It's almost 2008. This last week has been very tiring but fulfilling. I was able to see most everyone I love at some point during the week. That is the most important thing to me. And I love watching anyone I give a gift, open it. I would rather watch them open it than receive one. I did receive some nice things, but won't list them since everyone else got nice things too, and I'm sure you would forget it in an instant anyway. I will say that I must have been a good girl this year, since I received an exceptional bonus from the boss.
I'm looking forward to a couple of days of quiet and inactivity. I have to work New Year's eve, but that's ok, cuz it's payday. They are always good days. ;0) It's also a co-workers birthday so we will celebrate a little more.
I hope and pray that the coming year holds showers of blessing for each of you.
Happy New Year dear friends and family. I love you all.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Holiday Message
The time is upon us, so I wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! I hope and pray the celebration will be bright and the coming year blessed for all of you.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Count Them One By One
Well, he's laughing. The old debil. He loves to make people unhappy and frustrated. I failed to read my bible this a.m. and only prayed for a couple of minutes before work. I can tell. The clinic has been very hectic and frustrating today. I am guilty of thinking really ugly things and saying not so nice things.
This Christmas is turning out to be different from any one I can remember. Family members so scattered we can't get together like we want, disappointment in the family life department and all the frustration of trying to "get ready" for a nice Christmas Day. Fatigue is playing a big role in emotional health as well.
I long for the "good ole days" when I was a child and things were so much simpler. But, I have to remind myself how good I really have it. So, here's how good I really have it.....
Goes without saying (but I will) that I am saved by grace and thankful for my God's love and mercy. I have God's word to read whenever I want and it's not against the law.
I am healthy. I have all my five senses. (LeLe believes I have a bit of a sixth sense, ;)
I have a job that I can tolerate fairly well. There are times of fun and laughter to temper the frustration.
My husband is a good man and loves me and the Lord. He is a good provider and takes good care of me.
My children are good Christians, loving, law abiding and healthy.
My mother is in good health, and is appreciative of all things her children do for her. My Dad was a good Christian example up until the day he died. They were married to each other until he passed.
All my siblings are alive and well and love me.
I have an awesome church family.
I have a computer to reach out to the world and bring it into my home. (Hmm, that could be a negative, but I choose to make it a positive)
I have a nice home, a nice car, food on the table and clothes on my back. I have lots of "stuff" that isn't necessary but makes life nice.
There are so many things good about my life that I need to "count my blessings" daily. So, I'm reminding myself in this post to do just that. And maybe, just maybe the remainder of the day will be a little easier.
This Christmas is turning out to be different from any one I can remember. Family members so scattered we can't get together like we want, disappointment in the family life department and all the frustration of trying to "get ready" for a nice Christmas Day. Fatigue is playing a big role in emotional health as well.
I long for the "good ole days" when I was a child and things were so much simpler. But, I have to remind myself how good I really have it. So, here's how good I really have it.....
Goes without saying (but I will) that I am saved by grace and thankful for my God's love and mercy. I have God's word to read whenever I want and it's not against the law.
I am healthy. I have all my five senses. (LeLe believes I have a bit of a sixth sense, ;)
I have a job that I can tolerate fairly well. There are times of fun and laughter to temper the frustration.
My husband is a good man and loves me and the Lord. He is a good provider and takes good care of me.
My children are good Christians, loving, law abiding and healthy.
My mother is in good health, and is appreciative of all things her children do for her. My Dad was a good Christian example up until the day he died. They were married to each other until he passed.
All my siblings are alive and well and love me.
I have an awesome church family.
I have a computer to reach out to the world and bring it into my home. (Hmm, that could be a negative, but I choose to make it a positive)
I have a nice home, a nice car, food on the table and clothes on my back. I have lots of "stuff" that isn't necessary but makes life nice.
There are so many things good about my life that I need to "count my blessings" daily. So, I'm reminding myself in this post to do just that. And maybe, just maybe the remainder of the day will be a little easier.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Dr. B and Nurse T
Our nurse practitioner is out today and so we've been playing doctor. Not in the way that sounds, but I have had pain in my leg for the last three days. The nurse and I have researched my symptoms in medical books and online. We have come to the conclusion that I have Sciatica. Sounds impressive doesn't it? Well, all it means is that I have pain running down my Sciatic nerve. There are several ways of treating it, and I just want the pain gone, since it wakes me up when I am actually able to sleep. I have two different kinds of pain medicine at home, but one doesn't work completely and the other is almost gone. And it's possible the pain will lessen with the clearing of the weather. The book says weather can play a role.
I have had back pain for years. I even had an epidural one time for it. Not the kind that you get when you are having a baby, but where they inject medication into the pain's point of origin. That is an experience I won't repeat unless I have no choice. The procdure was worse than dealing with the pain. The result was pretty good for a while, but the pain did eventually come back.
It's rather disappointing to not be able to shop for more than an hour or so before you back hurts so bad you have to give up and go home. At Christmas, when you want to get a lot of shopping done at once, that makes it almost impossible. Just walking around in Hunter's Refuge yesterday and Penney's sent me running for home. I know age plays a role, but come on.... lots of women older than me shop-til-they-drop. I sure wish I could sometimes. The only good thing, is that LeLe is not much of a shopper either, so we are both ready to go pretty early when we shop together. :)
I do have all but two gifts purchased and I will remedy that soon. Then I can enjoy the parties and church musicals, etc. without thinking of what I need to be doing.
I have had back pain for years. I even had an epidural one time for it. Not the kind that you get when you are having a baby, but where they inject medication into the pain's point of origin. That is an experience I won't repeat unless I have no choice. The procdure was worse than dealing with the pain. The result was pretty good for a while, but the pain did eventually come back.
It's rather disappointing to not be able to shop for more than an hour or so before you back hurts so bad you have to give up and go home. At Christmas, when you want to get a lot of shopping done at once, that makes it almost impossible. Just walking around in Hunter's Refuge yesterday and Penney's sent me running for home. I know age plays a role, but come on.... lots of women older than me shop-til-they-drop. I sure wish I could sometimes. The only good thing, is that LeLe is not much of a shopper either, so we are both ready to go pretty early when we shop together. :)
I do have all but two gifts purchased and I will remedy that soon. Then I can enjoy the parties and church musicals, etc. without thinking of what I need to be doing.
Saturday, December 8, 2007
*Another Frazzled Female
As LeLe occasionally does, I want to share a devotional reading with readers. This one hit me directly in the center of my heart and I believe it is appropriate for those of us who are so busy, we are overwhelmed.
It's written by Cindi Wood and is published in the December issue of Journey: A Woman's Guide to Intimacy With God.
The Core of the Problem
God has a beautiful invitation to all who find themselves caught up in the lifestyle of too many things to do with not enough time to do them. If you are anxious, pressured, and depleted by the demands placed on your life right now, God has something better in mind for you. Too little time is not actually the problem. The core of the problem may be having too much to do!
If you offer your heart, mind, and emotions to your Heavenly Father, He will direct you about all the things He wants you to be involved in during your daily schedule.
For me, the revelation about what should occupy my days comes in my quiet alone time. Part of what I do during that time with Him is go over my plans for the day, praying over each item and asking His take on what fills my day. He, more than once, has impressed me to strike something off my list.
I've learned not to assume that just because something is good, God wants me to be doing it at this particular time in my life. When I seek God's counsel and ask Him to be in control of my to-do list, He truly impresses on me what should be on it in the first place. Sometimes I'm impressed to strike off "little things." There have been other times when He has called me specifically to drop out of an activity for a while so that I may have more time to be with my family and grow our relationships.
I believe God wants us to learn to enjoy His fellowship at a more relaxed pace. For some reason we busy women equate being busy for God as being productive for Him. But you know, He is showing me that I'm more productive when I'm less busy and more relaxed.
It's my prayer that you will begin to check areas in your life where you might be overcommitted. Take some time with the Lord, seeking His direction. And remember, making sure you are less busy will help you have more time for sitting at His feet, and that's to your advantage!
end of article
There is a link at the bottom which is: www.frazzledfemale.com I haven't checked it out yet, but I plan to. As I have been gnashing and wailing about all I have to do this month, I was glad to read this. There may be something I can drop out of, (after checking with God first) and if so, it will be a relief. I find it hard to enjoy the Christmas season when I have so much to do that requires lots of preparation and I be away from home. I hope you younger women will be able to find a happy medium in all you must do to take care of your families and be involved in church activities. Merry Christmas!
(Mrs. Louisa Gabrielle, I hope you are well.)
** 3/17/2009 I changed the title of this post, because I saw that others were doing a google search on the original title and finding my blog. I don't believe that was their intention, and decided to change it because that title actually belongs to a dot com site.
It's written by Cindi Wood and is published in the December issue of Journey: A Woman's Guide to Intimacy With God.
The Core of the Problem
God has a beautiful invitation to all who find themselves caught up in the lifestyle of too many things to do with not enough time to do them. If you are anxious, pressured, and depleted by the demands placed on your life right now, God has something better in mind for you. Too little time is not actually the problem. The core of the problem may be having too much to do!
If you offer your heart, mind, and emotions to your Heavenly Father, He will direct you about all the things He wants you to be involved in during your daily schedule.
For me, the revelation about what should occupy my days comes in my quiet alone time. Part of what I do during that time with Him is go over my plans for the day, praying over each item and asking His take on what fills my day. He, more than once, has impressed me to strike something off my list.
I've learned not to assume that just because something is good, God wants me to be doing it at this particular time in my life. When I seek God's counsel and ask Him to be in control of my to-do list, He truly impresses on me what should be on it in the first place. Sometimes I'm impressed to strike off "little things." There have been other times when He has called me specifically to drop out of an activity for a while so that I may have more time to be with my family and grow our relationships.
I believe God wants us to learn to enjoy His fellowship at a more relaxed pace. For some reason we busy women equate being busy for God as being productive for Him. But you know, He is showing me that I'm more productive when I'm less busy and more relaxed.
It's my prayer that you will begin to check areas in your life where you might be overcommitted. Take some time with the Lord, seeking His direction. And remember, making sure you are less busy will help you have more time for sitting at His feet, and that's to your advantage!
end of article
There is a link at the bottom which is: www.frazzledfemale.com I haven't checked it out yet, but I plan to. As I have been gnashing and wailing about all I have to do this month, I was glad to read this. There may be something I can drop out of, (after checking with God first) and if so, it will be a relief. I find it hard to enjoy the Christmas season when I have so much to do that requires lots of preparation and I be away from home. I hope you younger women will be able to find a happy medium in all you must do to take care of your families and be involved in church activities. Merry Christmas!
(Mrs. Louisa Gabrielle, I hope you are well.)
** 3/17/2009 I changed the title of this post, because I saw that others were doing a google search on the original title and finding my blog. I don't believe that was their intention, and decided to change it because that title actually belongs to a dot com site.
Madrigals
Those of you who know me best, know that I am REALLY into all things medieval and celtic. I frequently window shop online for celtic jewelry and decorative items. I think I may have been born in the wrong time, but of course, God makes no mistakes. LeLe brought me a catalog the other day called: Gaelsong.I ooohd and aaaaahd over every page and if money was no object, probably would have started making purchases as soon as I could get to my computer. My dream is to some day, actually make it over to Scotland and maybe Ireland, since they are where my ancestors originated as far as I can tell.
Last night I was given the opportunity to enjoy a dinner called "Madrigal Feast", given by my neice's high school choir. (My sister's child) It's a yearly event and I loved it. All the choir members dress in medieval clothing and it's held in an Episcopal church that looks as if it was airlifted from the 5th century and set down in the middle of Pine Bluff, Arkansas. The setting was awesome and many of the younger choir members served us in the appropriate serving attire. Our wench was very sweet and helpful. ;) By candlelight, we were served a good meal of prime rib, green beans, new potatoes and flaming plumb pudding. The best part however, was the music. Harpsicord, flute, guitar and trumpet were the only instruments but they sounded unbelievable. The choir's performance was outstanding and unique. They not only stood at the front of the room singing, but also moved around the room several times for several numbers. My neice has been gifted beyong measure with her vocal talent. I believe it is due to the Lord of course, but she inherited the gift from both sides of her family. I'm told by those who knew her, that my paternal grandmother was quite the singer. And Neice's paternal grandmother was a gifted singer in her day as well.
This is Neice's last performance at Madrigals before graduating and her mom was in tears much of the time. They are a very close family and it' so good to see. I am very glad I went, eventhough I'm not a night owl and it usually causes me to have a restless night when I eat so late. But God blessed me and I was able to finally go to sleep when I got home and have a restful night.
Thanks Neice, for your hard work and for sharing your gift with all of us. We love hearing you sing and we love you more than you could imagine.
Last night I was given the opportunity to enjoy a dinner called "Madrigal Feast", given by my neice's high school choir. (My sister's child) It's a yearly event and I loved it. All the choir members dress in medieval clothing and it's held in an Episcopal church that looks as if it was airlifted from the 5th century and set down in the middle of Pine Bluff, Arkansas. The setting was awesome and many of the younger choir members served us in the appropriate serving attire. Our wench was very sweet and helpful. ;) By candlelight, we were served a good meal of prime rib, green beans, new potatoes and flaming plumb pudding. The best part however, was the music. Harpsicord, flute, guitar and trumpet were the only instruments but they sounded unbelievable. The choir's performance was outstanding and unique. They not only stood at the front of the room singing, but also moved around the room several times for several numbers. My neice has been gifted beyong measure with her vocal talent. I believe it is due to the Lord of course, but she inherited the gift from both sides of her family. I'm told by those who knew her, that my paternal grandmother was quite the singer. And Neice's paternal grandmother was a gifted singer in her day as well.
This is Neice's last performance at Madrigals before graduating and her mom was in tears much of the time. They are a very close family and it' so good to see. I am very glad I went, eventhough I'm not a night owl and it usually causes me to have a restless night when I eat so late. But God blessed me and I was able to finally go to sleep when I got home and have a restful night.
Thanks Neice, for your hard work and for sharing your gift with all of us. We love hearing you sing and we love you more than you could imagine.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Que the Music....
Christmastime is here..... Happiness and cheer.... Ahhh It's Christmas Charlie Brown, THE best Christmas special ever recorded in history in my opinion. Unfortunately, SR is a Scrooge and I never watch it anymore. I'm posting the Christmas Opinion Pole that is making the rounds in my blog neighborhood.
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both. But there is just something special about having to tear paper off a box and open it.
2. Real tree or artificial? I'd like real, but they are a real mess to deal with, so I've started using prelit artificial.
3. When do you put up the tree? As soon as possible after Thanksgiving. This year it was the day after. I REFUSE to shop the day after Thanksgiving due to the crazy people and the traffic. It's rediculous!
4. When do you take the tree down? Usually the 26th. I like to get things all clean and bright for New Year's.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? I don't remember if it was for Christmas exactly, but probably was.... the year my Dad was in Vietnam he sent my sisters and me a beautiful oriental doll that revolved on a round music box. I still have it. One day, maybe I'll have a granddaughter who will want it.
7. Do you have a nativity scene? Currently I have two displayed, but I have had as many as 5 at one time. After all, that IS the point isn't it?
8. Hardest person to buy for. My in-laws. If they need it or want it, they buy it. How do you buy for someone like that?
9. Easiest person to buy for? SR. He is satisfied with anything in the world. A pair of socks and a tee and he's good to go.
10. Worst Christmas? I can't remember a bad one, except maybe the year my dad was in Vietnam or the first Christmas after his passing.
11. Mail or email Holiday cards? I like the real thing. It's too easy and to impersonal to send email cards. Eventhough I have sent certain folks both.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? See first paragraph...
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Usually about August or September unless I see something perfect. This year I found something for someone back in May.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Nah. I have purchased one for a specific person though, and kept it for the next year and given it to someone else.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? I love it all. (Too Much)
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? I prefer clear.
17. Favorite Christmas song? Breath of Heaven. But it's not Christmas yet, unless you've heard Sleigh Ride.
18. Travel for Christmas or stay at home? Both.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? Can't everyone?
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? I've used both. Depends on my mood at the time of decoration shopping.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Both. When the kids were little, we'd let them open their gift from us on Christmas Eve, but they had to wait till Christmas morning for Santa's gifts. When they got older, we just went ahead on Christmas Eve to keep me from going out of my mind with "Can we open our gifts?!!!)
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? The traffic and the selfishness I've seen from time to time. I mean, if you have to push and shove someone to grab a gift, where is the Christmas spirit?
23. What I love most about Christmas? Celebrating Christ's birth by giving those I love gifts. I absolutely LOVE giving people presents. If I was rich, it would really be a problem.
SR is on vacation, so we drove over to Hot Springs to do a little Christmas shopping yesterday. I was able to find what I was looking for at the Mall, thank goodness but wished I'd had a bit more to spend at the time. He took me to my favorite restaurant, Red Lobster, and we had a great lunch. As soon as we left and made it to the next store, my stomach exploded. I was afraid I had caught some kind of virus. I tried to be a good little shopper and keep going, as SR had a specific place he wanted to shop, and I held out as long as I could. I finally had to tell him we had to go home. I was not happy, and didn't feel well at all the rest of the day, but at least I accomplished a bit before we had to high tail it home.
And I love it when you find what you want without really expecting to. I was in the local Pharmacy/Gift shop this morning and found EXACTLY what I wanted for my sisters. We give each other inexpensive gifts just for fun, and wonder of wonders, while I was waiting for a prescription, I found the perfect things. God is so good. ;)
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both. But there is just something special about having to tear paper off a box and open it.
2. Real tree or artificial? I'd like real, but they are a real mess to deal with, so I've started using prelit artificial.
3. When do you put up the tree? As soon as possible after Thanksgiving. This year it was the day after. I REFUSE to shop the day after Thanksgiving due to the crazy people and the traffic. It's rediculous!
4. When do you take the tree down? Usually the 26th. I like to get things all clean and bright for New Year's.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? I don't remember if it was for Christmas exactly, but probably was.... the year my Dad was in Vietnam he sent my sisters and me a beautiful oriental doll that revolved on a round music box. I still have it. One day, maybe I'll have a granddaughter who will want it.
7. Do you have a nativity scene? Currently I have two displayed, but I have had as many as 5 at one time. After all, that IS the point isn't it?
8. Hardest person to buy for. My in-laws. If they need it or want it, they buy it. How do you buy for someone like that?
9. Easiest person to buy for? SR. He is satisfied with anything in the world. A pair of socks and a tee and he's good to go.
10. Worst Christmas? I can't remember a bad one, except maybe the year my dad was in Vietnam or the first Christmas after his passing.
11. Mail or email Holiday cards? I like the real thing. It's too easy and to impersonal to send email cards. Eventhough I have sent certain folks both.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? See first paragraph...
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Usually about August or September unless I see something perfect. This year I found something for someone back in May.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Nah. I have purchased one for a specific person though, and kept it for the next year and given it to someone else.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? I love it all. (Too Much)
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? I prefer clear.
17. Favorite Christmas song? Breath of Heaven. But it's not Christmas yet, unless you've heard Sleigh Ride.
18. Travel for Christmas or stay at home? Both.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? Can't everyone?
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? I've used both. Depends on my mood at the time of decoration shopping.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Both. When the kids were little, we'd let them open their gift from us on Christmas Eve, but they had to wait till Christmas morning for Santa's gifts. When they got older, we just went ahead on Christmas Eve to keep me from going out of my mind with "Can we open our gifts?!!!)
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? The traffic and the selfishness I've seen from time to time. I mean, if you have to push and shove someone to grab a gift, where is the Christmas spirit?
23. What I love most about Christmas? Celebrating Christ's birth by giving those I love gifts. I absolutely LOVE giving people presents. If I was rich, it would really be a problem.
SR is on vacation, so we drove over to Hot Springs to do a little Christmas shopping yesterday. I was able to find what I was looking for at the Mall, thank goodness but wished I'd had a bit more to spend at the time. He took me to my favorite restaurant, Red Lobster, and we had a great lunch. As soon as we left and made it to the next store, my stomach exploded. I was afraid I had caught some kind of virus. I tried to be a good little shopper and keep going, as SR had a specific place he wanted to shop, and I held out as long as I could. I finally had to tell him we had to go home. I was not happy, and didn't feel well at all the rest of the day, but at least I accomplished a bit before we had to high tail it home.
And I love it when you find what you want without really expecting to. I was in the local Pharmacy/Gift shop this morning and found EXACTLY what I wanted for my sisters. We give each other inexpensive gifts just for fun, and wonder of wonders, while I was waiting for a prescription, I found the perfect things. God is so good. ;)
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