Merry Christmas!

Since my writing doesn't seem to come as often as I'd hoped it would, let me wish everyone a very Merry Christmas now. I do hope that as we celebrate the joyous birth of our Savior Jesus Christ, we will keep Him as the center of all we do. I hope that time spent with family and friends enriches each of our lives and causes us to appreciate each other more and more!

Recently my friend Karen and I were deeply saddened to hear about the death of a Guatamalan child, on the verge of being adopted in the states, by a group of home invaders who killed her and her entire foster family. Such senseless evil! This led us to consider the numerous young children that have died this year that we knew mostly by internet connections with their families. It just seemed too high a number in my mind. Plus the tragic situation with the national attention now on the Caylee Anthony case-- My heart breaks for each of these families touched by such a deep loss and grief.

During such times we must constantly remember that God is Love and God is good. His heart is grieving also when pain, suffering and loss occurs. We must cling to the promises in His word and seek His presence even more. Though I will never understand why such things happen, I can rest assured that I serve a God that understands, cares and is moved to action by what happens to us.

Yes, Christmas is a time to celebrate, but it is also a time to pray for those whose joy may be marred by grief and pain.

Read the verses of the familiar carol "Joy to the World" soon. Ponder them in light of our current world situation. Maybe you will also be thinking--how timely!

An Ideal Day

Is there ever such a thing as an "Ideal Day"? It would probably be safe to say that most of us would not consider a cold, rainy, blustery day in November to be an ideal day, right? Today I will go against that norm and say that this has been close to an ideal day (so far). Why? I'm glad you asked.

First, there was no alarm going off in my ear at 5am! When it did go off later, I leisurely rolled over and hit the snooze button a few times before rousing myself up for the day. 2nd--there is no need to wear a work uniform or make up today as the only place I plan to go today is to the mailbox! 3rd-I hear the whirring of the clothes dryer and the chugging of the washer as they diligently clean my 3rd load of laundry---exciting because for over 20 yrs I had to use a laundry room outside my home. 4th--my dog Kipper doesn't like to walk in the rain so our stints outside have been very brief and to the point--negating the usual 20-25 min walks we do each day-thus giving this doggie momma more time for her "to do" list. 5th--I have played Christmas music which always brightens my spirit. 6th--I have some time to write on my blog spot which has been sorely neglected in recent weeks. 7th--I have already accomplished some things on my to do list and added a few "I didn't know I needed to do this, but did it any way" things too! 8th-I have about a half of this day left to still enjoy!

I hope you have the wonderful gift of enjoying your "ideal day" very soon.

Friendship--What a blessing!

I am a part of a small group through my church. We have been meeting every other week for just over a month now. It has been an incredibly rich experience to bond with these 5 people over the course of time. Each week as we read our material, discuss our questions, share our struggles and victories, I come away richer in my spirit. Truly God's plan to have us unite as a family of believers through the local church is marvelous. Since my biological family lives quite a distance away, I truly treasure those relationships that can nourish me and support me when my biological family cannot by virture of distance and/or timing. These 5 friends have become a blessing. Though our hope is to branch out to create new groups next spring, I am sure that our connectedness will remain strong as we continue to worship and serve with one another through our church.

I also had another occasion to help a close friend celebrate a significant birthday by hosting a meal at my home for her. As we spent the evening together in conversation, laughter and sharing a challenging game of Scrabble, I once again was vividly reminded of what a treasure friendship is. In the recent past, I had expressed some things to this dear friend that were not very positive or kind in nature. She in turn has offered me forgiveness, acceptance and a willingness to stick with me and our friendship with unconditional love. What a picture of the love of God! How many times do I "tell God" things that are not kind or positive and yet He continues to love me unconditionally. Thank you friend for demonstrating God's love to me again and again.

Another friend and I have had several deeper conversations lately that have allowed me to understand her more and more. We view the world differently, approach things differently and play different roles in our lives and yet we are bonded together through the love of Jesus Christ. We value our differences and rejoice whe we do share things in common. She has often been the instrument of God in giving me guidance, resources and a listening ear. Again, I am so blessed to have this friend in my life.

I have another dear friend who is truly my "Barnabas" in that she is my encourager--she always lifts my spirit by faithfully praying for me. She also helps me recognize those areas where I need to persist in prayer. Her kind, gentle spirit challenges me to do the same towards others, though I often fail. She believes in me and that matters so much. Truly I am blessed.

As I grow older, I have realized how much I also treasure the friendship of my parents and sister and brother-in-law. While I will always be their daughter and sister, we have developed a new relationship where we can discuss things as friends, see each other as individuals with needs, wants, gifts, etc. Each time I am with them now, I appreciate more and more who they are as persons. Each one contributes something valuable to my life. I look forward to more experiences with them in future visits together.

I could comment on others who are important friends in my life, but neither time nor space will
allow that now. Having friends makes a person rich in the things that matter. I hope everyone can name at least one other person who is a true friend to them. I am so grateful for those God has placed in my life.

Friendship--what a blessing!

Who moved my August???

Okay, who moved my August?? How did 31 days get past me so quickly? This morning I turned my dachshund calendar over to September only to wonder how 31 days moved so swiftly. Each day is a God-given gift but I must admit that I squandered some of those days. I thanked the Lord this morning that the start of a new month brings a sense of renewal, of "beginning again" and of hope for improvement in the days ahead.

So what did August include? For a few starters let's say.....my mom's 74th birthday, my sister and brother-in-law's 15th wedding anniversary, my aunt's 75th birthday, a new computer program at work, the beginning of training classes for me and my dog, an opportunity to attend the local Super Saturday training conference, a few church-related meetings to host and attend and the everyday things of maintaining a home. Whew!

September's now here. Thirty days to fill with all the things God has prepared. It is my hope and prayer that I will be alert and ready to respond. There will be mistakes, missed opportunities, and some time wasted I am sure because I am not perfect. 30 days to enjoy and to see what God will do!! Hooray!

Sorry I missed the entire month of August in blogging--hopefully there will be more coming this month---

It's nice that this month is starting out with a holiday! Having a change of pace is great!

Happy September everyone!!

Rabbits & Cats & Dogs, Oh My!!

Who knew that a condominium complex could house a menagerie of animals--mostly of the nocturnal sort!! During the past few pre-dawn walks with Kipper, we have encountered quite a variety of God's little creatures. Thankfully I have seen them before "Mr. Let-me-at-em!" has! Otherwise we could become the alarm clock for an entire building!! Rabbits, squirrels, assorted cats and dogs have wandered the same areas we have! As you know, his nose is much more sensative and he seems to "sense" the presence of some critter that has either been there, done that in the area we're in or is hiding out in one of the bushes nearby. I on the other hand must rely on my half-awake, bleary eyes to catch a movement or distinguish shapes in the moonlight. I've kinda learned where "cat alley" is and where "Rabbit corner" is so we try to steer clear of these at these times.

Also, we have discovered that those big, yellow, very loud machines that appear outside our big windows to mow the grass also cause one certain dachsund to absolutely go bonkers!! We must be able to see outside at the time they are doing their thing or we really can't control ourselves!
Thankfully, the mowers seem to be efficient in their tasks and the process is short in length. Now I know what happens when I'm not home! Kipper is busy defending our home from these strange "invaders of our space". I do feel more secure knowing that! :)

Kipper absolutely loved his vacation time with my family. He and my parents seemed to have an instant bonding experience. He and Mom became quite good buddies as they shared the backseat all the way to Alabama. At their home, he loved the big fenced in back yard as he could happily and quickly run freely and amuse himself. It was even more "heavenly" if my dad happened to be outside at the same time--Mom gave him the nickname "shadow" as he did follow them everywhere he could. I called him "velcro dog" but I think Shadow sounds better! I was so pleased that both he and they meshed their routines so well. I enjoyed having extra eyes and hands to take of him and entertain him. Did I miss those pre-dawn walks? Um---NO!
My sister and brother-in-law graciously adapted to having an indoor dog for a couple of days too. Their 2 dogs are outside dogs. Kipper enjoyed them also--I'm not sure who napped more--Kipper or my brother-in-law!!

The world is a place of wonder and excitement for my dog. He seems to be curious about so many things--kinda reminds me that I need to maintain that attitude also. I need to appreciate the creative world I see, the family God has provided me, and the love that surrounds me.

Rabbits & cats & dogs, Oh my!---we're off to see the world through a dog's eyes!!

My Family's Here!!

Saturday night my parents, sister and brother-in-law arrived safely from Alabama to spend a few days with me. My parents had not seen my condo and none of them had met my dog Kipper. Now into our 2nd day together, we have enjoyed being together as a family. I think everyone approves of my home and Kipper seems to have lots of eager arms to hold him and hands to pet him. He seems quite happy with all the attention!!

Though I am having to work while they are here, things are going well. We are managing to sqeeze in as much as possible--both the fun things and the "let's help MJ out" things (why not take advantage of extra hands and know-how, eh???) And who can deny that we have enjoyed some good meals also (and the snacks!)

Soon I will be starting my actual vacation time and will head back to Alabama with them for a few days down there also. We'll see how Kipper does on his first long road trip--errands and drives around town suit him just fine--Hopefully he's a true road warrior also!! (and whoever winds up riding with me is also!) I am excited that we are able to spend so much time together.

Sharing my home with them and my pet has brought me much joy. Having them experience some of my world means so much. That's what makes family such a blessing. We love each other unconditionally.

Sorry it's been so long since I've written but with teaching VBS for a week, being the only mgr on site at work for 3 days and preparing for this visit took much of my time recently. But it's all proven to be a blessing.

Gotta go--the family is bringing supper home shortly--they went shopping so I could take a much needed nap!! How's that for family love???

Relationships Matter

Parents, siblings, inlaws, close friends, neighbors.......all relationships we have. Just over the past few days I have been more keenly aware of how valuable and important such relationships are.
Recent phone conversations, emails and written letters from my immediate family keep me attached even though miles separate us physically. Hearing familiar voices on the phone can brighten your whole day. My family and I have established a monthly, designated time to call each other and I cherish these opportunities for long conversations. Now my family is planning to visit here later this month and I am so excited!! My parents have not seen my new home yet and no one has met my dog Kipper. I am so glad that they are coming this way.

Recently two of my closest friends have been experiencing physical illness and problems. I feel so helpless sometimes to know what to do for them. I know prayer is one way to help but often I wish there were more tangible things I could do. My prayer is for their healing and that I will be the kind of friend God wants me to be in the meantime. I so appreciate these friendships and want only the best for these two dear ones.

Today some friends from Nebraska were back in the area visiting family and spent some time visiting with me. They're so thoughtful and generous in many ways. I thoroughly enjoyed being with the 3 kids and their parents despite Kipper's "hyperactivity" during the visit. Their friendship is truly something I am so thankful for.

Both my family and friends have given me so much. Truly my life is richer because of being in relationship with these people and others God puts in my path.

Guess I would also be amiss if I didn't mention my newest relationship with Kipper, the dog. Of course, it's not the same as with people (mighty close though!) but in his own way he also gives me lots of unconditional love, acceptance and joy. Thank God for relationships!!