FAMILY REUNION

About a year or so ago I wrote a post about reconnecting with the past. I wrote about how a chance Google search led me to a book that led me to it's author who led me to a cousin I had never met and who was living on the other side of the world. We connected via e-mail, and did a lot of catching up over the Internet. But the best was yet to come.

My cousin decided to take a trip across the ocean, and her last stop before flying home was in a town that just happened to be near my son. So not only did we get to meet face to face, but she also got to meet my children, most of my grandhcildren, and even one of the great-grands. It was a touching reunion, and I hope she flies home feeling the warmth of family, after so many years of being alone.

A SUPRISE GIFT

Thank you, Mimi, for these wonderful cards I found in my mailbox today. They are so pretty, I'm almost tempted to frame and keep them instead of giving them away. What a talented lady you are.

P.S. For those of you who are wondering what this is all about, you can check out Mimi's Just Some Smiles post on her Screaming Mimi blog. I was one of the lucky recipients of her generous offer.

GET OUT THE KLEENEX

Over the weekend I got to see a YouTube video clip of Susan Boyle, an unemployed, middle-aged Scottish lady, singing "I've Got a Dream" on the Britain's Got Talent show. People were discounting her before she even got started. You could see it in their faces, judges and audience alike. But when she opened her mouth, oh my word! Talk about emotional, inspirational, uplifting, and lessons to be learned. Don't judge a book by it's cover, and it's never too late for a dream to come true.

I so wanted to embed the clip in this post, but Youtube has disabled the embed feature. Not to worry, though. You can view it by clicking on this link. Enjoy!

BACK AGAIN

After taking a break for a while, Fitness Friday is starting up again. Brenda has asked us to introduce ourselves for the benefit of new folks, and to briefly state why we are joining/rejoining.

I am Great-Granny Grandma (a.k.a. Sandy), and as you can probably tell by my name, the most senior member of the group.

As for why I'm rejoining, to say my pants won't zip up would be an understatement. Even though by some unexplainable miracle of mercy and grace I have not gained any pounds since my last post, there is such a large V, it would be impossible to even try to bridge that gap. All I can fit into at this point are my sweats, and a new pair of black pants I broke down and bought to wear to church on Easter Sunday. I know, I know, I know, I can't keep doing what I'm doing and still expect to lose inches or weight.

I'm still allowing myself to be mastered by my flesh instead of the other way around. I know what I need to be doing/not doing but I'm not being consistent. Dear Lord, please help me to have the willingness, commitment, and discipline to fight this battle head on instead of always finding excuses--especially when it comes to exercise. My spirit is so willing, but my flesh is weak. Please help me remember that my body is the temple of your Holy Spirit, and for me to not care for it as I ought is like the sin of rebelliousness.

And now to answer Brenda's last question--"Rank the following in importance to you"--these are my priorities:

• Exercise, exercise, exercise. There is a bike trail/walking path right outside my door. It is spring, the weather is perfect, and the colors on the shrubs and trees are magnificent. And if the weather is bad, I have a variety of in-home exercise videos I can choose from. So I am totally without excuse.


• Amend my diet by including less cookies and frozen yogurt, and more water. And no more seconds or thirds.


• Look better, feel better, and be able to fit into my clothes. All of them!

AN ENCOURAGING FRIEND

Last week I was feeling really stressed out, and I don't know if it was the sleep deprivation or what, but I found myself questioning, among other things, why I bother to blog. I wondered whether it was all about ego, or whether what I share does make a difference to anyone. And then, as if in answer to my thoughts, bloggie friend Valerie Lynn sent me this lovely Uber Amazing Blog Award.

Thank you so much, Valerie, for encouraging me to keep on keeping on.

CLEAN HOME CARNIVAL

Several weeks ago, JulieMom invited us to a Clean Home Carnival. She challenged us to start getting our houses in order by picking one or more rooms or spaces to clean and organize, and then come back on April 1st with before and after pictures to show what we had done.

Well I had all kinds of great plans for what I would accomnplish for this great Show and Tell, but alas, I got bogged down with work (the kind that pays the bills) and was only able to focus on one room--my bedroom/office.

This room doesn't have a real partition in it, but I have accomplished that in a virtual sort of way by having the bedroom part face one wall, and the office part face another. Here are the "before" pictures of each half.

As you can see, lots of clutter. Stuff all over my bed and the floor, under the credenza, and stacked all over the top of it. And my computer desk so full of paper, it was a frustrating eyesore.

The first thing I did was wash the windows and curtains, and vacuum the blinds. Then I decided to focus on the bedroom half of the room. What to do with all these piles of stuff. Bills that needed to be paid, things that needed to be filed, magazines I had started reading, projects I was in the middle of, books and videos I had borrowed from the library, all haphazardly scattered everywhere you looked. So off I went to Costco, to scrounge up some sturdy boxes of varying sizes that could be hidden under my bed, or neatly placed in my giant walk-in closet.

My next step was to sort everything into organized piles, and put each category in a separate box. Now nothing is mixed up anymore, and I can instantly locate what I'm looking for without creating an even bigger mess trying to find it. And, I can also work on one project at a time without creating any more clutter in the process. Oh, and I almost forgot. While I was working on the bedroom cleanup, I ordered myself a new bedspread and pillow shams for a bit of a new look. It arrived just in time to be included in the "after" pictures.

Now that I could actually see my floor again, and the top of the credenza was no longer piled high, I was able to do a thorough dust and vacuum job, including underneath the bed. And in the dusting process, instead of just dumping all the papers on my computer desk someplace else and back again, I took time to put them into the binder and folders they should have been in, in the first place. Such a simple thing, and yet such a huge time saver when I'm trying to put my finger on something I need fast.

The finished product? Voila!

Thank you, JulieMom, for sparking the fire.

COINCIDENCE?

Lately I've been coming across several bloggers celebrating their blog anniversaries. That's something I've never kept track of, but thought it might be fun to look up my first post. So I did--after first taking a trip into the kitchen to see what I could snack on.

About a week ago I went shopping at Trader Joe's. I used to do that quite often until the gas prices went up and I could no longer justify the 27 or so mile (one way) trip. I'd say it's been almost a year since my last visit, and the store layout had been rearranged some since then. So I was walking up and down the aisles checking things out, when I came across a tub of triple ginger snap cookies. That brought back quite a few memories, and I decided to purchase one for old times sake.

When I got home, it didn't take long for me to discover that they still call my name as loudly as ever, and they were just what I made a beeline for as I entered the kitchen. Then I returned to my computer to look up my first post.

Come to find out next week will mark my second blog anniversary. I wrote my very first post on March 21, 2007. Oh, and guess what the topic of that post was? TRADER JOE TRIPLE GINGER SNAP COOKIES. Talk about coincidence. I hope it gives you as much of a chuckle as it gave me as I reread it.

I'M A WINNER--FOR REAL

Every day I find e-mails in my In Box telling me I've won the English, Irish, and Canadian lotteries, as well as dramatic sob stories from Africa offering me 60% of a vast fortune if I will help transfer the funds to my bank account in the USA. So it's not surprising that I almost deleted an e-mail from Becky when I saw, "You are the WINNER!!," in the subject line.

At first I didn't recognize her name because I'm used to thinking of her as The Diverse Woman. Plus I had forgotten all about having entered her giveaway. So imagine my surprise when I opened the e-mail and saw that I was a winner, for real.

Thank you so much, Becky, for your very generous $25 Target gift card which I can't wait to spend.

THE FATHER'S LOVE LETTER

Dear (insert your name):

You may not know me, but I know everything about you (Psalm 139:1). I know when you sit down and when you rise up (Psalm 139:2). I am familiar with all your ways (Psalm 139:3). Even the very hairs on your head are numbered (Matthew 10:29-31). You were made in my image (Genesis 1:27). In me you live and move and have your being (Acts 17:28). You are my offspring (Acts 17:28). I knew you even before you were conceived (Jeremiah 1:4-5). You were not a mistake; all your days are written in my book (Psalm 139: 15-16).

I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live (Acts 17:26). You are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). I knit you together in your mother's womb (Psalm 139:13) and brought you forth on the day you were born (Psalm 71:6).

Those who don’t know me have misrepresented me (John 8:41-45). I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love (1 John 4:16) and it is my desire to lavish my love on you simply because you are my child and I am your father (1 John 3:1).

I offer you more than your earthly father ever could (Matthew 7:11) for I am the perfect father (Matthew 5:48). Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand (James 1:17). I am your provider and I meet all your needs (Matthew 6:31-33). My plan for your future has always been filled with hope (Jeremiah 29:11) because I love you with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3). My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore (Psalm 139:17-18) and I rejoice over you with singing (Zephaniah 3:17).

I will never stop doing good to you (Jeremiah 32:40) for you are my treasured possession (Exodus 19:5). I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul (Jeremiah 32: 41) and I want to show you great and marvelous things (Jeremiah 33:3).

If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me (Deuteronomy 4:29). Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4) for it is I who gave you those desires (Philippians 2:13). I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine (Ephesians 3:20) for I am your greatest encourager (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17). I am also the father who comforts you in all your troubles (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you (Psalm 34:18).

As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart (Isaiah 40:11). One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes and will take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth (Revelation 21:3-4). I am your father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus (John 17:23) for in Jesus, my love for you is revealed (John 17:26). He is the exact representation of my being (Hebrews 1:3). He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you (Romans 8:31) and to tell you that I am not counting your sins against you (2 Corinthians 5:18-19).

Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled (2 Corinthians 5:18-19). His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you (1 John 4:10). I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love (Romans 8:31-32). If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me (1 John 2:23) and nothing will ever separate you from my love again (Romans 8:38-39).

Come home and I'll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen (Luke 15:7). I have always been Father, and will always be Father (Ephesians 3:14-15). My question is--will you be my child? (John 1:12-13). I am waiting for you (Luke 15:11-32).

PANCAKES

Sorting through some papers today, I came across an old forward someone had sent me about eight years ago. It was at a time when I was struggling with emotionally loaded job-related issues that I kept managing to bumble up over and over again, despite much prayer and best intentions. The e-mail arrived at work on a day that, according to my attached note, "I sat dejected and discouraged at my desk after 'messing up' yet again." I saved it as a reminder of God's grace and unconditional love.

Maybe you have faced some similar struggles? If so, here's hoping this lifts your spirits the way it lifted mine.

Subject: Pancakes

Six-year-old Brandon decided one Saturday morning to fix his parents pancakes. He found a big bowl and spoon, pulled a chair to the counter, opened the cupboard and pulled out the heavy flour canister, spilling it on the floor. He scooped some of the flour into the bowl with his hands, mixed in most of a cup of milk and added some sugar, leaving a floury trail on the floor which by now had a few tracks left by his kitten.

Brandon was covered with flour and getting frustrated. He wanted this to be something very good for Mom and Dad, but it was getting very bad. He didn't know what to do next, whether to put it all into the oven or on the stove, (and he didn't know how the stove worked!).

Suddenly he saw his kitten licking from the bowl of mix and reached out to push her away, knocking the egg carton to the floor. Frantically he tried to clean up this monumental mess but slipped on the eggs, getting his pajamas white and sticky. And just then he saw Dad standing at the door.

Big tears welled up in Brandon's eyes. All he'd wanted to do was something good, but he'd made a terrible mess. He was sure a scolding was coming, maybe even a spanking. But his father just watched him. Then, walking through the mess, he picked up his crying son, hugged him and loved him, getting his own pajamas white and sticky in the process.

That's how God deals with us. We try to do something good in life, but it turns into a mess. Our marriage gets all sticky or we insult a friend or we can't stand our job or our health goes sour. Sometimes we just stand there in tears because we can't think of anything else to do. That's when God picks us up and loves us and forgives us, even though some of our mess gets all over Him. But just because we might mess up, we can't stop trying to make ‘pancakes,’ for God or for others. Sooner or later we'll get it right, and then we’ll be glad we tried...