Old People

I like old people. I don't mean old like, they think they are old, I mean old old. Like Scott's Grandma Alice. She's 94. That's old. Old like when you are proud of your age again and tell anyone who asks! That's cool. Tuesday is my Aunt Amy's birthday. My Grandma Aurlette's sister. Grandma was born in 1922 and Aunt Amy is, a couple years older than Grandma was. I think she will be 85. She still lives by herself. She does not seem old, though, but she has the stories. She doesn't trust doctors. She told the doctor she was going off the medicines he prescribed and she did. She made her next appt. to see him and he said, "What's the point? You don't listen to me anyway!" Maybe that's why she is still doing so well...

Aunt Amy has stories to tell. Grandma Alice has stories to tell. I would love to go to a nursing home and just go from room to room talking to the people there. That would be fun. Grandma Alice told me about how she broke her big toe. The car ran over it. She didn't say anything to anybody. Because they were going to town in the car. Had she complained, she would not have been able to go. Her big toe still sticks straight up.


Before my Grandma Aurlette died, my Aunt Sandy did an audio tape of a conversation with her. It is very cool to listen to them talking about things. I did the same thing with Scott's Grandma Alice. She talked about living on the family farm, the car, her husband dying in a plane crash on the farm, having to raise two children herself, all kinds of stuff. We don't always take time to realize what we have to be thankful for. Our children are not hungry. I have to remember this when I throw out food that we didn't eat from the fridge. We have several pairs of shoes. And clothes that we don't have time to wear.

Several years ago I saw a picture of my dad's school class in Germany. He was born in 1941 and this was post-war Germany. I asked him why only a few of the kids had shoes. They couldn't afford them. And lederhosen (sp?) must have come in handy because leather pants don't wear out very quickly and you only need one pair! Dad also told me about his dad the other day. He would go out to the forest to pick out a Christmas tree. If the branches were not perfect, he would cut a branch off the bottom of the tree and graft it into the empty spot, so the tree would look perfect! Amazing! Opa was 64 when he died. The same age my dad is now. But he was not healthy at 64 and dad is.

I know I will not have Aunt Amy or Grandma Alice around for much longer. And I miss my Grandma Aurlette. I miss my mom, too, but her passing away is bittersweet. There was so much suffering at the end. For her and Dad. Grandma Aurlette was full of life. She didn't want to die. Ever! She always had a smile on her face. I have only really gotten to know Aunt Amy since Grandma Aurlette died. Aunt Amy lives in Sylmar. We are going out on Wed. for her birthday. She stayed with me for a week after Rebekah was born and helped me. Rebekah is her baby. She loves the girls and they love her. It is so sweet to see the little ones hugging and kissing the "old ones". We try to visit as often as we can.

Stories. We all have them to share. We need to listen to the stories of those who have come before us and share them with those who come after us. The story of the crybabies was inspiring. I think they were called crybabies because you feel like crying like a baby after doing all that stirring and your arm feels like it is about to fall off!

Have a wonderful, Merry Christmas.

Just busy being a mom...

Went to the gym again. Only walked for an hour, but that's an hour more than normal! I feel a little stiff and sore. Was going to get off the treadmill and get on the bike, but just never did.

Then we went to Toys r Us to look for Matthew's trains. Gordon and Henry. Try taking a two year old and a four year old to Toys R Us. They were pretty well behaved.

Rebekah is doing really well at the potty training thing. She stays dry for long periods of time. Good thing, cuz I don't like spending so much money on pullups! Those things are expensive. $15.99 for 40. That's 39 cents each after my coupon! That's a lot of money. About six a day, so roughly $70 per month in pullups!

So, here are the top ten things I can buy when I no longer have to buy pullups!

10. Start a coffee habit and get one starbucks per day
9. One nice meal out per month.
8. Monthly payment on a jacuzzi.
7. I can pay off my gym membership.
6. Scott can work fewer hours.
5. Two extra tanks of gas in a month.
4. Pizza delivery twice a month.
3. New clothes for my new figure.
2. New clothes for Rebekah.
1. Pay off the Christmas presents!

So, I am so proud of my little girl! :-)

Scott is sick of turkey. We had to make another turkey on Monday night. I had two in the freezer from the beginning of the year, so I had to take those out when I got the buy one get one free turkeys this year. But the one I took out for Thanksgiving didn't thaw out in time, since Scott's mom was supposed to get it and she didn't tell me until Monday before that she didn't get it. So, he had to buy a fresh one on Wednesday night. So, we had three turkeys in addition to Thanksgiving's bird (which leftovers we left at Uncle Bud's house!).

I don't know how else to use the turkey. I have a whole bag full of turkey still. I made turkey enchiladas last week. Those were good. He doesn't want any more of any of it. Any suggestions on how to use all the turkey? It is cooked, boned and sitting in the fridge.

We are having meatballs and ham for Christmas eve. That will be here. Thanksgiving was at Uncle Bud's house. Scott's uncle. They live about 5 miles from here. I brought all the food there. Turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, gravy, green bean casserole, jello, pumpkin pie, chocolate pie. At least for Christmas I won't have to transport everything. I am not making everything for Christmas, either! I have to have time to clean my house! And I am throwing them out at 5:00pm so we can go to church! Then, we will come home and have birthday cake. Should I make chocolate or lemon?

I guess I will be going to the gym a lot between now and Christmas. Lot's of future calories to work off. Plus, I hear that it gets pretty crowded after the first of the year...

Tired

Went to the gym tonight. Walked four miles in 85 minutes. Read an entire magazine during this time. How often does this happen? Like, never. I left when the kids were in bed, but not yet asleep. Hubby was asleep, though. Doesn't like it when I am gone at night, but, I really want to go to the gym.

So, I have been thinking lately, and this may not come out the way it does in my head. Christ is with us always. He is with us when we see something we shouldn't look at. He is with us when we mutter something under our breath. He is with us in the car when we get angry at another driver. So, why do we not talk to Him as though He is standing right there. Why do we not treat Him as though He is at our side? Why do we think we can "get away" with things, when He is right there watching our every move? I don't mean like a surveillance camera, smile, you are on film, but more like when you are walking around the mall and just relaxing and you turn to your friend, Jesus, and talk to Him. He isn't far away. He is with you, right NOW. We can just call out His name any time, any where. Neat.

Jessica was praying over her breakfast. She asked God to talk louder so she could hear Him. She said she doesn't always hear what He says to her. I don't think she knew I was listening. It was very cool.

I don't know how I am going to get through this whole Christmas thing. My house is such a mess and I just can't seem to get ahead of it. Laundry, stacks of it. Dirty dishes in the sink. Not done emptying the dishwasher. And I HATE junk mail. I can't seem to get rid of it all. Christmas cards to finish. Living room to clean up. Carpet to shampoo. Play room to clean up. Junk to hide. Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way...

Little known facts

I liked Julie's blog entry. Here are some little known facts about me.

I love Star Trek Voyager and Twilight Zone from the 60's.

I am a night owl. Will stay up till all hours of the night.

I passed out on the table delivering Rebekah (after the spinal) and don't remember her birth. It still bothers me.

A lot.

I love to tell people about things I have found. I hate making money off of it.

You gotta love a husband who buys you flowers for no reason. He did this today.

WYSIWYG - no hidden agendas.

I used to be a lot thinner. I am going to be there again soon.

I am diabetic. And I hate it when people treat you differently because you tell them so. My blood sugar will be within normal ranges soon.

I love See's Candies. The pecan turtle ones and the walnut squares.

I hate shopping for clothes and shoes.

Jessica, and now Rebekah, is praying for a baby brother and has been doing so since the beginning of the year. Maybe they will get their prayers answered. (No, I am not pregnant.)

I am a pack rat. I hate getting rid of things. I might need it someday!

I love shooting, but I don't get to, 'cause, who would watch the kids?

I have pretty good aim.

I love doing lists. To the point of overdoing them. I like the challenge.

I don't think my house will ever really be clean.

Welcome to my life.

Star Trek

I started watching Star Trek Voyager when it first aired. I don't know what year. I watched it all the time. I have never before and never since watched a show as often. I would even record it when I wasn't home to see it. I missed the final episode.

I have been waiting all these years to see the final episode. I was not home the two times they showed it, what, about four or five years ago.

I never really got into the other Star Trek movies. Too predictable. Too something. Didn't like the old ones. For some reason, Voyager was it for me.

I watched the final episode last night. Then I watched it again. That little something that was missing is now gone. What a relief!

It was good, but also disappointing. Anticipation of what it would be like is over. Now I know. And I no longer have something to look forward to.

Thanks, Netflix.

How was that?

I remember years ago a friend and I came up with all these questions. Some of them were common knowledge, but I can't remember too many of them any more. Ponderables, or something, I think.

Why do you drive in a parkway and park in a driveway?

Why do shipments go by land and cargo goes by sea?

A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk I have a work station...

I believe five out of four people have trouble with fractions.

If quitters never win, and winners never quit, what fool came up with, "Quit while you're ahead"?

I was thinking that women should put pictures of missing husbands on beer cans.

I noticed how people seem to read the Bible a whole lot more as they get older, then it dawned on me . . . they were cramming for their finals.

I thought about how mothers feed their babies with little tiny spoons and forks so I wonder what Chinese mothers use. Perhaps toothpicks?

Employment application blanks always ask who is to be notified in case of an emergency. I think you should write . . . A Good Doctor.

Why do they put pictures of criminals up in the Post Office? What are we supposed to do . . . write to these men? Why don't they just put their pictures on the postage stamps so the mailmen could look for them while they delivered the mail?

Before they invented drawing boards, what did they go back to?

Does the Little Mermaid wear an algebra?

How do I set my laser printer on stun?

How is it possible to have a civil war?

If all the world is a stage, where is the audience sitting?

If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?

If one synchronized swimmer drowns, do the rest have to drown too?

If the #2 pencil is the most popular, why is it still #2?

If work is so terrific, how come they have to pay you to do it?

If you ate pasta and antipasto, would you still be hungry?

If you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done?

Is a castrated pig disgruntled?

Why are hemorrhoids called "hemorrhoids" instead of "asteroids"?

Why is it called tourist season if we can't shoot at them?

Why is the alphabet in that order? Is it because of that song?

What happens when none of your bees wax?

If the black box flight recorder is never damaged during a plane crash, why isn't the whole airplane made out of the stuff?

Why is there an expiration date on sour cream?

If most car accidents occur within five miles of home, why doesn't everyone just move 10 miles away?

Whose cruel idea was it for the word "lisp" to have an "s" in it?

Since light travels faster than sound, isn't that why some people appear bright until you hear them speak?

If it's zero degrees outside today, and it's supposed to be twice as cold tomorrow, how cold is it going to be?

Why do you press harder on a remote control when you know the battery is dead?

Why do banks charge you a "non sufficient funds fee" on money they already know you don't have?

Does the reverse side also have a reverse side?

If the universe is everything, and scientists say that the universe is expanding, what is it expanding into?

If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is around to see it, do the other trees make fun of it?

Why is a carrot more orange than an orange?

Why are there 5 syllables in the word "monosyllabic"?

Why do they call it the Department of Interior when they are in charge of everything outdoors?

Why do scientists call it research when looking for something new?

Why is it that when a door is open, it's ajar-but when a jar is open, it's not a door?

How much deeper would the ocean be if sponges didn't grow in it?

Why buy a product that it takes 2000 flushes to get rid of?

Why do we wait until a pig is dead to "cure" it?

Why do we wash bath towels? Aren't we clean when we use them?

Why do we put suits in a garment bag and put garments in a suitcase?

Do Roman paramedics refer to IV's as "4's"?

What do little birdies see when they get knocked unconscious?

Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard?

Should you trust a stockbroker who's married to a travel agent?

Is boneless chicken considered to be an invertebrate?

Do married people live longer than single people do, or does it just SEEM longer?

If all those psychics know the winning lottery numbers, why are they all still working?

Isn't Disney World a people trap operated by a mouse?

Isn't the best way to save face to keep the lower part shut?

Alaska

So, my aunt and I were lamenting the short days and early darkness and I said something about how in Alaska in the summer they have like twenty hour days or something (Carsten, you would be the expert here). Then I said, well, that is how their vegetables get so big. So, here, in no particular order, are the best things about Alaska that I can think of.

For like 20 pumpkin pies you only need one pumpkin.
Want to stock up your basement with strawberry jam? "I got 30 quarts from one strawberry!"
If you go on a hike, you don't have to worry about the sun setting and not being able to find your way home.
Fumi salad for 50 - from one head of cabbage!
But Mom, I can't go to sleep while it is light outside!
You never run out of ice for a party.
Fur is IN! Especially if it is attached to a nice warm dog sleeping in front of the fireplace!
Wanna make carrot cake? Get your carrot, shred it, and you've got enough for 3 9x13 size cakes!
Is this not the birthplace of bacon grease cookies? Okay, probably not the birthplace, but they have definitely been made there.
You don't need a refrigerator.
Or a freezer.
A good excuse to use the buddy system.

ReTREAT!

Top Ten Things To Do While Your Husband Is At Retreat

10.Sit in husband’s recliner and watch an old movie and eat popcorn
9.Go shopping
8.Catch up on your reading
7.Clean the house
6.Spend the day doing absolutely nothing
5.Let the kids stay up late one night (and to bed early the next!)
4.Sleep in the middle of the bed
3.Watch the O.C. (so I‘ve heard, I haven‘t actually seen this!)
2.Have 50-100 teenagers at your house for a party (This should only be attempted by a trained professional)
1.Blog! :-)

Scrapbook Pages That Should Never Be Made

AKA: Jessica, the 4 year old Beautician

I was in the kitchen assembling and putting potstickers in the oven. It was about 1:00 in the afternoon. Jessica wanted to go to the movies. But, we had to go to gymnastics at 3:30. She was brushing her hair, last I saw her. I finished up in the kitchen and was just about to go looking for her when, Rebekah comes out and announces that Jessica cut her hair. Keep in mind, she cut Rebekah's hair about 3 months ago and it has yet to grow back much. Rebekah still has a spot to the right of center in front that has a big chunk missing out of it. And I had to cut Rebekah's hair short in back to even it out because Jess had taken the scissors to it and whacked off all the curls (after putting detangler on it, of course).

I ran to my bathroom. There was hair all over the floor. Not that much, though. No blood anywhere. Thank God! Jess was hiding. She came out and I took one look at her and burst into tears. I couldn't believe it! She not only cut her bangs in front, to about 1/2 inch long at the shortest part, right in front, but also cut the sides of her hair to about an inch below the bottom of her ears. The back, about three inches across, remained intact. She looked like some kind of hare krishna. Or is it, hairy krishna? Anyway, it obviously needed some serious repair. I told her she looked awful, we couldn't get Christmas pictures done this year, cried, screamed, the whole deal. Go big. I did. I was so upset. I called Scott, I was okay until I started to tell him about it. I think he was more concerned because I was so upset. The night before, he was looking at Jess's beautiful hair and commenting on how pretty it looked, curled under, framing her face. It's all gone.

I took Jess to the beauty salon and, having never been to this salon before, I didn't know the beautician. The woman took one look at Jess and knew why we were there. I asked her if there was any way to do anything in the front that would look decent. She said no, it would just have to grow out. But that I could put a small clip in it or something. Have you ever tried to keep a clip in a very active four year old girl's hair? Not gonna happen. So, sometime next year, she will start to look like herself again. She's happy, she wanted to get the hair out of her eyes. It is nowhere near her eyes now. Not to worry. And she also wanted it short in the back so it would not get tangled. She won.

I shot a whole roll of film on what she did to herself and her sister for the scrapbook. Yes, she cut her sister's hair again. Only in the back, thank goodness, but it still had not grown out from the last time. I guess we will be putting all sharp objects in the safe. Good thing we have a rather large safe...I guess I will need to make a trip to the scrapbook store to buy some scissor stickers and such.

Frustrated

I read something recently that really upset me. I am not the type of person to normally confront anyone, so I usually just let things go. In fact, I tend to clam up and not say anything about anything. This is why I haven't blogged in days. I was just sitting here getting frustrated. It really bothered me, and I am still dealing with this. I get very frustrated when assumptions are passed around like facts. There have been many times when someone will email me something urgent, "you need to send this to everyone you know". I will do a search on the internet to see if it is legit. So far, none of them have been. But if more people did this, we wouldn't have so many bogus emails flying around. It seems "everyone" is making up numbers and information to suit their own purposes. The government does this, too. "35,000 people per year die from the flu." Yeah, right. It isn't true. They pull that number out of their, well, you get the picture. The number is somewhere closer to 700 per year that die from the flu, or complications thereof. Everyone is up in arms over this avian flu. IT HAS NOT MUTATED to humans. There is a possibility that it MAY, but it is slight. So, why all the scare tactics?

Why do we feel we can pull information out of the air, make things up, etc. without getting the facts straight? Without the facts, it is just opinion and assumptions and, like belly buttons, everyone has one. What is the old saying about when you assume? Wouldn't it make more sense to do a little research before you start talking about something? Just a thought.

I guess I just got my frustrations out and let it go.

Top Ten

We haven't had any top ten lists lately and I guess Joann is probably going through withdrawals, so:

Top Ten Things I miss from My Childhood

10. No mortgage payment (do I hear an AMEN?)
9. My mom calling school to say we were sick (Yeah...of school) and we would go to the beach
8. Going out to breakfast with my dad before school - at Sambo's
7. Being able to fit in the back seat of a Porsche
6. Being able to sleep till noon.
5. Feathered hair.
4. Sav-On ice cream - a quart sized scoop for 25 cents and no guilt
3. Thinking people in their thirties were so OLD!
2. Three week vacations in the camper.
1. Three months off of school in the summer with nothing to do.

Please feel free to add your own...

We Are ALL Saints...

We Are All Saints

saint [sayntin French names often, saN]
n (plural saints)
1. somebody honored by church after death: somebody who has been particularly holy in life and after death is declared by a Christian church to have a privileged place in heaven and be worthy of veneration
2. somebody in heaven: somebody who is thought to have gone to heaven after death


3. virtuous person: a particularly good or holy person, or one who is kind and patient in dealing with difficult people or situations



Encarta ® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1998-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

I can think of only a handful of people I would deem to be saints, so it is nice to know that not I, but the Lord, decides who is a saint. I can, however, come up with quite a few sinners, self included. But it is not my decision to make. The Lord loves all of us. He wants us to come to Him, to worship Him, to love Him and to do things and live our lives in the way that He has planned for us. Is that too much to ask? He basically says, “Come to Me and love Me. I will provide for your needs and I will love you forever. I will not turn my back on you. I will not talk behind your back. You will forever live with Me and I will not leave you. Will you follow me?”

We get so wrapped up in the day-to-day things that we do, that we do not take the time to stop and just listen to God and what He is saying to us. It may not be a booming voice (I think very few people hear the Lord in this way). It may be a subtle feeling, something someone else says to you, an urge to do something that you hadn’t thought about before.

I used to “test” God. I would be worrying about something, thinking about something, trying to figure out the best way to go about it and I would pick up the Bible, close my eyes, open it up and stick my finger on the page. Open your eyes and read what is there. Amazingly enough, very often this would result in my reading a passage that fit the circumstance. I am not suggesting that anyone do this, but at the time I was not walking the walk and I think it was God’s way of showing me He was still looking out for me.

I hope and pray that someday I can be the person the Lord wants me to be. I don’t have a clean house. My children don’t always look perfect, my husband is stressed out, we don’t have money to spare, but in this house, we praise God and ask for His blessing on our lives. My husband has been on this amazing journey, although he doesn’t realize how far he has come. He still sees all his faults and where he has been. I pray that God will show him that he doesn’t need to know everything and that it’s okay not to be perfect. After all, he is not in seminary for himself, but for Jesus Christ!

I pray that all of us saints will realize that God is not expecting us to be perfect. After all, we cannot be so without Him. That we do not have to strive to be perfect, but just to be ourselves, to be open to how God wants to use us. To be available to Him, to be used by Him. It’s okay if we get angry or frustrated sometimes. But we need to submit to Christ, to allow Him to mold us and shape us the way HE wants us to be. And although we will go through trials, we need to ask HIM to walk through them with us, to be by our side. For we cannot do it alone. I had a teacher in high school who told us to pray for trials. I understand about needing to rely on the Lord during trials, about trials helping us to become more submissive to the Lord, etc. but I told this teacher he was whacked in the head. We get enough trials in our lives without asking for more! (This was a few years after my brother died and I was a teenager in 10th grade! I had enough trials!)

I thank the Lord that He provides for us, cares what happens to us and that He protects us. I don’t feel as though I am a saint, but I pray that, with God’ help I will become one. That others will see Christ through me and that I will become a virtuous person. This can only happen with God’s help.

Out of the mouths of babes

Two days ago, Rebekah says to me, "Why do we have Jesus in our heart?" I said, "Because we ask Him to be there. Do you want to ask Him to be there?" "Yes!" So, she prayed that Jesus would come into her heart and then Jessica explained that Jesus is inside of us and outside of us at the same time. Why is it so confusing for supposedly smart adults and the children get it so easily. Jessica didn't question that Christ is inside of us and all around us at the same time. She just accepts it as the way it is. Rebekah wanted Jesus to be in her heart. She asks why about everything now. But once it was explained to her, it she accepted it. My children are such a blessing to me and I have to remind myself to let the little things, like changing clothes twice because they were playing in the mud, not make me crazy. They are beautiful in the sight of the Lord and they are beautiful children. Their minds are open to discovery and they are so innocent and wonderful. Thank God for the children!

Nobody

I'm just a little nobody,
I said to myself one day,
Nobody cares what I do,
Or if I work or play.
If I were not here,
Would someone care?
Or would they just go on,
Not noticing me
or wondering that I'm now gone?

"I care about you, my dear one,"
the Lord said to me one day,
"You will always be in my will,
if you will simply pray.
Ask Me for strength,
Ask Me for hope,
In all you do and say,
And I will love you forever,
Dear child, if in your heart I stay."

"Do not cry, my child,
I care about you now.
I loved you before you knew Me.
You didn't even know how.
Your life is Mine to handle,
Your troubles are mine alone,
You are special in the eyes of God,
To Me you are well-known."

"To pay for all your sins,
I sent my Precious Son.
Who else would do that?
I can think of not a one.
You are precious to me,
More precious than silver or gold.
I love you more than anything,
And, with Me, you will never grow old."

"So, ask Me to be with you
and in your heart to stay.
And pray for angels to protect you,
Each and every day.
Love me always, and never fear,
You are a child of God.
I will always be near."

Oh, how He takes care of me!

Yesterday, I was driving down Sierra Highway and the driver in front of me slammed on her brakes because an ambulance, lights flashing, was waiting to turn left into traffic in front of us. Well, what she failed to realize was that the rest of the cars, going about 55 miles an hour, did not see the ambulance OR her. I slammed on my brakes and just before I ran into her rear end, I checked the side view mirror and veered around her, while the car that had been behind me, tires screeching, smoke flying came probably within inches of her bumper. Right where my car would have been. Thank you God, for helping me to act calmly and allow just enough room for me to squeeze over into the other lane.

I was reminded of the time I saw my angel. I was driving on the 5 North where it merges with the 405 at Roxford. Going 65 mph, I notice all the cars in front of me swerving out of the lane I am in. Then, right in front of me, a car is stopped with its emergency lights flashing. Middle lane, nowhere to go. I slammed on my brakes. I felt the impact. My head jolted forward. But instead of seeing twisted metal, broken glass, etc., I saw my angel, standing between my car and the stopped car. He was HUGE! Dressed all in white. And, at the time, even though I was not in the right place with God, I knew He was protecting me and keeping me safe.

Today, my dad came over and we were going to do some errands. We stalled longer than we should have at home before leaving, getting shoes on the girls, talking, etc. Well, we made a list of all we were going to do today and first on the list was going to the bank. When we got there, we saw two Sheriff's cars parked there, one in the driveway, one parked on the street. I said, "Well, maybe it is their payday!"

We all piled out of the car and walked to the door and the lady at the ATM said the bank was closed. Hmm, there is another branch nearby, so we climbed back in the car. As we were pulling out, a newsvan pulled up and a guy with a newscamera got out and started getting ready to start filming. An undercover police vehicle also pulled up and parked in front. I rolled down my window and asked the news guy what happened. He said the bank had just been robbed.

Had we been on time and not running around trying to get ready, had we not made our list of things to do, had it not taken a few minutes to clear the junk off my passenger seat, had it not been for the GRACE OF GOD, we would most likely have been there at the time all of this was happening. God is protecting me. God is protecting my children. Thank you, Lord, for all that you do for us. For loving us and protecting us, even when we don't realize what You are doing at the time. Thank you for keeping us safe.

As it turns out, the bank robbers GOT THERE at 12:45. We got to the bank at 1:05. It was only minutes after they left that we got there. Thank you God, for your protection.

About 9 years ago, a guy broke into my apartment while I was sleeping. He didn't harm me physically, but he was not there to steal. According to the Santa Clarita Sheriff, "This kind of thing doesn't happen in Santa Clarita." It did. Six months later, he was sentenced to 28 years for sexual crimes he committed against another woman in the complex. Well, even though I wasn't right with God at the time, He protected me. From a crazed lunatic who Satan was using for his purposes. My life is in God's hands. He will protect me from evil and harm.

Several months ago, I began having nightmares. I would see demons outside my bedroom window. They were looking in through the window, and they were ugly!!! Really scary. Scott and I started praying, Father Jim prayed for me. After that I envisioned a canopy, if you will, over our entire property, with angels sitting on the tops of the fence posts watching the property and I saw the demon being pulled away from the window up into the sky above the canopy. The demon couldn't reach me because of God's covering over me and my house. Thank you God! They are real, they are present. But with God's protection, they cannot harm us.

I thank the Lord that in some subtle and some not so subtle ways, He lets me know that He is watching over me and my life.

I'm a little slow

Okay, I am figuring this thing out. Now, I just have to figure out how to add a picture.

It has been pouring down rain for the past several hours. It has finally stopped. Or at least slowed down. My back yard is a lake. My children are sleeping. My house is warm and dry inside. My God loves me. Life is good. Which brings us to, yat ta da da!

Top Ten Reasons to Be Happy Today

10. The Internet is up and running so we can all blog.
9. Friends who blog, so you have something to read.
8. Rain puddles.
7. Mud.
6. Happy, healthy children.
5. Hot Chocolate with whipped cream AND little marshmallows.
4. The holiday season has begun.
3. Holiday season=pumpkin pie
2. We have another top ten list!
1. We have an awesome God!

This top ten thing is addicting.

Insignificant me...but not to Him!

Insignificant me...but not to Him!

I have been sitting here for about an hour and a half reading blogs. This is what I get to do at 4:30 in the morning. I love that when you read people's blogs, you get to find out what is in their head, what makes them tick. And I love the people at our church! There are some truly amazing people. Those who, with Christ's help are battling all types of adversity, frustration, and just, in some cases, a lousy job, difficult children (or sisters!), or whatever. What you will find as you read about the day to day in other's lives, is that we are all going through things. Some good, some bad. With God's help, we will all get through.

I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the people in my church, through their writings. Wit and wisdom, if you will.

Julie, you are cynical and funny. And oh, how I envy your ability to keep things clean.
Cody, amazing. My prayers are with you. You are truly being used by God in amazing ways.
Alena, you are precious in the eyes of the Lord.
Nomi, keep up the good work. You have artistic talent. You will find it.
Jess, umm, don't stress out your mother. She's going to have a hard time with this whole driving thing. All mothers do.
Carsten. Uh, hmmm. What goes on in that brain of yours, Jimmy Neutron? Your mind must be like, going, all the time. Amazing. Cool.
Steve. Funny. You are a great storyteller. You could write a book. Confessions of an ex-4sqr.
Peg, enjoy California. Some of the people who love you most reside here. (Present company included)
Fr. Rich, I love your stories.
Joann, the mother of all Joanns. Could we have asked for a better Priest's wife? I think not! And those lists...look what you have started!

Hey, look, I just made another list. And it has ten names on it! I'm in for the long haul. Thanks for welcoming me.

Insignificant me...but not to Him!

Insignificant me...but not to Him!

Top Ten Reasons to Start A Blog

10. Everyone else is doing it.
9. Someone to listen to me rant.
8. I don’t have to pay a shrink.
7. I can see if people really care about what I have to say.
6. There has to be some representation from the James family.
(When I told Scott he should start a blog, he said, “ I have nothing to say!” )
5. I can feel like I have adult communications during the day.
4. I can pretend I am doing something really important at the computer and the kids don’t know the difference.
3. Something to do at 2am.
2. I feel like I am really communicating.
1. I can try to come up with a better recipe for bacon grease.

So, what is that on the floor?

Jessica's question. I look down to find this white stuff, a little wet, shiny, like little tiny...too hard to describe. I pick it up and then look about 5 inches away at another little clump. Then, a few inches away, some more. What in the world? OH! It's that stuff that diapers turn into when they are soaked and there's a hole in it somewhere and this stuff that looks like it is not of this world ends up all over the place. My second child is two and a half. Up until last Christmas I didn't use disposables except when we were out of the house. So, I am still not that familiar with what they do. Well, apparently this is what they do. "*!@#*! diapers! Rebekah, where's the hole in your diaper? Jess, is this ALL the way down the hall and around the corner, or just here, in this room?" Welcome to my life.

We were reading Goldilocks and the Three Bears recently. I said to Jessica, "Wow, it wasn't very nice of Goldilocks to just walk in to someone's house when she didn't know them, was it?" Her response, without even skipping a beat, "She must have thought it was a model."

Today is my sister's birthday. 39. Wow, that used to seem so OLD! Okay, it still does. But, I am 36 and I guess I am getting old, too. But she will always be three years older...

It is raining outside. For anyone who has lived in the desert, the weather is very different here than where I grew up in the San Fernando Valley. We get these amazing electrical storms and from my dining room window, I can see the entire north end of the Antelope Valley. It is really beautiful to sit and watch the bolts of lightning lighting up the sky, one after the other. And the thunder, especially when it is right overhead. My God is an awesome God!

It is 3:30 in the morning. Why am I up? Couldn't sleep. I seem to do this every other night. One night I wake up in the middle of the night, the next night I sleep until Jess comes in, kisses me awake and says, "Mommy! Get up! I'm SOOOOOOO hungry!" So, I go out, turn on Noggin for her, pour some frosted flakes and milk in a bowl and groggily wander back off to bed. Which is when Rebekah comes meandering in, grinning from ear to ear, looking like she did something wrong. So, okay, I will catch up on sleep the next night.

Three hours of research...

I just spent three hours doing research for a friend who is getting divorced. I am so glad I am happily married and will never have to deal with that! This poor woman has been cheated on by her husband and then her attorney has totally neglected her for the past 15 months. Ridiculous!

I mentioned to someone that this thing is up and going, so now I guess I had better start writing. Problem was, I couldn't remember how to get here, or what I called it! So, now I guess I am part of the population that sits down at the computer and gets to write whatever comes into my head. And I don't care if anyone else likes it or reads it or not. At least I don't have my name as my website!

Friday night I got to spend time with the ladies from our church and we had a bridal shower for Mae. But the whole time I was thinking about Peg's testimony. It reminds me of the old saying that if you and all the other people you know threw your problems into a big pile so that you could pick easier problems, you would end up taking yours back because they are familiar and you already know how to handle them. Isn't it nice that we don't have to handle them ourselves, we can just give them to God and let Him sort them out. I need to remember that when I am stressing out over something. Give It To The Lord.

The Reason I'm Here

Not, actually, the reason I am here, but why this blog is here. I was going to post a comment to a comment by Fr. Rich on Cody's blog and I ended up with this when I signed up to post. Okay, moving on.

Fr. Rich's comment:
Questions: Why is the devil screwing with a little insignificant parish that's next to nowhere? And why tormenting certain individuals in that parish?
Answer: We ain't insignificant! and the devil attacks those who are a threat. Can you believe we are a threat to the devil.

Well, my comment to that, and it won't have the same impact it would have when I pressed the button to comment 10 minutes ago, is that God allows these things to happen to us, I believe, to draw us closer to Him, so that we will lean on Him, so that we will WANT to rely on His MIGHTY POWER, instead of trying to handle it ourselves. We can't do it alone, but we don't realize that until we try. And try. And try. And finally we give up and say, Okay, God, can you handle this for me and God says, I was just waiting for you to ask. And He makes it all better.

WHY do I believe this? Well, I have been struggling with pictures that pop into my head at the MOST inopportune times. Fr. Jim prayed over me several times for this. What I was trying to do, though, was force my mind to think on something else. I have found myself focusing many times on Christ on the cross, picturing all the details in my mind, the nails in his hands, the thorns in his head, the blood and sweat, the suffering He endured...for me. It helped...but only to a degree....because what I needed to do, and I realized all of a sudden one day, is to let GOD focus my mind on something else. He was allowing this to happen so that I would ask for HIS help instead of trying to do it myself.

Rebekah, at two years old, has this incredible innocence. When she accidentally injures Jessica or me, she will kiss the spot and ask, "Better?" When I kiss her boo-boo she says, "Better!" Well, isn't that what God wants to do? Love us and make it better? Why do we not allow Him to do that? BEFORE we struggle with it, whatever "it" may be?

So, even if we scrape up the side of the car, even if the dog chews on the patio cover, even if the cereal and the milk, bowl, spoon and all get knocked onto the chair and the floor by a two year old, it's okay, because God allows these trials to occur so that we will give it to Him and He will give us peace in return. Let's not let Satan get the better of us. You are right, Cody, Christ should be seen through us...if we are doing it right.

God WILL Bless You! If you let Him!