And the Lessons Continue ~ III

One would think that at 62 years of age, not every day would be a learning day,

but learning continues each day in my life...

...to continue how the Lord is working in my life...

I did something for someone this Christmas that I thought was wonderful

Boy was I wrong

First I was upset that they were upset 

and then someone very dear to me said

"Everyone _______ differently"

I know that but why get so upset?

BECAUSE 

"everyone _______ differently"

Neither way is right or wrong, IT just IS!

And that's what I had...

I wrote the person involved,

heard back from them,

life goes on and we learn, we all learn

Then in a group I belong to on Facebook

where an in~depth conversation was happening someone posted:

"Not everyone finds joy in the same things we do.  It doesn't mean they're ungrateful. 

It's only a few days after Christmas, maybe they are waiting a few days to use XXX ....

And I responded (in the middle of not understanding what/why XXX was happening)

duh...not everyone finds joy in the same thing,

not everyone likes everything in the same way,

what brought me joy, brought someone grief, 

insurmountable grief and pain

and then a big RIFF between us...

so not what I wanted or intended to happen

A hard but great lesson to learn,

even at 62 or should I say 

it's about time I learned and figured it out...

that we are all different 

and God made us that way...

how boring life would be if we were all the same...

One of my goals for the past few months and really becoming one of the things I am focusing on is being open and available to hearing the Lord speak to me...

...this morning He got my attention during the worship service and sermon at church this morning at New Life Baptist Church.  Usually we make our kiddos sit with us but I'm trying to say YES more than NO and since I really didn't have a good reason to say no I let our two oldest sit where they asked...AZ wanted to sit w/Ms T and AR wanted to sit on the first row with Brother Adam (the pastor).  I told them if I had to walk up to them during the service they would not get their tablets for one week!!!!  Yes the new tablets they got for Christmas and yes, something they have both been on a lot the past few days...I know restrictions/limits should be set BUT since today is our 20th straight day of working (combination of our choice & limited coverage) we are allowing lots of screen time this school break :).  They both said okay and off to their seats they went.  LB had to sit with us, she is too wiggly and too loud to sit with others and we let her go play in the nursery during the actual sermon time...because in her words...big people's church is no fun!!!

Now back to what I was learning...one of the scripture references was 

 & 

Ephesians 4: 25-29

25 What this adds up to, then, is this: no more lies, no more pretense. Tell your neighbor the truth. In Christ’s body we’re all connected to each other, after all. When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself. Go ahead and be angry. You do well to be angry—but don’t use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don’t stay angry. Don’t go to bed angry. Don’t give the Devil that kind of foothold in your life. Did you use to make ends meet by stealing? Well, no more! Get an honest job so that you can help others who can’t work. Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift. Ephesians 4:25-29 The Message.

This really spoke to me and challenged me...I remember lying as a child to my mom, the last two times...once when I was 13 and a girl had called her a SL.. and I got angry and broke her elbow with my baton...my anger was rampant back then and it just happened instantly.  My mom didn't care that the girl called her a SL..but I sure did.  Anyway, my mom asked me how old I was and I smart mouthed back to her "7" well she hit me 7x and then asked again...I replied 13 and got hit 13 more times plus chili pepper put in my mouth...and then I lied to her Labor Day Weekend 1975 while I was getting ready for work...she asked me if Ron and I had talked marriage and I replied NO!!!  I was scared to death of her reaction to my wanting to get married because of how she had reacted when my older sister got married...

I do not like to be lied to or being called a liar.  And the verse continues to ...watch the way you talk...I used to swear as good as most sailors but the last 12 years I have made a true effort to not swear and especially now in our positions as house parents...I know I wasn't the best mom in the world when our boys were younger and I have had many conversations with them about the past and present and I am so thankful for the grace and forgiveness they have extended to me...but back to the sermon...I just felt like the Lord was telling me 

WHOA...give your kids the same grace and mercy I have shown you!!!

WHOA...give yourself the grace and mercy I have shown you!!!

And remember little eyes and ears are watching and listening ALL the TIME!!

Just like the Lord is watching all the time!!

Thank you Lord for this very real reminder that Your love is never ending and that no matter how I behave You give me a second, third and more chances than I can count!!!

And the Lord says yes to me and this is evident in how 

I am so blessed, blessed beyond measure.  

• 
  

Raw & Uncensored ~ II

What a day it has been...got one kid off to his sponsor's for the weekend, went to Victoria, Texas that is...still waiting for hubby to take me to the other Victoria...you know the one off the coast of British Columbia!!!  Got Ron's new glasses...well one pair, his sunglasses ~ the gal ordered the wrong pair first...oh well...he's just thankful he can see clearly now ~ even though it's quite dark inside the house :)

While Ron was getting his glasses the girls and I went to Hobby Lobby...I love to walk the aisles there, so many things I like to see and then of course going through the yarn aisles...that's where I like to be...so many projects jump out at me...this pretty yarn...oh how I love the variegated pinks/purples or blues/yellows...but then I think of all the yarn in our spare bedroom and I think...stash...empty the stash...empty the stash...EMPTY THE STASH!!!!!  So no yarn today but as I was checking out the pack of metallic pens caught my eye...yep I bought them...one girl can never have too many pens even though some husbands, mine included disagree.

Next stop was Walmart, Sam's Club and then on to Cuero to Walmart (had to pick up some prescriptions...so thankful for insurance...five medications that used to run me over $250 a month are $0...that's right...no copay!!!  Thank you Jesus!!! No more wondering if the money would be there to cover my meds, what ones do I skip today? what ones do I skip tomorrow...no more skipping!!!  Thank you Jesus!!!

The kids were great with all the running around we had to do so we made one last stop...at what we like to call "The Place that Can't Be Named" or aka Dairy Queen...six blizzards later with six in a sugar coma we headed for home...kids played outside for a bit...need to take advantage of the warm winter days here in Texas...it gets dark before 5:30 so any playtime outside before then is a must.

Visited with friends who stopped by for a bit and then time to eat dinner, shower and soon bedtime for the kidlets...

...not sure why my stress level seems so high right now...but I can't wait for them to be in their beds...I just want to crawl into my bed and sleep the night away...

so many things are on my mind that sometimes it feels easier to just go and hide instead of facing the thoughts...thinking about relationships, real and imagined, what I want and what actually is, projects I want to complete yet not knowing what one to do first, trying to figure out a monthly menu...are the kids going to like XYZ?  or what about DEF?  sometimes I just want to cry or scream when I fix dinner and get the "yuck look or heavy sigh or I don't like that...how the heck do you know...you haven't even tried it???  The littles would be happy with cold cereal 3x a day, 7 days a week, 4 weeks a month...but that just doesn't happen.

That's when my frustration starts to rise...be thankful you have food to eat!  be thankful it's not top ramen every night of the week...I can make it 25 different ways!!!  Tonight I just want to cry...can't I do anything right???  Make something easy like tuna & noodles...nope, complaints abound, make mac 'n cheese ~ ugh you put ham in it!!!  Do you get the picture?   Made peanut butter & jelly...choose grape, strawberry or raspberry jam...yuck!!!  Oh my goodness...can't you eat just one meal without complaining?  

I'm tired and I want to sleep in...but one of us has to be up at 6:15 to relieve the over night staff at 6:30...and though hubby tries to be quiet, it doesn't seem to work...

Oh wait, now I sound like a broken record of complaints...and one of the things I have been trying to focus on since last Sunday's sermon of being thankful in everything and stop dwelling on the hard things...and just like that the Lord turns things around...while typing this I got a text on my phone so stopped writing (where it changes to blue is when I started typing again....) and there was a text from our daughter-in-love, mom to our 4 grandsons...asking did we get our Christmas gift yet and I replied yes...we love family calendars!!!  After texting back and forth a few times, searching three bags of garbage (yes the envelope the calendar came in had already been put in the trash!) WHEW!!!! found the envelope the calendar came in

and tucked inside was another smaller envelope WHEW!!!!

Made me cry...happy tears...and being reminded that God shows His love in so many amazing ways and that I need to focus on the BIG things and not the little things...meals...kids are healthy...be thankful for that...and isn't that what vitamins are for????

So tonight the kidlets had 

and were happy little campers!!!

And there is always tomorrow to eat something a bit healthier!!!

And on that note, this mama is going to call it a night, 

turn on a worship cd,

crawl into bed with my new book

and drift off to sleep!

To start a new day tomorrow!!

******

Thanks for stopping by and remember I love to hear comments about what I've written...who knows, maybe tomorrow I will write again!!!

Continuing to Grow and Learn ~~ RAW and Uncensored

Each day is a new day,

each day is a new opportunity to grow and learn,

sometimes those opportunities are painful and confusing, 

guess if it was easy I probably wouldn't learn stuff...

this past week has been a difficult one and yet filled with so many blessings.

I tend to focus on the negative though most people think I am positive and encouraging...I try to be, especially to others but not so much to myself.

My Word/Phrase for 2020 is

Chaos to Calmness

And the Lord has been encouraging and challenging me in so many ways.

One is this study

It is supposed to be an 11 ~ 12 week study but I have decided to take it slow...one page a day and truly focus on what I am reading and learning about.  It is a combination journal/coloring book study...right up my alley!

This morning Ron was up with the kids and I buried myself in my recliner with a cup of coffee, my Bible, the above book, my colored pens and just sat for a few minutes.  

As I began to read pages 9 to 13 ( the introduction and through the first page of chapter one) I would find myself racing to read and then telling myself slow down, listen to the words, understand the words...so many things jumped out at me...

... even though Paul was no stranger to hardship, he weaves threads of joy, unity and Christlikeness throughout his letter to the Philippians.  He encourages us to stand firm!   Philippians fills us with hope of God's promises and His faithfulness.

Time...things happen over time and it takes 

for things to change, that change could come in an instant like someone dying in an accident or days or weeks or even months and years ... like someone dying from a serious illness like cancer.

And I need to remember to give myself TIME to enjoy each day,

time to be in the Lord's Word,

time to be with family & friends,

It takes time to get somewhere and so it takes time to heal, learn and grow.

And my time today to write is ending as we have

errands to run and things to do with these kiddo's and my hubby

so I leave you for now...

...stay tuned for more!

How Does the Lord Speak to Me ~ Mysteriously and Amazingly!!

It's been a rough few weeks as a house parent here in Yoakum, TX, feeling like our wheels were spinning out of control, wondering what could we do differently, what were we doing right?  Asking ourselves question after question and crying way too many tears...one day in desperation I posted on Facebook

"I give up!  I don't know what to do!"

And my bestie replied "Pray!"

And so I laid my head in my hands and cried out to the Lord.

I was feeling so incomplete, a lousy home mom,

and wondering what to do with a child who just didn't seem to want to learn, accept responsibility for her actions, who was doing the blame game like a pro and was defiant at every corner and turn.

So I cried out to the Lord!!!

Help me, please help me!!!

And then looked up some scripture and this came up

I poured my heart out to my Bestie in an email, she knows me and yet is not involved in the trenches of being a home parent, I cried on my sister here at BBYR and reached out to our ladies prayer group to pray, just pray for me, for the little girl, for us, for our home.

And what came to me, through my prayers, through the sweet counsel of words from my Bestie, encouragement from my sister is

CHAOS to CALMNESS

and that's what we need to do

We need to take the chaos of these children's lives

and lead them to calmness.

This resonated with me

for I was once the little girl, young adult, young wife & mom

who's life was filled and swirled with chaos...

...why didn't I see it...maybe because I am too close

But with the loving and encouraging words

and being open to what the Lord wanted me to see and learn

is that it is my responsibility to

be the CALMNESS in our lives of CHAOS!!

I found these...they all spoke to me...

and

is this bridge from land to sea

or a mountain top to the sky

I see water a little turbulent on one side

and calm on the other...with a walkway to between

I have chosen to be the house mom to these three little's

and God has shown me this week,

over and over

He is Perfect,

not me!

He is filled with Love

and can fill me with love for these kiddo's.

Remember it is God's way, not mine!

Every resource I have is from the Lord,

He is enough and will provide all I need,

each and every step of the way.

Remember to say YES!!!

Remember to pick my battles!!!

Remember we are all a work in progress!!!

And sometimes it's okay to say

Lord...help me!!! I don't know what to do!!!

Set boundaries but know some can be changed

And from our sermon yesterday...

..."I don't have to be afraid of something being taken from me, or in giving to those who ask of me, or in lending of what I have to others.  I am even free to give to my enemies!!!

And even though sometimes it feels like these kiddo's are out to get me...

...really all they want is to be loved!!

And isn't that what we all want:

So to answer the question I asked at the beginning:

God speaks to me through His Word, friends, in the quiet of the morning hours, through songs, through sermons and in my heart.

How do you hear God speaking to you?

******************************************************************

I like to choose a word or a phrase for each year.

Past words have been

flexible,

intentional,

grace (to myself and others)

soft 

and this year,

the theme of the past few weeks

have been

Chaos to Calmness

and so I am choosing

I want to be CALM in my spirit...

CALM in my heart...

CALM in my reactions...

CALM in my tone...

and have

CALMNESS in our home!!!

Do you choose a word to focus on throughout the year?

I give up!!!
I don't know what to do????

I give up!!!
I don't know what to do????

December Already

Once again I can't believe it has been over a month since I last wrote here on my blog.  I have been trying to write a little something each day in my day planner/journal ~ some days it's one sentence sometimes it four or five...

This morning the desire and urge to write is strong so I thought ...Just Write!!!

This morning I received the following scripture and devotion and it resonated with me...

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:58

Our work for the Lord is always meaningful when done with the intentions of drawing others to Him. We may not see some of the fruit from the seeds of hope and love we plant into others lives, but the Lord will bless our every effort to share His truth and obediently follow Him. We must not give up or become discouraged if the results we are wanting do not happen right away. Only the Lord can change hearts and save people, our responsibility is shining His light onto others and sharing His love with them through our words and actions. You never know whose feelings you may change or affect by letting the Lord work through you in every area of your life. As our hearts are filled with compassion and we are dedicated to serving the Lord, it is literally life changing and an experience we won't want to miss out on sharing with others.

The last month has been a rough one here in our home, 

having an 11 year old who is more likely to steal and/or lie begins to take a toll.

We have prayed with and for this little girl,

we have given out consequences, taken away privileges, 

talked and been silent

but nothing seems to get through to her.

The last two days have been very difficult

and I have found myself praying and crying out to the Lord...

"I just don't know what to do!"

and this morning my friend, Kim sent me the above scripture and devotional

and I knew the Lord had heard my cries.

One of my goals this year has been to spend time each morning in the Word before the children get up and finally the last half of November and so far the first four days of December I have met that daily goal...

So much more to write,

but the clock is ticking and this foster mom

needs to get these little's up and ready for the day!!!

Hopefully it won't be so long before I write again :)

JOY!

Joy

the word that has jumped out at me this morning.

Joy in the little things, not just the big things.

Joy in watching a 5 year old eat a piece of cheese pizza,

with pizza sauce from one cheek to the other, 

laughing as she talks about her day.

Joy when struggling with a decision, knowing that

with the help of the Lord HIS Joy will shine through me.

thank you Lord for your word for me today

JOY

Jesus

Others

You (or self)

Something I was taught many years ago,

it's not about me or what I have 

it's about trusting and believing in

Jesus,

Loving Him

and then loving others as HE as loved me

and does love me.

Lord as this new day dawns,

help me to show Your love to those we come into contact with,

especially as we prepare for a new day with these 

three little's you have entrusted in our care...

Lord thank you for this second chance of being a good parent

to those who don't have a mama or daddy to love on them;

guide us as we nurture and love on them

and also as we love and continue 

our relationships with our own sons and their families. Amen.

Wondering about a Dream I had.

I woke up just after 5:00 this morning from a strange and disturbing dream....

I was at an apartment complex/condo of some sort and two little boys came into the room I was in and was laughing and talking with each other about how they just shot and killed some lady and who could they kill next.  I don't know how I did it but I grabbed their guns and made them sit on the couch while waiting for the police to arrive.

In the apartment/condo with me was my Pastor, Charles, a girlfriend but I couldn't identify her, my lawyer and someone else I couldn't identify and we were all busy gathering evidence all the while being very aware of what the little boys had done.

I was very unsettled when I woke up...why do little boys have guns?  who are they killing?  thankful I was able to over power them and hold them till the cops were able to arrive and that I wasn't alone.  I then opened my email and this was the top email...my verse for the day...

Christ has redeemed me!!!  

No matter what has happened or is going on

Christ has redeemed me!!!

I sent out a quick message to our BBYR Ladies Prayer group along with the above scripture that I read, said a prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord for His timely Word, rolled over and slept for about another 90 minutes.

Thank you Lord for a new start to my day!!!

Frustrated...

LONG POST!!!!
Today is filled with lots of frustration...frustration that the insurance company now has the power to decide what medical care I am able to receive and what medications are okay for me to take...okay this is not a new frustration...we have had multiple times where myself or one of the boys or Ron has gone to the doctor and the doctor has said "I want to you to have "this test" so we can find out what is going on with XXXX"  only to have the insurance company say they are not going to authorize that procedure or test.

Recently I have had my doctor request two different diagnostic tests...a ct scan for a possible femur fracture and a ct scan w/contrast to see why my liver tests/numbers all came back way higher than they should...nope, can't happen because the insurance company says "not medically necessary!"

Why oh why has our society gotten to the point that the almighty dollar/insurance company profits dictate our medical care?  And please don't say this is a Trump issue...it is not....I can think of two instances: one in 1992 when our son was having a heart procedure done and the insurance company approved the procedure and an emergency open heart surgery if needed and when the doctors did the procedure the first time it did not work, so they ran the procedure a second time and it worked!!!  Thank you Lord...it was as if our son had never had a heart problem which could have killed him if it was not protected....but wait, the insurance company refused to pay for the second procedure because it wasn't pre-authorized!!  After months of haggling with the insurance company and finally contacting the president of the insurance company (I personally knew him through my position at OptionCare) and described what was happening even he had to agree it was a no brainer for the them to pay for the second procedure ($15,000) vs if he would have had to have had open heart surgery ($100,000's)....

and in 1974 when I had to have my eye removed due to a medical issue and the insurance company told my mom that they would not cover a prosthetic eye for me because it was cosmetic!!!  Cosmetic!!!  what was a 16 year old girl supposed to do?? walk around with a pirate's patch for the rest of her life?????  Thankfully a good friend of my mom offered to and paid for my first artificial eye ($500)....so again this is not a new issue

but all this leads to my frustration today!!!  Society needs to change and let the doctors do the doctoring and the insurance company which rakes in millions of dollars a month pay the dang medical bills and stop trying to be the dang doctor!!!!

********
Frustration #2 - Facebook....I will be taking a self-induced break from FaceBook (after I post this link to this post)  I am tired of the negativity that people think they have the right to spew at me, at people in general when someone, me, post something on Facebook...what I have realized is that people only read what they want to read, just like our 10 year old foster daughter listens to only what she wants to listen to, they don't ask for more information before making rude or condescending comments they just assume they know the whole story....

So I have made the decision to just continue to use Messenger to keep in touch with those who I correspond with that I can't reach other ways, and live in the real world of writing letters/emails, calling/texting on the phone and in person, face-to-face conversations where maybe I won't be attacked or judged by people who only know what they think they know and not the whole story.

So...you can reach me through Messenger, telephone, text, email or even comments on my blog.  That is if you really want to have a real relationship with me and not hide behind your computer screen and make judgement calls with little or false information.

Questioning

Lord, I come to you this morning asking you to reassure me that things are the way they are supposed to be...Lord I am really wondering what I am doing?  I know in my head you have led us where you want us but this morning my heart is asking am I here for the right reasons? 

I have lots to do this morning/today Lord...help me to dwell on You and Your love for me, to keep trusting You and I ask You to guide me each and every step and with every word that comes from my mouth. 

Lord help me to show Your love to each of those I come into contact with.  I need You more than I could ever imagine.  Amen.

Seeing Life through the eyes of an 8 year old!!

This morning as I was getting ready to go to the grocery store, little AB, 8 years old, said "Ms Ali I've never been grocery shopping with you can I go with you please?"  Sure you can!! was my reply.

So off we went with our 

in hand.  AB had strawberry and I had blueberry...AB asked if I wanted to trade one of his for one of mine...sure we can!!!  

After arriving at the grocery store and each of eating our last bite, we began walking into the store.  AB says "Ms. Ali if we get the water first we won't forget it."  Smart cookie there!!  So we put the 5 gal water bottles in our cart and off to the produce department.  First up are bananas and then a salad to go with dinner.  Then followed a conversation of having chili cheese dogs for dinner...sounds good to me...so we bought some hot dogs (already have chili and cheese at home) and got some hot dog buns too!  Picked up cereal: requests for Fruit Loops and Lucky Charms...no problem...then picked up some other groceries like grapes, bananas, pickles, multi-vitamins and 4 gallons of milk...these kids sure like their milk!!

AB was such a  big help, he organized the groceries in the cart so we wouldn't squish the hot dog buns, put the milk on the bottom so we wouldn't drop it, 4 bags of cereal fit real good on the bottom with the milk...as we were loading the groceries into the truck, AB says "Ms Ali, I like going grocery shopping with you...you let me pick up the heavy stuff and that's good because boys are supposed to help with the heavy stuff right?"  Oh, AB thank you for being my helper today!!  It was fun to see how you do things!!!

Once home, lunch was had by all...good ole peanut butter and jelly...how many sandwiches can eight kids eat...16...and one ate four of them!!!  I'm giving thanks I don't pay for the groceries around here.  And tonight those same eight kids had 16 hot dogs between them with the 4 and 5 year old only eating one!!  It is fun to see kids enjoying eating!!

Breakfast tomorrow is French Toast...wonder how many slices I will have to fix??

One thing we do at dinner time is go around the table and each person shares their low point and high point of the day...a few of them said saying good-bye to DP who left today to go back and live with his mom...we are all excited for him yet a little sad because we will miss his laughter, sense of humor and even those stinky feet!!!

Now everyone is settling down for the night so this HP Mama is going to pick up her crochet hook and work on a moose and a baby blanket...

Talk to y'all again soon!!

I'ts Been Awhile

Whew...where has the time gone?  Can't believe it's been two months since I last visited this place...I used to come here faithfully every day, then every few days, then once a week or so and now it's been over two months!!!

I have wondered about keeping my blog off/on over the years and I truly do miss journaling on a daily/every other day schedule.  I think for many reasons I have stopped yet lately I am feeling the need to pick up the pen (or keyboard) and write again but then Satan gets in my head and says things like "you better not say that because..." or "who really cares about what you and Ron are doing?" or "nobody reads your blog any way" or "what do you hope to see happen if you write about ?"  and the thoughts keep coming and coming and then I step away from the keyboard...

...then today as Ron left to go to Men's Bible Study and the kids are outside playing for a few more minutes I thought...hey hit the keyboard and almost immediately the thoughts started BUT I have plowed through and sat down here...

What's on my mind?  

FRIENDSHIP

I am so blessed to have friends, good friends, a BESTIE and acquaintances in my life.  I think have a lot more friends than many and I am so thankful for each of them.  Today though, I want to share about a few of them...

My longest relationship is friend, Corrine from high school...we lost contact for awhile but with the help of Facebook I reconnected with her brother and then her...I am so glad.  We have only physically seen each other once since graduation in 1975...YES that was a long time ago but each time we talk, write and yes, when we got together in Colorado a few years ago it was like a day had not passed between us.

I have a friend that I made when we were stationed in Holland, again we have only seen each other once since we left Holland in 1979 but we have watched our families grow with our own children and now with our grandchildren.  Connie and I come from very different backgrounds and have very different beliefs about some things but we are still friends.  I always get a smile on my face when I think of her and especially when I see the little sheep ornaments she and the kids made for us one Christmas.  

And from our time at McChord AFB, now Joint Base Lewis~McChord, is my mama best friend...we have nursed each other's babies...YES we did...we have flown across the US to see each other for special occasions like graduation from college.  We have cried with and for each other and I know that whenever I pick up the phone Merel is on the other end she will love me, laugh with me, cry with me and pray for me...we have been there when our father's passed away and when our mom's have been sick.  I am blessed to be able to share my grandbabies with her and she shares her furgrands with me...we are sisters of another mother and I am so thankful to call her my sister (one of many).

There is my Mom, Friend, Sister, Co-worker, Confidant and Counselor who has walked so many miles with me...we have been separated by miles yet we are never far apart from each other.  Lynda and her hubby, Jerry are not only friends, they are part of our extended family...they have counseled us through some rough times and been there to celebrate for the wonderful times.  We may not write or talk every day but when we do it's like we were just together the day before.  Through my friendship with Lynda I have another "mom" I can call...Kathy...she has helped me through some rough times and encouraged me on difficult days yet smiled and laughed together so many times we can't keep track...and isn't that how friendship should be...

My BESTIE...Dee...I love her more than any sister that could be blood to me...we have laughed, cried, argued and not spoken but through our love for the Lord and each other we have always found our way back to each other.  I think Satan picks on our relationship because we are so special to each other...if I don't hear from her after a few days, Satan puts those thoughts of "she doesn't like you, she's mad at you, you said something to piss her off"...Satan never says "she loves you BUT JESUS brings us back together with an email or a post on Facebook...we have gone years without seeing each other but boy do we make up for it when we are together...like a six hour coffee date!!!  Only a Bestie would spend that much time on a hard chair at Woods!!!  

Oh, so many names are going through my head...Mary, Norma, Donna, Amy, Rachel, Barb, Sallie and so many more...I am truly blessed to have so many wonderful women in my life and I even have a few great men in my life...besides my hubby of almost 44 years!!!  Oh what my life would like without Ron...nope, don't want to go there.  And then there is Jack, Jerry, Gary, Charles, Jim ~ oh how I will never forget our first meeting, Gerald and a few who are no longer here on earth: Curt, Al and Don...

I know I have not listed everyone...how could one person do that...

I just know that friendship, true friendship is a gift from God and I am blessed with so many

one of the things I want to do in my life is to be intentional in my friendships,

friendships are not on a one-way road but a two-way road where we meet along the way, sometimes in short distances, sometimes it seems forever.  

Friendship...what does that mean to you?

Greetings from Blue Bonnet Youth Ranch

Our view here at Blue Bonnet Youth Ranch from our little home on wheels!!!

We spent last week at Colorado River Thousand Trails,

attended Cowboy Church of the Hill Country on Easter Sunday,

and then traveled last Sunday to BBYR

where we met up with our friends, Jack & Donna.

After chatting with Stephen, the administrator it has been decided we will be the Full-time Relief Home Parents working Friday afternoons to Monday mornings and filling in for vacations and emergencies.  We are excited for this schedule to begin but that won't be for a couple of weeks or so as we need to complete their training, get our TB/drug tests ~~ which I chuckle as I remember the time we were working for Funtastic Shows Carnival and Albert came up to us as we were pulling into the Portland yard letting us know THEY were doing random drug tests...and we said no problem and he kept saying "you don't understand, drug tests"  what he didn't understand was that was NOT a problem for us!!!  

We will have a two bedroom, two bath apartment for our main residence and then a suite in each cottage (like a hotel room ~ private bath, living/sleeping area) when we are on duty so we won't have to be moving stuff around each week.  I will take pictures once we are settled in!!!

We  will have a place for any of y'all that want to come visit!!!  We can't wait to see some of you come this way!!!!!

Our two weeks off between gate~guarding and arriving here at BBYR was spent sleeping at night and being awake during the day or at least I should say tried to sleep at night and be up during the day :)

I still have times where I wake up at 3a and think I need to get ready for work.  Heard from some friends, it took them almost 3 months to get back into a normal schedule.  Sure hope it doesn't take that long!!!

Our phone numbers are staying the same ~ if you want our address let me know!!!

Wishing each of you a blessed day!!!

A Little Update ~

335 days of gate guarding is complete!

Actually our last day of work was Sunday, April 14 and we were on the road for a new adventure by 7:30a on Monday, April 15.

First stop was Kermit, TX at the Winkler County Park for five nights.

We slept, saw our friends Gary & Amy twice!! Enjoyed relaxing, made a couple of trips back to Pecos/Barstow: one to return the Lac Keys that we forgot to turn in and then once to go to the West of the Pecos Museum and get our mail.  

At the museum we saw life from the 1800's to present day.  It was interesting to read about the oil trade, see relics of homes and doctor offices and we enjoyed some cantaloupe jelly beans...Pecos is famous for cantaloupes.  That is one of the things we enjoyed a lot of last summer ~ so yummy and fresh!!!

While staying in Kermit we made three trips to Odessa to the Verizon store to get a mifi card.  Bought it on Wednesday, took it back on Thursday because it did not work and still spent over an hour on the phone with customer service Thursday evening and still it wouldn't work, so back to Odessa on Friday morning.  Was told "they had a new one that would work...well guess what, nope didn't work, same issue as the old one so we did not get a wifi card for ease of accessing the internet but such is life.  

Today, here in Columbus, TX I am thankful for the free wifi at Thousand Trails, Colorado River and where we are parked I can access it from our little home on wheels.

Saturday we left Kermit and made our way to Dripping Springs, TX and

Cowboy Church of the Hill Country  Ron had emailed the pastor and asked if we could park our trailer there for the night and then attend services on Sunday.  YEP ~ so we did.  We had a great day on the road and enjoyed our time together traveling once again.  We arrived at Cowboy Church about 6:30p and since we didn't have hookups when the sun went down so did we...it was so quiet it was almost hard to fall asleep BUT we did!!!  We heard a truck pull in around 5:30a to set up for the Sonrise Service which was set to begin at 7:15a.

We joined them for coffee before the service, met some wonderful people who love the Lord and celebrated our Risen Savior!!  What a blessing to be together, holding hands, singing songs of praise and fellowshipping with other believers.

After the Sonrise service we visited with a few people and then had a traditional Texas breakfast of burritos ~ made with scrambled eggs and venison sausage.  So very tasty and filling and of course, lots of coffee.

The worship service started just before 10a...what a joy and blessing to be a part of this service.  Enjoyed the music, both listening and singing and the sermon was wonderful sharing of what Resurrection Sunday really is and means.  It was wonderful to be in the house of the Lord, sitting with my hubby, singing praise songs and fellowshipping with other believers.  

After church we made our way to Columbus, TX to Colorado River TT Campground.

We did the basic setup and then headed into town to get gas (that's another story) and dinner...we ate at Nancy's Steakhouse.  For dinner we each had a salad, baked potato, steamed veggies, grilled shrimp and a ribeye!  It was a delicious dinner and most of all we enjoyed sitting together, no trucks interrupting our meal and a sweet waitress who kept the water and tea glasses filled to the brim.

We will be here at Colorado River TT till Sunday, April 28th when we will head out to start another new adventure.!!

Our new adventure is taking us to Blue Bonnet Youth Ranch where we have accepted the position of Relief House Parents.  To start we will be working 3 days with 11 days off!!!  And you know us, we can do a lot of traveling those 11 days!!  Ron is already busy planning multiple trips including Land O Lakes, Florida, Blaine, WA, Milledgeville/Atlanta GA, Arley & Cullman, Alabama, Nashville, Arkansas and Branson, MO to name a few!!!

We are looking forward to working with our friends, Jack & Donna, sharing God's love with children and hopefully making a positive impact on their young lives.

That's our news for now!!

Will update again soon!

Now it's time to head to the pool and enjoy the beautiful surroundings we find ourselves!!!

10 Day Writing Challenge ~ Day 5 ~ If Given a Pass for Anything in Life What Would it Be or Do You Already Have It?

Day 5 Writing Prompt is a bit different...so I rephrased it to fit more to me....

It doesn’t necessarily mean that every single thing always goes exactly the way you want.

But it could mean that everything, in the long run, does work together for your ultimate highest good.

It could mean that sometimes when a door closes, it’s because you’re being steered in a better direction, in the long run.

What one piece of evidence from your life (e.g., a grace you lived through, a miracle or blessing you received unexpectedly, a time everything worked out when it looked like it might not) suggests that you might already possess a Whole Life Spiritual VIP Pass?

I don't need a Whole Life Spiritual Pass because I Have JESUS in my life, I believe he was born of man, died on the cross and was raised from the dead to save me from all sin and give me ever lasting life (John 3:16)  I reflect, often on my life where I came from and where I have been and where I am headed, what I have done and do now that is different...I think about questions from people who have helped direct me in my life..."what could you do differently?"  "where was God when????"  and "what would Jesus do?"

I seek God when I am troubled, I give him praise for the many blessings in my life...if I were to list them out I couldn't write them all down because I would get cramps in my hands from writing or typing...but I know I am blessed, I am loved by God, I am HIS daughter, the daughter of the KING, I'm married to my best friend, who has loved me through the good and hard times, who has laughed and cried with me, who has thrown his hands up and said "what the heck?" and hugged me so tight I could not breathe.  I have known joy...seeing the face of innocence in the eyes of new born babies and the face of sorrow watching my baby breathe his last breath and wondered why? oh why? did this or that happen??

I am thankful I can look back and see that even through the rough times I can see how they could be worse...what if I had gotten pregnant when I was raped by my step-dad?  how different my life would be from today....and I can play the what if game?  what if Royce had lived...how different our life would be....what if Ron's dad had not gotten cancer...would we have stayed in the military and retired...how different our life could be...but I know that I am where I need to be, right now for today, for such a time as this...I remember asking our pastor's wife one day...how do you know you are doing what God wants you to do??? and she said...you just step out, take one step, God has the power to change the direction of that step if He sees fit...so each day I step out in faith, that I/we are doing what and where the Lord wants us to be and do...

We have talked a lot lately about the near future...a job that might  be offered, a trip we want to take and then we say well what if???  and so we step out, believing and trusting the Lord that each step will lead us where He wants us to be and that no matter what is going on or what happens, we are never alone and HE is always with us and HE will always provide a way.

Yes, we make plans, just ask Ron how many trips he has planned and planned again but we have learned to be flexible, when we come to a crossroad we say left or right, straight or turn...and we just move forward.

We have plans, we will do this if .... and we will do that if .... and through it all each day we will give Jesus the love He has given us, we will share His love with others the best we can...that's all we can do...is to love others as God has loved us.