leave it behind

let it go
drop it
be done with it
it can stay stuck with '09

WHAT?
You decide...
anything bad....anything dull...anything that holds you back...or picks at you.
bad memories...inconsistment decisions...
mindsets...attitudes....failures....awkwardness...the old life
resentments...stubborness...

pack in it tie it up ship it out (with no return address)
and don't look back...

we are moving on.....

MERRY CHRISTMAUS!!!!

christmas lost

Every christmas season I fight with feelings of loss. I have come to realize that the situations...the people....the times... all change, but that sense of betrayal, failure, rejection, loss are always prevelant...today someone wiser than I wondered if it was all tied to one event. So I pondered...when was I just happy at Christmas? ahhhh bing! It was when my dad was alive. He died just before the holidays, and yes I think I have been fighting against that loss since 1973.

That's sad....but not hopeless!!

I talked to my Heavenly Father about these things...and here is what i learned:
The enemy is out to steal my.....comfort and joy (ti-dings of com-fort & joy...)
hmmmm. He keeps trying to torment. divide, ruin my favorite holiday...my time with family...he has a strategy, a plan, evil devices....

And I am not ignorant of them.

God & I can outwit, outlast and outplay him any day of the week....
I sacrifice my comfort & joy to God....hah! Then the devil can't have it, can't get it, can't touch it! and I get it back 100 fold in the presence of God!!!
I'm sitting here grinning form ear to ear...I just won.

Merry christmas to all and to all a GREAT NIGHT!!

Halleluia chorus leaves me speechless....

The faith which you have in Him ...
gives you joy greater than words and full of glory...


For the prophets who gave the news of the grace which would come to you,made search with all care for knowledge of this salvation;


Attempting to see what sort of time the Spirit of Christ, which was in them, was pointing to, when it gave witness to the pains which Christ would undergo and the glories which would come after them.

it was made clear to those prophets that they were God's servants... to give you word of the things which have now come to your ears from the preachers of the good news through the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven;

things which even angels have a desire to see.


So make your minds ready, and keep on the watch,
hoping with all your power for the grace which is to come to you
at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 1Pe 1:8->->->

color my world

How many crayons are in your box?
Are you using old crayons, with names that are politically incorrect?
Do you keep using the same 3 primary colors,
then wonder why all your pictures look the same
Are you fond of 8, 24, could you truly embrace 64 or more?

yes , yes this is all very metaphorical...
but it is up to you to decide what this all means to you....
I already know what it means to me...and I am determined
to start using more color in my life,
furthermore I plan to color outside the lines
and may even start with a blank page!

I refuse to shop on black friday.

It makes me crazy...and uptight....so instead I decorate my house and ignore the sales....ok I'm kidding, this is not my house but...I am at home decorating my humble abode....sipping cocoa....singing carols....

Some History about Thanksgiving

The autumn celebration in late 1621 that has become known as "The First Thanksgiving" was not known as such to the Pilgrims. The Pilgrims did recognize a celebration known as a "Thanksgiving", which was a solemn ceremony of praise and thanks to God for a congregation's good fortune.

The first such Thanksgiving as the Pilgrims would have called it did not occur until 1623, in response to the good news of the arrival of additional colonists and supplies. That event probably occurred in July and consisted of a full day of prayer and worship and probably very little revelry.[39]


The Pilgrims set ground at Plymouth Rock on December 11, 1620. Their first winter was devastating. At the beginning of the following fall, they had lost 46 of the original 102 who sailed on the Mayflower. But the harvest of 1621 was a bountiful one. And the remaining colonists decided to celebrate with a feast -- including 91 Indians who had helped the Pilgrims survive their first year. The feast was more of a traditional English harvest festival than a true "thanksgiving" observance.

It is not certain that wild turkey was part of their feast. However, it is certain that they had venison. The term "turkey" was used by the Pilgrims to mean any sort of wild fowl.


Another modern staple at almost every Thanksgiving table is pumpkin pie. But it is unlikely that the first feast included that treat. The supply of flour had been long diminished, so there was no bread or pastries of any kind. However, they did eat boiled pumpkin, and they produced a type of fried bread from their corn crop. There was also no milk, cider, potatoes, or butter. There was no domestic cattle for dairy products, and the newly-discovered potato was still considered by many Europeans to be poisonous. But the feast did include fish, berries, watercress, lobster, dried fruit, clams, venison, and plums.

yummmm

womentoring

women mentor women....we all do it,
some of us do it intentionally
others are clueless...
you are encouraging someone near you today...
You are either encouraging them to be strong,
love God, do the right thing
or....by your comments and reactions
you are encouraging them to run away, turn from God
or do whatever they like
no matter the consequences

Whether you have an international ministry…
stay home, go to work everyday,
Or are just a grandma with prayers & hopes for your family.

We are to pour into others lives around us…
nothing is too small or insignificant.
You can be the seed, the healer,
or the encourager of not one or two
but many by His anointing and Spirit,
and doing what comes naturally to women…
talking & listening

God brings certain women into your life for a reason
some for a lifetime..Some for just a season...

We are wonderfully made to lift up each other.
Look around you...there are young women..needing your wisdom..
older women needing your patience...
and some that are just your age...needing camaraderie.


Great word! ca·ma·ra·de·rie: a spirit of friendly good-fellowship

thankful

Taking a page from Lori...things i am today thankful for:

a working furnace.
keurig coffee maker & Gloria Jeans "mudslide"
A successful and blessed time at bible study/prayer
My kids -all 5
and Tim.
my grandkids - all 3
Sarah's team doing so well this year.
my brothers...the handsome one and the other.....lol

My sweet sweet mom
My best friend...

the garbage pick-up guys...think about that.
my neighbor who comes and fixes my appliances for me

my books....
and excitment for the Holidays coming!!!

I feel safe.

And for the record...the hugging poses were not staged.

The Sweet Life

Happy Sweetest Day!

My sweetheart is a man above men. Bob is a wonderful husband, dutiful son, encouraging father, and a loving grandpa...among other things....
One of the best things about bob, is the way he brings the kids into his life.
Whatever job Bob has had...he always took the kids and involved them...when he coached they were his managers...when he taught at Joe Dumars, they were his assistants...Our grandkids have visited the health classes at his school, our kids have given speeches there, and they all particiapted in his field days at school...( even the twins demonstrated "lacrosse" to kids who'd never seen it)

two pictures here...one of him allowing Nathan to carry the clipboard for him..
and another of him allowing Jordan (nate's son) to carry his clipboard....
I love this man, this father, this grandpa with all my heart!!!

I am thankful for Isaac

Isaac posted his favorite things....
and he is one of mine.
Isaac is a happy ,thoughtful,energetic, adorable boy who loves Jesus.
He is polite & playful
and he should come visit me soon.


I am also thankful to have known Tony Galuszka.
I read in the paper that he has left us to be with Jesus.
He is probably one of the nicest men I have ever known and
although I have not seen him in years...I will miss his presence.
Heartfelt condolences to the entire family.

"Stand your ground...

"Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth
and the body armor of God’s righteousness." Eph 6:14

The belt of truth.
The most important part of the weapontry…
The belt held the sword, and when not in use the shield hung on it.
The breastplate was attached in several places for stability.
the rest of the armor would fall apart if not for the belt of truth.

It was essential that the belt be in place- firmly attached so the warrior could be assured the the rest of his equipment would stay in place,
and be ready for use.
So he could move quickly and fight with fury.

For the child of God the belt of truth of his spiritual armor
is the written (logos) word of God.

Joh 17:17 ¶ Sanctify them through thy truth, thy word (logos) is truth (aletheia)

When God’s word is wrapped around you…your righteousness is firmly in front of you, your faith is in reach , the sword (rhema) of the spirit is at hand.

Without that belt firmly in place...your breastplate (righteouness) swings back and forth, your shield (faith) is cumbersome (trying to hold things together) as it drops downs it messes with your feet (peace)..causing you to stumble a bit.
It sure makes it hard to fight the good fight that way.

Warriors.... got your Belt on?

Ahhh football!

Today Jordan had a grandma day with me....and a trip to see his grandpa at work, which has become our custom. He was able to have a ride in the golf cart watch some tennis, chat with the girls cross country team (and show them how fast he could run)and help Grandpa do his grounds inspections-then they stopped to watch a few plays being run by the football team....a great day for some football!!

Happy Birthday Kaeden! ONE YEAR OLD!

Yep, Our little guy is one year old now...and walking...playing tennis too!

This little guy is the happiest baby ever since his Dad, Nathan
Nate was all smiles as a baby...and a real joy, just like our Kaeden.
Kaeden loves his Grandma Neva...(don't we all)
and Is looking forward to all the birthday money....



His brothers like to climb trees like their Dad

awesome trip to Marshall

Marshall Michigan (thanks tom)...a bed & breakfast (quaint), shopping, Win Schulers(sprained ankle) art & craft fair(christmas gifts), turkeyville & dinner theatre, (I'll take you home, followed by laughin' so hard I nearly peed my pants)Southern Exposure Herb Farm (probably the coolest place ever), then Tea outdoors at Old MacDonalds Farm...

Thank You Sherry, Sid & Deb for a great time and all the gifts- Love you!!!

My Garden CLUB

I am going away this weekend on a mystery trip with my Garden Club.
I will spend a little bit of money & will be laughing alot...

These women love me unconditionally...They see my strengths & weaknessness.
They encourage me...They challenge me...They laugh with at me...
we laugh at each other and at ourselves.
We crab to each other..and either get comfort or chastisement but always support.
These amazing women will swoop in when life gives me lemons...
and then get busy in the kitchen making some awesome lemonade!

I really love these gals...and the best part is...God chose them for me
so they are perfect.

fruit flies

Are making my life miserable.....I have so many of them in my house I am ready to have a breakdown.....Please pray against pestilence for me. I have scrubbed, vacumed, put out traps...and still they persist.

MICHIGAN STATE FAIR

Bob & I took Nate & April, Sarah, Connor, Jordan & Kaeden to the fair yesterday...suppose to be the final fair for us.


We had a great time..oh the weather was wonderful...the sights & sounds & smells...splendid- well...not all the smells...lol
I am not an animal person- but I will tell you that the clydesdales...are among the most majestic & beautiful animals I have ever seen....the kids have the better pics of the day but I managed to snap a few....

Don't waste your Freedom

It was for Freedom...that Christ has set us Free...
therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

We have been set free from the law of sin & death....Living under Grace...a covering....or a safety net if you will...we stumble; we bumble...but we are not lost & forsaken for we have an advocate, a counselor, a redeemer to help us get back on track. We have a way out...a way back. He never leaves us...we turn around and there He is...arms open, accepting.

Galatians 5:13 For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

We have been set free from religious obligation. We are instructed to not allow anyone to judge us in regards to what we eat, what we drink, or what days we hold holy. We are free to choose those according to our faith, to live in the Spirit and simply obey what He speaks to our hearts. Just walk in Love with one another....

We are free in Christ to choose a church, to worship as He leads, to express ourselves as His spirit moves us...closer....deeper...loving us, changing us.

FREEDOM: Don't waste it. Guard it. Exercise it. Cherish it. Celebrate it!

Saturday....work day

Nathan blessed us with an afternoon of "help" in putting the kitchen back together...he moved back the pantry and then the island and secured them...he moved the table back, fixed the oven, then the frig...trimmed the door to fit and re-hung it...we simply could not have managed without his help...
THANK YOU NATE! MUWAH! WE LOVE YOU...


The twinados had to get involved and help him out...while Kaeden took a ride on Daddy's old rocking horse....then he decided to take his first steps...
YAHOO!

May I opine about healthcare

The healthcare debate is certainly getting heated...and rightly so. After all you are dealing with a person's most intimate. personal life decisions.

I am annoyed by the labels attached to my point of view. I am against this bill in it's current form. Am I selfish, misinformed, or an idiot....blindly following lies told to me by the special interest groups. Uh no.
I studied these sytems extensively while in college, and continued to keep myself informed. Back then, the issue was MRI's. My kid needed one, and we waited a week for an appointment. In Canada....they had only 2 for the entire country...the wait for an appointment there was more than a year.
I shudder to think what could have happened to my kid's injury.

I don't think it's a good idea to hand over to the government (whose track record is questionable) this part of life. Many experts also agree with me...and the people who have socilized healthcare (Canada, England, Russia)also think we are crazy to mess with our system- unanimously hailed as the best in the world. Can we improve it? sure. Let's work toward that, in a deliberate, rational manner...not under a self-imposed timeline...we have seen in the past few months that this mentality to rush thru a bill...usually ends in a bad result.
Let's consider these principals from a different point of view.

A Car & Car Insurance: everyone ought to have them. That is fair. You can't work, go to school,or do anything without a car. I'd like to help the folks who don't have one. So I think the government should provide a car and the insurance to every person who does not have it. Everyone who has a car (that they worked & saved for)should be charged an extra amount so that people who can't work, don't work, & won't work for whatever reason will have what they want. Some of these people have totaled several cars...and even driven while drunk...they decided to not carry insurance for it was costly, but they should still have the right to drive- at my expense?
Years ago, the law was changed to require everyone to carry their own insurance, for their own car, at their own expense.

See the pilgrims tried this "lets give everyone the same thing philosophy"...they held all things in common...the idea was that together they could meet everyone's needs easily....but human nature got in the way..and soon, a few, who did not plow, plant, harvest, preserve or prepare...wanted to sit at the table and eat their full too! They figured out that they could sit back and do nothing....and still be taken care of....so they did. Those settlers promptly changed the rules...if you did not work, then you did not eat.
If Anyone Will Not Work Neither Shall He Eat - 2 Thessalonians 3:10-11

So Let''s instead tell people that they must work for what they want...If they need temporary assistance...or emergency care-we'll help them. Let's go further and have a system that takes care of those who simply can't take care of themselves...that is kind. That is just. That is charitable.
But let's not tell the simple working man or woman to make more bricks with the same straw...pay for yourself to live & pay for your neighbors to have the same as you even though they do not work for it.

I have never felt that health insurance was a right to be possessed.
I have been without and been pregnant,
and I have been blessed with some good coverage.
I have never had completely free coverage. This is one reason my husband keeps a job...to pay for us to have coverage. We are responsible. We also see the need to help out those not as fortunate. That is Charity.


"Charity is voluntary. The giving of charitable help is to be done by individuals (and organizations they may form). Charity is not to be compelled by the State. Forced charity takes from one & gives to another." -David J. Bostrom