My Scary Night

Everytime I pull in the driveway, Mamma is there to greet me. She trit trots down the steps and waits for me to get out of the car. Tonight however, she was on the sidewalk waiting. I noticed she was up to something. I left the headlights on to give me a guide to the door since I didn't leave the outside light on tonight. As I rounded the car to go up to the door I could hear it. Very faintly I heard it. Before I could get the key in the lock I told Momma, "thank you for greeting me but keep that away from me". She didn't listen. I still heard it. I don't know how I maneuvered as well as I did but as I slightly opened the door to turn on the porch light I turned and saw what was making the noise. Momma let it fall to my feet and I told her again, "get that thing away from me and keep it from getting in my house". I used the words gently and she did as told. I had to go back to the car to get my stuff out of it and I did so with speed. After I got in the house and shut the doors up tightly I looked out the window and Momma had brought her prize back up to the top step. It was no bigger than.....really, it was tiny. And gray. And had a long tail. And Momma was having the time of her life with it.


That's as scary as I want my night to be!

The Furnace Blues

I had a bad day yesterday. Well maybe 'bad' is to strong a word. It just wasn't all that pleasant. Sadly the man who put our new furnace in said he couldn't work on it. Hearing that put me in a bad attitude. I felt as though I was given a brush off and the 'christian' in him was not acting properly. There was no offer of help or suggestion of who might help. So I had to get out the Yellow Pages. I just quickly asked the Lord to lead me to the right place and I found myself calling a place here in town that is owned by Christians....hence the fish on their advertising! I was told they couldn't come out until later in the evening and then put on hold for a minute. The woman came back and said, "I can have someone there between 3-5." That was fine I didn't expect someone right away. At two, the phone rang. The woman told me that the technician was on their way. Cool. He was there in less than five minutes and I wasn't completely ready for him.

Almost four hours, two technicians and $4o0 later my furnace was running. But in between there I shed some tears while alone in the house. I called my sister with updates, and just broke down telling her how nice it would be to not be alone in cases like this. It is the one thing I do not like about being single. I have to go on blind faith that the strange men in my basement know what they are doing and are not cheating me.

It turned out that it probably was a good thing that the guy who put the furnace in did not come to look at it as these two technicians found some 'faulty' problems with it. Hmmmm. That is all I will say on that.

But gee Lord, $400??? And more to come. It was a gentle reminder of the fact that I am single because I have to fully rely on God. If I weren't, knowing the way I am I would rely to much on a man than THE man.

If They Could See Me Now

I wish you could have seen me last night. No, wait, on second thought I don't think that would have been wise. Course it is that time of year to be scary! My furnace is not working, yet. And last night as some of us know was the coldest night so far. I broke out the winter pj's, and dove under two big blankets with a crocheted shawl over my head and around my shoulders. I would have worn a hat but I couldn't find one. I laid awake reading for awhile and like a doofus realized I could have been wearing mittens while I did that! The cat, tucked away neatly on the nearby rocking chair, looked at me several times like I was nuts. To warm things up this morning I made a pot of vegetable beef soup. I love to cook and create. I don't like soup. There are only two kinds I tolerate, tomato and potato. But this did make the house smell nice. So I'm still bundled up waiting for the furnace guy to get here. I'm a little aprehensive, a little on the nervous side. He had to go back to the shop for something. We don't have the money for this big repair. But as I so well know, God is in control and all I have to do is ask Him for the peace I need. So what am I waiting for?

What do you do to keep warm?

Chilled to the Bone

Last night when I went to bed I was so chilled that I put on two blankets and wrapped a shawl around my head. My insides were chattering. Thankfully the cat curled up at my feet and I slipped into warm oblivion. But I woke up around three thirty and was wide awake. I had the alarm set for six because I needed to be out the door by eight. I laid there for awhile with all sorts of thoughts running through my head. I finally asked God, "why am I awake, do you have something to talk to me about?" I really never got an answer so I just laid there, turning and tossing and getting up once to feed the cat. Last time I looked at the clock it said 4:30 and I came to the conclusion that I would fall asleep just about when it was time to get up. Sure enough, I did. I may not have gotten an answer to my question I asked of God, but I was able to rest assured that I was wrapped in the warmth of His love and everything was under control. Maybe I was awake just in order to remember that.

Fast Food Blues

Since being ill last week I have had the opportunity to not eat much food. I wanted to loose a little more weight, just not like this. However when I put a pair of new jeans on tonight and discovered they no longer hugged my body the way they did when I bought them, which is why I bought them, I panicked. I don't own a belt, don't like them. I tried a couple of other pair on, same thing. Guess it's back to Goodwill for some new jeans! But I digress......

I made a pan of mac and cheese tonight thought it sounded good. Looked at it after it was done, took a bite and threw it away. It just didn't happen. I then remembered my all time favorite comfort food after being sick is an Arby's roast beef sandwich. Plain. When you walk into Arby's they shout, "Hi, welcome to Arby's" without even looking at your face most of the time. I just want to say, "leave me alone I'm looking at the menu." But what REALLY gets me is while someone is taking my order they still stop and to say "Hi welcome to Arby's" to whoever walks in the door. It is so rude. Then they have to stop and ask you "what was that you said?" I was taught when you were talking to someone you didn't stop in mid sentence and start talking to someone else. It's called MANNERS. Even big business has forgotten that.

I think I'll write Arby's a note. :-)

What A Difference.....A Day Makes

It's been a horrible week. Oh well maybe not that horrible. Last week I came down with the flu. I mean THE FLU. And usually after that you start to feel better. That didn't happen. I got worse in other ways. Two days ago I finally broke down and had someone take me to the ER. I am so blessed. Every time in my life I've gone to the ER I've had good service. I got excellent care this time. After two liters of fluids because I was dehydrated, several tubes of blood and the little cup to tinkle in.....the results were in. I had one of the worse infections the doctor has ever seen. I literally began to feel better after the first dose of antibiotic.

Soon the bills will start to arrive. You get billed for the nurse in the Triage, the doctor in the Triage, the doctor in the ER, radiology, lab, bathroom attendant and blanket....well maybe not those two but it will seem like it. How does one pay for that when there is no insurance and no income? Thankfully.....My God shall supply ALL my needs according to His riches in Glory!

On another note as I said either here or on Facebook. I was letting the Lord restore a friendship that had been damaged over 2 years ago. I heard from this friend and afterwords accessed some of the things she said to me. I said to the Lord, "nothing has changed, she still sounds the same, she still talks like everything is depressing, she still complained about how busy she is, why do I want to get re involved with all that again?" I haven't got an answer yet. It still bugs me.

Ok, I think I'll get some rest.

It's A Hope Thing

Do you know who some of the most hopeful people are in the world today? Here's a clue. Every year since 1908 they have faithfully stood by their men patiently and eagerly waiting. Waiting with a glint in their eye and confidence in their heart that one day while they are still alive to tell the tale, one-day so that generations to come can recall the amazement of it all, the Chicago Cubs will again win a World Series.

So many things have occurred since the Cubs won a series. Radio and television were invented. Haley's Comet passed the earth, twice! Sixteen U.S. presidents were elected. Five states were admitted to the Union. Man landed on the moon, as did several home runs given up by Cub's pitchers!

Seems kind of silly to have hope in something that doesn't seem possible, but a Cub fan always speaks hope. From "this year the Cubs will go all the way" to "we'll get em next year!" We've been saying it since 1909.

We've all let those 'woe is me attitudes' slip out now and then. The thing I hear the most is, "I guess it's just my lot in life to...."and then the blank is filled in with something negative. Through certain circumstances over the past few years, I've learned to start speaking to that which I can not see yet. I try as much as possible to speak out the hope that is in my heart. And when I do, I'm breathing the air of destiny. Pretty cool huh?

For example, I have something in my heart that I feel so strongly about that when I see it, read about it, hear about it, write about it, well I just get all emotional. It's Italy. There's something about Italy that gets me all mushy. I believe one day I will go there because God has placed it in my heart so strongly. So instead of the usual, "yeah right like I'd ever get to go to Italy", I speak out the hope that is in my heart, "someday WHEN I get to Italy."

I've been thinking about this Destiny and Hope thing for quite some time now and decided it was to be my theme this month. Then just a few nights ago Kim Clement spoke the same thing that I have been feeling and the same words I have been doodling on pieces of paper.

"I found out that when I'm in the fiery furnace that's when I see the fourth man, when I'm in the lions den, that's when I hear His voice the greatest, when I"m in the pit that's when my gift is sharpened and when I'm in the prison that's when God really sharpens my sword BECAUSE He is prepraing me for something greater!"

Something greater than Pekin? How about Italy? I'd like to go go to Scotland too while your at it! How about the New York Times Best Seller List, how about the Cubs winning the World Series? You see there is always hope, with a God like ours how can there not be?