life into situations that are full of death...The power of saying "I am here" "I love you" "I am praying for you", and the simple power of a hug, a kiss, a tear. "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not put out the Spirit's fire....Test everything. Hold on to the good." I Thess. 5:16-21. Satan would like us to read into the scriptures that it is God's will for us to be thankful for anything and everything that happens to us...that is impossible while we are in these bodies. Circumstances hurt, leave scars, change our lives forever. God truly loves us and understands pain and change. And his will for us is only good, thus he has given us Jesus so that we CAN give thanks in all circumstances, not for the circumstance itself but for the overcoming power of Christ in that circumstance. Jesus changes death to life, takes the hurt and covers it with peace and allows our scars to become our trophies testifying to His unfailing love. So for Jesus, His power and love in us, we can always be thankful....Whatever the circumstance.
Dear Father, Cover us with your grace and mercy and thank you for giving us an object of thanks in your only son, Jesus, who gave up everything for us, that we could live in abundance in Him.

Much Ado About Little or Nothing

Well, today marks the beginning of something I have tried many times and quite frankly failed at every time....journaling. Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of writing out events and feelings and being able to see growth (or lack thereof) in life. It's just that life seems to overtake the time I have and writing down anything beyond a grocery list is tedious, time consuming, and scary. What if I don't like what I see my life becoming in 1 or 2 years of journaling? What if I have no growth or develop no wisdom? What if people don't like what I write or think I am such a silly goose....what if ....I succeed? And actually DO see something in myself that only time spent searching for words to write could bring out? (darn optimism! I was enjoying the pity party..) So, as I begin I will warn any who venture here that this may also be an ending...but I will vow to try one more time to journal often and try to keep my thoughts coherent. The brain in a blender title is oh so descriptive of my thought process and what splatters onto this screen may not be so pretty but (hopefully) it will be somewhat insightful.
God please bless this effort with your strength and wisdom. Show your power and glory in whatever words are written. I love you! Amen.