Is God for Real?

Recently, our family business has been slow.  Extremely slow. Worrisome slow.  So, we have been doing everything in our power to keep things going.  Cutting back on every cost we can, both business and personal.  No eating out.  Buying only necessities.  The usual things you do when money is not at a premium. But there are only so many things I can do.  Knowing that I serve a God who is REAL, and who is merciful and bestows undeserved grace upon me, I also turned to prayer. Not only that, but I asked my facebook friends to join me in prayer.  I did not disclose to them what they were praying for, only that we needed prayer and God's provision.  I was brought to tears more than once by the number of responses I received.  To those of you who don't pray, and who don't have a personal relationship with God, you are missing out on one of this life's greatest joys.  Even in the midst of stress, turmoil, and worry, I had peace.  And as hard as it was, I thanked God for the trial we were going through.  I had several people message me privately, and I disclosed some details to them so they could pray more directly for what we needed.  But I am here to tell you, prayer carries a lot of weight. The following 2 weeks we were so busy, we could barely get all our work done in a day!  Of course, we need to be that busy for a few more weeks, and I will trust that God will provide the business for us to do just that. 
In all my years of being a Christian, I can truly say that God has never failed me.  He hears my prayers for great and wonderful things, as well as for dumb little things I ask for.  Do I get everything I pray for?  Nope. But after some time has passed and I look back, I can see why the answer was "No." Would I like an easy life with no worries?  Of course, who wouldn't?  But I am content to have my "needs" met, and not my "wants".  And, as usual, even in the middle of a rough time, I still know I am trememdously blessed, much more than I deserve.
I know there are people who don't care for facebook, but it is a really good way to spread the word about something quickly.  We recently had a classmate experience some sudden health issues, and facebook was the venue used to spread the word and I am relatively sure this person had at least 5000 people praying for him.  God hears our prayers!  And there are people who have asked for prayer months ago who I still include in my daily prayers, because you can never have too many people praying for you. 

So, is God for real?  I would have to answer with a resounding "YES".  He is for real.  And it is such a comfort to know that whatever your station in life, whatever your circumstance, He is ready to listen and ready to help.  Do tragic things still happen?  Of course. We are not promised a life of happiness without sorrow or trials.  We are promised true joy, peace and the strength and courage to get through whatever life throws at us. So, if you are at a place where you need help beyond what you can do for yourself, God is where you need to be looking!

Hold-ups at the Post Office Drive Through

Rant, rant, rant!  When I go to the outside drive-through box at the post office, it is because I am in a hurry and don't want to park and go inside.  But apparently this is not the case for all.  Some people choose to pull to the drive through box and then begin to sort whatever is in their front seat.  If you want to do that, please park in the front and take all the time you need.  If you are pulling to the drive through, the least you could do is have your mail ready so those behind you don't have to wait an eternity! Arrrgh!  I hate waiting!!

Gave Away My Little Boy

Best Mother-son wedding dance!!

Well, my youngest got married over the weekend.  I guess I no longer "own" any of my kids!  Our house will no longer smell of too much cologne, and we will no longer be awakened all hours of the night by doors opening and shutting, microwave going on and off, and lights being turned on, off, on, off.  (My sleep patterns may just improve!) I missed my daughter when she married and left, and I will miss my son as well.  It's not like they moved hours away from us, but it's different anyway.  I no longer hold the same "mom" power - must learn to hold my tongue!  When my daughter got married, it was totally "our" deal.  We did all the planning, preparation, decoration, etc.  I tend to take hold and run with everything, so it was hard to step back and know that I was only "helping out" someone else on this one.  But the highlight was the mother-son wedding dance.  We managed to keep it a secret from everyone but my husband and my daughter, and although I seem to have lost my "groove" over the years, it was still a big hit!  The link to the youtube video is at the top.  And I hope my son will remember the fun we had doing it.
A couple of pictures:

Goodbye Dear Friend

So, this morning I drove our 14+ year-old chihuahua to the vet to be euthanized.  We got Weezer when my kids were little and they wanted a "little" dog.  I asked the person I got him from if these dogs shed, and they told me no.  That was a big fat lie. I could have made a lifetime of sweaters from the amount of hair I have swept up over the years.  He was so tiny when we got him, and he grew to 8 pounds.  He was always happy to just curl up by you -  if you were ME.  I guess every dog "adopts" their special person.  Weezer has tried to bite the fingers off everyone he met except me.  He always "looked" like a puppy because he was so small, and little kids were forever trying to rush up and pet him, only to be met with a snarl and a snap.  He liked our kids, and a couple of their friends, but mostly he hated everyone else.  Had I known this personality, I would never have gotten him.  But he was ours, none the less.  So, we did what most dog owners do - spoiled him, and treated him like one of the kids.  He slept in our bed, sometimes growling if we moved our legs and crowded him.  He had his own set of signals that I always knew, indicating he needed to go out, or was out of water, etc.  I don't know if he understood what I said, or just my actions, but he knew when we were going to my mom's house, and knew when we were packing to spend the weekend at the lake, and was always hovering by the door, waiting for the invitation to come along.  All was well until my daughter brought home a puppy to call her own.  He sat facing the wall, with an occasional sneer in our direction to let us know he was NOT happy about this addition to the family.  But the two finally came to some agreement to tolerate each other, and once in a blue moon, he would "play" with her dog - her dog would lay perfectly still, while he jumped around and growled and stuck his nose in her fur. It never lasted more than a couple of minutes or so, but I guess he did have a kind heart, deep down. 
He always had "little dog" syndrome.  He barked ferociously at ever other dog he saw, and for the most part, even huge dogs backed away from him.  But one day, he barked like that at a female chihuahua.  She ran right over to him, grabbed his throat in her mouth and pinned him to the ground.  He was not hurt at all, but yelped like he was dying.  We made fun of him for getting beat up by a girl!  And his toenails - he absolutely hated having them clipped.  I would always take him to a groomer, muzzle him and hold him tight in my arms while they clipped his nails.  The last time I did that, I looked like I was attacked by a pack of cats when I left, scraped and bleeding. Then we tried taking him to the vet and putting him out to do them, but he was in such a fizz when they gave the sedation shot, that it barely had any effect.  His last days, my son was finally able to do them, while he snarled and snapped at him the whole time.  I won't miss that part. 
Even with all his faults, he was like a fixture at our house.  So, while I must admit I am relieved that I won't have to worry about him biting someone, or fret over his nails getting too long, he will be missed. 
Rest in peace, Weezer.

The Mascara Sneeze

This is only for the girls - unless you're a weird guy.  So, is it just me, or does this happen to anyone else?  I am putting my makeup on in the morning - foundation, powder, etc., and I put my mascara on.  Mascara dries pretty quickly, but not immediately, so you kind of have to not blink hard for a few minutes following application.  But I swear, the instant I get it on, I have this wild urge to sneeze.  You know, that tingling in your nose when you know it's coming.  Now I am faced with a hard decision.  I can either just let it happen, and look like a raccoon with black marks all around my eyes, or I can quickly throw the mascara tube down and begin grabbing my eye lids to try an hold them open.  Of course this poses a slight risk that my actual eye balls may explode out of my head when the sneeze happens. Some days, it's 50-50 which I'll choose.  And to have to make this kind of decision at 5:30 in the morning is just wrong.  I recently shared a funny to my facebook, which is unfortunately too true: I have the decision making abilities of a squirrel trying to cross the road!

Do All Old People Sleep in Separate Beds?

So, this is my bed after I have gotten up.  I am beginning to understand why old people sleep in separate beds.  It is so they can S L E E P!!!  Between the tossing and turning, aching joints and back, and that guy next to me snoring, and of course the dog, it's no wonder I don't sleep!  And this is only one dog - there is another that sleeps there as well.  I am awakened once per night by each dog, and not at the same time, to go out and do their business.  But they can't just do their business and come right back in - they have to wonder around before and after while I am sternly calling them back in. By this time, I am totally awake.  Then, when you add the 2 times I have to do my business in the night, that's 4 times a night I get up.  And for you non-dog people, when 2 people share the blankets, it's fine. But when 2 dogs lay between you, they make the blankets go down where they are laying and then back up to cover you, leaving about 6" of you not covered.  So then begins the tug of war to either get the dog to move, or maneuver the blankets all the way back to the edge of the bed on your side.  And one of the dogs manages to drink all the water sometime in the night (which may be why they have to go out then, too) and then the little one barks incessantly until you refill the water bowl.  So, by the time I get up during one of the "business" trips, I am thankful when it is finally 4:30, because I can sort-of justify going ahead and getting up. If I don't get up then, I lay in bed thinking, "Well, I only have an hour until I would get up anyway, so if I got up now, I could get something extra done around the house".  So, I am thinking, if we had separate beds, and we each had 1 dog, that would eliminate one of the getting up trips in the night, as well as the blanket war.  And the only snoring would be my own, which I am OK with.   Hmmmm.

'Tis The Season

Well, the Christmas season is officially upon us.  Hopefully we all survived Black Friday and Cyber Monday!  Those who know me, know I have had my tree up since November 1, have my TV tuned to the Hallmark Channel for continuous Christmas movies, and have been listening to Christmas since mid-October.  I just LOVE this time of year!
It just seems people are a little bit more generous.  A little more friendly.  A little more spirited.  Who doesn't love Christmas?  It brings back so many memories, and specific songs, or a certain decoration, even a smell sends me back to years ago with big family gatherings.  Every year, as I unpack my ornaments and decorations, I get to re-live those special moments.  I still display a little plastic Santa and reindeer that was my mom's many years ago, as well as a little tiny ceramic Santa cup.  Our tree still gets adorned with the "paper-plate dove" Courtney made when she was 3 - Kind of ugly, and well-worn, but it must go on the tree. One year, my mom let the kids make "ornaments" - pictures of them glued onto construction paper and embellished with ribbon and bells - they must go on the tree as well. 
And how I remember our family Christmases.  Many years ago, we would go to my great grandma's house where there was never enough chairs, but no one cared.  We would get to see relatives from out of town that we only saw once a year.  Cousins played like it was only yesterday since we saw each other.  Later, the gatherings moved to my parents' house.  Some of my best memories were when everyone brought whatever instrument they played, and we picked and strummed and played and sang for hours.  There may have been gifts, but the time spent with family is what I remember.  Seems like life was a lot slower back then.  And we weren't distracted by beeping cell phones or computers.  We just enjoyed each others' company. 
But let us not forget the reason for the celebration - The birth of Jesus Christ.  A King, sent to earth to be born in a lowly manger with no frills, and yet everyone knew this baby was special.  Miraculously conceived, born to average parents, but groomed for greatness by God Himself.  A child who grew up being wise beyond his years, and who grew up perfect.  A Man, who touched and healed the unclean, dined with sinners and prostitutes, gave sight to the blind, performed countless miracles, and yet was condemned to die by the very people he had helped.  A Man, who, knowing his fate, and having been tempted in every way, continued to live a perfect and holy life, according to God's plan.  A Man who willingly carried the cross he would die upon to the place he would die.  A Man who cried out to his Father even unto death to forgive those who were killing Him.  A Man who bore the sins of the world on his shoulders, offering Himself as a sacrifice and the propitiation for our sins, taking our place and offering us a gift none of us deserve.  A Man who arose from the grave three days after his death, and ascended to Heaven, conquering death and providing us a way to have eternal life in Heaven with Him someday. 
Yes, I LOVE Christmas. But I LOVE the reason even more!