Zowie!

Zowie!  We made it to the end of the A to Z Challenge!  See you next year if not sooner!

Yogisms

Yogi Berra was a Yankee baseball great.  Besides his great athletic abilities, he was known for some very interesting observations:

“When you come to a fork in the road … take it”

“Never answer an anonymous letter”

“I didn’t really say everything I said”

“Why buy good luggage, you only use it when you travel”

Ha!

Xeranthemum Annuum

I just like the way the word looks.  This is what it is:

Without a Leg to Stand On...But With Hope

Because of diabetes, my mother-in-love needed to have the lower half of one leg amputated.  (Sorry if the title offends....this is not my intention and I am not making light of this.)

When she died in January, my daughter told my granddaughter that Grandma is in heaven with two legs bouncing around a field of flowers.

This is how my Isabella sees this tableau:

I lost the picture!  I will try to get it back!

Going Viral

I pray a great revival of hearts and minds in the church; that the Word of God, the Bible will be the final authority in our hearts.

I pray for a great awakening in my land and throughout the world.  May the love of Jesus go viral in the hearts of men, women and children throughout the world before it is too late.  Amen.

(almost) Unbearable

When we decide to have children, we think of precious newborns, inquisitive toddlers, cuteness and innocence.  What we don't think of is an emerging human being with opinions and weaknesses, rebellion and pain.

Seeing one of my children or my granddaughter in pain can do me in.  There are times I think it is unbearable.  Even prayer and reading the Word of God can have little effect...or so I think...

Last week, there was a night I thought I was going to break, literally.  A number of years ago, I was  hospitalized (my choice) for depression and anxiety but have grown enough in knowledge and faith to be able to stand up to the demons that plague me.

My precious granddaughter has been going through a rough time and I became so upset that I felt like nothing could bring me strength.  People are praying about the situation and there is comfort in that but I was about to crack.

For several months, I have been writing out  my prayers so I went to my prayer spot and cried out my pain and the injustice of what is happening to my girl.  I reminded God of His promises to those who love Him and trust Him.  I laid it all on His broad, broad shoulders.

And I slept well for the first time in a very long time.

Tragedy and Triumph

My eight year old granddaughter who has autism.  She is the light of my life.

When a family first gets the diagnosis of autism, they often go through a mourning period.  To help, there are wise writers like the author of Welcome to Holland, Emily Perl Kingsley.

This adventure has been difficult and delightful, tragic and triumphant, humbling and holy.

God gives us beauty from ashes.  My beautiful girl will always triumph because she is wonderfully made, not a mistake, perfect in His eyes and mine.

The Simple Woman's Daybook

The Simple Woman's Daybook



For Today: Friday, April 25th

Outside my window...the last of the children have entered the school across the street on this sunny, crisp morning.

I am thinking...about the nap I want to take.

I am thankful...for a loving God for whom there are no surprises.

In the kitchen...Easter's ham bone is boiling away to make a soup for dinner.

I am wearing...my uniform of denim jeans and a long-sleeved top.

I am creating...memories for my granddaughter.

I am going...bowling for the first time in over twenty years to support a local organization that helps students with disabilities.

I am wondering...how to become strong enough in my faith that I can get rid of my anxieties.

I am reading...a book on how to study the Bible.

I am hoping...to really enjoy a nap!

I am looking forward to...tomorrow being over (not looking forward to something I have to do.

I am learning...to look at things through God's eternal perspective.

Around the house...the quiet is delicious!

I am pondering...a nice long walk to the library.

A favorite quote for today..."I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten..."  Joel 2:25

One of my favorite things...early morning time with God in His Word and in prayer.

A few plans for the rest of the week:  bowling, cooking, getting by

A peek into my day...My wedding band:

Restoration

At the grand old age of fifty-seven, I often find myself reflecting on where my life's journey has led.

So often I wonder how I could have made some of the awful decisions that I did.  How could I know what I knew and still go where I have gone?

However, God has promised that He will "restore the years the locust have eaten."  If I follow Him, grow in Him, seek Him there is the promise of joy even in my waning years.

No matter what life throws at me (or I throw at myself)  I also know that eternity will be a wonderful, awesome, indescribable blast of joy!  God told me so.

The Quest for Blogging Material

When I blog, it is usually because I have something to say that just won't keep.

Doing a challenge like the A to Z is quite different.  I sift through words in my mind that begin with the letter of the day.  Scientific, eh?

So, the quest continues for material that both entertains and edifies.  How do you come up with material? Any help is appreciated!

Playing Catch Up

No, I did not say "ketchup."  Catch up!  I am trying, A to Z Challenge, I am trying!

Oh, My Kingdom for a Cheeseburger!

Or a piece of toast.  Or, or, just about anything that needs to be chewed!  No solid food has passed my lips for more than twenty-four hours.

TMI here...prepping for a colonoscopy is not for wimps.  Why is it that, as we get older, we need the most invasive tests?!

The procedure is a piece of cake...oh, cake...I digress.  One is asleep for the whole thing.  Prepping, oy, what a pain in the posterior and stomach.

Oh, well, it is worth it to have peace of mind.  heavy sigh.....

New Ways of Looking at Things

Looking back at what I thought was good entertainment when I was my younger self, I can be appalled, shocked, surprised, humbled...you get the picture.

What has changed?  I have.  My world view, my heart ties, how I see myself and others have all changed.  In my opinion, the changes are for the better.  I like myself more.

So, "R" rated movies are rare and, if I find offense I find it easy to walk out or turn off.  Time is too precious to waste on bad entertainment choices.  There are too many things in life where we do not get a choice.

Made Whole

Unlike Jerry McGuire, it was not another person who completed me.

I believe there is a God-shaped hole in each and every person.  We try to fill it with food, drugs, passions, other people and we are still hungry for what will fill us.

On this Good Friday, why not give Christ a chance?  You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.  Want more information?  I'll be happy to share!  Also, you can start here:
http://www.cmalliance.org/about/beliefs/savior  

Law and Justice

As I type this, I am sitting in the county court house waiting to be called as a witness in a child visitation case.  The father wants unsupervised visitation with his child.  The problem?  The mother has a restraining order against him for harassment, stalking and physical abuse. Getting a restraining order in this county is a difficult thing.

Does this man deserve visitation?  My opinion is not yet as the child is in need of counseling due to the trauma of the parents'relationship.  Eventually, maybe.

Will justice be served?  If not today, eventually.  God is the final arbitor of justice.  I pray that this father finds healing through the eternal judge.  God's will be done.

King of Kings

Think about it.....King of kings.  There is no one higher than Jesus.  He answers to no one.  Wow!  What an awesome, perfect, loving God I serve!  He is so good.

"J" Names

I realized early on that I am attracted to names that begin with the letter "J."  It is such a pretty letter in cursive and stands up well in print.

When I was carrying my first child, both boy and girl names that appealed to me began with this lovely letter. Carrying my second, it had the same appeal.

Jordan, Jared, John, Julianne, Josiah, Julia, ah such loveliness!  The Duggars have the right idea.

Before my precious grandbaby, Isabella, was born, I was a "g" surrounded by "J's."  Are you attracted to certain letter names.

Inigo Montoya

One of my top ten movie favorites is The Princess Bride.  I don't know of anyone who doesn't like it.

"Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."

Inigo is one of the characters and he has got quite a chip on his shoulder as you can see by the above quote.

"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

He says what is on his mind.

"I do not mean to pry, but you don't by any chance happen to have six fingers on your right hand?"

His powers of observations are second to none.

He is a philosopher:

"More pursue than study lately. You see, I cannot find him... it's been twenty years now and I'm starting to lose confidence. I just work for Vizzini to pay the bills. There's not a lot of money in revenge."

He is a man of his convictions:

" I was eleven years old. And when I was strong enough, I dedicated my life to the study of fencing. So the next time we meet, I will not fail. I will go up to the six-fingered man and say, "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." 

Inigo is one of a number of memorable characters in this classic.  Enjoy!

Hope Springs Eternal

This is definitely true for me.  There were times that I was so desperately depressed and anxious that, if it were not for hope, I would have given up.

Where does my hope spring from?  My God and Savior, Jesus Christ.  He did not leave me comfortless but gave me his Holy Spirit to cheer and to guide.

Hallelujah, what a savior!

Grace

God's
Riches
At
Christ's
Expense

If you would like more information, please contact me.

Effective Planning

It is very important to plan effectively for the A to Z challenge.

The month or so before the challenge started, I had visions of the alphabet in my mind as I went to sleep at night. Words swirled around and I would attempt to come up with subjects I could wax eloquent on.

By morning, all my plans evaporated.  As you can see, I have not planned effectively.  Catch up time!

Diary of a Mom

As an autism gram, I depend on the autism community for support, education and knowledge.

In my first A to Z post, I mentioned Jess Wilson's blog, Diary of a Mom.  So often, when I can not figure out how to express what I want to say about how I feel, Jess says it for me in her inimitable way.  We don't always agree but I am almost always educated and most definitely respected.

Hope on over and let me know what you think.  You will not be disappointed!

Cooking Fun

Yesterday was a chilly, rainy day in the great Atlantic northeast.  "Ah, chicken soup will do the trick, was my thought."  So, I went to Trader Joe's and bought the ingredients.

As a rule, I love chopping vegetables.  It is therapeutic for me.  However, my brain was a bit scrambled from the weather and fatigue so I thought roasting the chicken would be easier.  Wrong.

I decided we needed dinner rolls with dinner.  Why?  I don't know.  We rarely have bread with dinner.  I had purchased whole wheat flour from T.J.'s but couldn't find a yeast free recipe for rolls so I made a rustic whole wheat bread.

After taking out the bread, I added the chicken to the oven.  Too bad I turned it off by accident (the over, that is).  I lost about forty minutes there.

Boiled potatoes and asparagus would make nice sides.  Chop up the potatoes, boil...oh, how about garlic smashed potatoes.  Yup, that's the ticket.

The chicken after being carved,d had to be microwaved and it took more time to make this meal than to make a soup!

Anyway, with the leftover meat and carcass, I made soup today.  Too bad I have a stomachache from eating too much leftover bread and couldn't enjoy it.

The moral of this odd story?  Go with your first instinct and make the soup.

Bravery

I have very few heroes in my life.  However, those I deem worthy of the title are inspiring to say the least.

There is the little girl who puts on the best calm face she can all day long so she can fit in with her "peers" to the best of her ability.  Her tears at the end of the day are the release of her anxieties and the strain of "keeping it all together."  She rocks my world with her bravery.

Another person has a spouse who is very sick.  Going to work and taking care of business when one's heart hurts can be torture but this person plods on through the mire in faith that better days are ahead.  

Anxiety and fear claim much of my next hero's day.  Yet, one step at a time, this trooper carries on, fulfilling the needs of others whilst trying to grab a toehold on healing.

My next hero works quietly behind the scenes helping where needed.  You won't hear a peep as need after need is met.  No glory hound is this.  Nothing is asked in return except that others might follow this example.

Who are your heroes?

Awareness...nah

It's that time again...Autism Awareness Month. Uh, I do believe that most of the people in the literate world are well aware of autism.

What we need to work on is acceptance and education.

One of my favorite autism bloggers, Jess Wilson of A Diary of a Mom, has taught me that age appropriate is just words.  That is why I purchased a Baby Einstein Baby Neptune toy for my granddaughter who is eight years old.  She loves it.

Jess has also taught me that wherever my girl is is just fine with me.  She doesn't have to fit in.  She doesn't have to fit a mold.  

My Isabella is fun and smart and loving.  She puts on a brave face all day long and, sometimes, cries at night to release all the tension she has from putting on that brave face.  My girl is one of the strongest people I have ever met and I admire her grit.

Accept people where they are at.  Learn what they are all about.