REAL NEAT BLOG AWARD

award, blog, link, questions, thank you, Uncategorized, ,

What an honor, I’ve just been nominated for the Real Neat Blog Award by Author S B Mazing. Thank you so much for this!
Real Neat Blog Award logo

The Rules:

Put the Award Logo in your post. Done
Answer 7 questions asked by the person who nominated you. Coming up
Thank the people who nominated you, linking to their blogs. Done
Nominate any number of bloggers you like, linking to their blogs. Coming up
Let them know you nominated them (by commenting on their blog, etc.). Will do

Here are the questions I’ve been asked:
1. If someone would write a book about your life, what would be the title?
I would like it to be titled: Well Done, Good and Faithful Servant.
2. What is your biggest fear?
I am tempted at times to be afraid of what the rest of my retirement years will be like. When I find that going through my mind, I remember I don’t have to be afraid. I can trust Him even if things aren’t going well and He will take care of me.
3. Which one would you rather be: Mermaid, Unicorn, Dragon, Fairy (what kind of Fairy) or the Easter Bunny?
Dragons are so interesting to people, I would like to be one, a kind one, that could talk. It would be fun to have little kids ride me and have fun with me.
4. Which country would you move to right away, without thinking twice?
Israel. It is an interesting country and I would love to be with the people.
5. Photo or Painting?
I love painting, but I think I have grown more fond of photography. I’m not very good at it, but sometimes I take a really nice picture. Having a digital camera has helped!
6. Who would you want to be on a deserted island with?
My husband, if he was still living. He would be able to put together things so we could live until rescued. He wold also have good ideas about being rescued. And it would be neat to be with him again.
7. What would you take along to that island?
I would take my Bible. Second I would want to take a pen and lots of paper so I could write. A computer would be better, but since electricity would be a problem, I would have to go back to paper and pen anyway!

Here are my nominees:
TREES OF TRANSITION
Idiot Writing
The Luckiest
LEAF AND TWIG
Our Rumbling Ocean

The questions for you are:

1. If you could live in any city in the world, where would it be?
2. What do you want to be remembered for?
3. What is your favorite thing to do?
4. When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?
5. Did you do what you thought you would?
6. Where was the best place you have ever been?
7. Who from history would you like to interview?

Thank you again, Author S B Mazing. I appreciate the nomination!

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Pens and Pencils.”

I used to write everything long hand but began to use the computer almost exclusively because I could move around, erase, add, etc. without having to rewrite the whole thing on another piece of paper. However, I haven’t given up paper and pen. There are times it doesn’t matter if I have to rewrite the whole thing; there seems to be a connection I don’t have with the computer. No, I won’t give up paper and pen unconditionally, but the keyboard is still a lot easier!

Amazing!

creation, winter, , , , ,
snow begins to melt
snow begins to melt

I looked out my window this morning to find a light dusting of snow on the deck, on the neighbors’ roofs, and on the ground. We had a lot of snow before Thanksgiving, but not much since, unlike cities in the Northeast!

My husband would have said I was silly, but I have been taken with the “folding” of melting snow. I saw it on my car years ago and not long ago, I saw it on the rock wall as it melted. I can’t do it with my hands; nature does it!

Amazing.

Scientists say that each snowflake is unique. I ask, how can that be when it takes so many to make the kind of scenery some places have been inundated with? Even more amazing, they say the same thing about people. We have unique fingerprints, “eye prints,” voices. Even identical twins still have small differences, hard to see even for their parents at times. How can that be when there are billions of people on the earth? And identical twins come from the same egg and sperm? And children, born to the same parents and live for years in the same house, vary immensely! My mother used to say about her four children, “How can four children from the same parents be so different?” Even adorable new-born animals may look exactly alike, but as you watch them, they display different temperaments.

Amazing.

The One who created all this must be more than amazing! How our Creator must love variety, for nature is full of it, down to the tiniest detail! Not just in form, but in colors. There are colors that the human eye cannot see. There are things so small scientists are just beginning to discover them. Overwhelming facts. And amazing to my finite human mind. I want to think I should understand all things, but who can understand this Creator that does such amazing things! As I read about Him in Scripture, I am overwhelmed not only by His power but by His love and justice.

In all this, I am brought to thanksgiving. This Creator has given us a wonderful, beautiful Creation, and despite our ingratitude has made it possible for me to fellowship with Him.

Amazing.

Beautiful Leafless Tree

beauty, spring, trees, winter, , , ,

The sky was bright blue and clear with only a couple wispy white clouds decorating it. Reaching into it was a leafless tree, ravaged by winter cold. Lifeless trees remind me of the end of things, like winter reminds me of old age–which age I am. Lifeless trees are not pretty; we await spring when they once again brighten the day with brilliant green and glorious shade. Ah, the beauty of spring.

But as I gazed out the window that bright morning, I stared at the tree reaching for sunlight. The sun seemed to bath its lifeless branches in a coating of gold. Its branches, framed by the azure sky, looked beautiful. What an amazing sight. It was as if it was saying, the sun brings beauty to what doesn’t have beauty.

What of me? My “leaves” have fallen off and age has robbed me of youthful beauty. I have gray hair and wrinkles and some other problems brought on by age. However, I am assured that as the Son shines on me, I have beauty only He may see, but as I abide in Him, that beauty will reflect on those around me.

Bathed in the sun's rays

I live in a bear house

critters, house bear sister, , ,
Merry Christmas to you
Merry Christmas to you

I can barely keep from smiling as I write this blog.

It’s the bare truth that my sister, whom I live with, collects bears. Or rather, she did.  When she married and moved in with her husband, there was barely room for all her bears. So she quit collecting and put most of the stuffed bears in the basement in plastic bags until she finally decided to give them away, though she could barely part with them.

However, that still left many bears on shelves in her house, among them a bear phone, and a couple Christmas “dancing” bears. Actually, they don’t dance; they barely move when supplied with electricity. They are really cute.IMG_20141204_090626

When my father was very ill in 1975, my sister from Michigan and I from Washington came to Cincinnati. We decided to get my father a gift from the gift shop. When we got there, we saw this adorable “injured” bear and bought it for Gayle, my sister who lived with my folks and brother.  My brother teased her about why her bear was all banged up, but he liked it, too.

P1020083

I don’t really mind living in a house of bears. They are sweet little critters who say barely anything and eat barely anything. They just stand and smile and make the place cuter.

I hope you do more than barely enjoy the bears. The pictures I have barely scratch the surface, but they’ll give you an idea. I hope you like them as much as I do.

P10200482014 bears 2

P1020126

P1020050

Christmas and Family

Christmas, family, hope, my mom, , , , , ,

 

Merry Christmas greeting
I went to my younger daughter’s place for Christmas–well not quite Christmas. I came back Christmas eve because they were going to my son’s-in-law family for Christmas. His sweet mother invited me to come along and share Christmas with them, but I decided it would be nice to spend Christmas at home with my sister and her husband.

Monday the six of us (daughter and 4 grandchildren and me) went to my older daughter’s house (about 2 hrs away) and visit her and her 3 boys. It was a full house with two sons of a friend of hers visiting for a couple days. Nine children, ages 14, 13, 11, 10, 10, 10, 8, 7, 5, made a full house. We were blessed that God sent a really nice day and all but the 14 year old ran around outside.  What a good day! It  was nice to have my daughters visit and to see their children together!

There was a lot this week to keep my mind off missing my mom this Christmas. It was neat time, though I was glad to get back last night to my own bed and the quiet!

I give thanks for this season.  I am thankful for the fun, good things, like family. But when the times are not good, the Christmas message gives me peace and hope. When someone loves me enough to leave His kingdom to come to earth to die to satisfy His justice and extend mercy, it shows I can trust Him to act in love in my life, even in the “negative” things. And so, as Christmas day winds down, I am left with the Christmas message for all of my days. I hope all my readers are experiencing the joy and peace of this Christmas message!

MESSIAH HAS COME

In the shadows of the night
the heavens burst forth in glorious light.
Angels proclaimed Messiah had come,
peace on earth, death’s power done.
God incarnate, sent from heaven,
gift of love to women, men
to set us free from evil’s hold,
free to live, to sing, rejoice,
free to live beyond myself,
free in peace’s sweet hold to dwell.
©2011

 

She’s Longing For a Child This Christmas

Uncategorized

A beautiful, compassionate post from Mom Life Now and a prayer that speaks to a deep desire of many women’s hearts.

Sasha's avatarMom Life Now

IMG_4983

Christmas can be the most joyous time of year. The pitter patter of little feet running out on Christmas morning. The squeals and shouts, the laughter and excitement. . .

Not everyone will feel such joy. For many this day is a sharp wound. Piercing deep in the mother who has yet to hear herself called by this name. She who has tried and tried again, only to see another negative stick, another baby lost in the womb. The adoption at a standstill–again.

To you, dear momma, I have been thinking about you. My heart unable to push you to the back of my mind. With every visit to Santa’s lap I have ached for you. I felt the hot tears fall onto my pillow last night, brushing your searing pain. The emptiness which tries to engulf you.

But what good are my tears to you? I tried to make them worth…

View original post 356 more words

December sadness

Christmas, grieving, hope, Uncategorized, , ,
Three loved ones
Three loved ones
my husband
My Michael

 

 

 

 

 

As Christmas approaches, I have been experiencing such a feeling of sadness. I understand why. This is the Christmas without my precious mom. She went home to be with the Lord in May. But I think there is more. December 18 would be my 49th anniversary if my husband was still living. He has been gone almost eight years, but I guess I’ll never stop having those moments when I miss him. And I think I am still a little tender about my brother’s dying in August 2012. And although my Daddy died in 1998, there are times I still miss him. So goes grieving. It catches us by surprise when those moments come. I guess it shouldn’t, but doesn’t it always?

All that makes me think of my poor little Mama. She and Daddy were married almost 56 years when she lost him. And then to lose a child, no matter how old, was terrible for her. I think it must have been harder than losing Daddy, if that is possible. Children shouldn’t die before their parents, but all through history, they have. My daughter almost lost her 2 year old son three years ago. But we were so thankful that we still have him and he is a normal, active 5 year old, full of mischief and life.

As I have thought a lot about losses this month. I realize that under my sadness, I still have joy. Not the giggly kind that is happiness, but the deep kind that holds onto hope. I think of the message of Christmas and the gift of Christmas: the baby, God in human form, who came to give us hope for each day, strength to go on and to know that the best is not in this life, but in the one to come where we will never have to say goodbye.