Reasons to "rejoice and be glad"

You know that you are behind on blogging when one of your avid readers comes to your house, gets right up in your face and tells you that she is tried of reading about the same thing for the past 2 weeks. Sorry Suzie!

I had decided to write about another book I just finished reading but......I have something else to write about today. Well, several things come to my mind that I just want to get on my soap box and share. Hang tight. I am not sure where God will take us as we go along, but here we go.

Reasons to celebrate the day and "rejoice in it":
10. Kauy is well. Not only is he well, he is so well that he is driving me crazy with wellness. He has packed on some pounds since this trip to the hospital. He and his "big" went out on Friday night. When they arrived home the chased geckos. We now have a gecko farm! Last night I was out in the cool of the evening with a flashlight digging for little insects to feed the seven geckos we have in the container! Aren't I all that and a bowl of cheerios! ha ha

9. Makaley cleaned a corner of her room! That is a challenge in itself! I was hoping for more, but sometimes we take what we can get. She and I did have a very fun Friday evening while Kauy was with the "bigs". It was neat!

8. It is tax-free weekend and I did NOT go out shopping! Can you believe it? I am proud of me! Of course the day is not over, but if I should go out to purchase, it will be the only time this weekend. NOT a daily trip! More than likely I will not buy clothing. (My rear has gotten so big that you have to add an extra 'u' or two to spell the word butt! more like "buuutt" )

7. It is raining here. I mean really raining. It is also very cool! Below 80 I think. My parents received 5 inches Sat. morning between 4AM and 7AM. I picked up 2 1/2, but today there is a grand total of 3 1/2 inches in the gauge, and we are expecting more today and tomorrow. Which leads me to #6

6. We played outside in the rain. No umbrellas...just good refreshing cold rain on the hair and skin. Well, my play was different from the kids, but they thought that was the coolest thing in the world. No lightening right now, so I just let them go wild.

5. I have started my new job, and it is going fine. I often feel like I am starring in a movie as the leading lady because things are so different than teaching in the classroom. Being on the other side of the door is just interesting. I have prayed this week that God will use me to do what He needs accomplished, but I have also reassured myself that God doesn't make mistakes, and never leads us into a situation we aren't prepared for. Which leads me to #4

4. Our sermon today was about hands. We studied the lines in our hands. I am living in a fake world. I didn't realize until today how many aging lines are in my hands. Hello.........I have lived over 1/2 of my life span already. How can that be....I feel only 30. The end of the sermon was basically asking: How much of your week are you willing to put into God's hands? How much of your week are you willing to give to Him? Just today? Just Monday morning? Just Sunday and Wed.? Then he had us take out a writing pen and open our hands. We were to write on our hands the answer to those questions. Just like our names are written on His Heart, I am able to see my promise to Him on my hands. AND....if it washes off, I will still look and remember because I was the one that wrote it on something that I can't throw away. I won't tell you what I wrote, but my son wrote the same. We had a discussion about what he was doing and what he would be responsible for. I challenge you, IF you were unable to be with us at church, to do the same. Write on your hand how much of your life you want to give to God. He gave it all to us. Think of the things you have done with your hands over the years? Have you been giving or grabbing? He closed with the a quote from a friend of his. "I have never regretted giving." Have you? And that just leads me to #3, 2, and 1 !!!

#3, 2 and 1.....reasons to "rejoice in the day and to be glad in it".....My friend Suzie did come to my house. She did tell me to get on with the writing. She did spend the night. BUT..she did something that has kept me very, I don't know what to call it, over joyed? over whelmed? quiet? pensive? I am truly at a loss for that word. She arrived on Friday night. Unloading her truck, she handed me her jewelry box. I looked at her rather strangely and she just said that we would play. After showing her our new geckos, telling stories, and all the "bed time" rituals, we finally had time alone to visit. She opened her jewelry box and the other boxes she brought with her. Inside that elegant box was some beautiful jewelry. Some worth lots and some just "fun". That just didn't matter because you see, it contained her mom's things. You have read about my "other mother".....Mama Becky. Suzie brought them because she wanted to share them with me. There are no words to tell you what that meant to me. Suzie is an only child in birth only. We are more sisters than friends, but to be asked to share in something so special was beyond my wildest thoughts. I loved (still do love) Becky. I still get that lump in my throat when I think of her, and there are so many times I need to ask her a question that no other person could answer. There are many widows in this world, but Becky would listen to me and not judge me. She would listen(read my emails) while I told her everything my breaking heart held, and she would guide me...not tell me, but just give me some guidance. What a wonderful woman. Suzie and I enjoyed our playing in the jewelry box. She told me about some of the rings, a family pin, this or that item. She and her mom had matching bracelets (breast cancer charm bracelets). Now Suzie and I have matching breast cancer charm bracelets. She shared a few little stories, and we talked. I don't know how to say it. It's not the material things Suzie gave me. It's not the value. It's the "FAMILY" It's the honor. It's the blessing of giving. Thank you Suzie for making my weekend! Thank you for the honor you gave to me! Thank you God for giving us Becky!
Now, not only did she surprise me with the necklaces and earrings, but she also came in with this nice big box. It said something about Barbies on it, and I was in a panic. I had just threatened to toss some Barbies if they didn't get put into a drawer! Leave it to Suzie. There was no Barbie. There was the BROWN LAMP! Susan probably has more to say about that lamp than I do. All my years of knowing Susan and Becky, there was this lamp that sat on the end table at their house. I knew that I was at my second "home" no matter where we were because there was "the lamp". So, the brown lamp now sits in my dining room. Waiting for its place. The place that it always has.....letting you know you are at home, with family, safe and secure!

Oh and as a bonus today...........we actually found a " blue moon marshmallow" in the cereal box today. I know that there were "yellow stars, green clovers, purple horseshoes and blue moons" in there when I bought the box. Hmmmmmmm maybe I should say that Kauy has put on marshmallows instead of pounds.