Tuesday August 09, 2005

I was debating about what to write today. Sometimes I feel like some of you. What could possibly be exciting about my life that you would want to know about. It was just an ordinary day. I woke up. Spent some time in my Believing God Bible Study…got dressed for work. Went by the post office and picked up the church’s mail. Drove to the office. Checked email, worked on the bulletin (I do the bulletin every week. Now I don’t use those kind that the front is already made like some churches do. I created the entire thing. I made a front that the info stays the same such as our church logo, services times, church office hours, ways to contact us, etc. and the bottom that explains our childcare and the way we collect our tithes. We do not pass a plate for the offering but have what we call tithe boxes at the back of the sanctuary. We feel that doing it this way takes the pressure off of giving out of the place of guilt. Remember how you have felt when a plate is passed to you and you either don’t have the money or don’t want to give yet you feel obligated? It also keeps busy bodies from knowing how much you are giving. It seems to work very well for us anyway.

How did I get off on all that? I also change the inside and back which has announcements, prayer requests and cell group information (our home groups)

I only work from 9AM to 12 or 12:30PM. Doyle called me to see if I wanted to do lunch. I always want to do lunch I just hate having to decide where to go! He hates it as bad as me because he eats out every third day when he is on duty at the fire station. So you ask "why do you eat out then" well because he doesn't want to eat a sandwich and I don't want to cook! Contrary to stories you may have heard about fireman doing the cooking, our department is so stretched personnel wise (2 people at each station and there are two) that it’s difficult for them to actually cook a meal so they eat out most of the time. In a town our size if you eat out very often you begin to run out of options. It’s either Mexican, Italian, or café style if you want restaurant food. Burgers, chicken, sandwiches and Mexican if you want fast food. In a town of 15, 000 we have 5 Mexican food restaurants! Three of those are Tex-Mex the others are authentic. We have no steak house, no BBQ, no fish! I really miss having a place to get a really good steak! We recently saw in our local newspaper that we will be getting a Wendy’s, Chili’s and a Walgreen’s. I know you can’t eat at Walgreen’s at least I don’t think so! It will be nice just to have something different. Our SuperCenter Walmart should open in a couple of weeks. That’s a big deal for us! No more driving 20 miles to get to one! Yahoo! I have mixed feelings though as I realize that with SuperCenter opening will probably cause some local businesses to close. That makes me sad! Big isn’t always better. It’s nice to have some place to shop that you don’t have to fight for a parking place or walk a mile to get to the store or stand in line for 15 minutes to check out! Progress – rather ironic huh?!

Changes are coming to our town, like it or not. I do believe overall it will be a good thing. It will just take some getting used to. I don’t want to become one of those people who refuses to change or except change. I’ve typically had a pioneering spirit and I want to keep that. I think that will help me to stay young…at least in my mind. I know I don’t have any control over my body!

Well for someone who didn’t have anything to write about I sure used up an entire page! I decided in order to keep my frustration level down to a minimum I would type my entry in Word then copy and paste. Looks like it worked pretty good!

I have a church leadership meeting tonight so I best get off for now.

Monday August 08, 2005

Well, somebody is trying to tell me something. Three different times in the last few days I have written a lengthy post to only have it vanish making me not want to repeat the process and potentially committ Harry Carrie on this computer!! Either the pieces I have written were so good the enemy didn't want me to post or it was something only God wanted me to see. I haven't figured which one. Probably more the latter because I thought it was very good and actually encouraged myself! Well if it is the latter maybe God will allow me to share it in time.

I told you that I was going through a Bible study called "Believing God". The whole premise is most of us believe in God but do we believe God....Do we believe....

God is who He says He is
God can do what He says He can do
I am who God says I am
I can do all things through Christ
God's word is alive and active in me.

Ah, Sovereign Lord, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. Jeremiah 32:17 NIV

No one is like You, O Lord; You are great, and Your name is mighty in power. Who should not revere you, O King of the nations? This is Your due. Among all the wise men of the nations and in all their kingdoms there is no one like You. Jeremiah 10:6-7 NIV*

(*in case you are wondering NIV are the initials of a certain translation of the Bible. They stand for New International Version one of the more modern easier to read translations)

Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God - children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will but born of God. John 1:12-13 NIV

But because of His great love for us, God who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved. Ephesians 2:4 NIV

He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6 NIV

I can do everything through Him (Christ) who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13 NIV

I think I'm rambling so I'll stop. I can't seem to collect my thoughts very well. I was hoping to write something profound but it all seems random.

Sunday August 07, 2005

 

Wow, I had my eyes opened today. In talking with some relatives by phone I've discovered that my mom is promoting my website! I don't mind at all just a little surprised that so many different ones were reading it! I just didn't think anyone would want to take time to read about me. I guess I was way wrong! I haven't told people about my site mostly because I thought it sounded arrogant! I am excited to know that my site is being seen by people who know me and want to know me better! My mother says she looks forward every morning to checking my website and gets disappointed when I haven't posted! Who'd of thunk it!

My dad came home from the hospital Saturday. Woo Hoo! It was an ordeal. He said he got dismissed  at 11am but had to go fill several prescriptions. He planned to go to a pharmacy closer to home but when he dropped off the RX's the pharmacy there didn't have the meds he needed. So he went to another walmart in another city. They had the meds but were going to cost $450 for 5 days worth! My dad said "God will either have to heal me or take me home but I'm not paying $450!" (Can't say that I blame you dad!)Well, come to find out that was pill form. The hospital was giving him liquid form which was cheaper. So he tried to get the pharmacy to give him liquid...they said "can't do that. You'll have to go back to the hospital pharmacy." So back to the Liberty hospital. The hospital pharmacy wouldn't fill it without a doctor's authorization. (can you begin to feel the frustration level about now!) So dad calls and leaves word for him to call. He finally gets what he needs but didn't get home until 6pm. He was pooped by then!  Thanks again for all your prayers. God did hear and did answer! Now I'm asking God to help dad see that he can't do it all himself. He needs to learn to take care of himself, that is if he wants to continue hanging around with us!

Hope ya'll enjoy. Until tomorrow!

Saturday August 06, 2005

I didn't talk to my dad today but did get an email that he is continuing to improve. He was started on soft foods today and hopes to go home tomorrow.

We got a nice rain shower today. Not much rain but cooled things down. It's really humid tonight. This morning the humidity was 100%! Of course that went down as it began to heat up.

Tonight Vanessa and I went to crop at the scrapbook store. I got four pages done and Vanessa did too! Next week is the scrapbook store's one year anniversary so it will be a 12 hour crop next week but I can only crop for 6hrs since next weekend is mine to work at DriveSafe.

Thursday August 04, 2005

I talked to Dad yesterday and today. Yesterday he sounded much better than the day before and today he sounded stronger too.  In fact he chuckled a couple of times. And today he outright laughed! The diagnosis is still colitis and c-def? whatever I told you in the post before about the good and bad bacteria. As of yesterday he hadn't had anything to eat since Monday. The doctor wanted to give his colon a rest! They have started him on jello and broth. He thought if he continued to improve they might let him go home tomorrow. The church he pastors is in the midst of VBS this week. Many people have stepped up to the plate to help. Thanks to all of you who have prayed and are still praying. I so appreciate you!

These are some of my favorite pics of my favorite place to ride. It's on about 1200 acres. The only way to it is by horseback or 4 wheeler. Destination is a cliff overlooking the Brazos River. Nancy calls it the "Magic Rock" It does seem to have a certain "feel" about it but I wouldn't call it magical. I'd call it getting close to my Creator. We both took turns expressing ourselves on that rock.

Nancy believes in God but doesn't have relationship with Him. I'm praying that through our friendship she comes to know the best friend of all!

Tuesday August 03, 2005

I finally gave up that anyone was going to call and update us on dad so I called a few of my family getting only answering machines and voice mail so I finally looked up the hospital on the web and got the main number to call. Got to talk to Dad myself! He wasn't too chipper or with it probably because he had a lower GI done this AM. Right now it's believed that the good bacteria that we all have in our colon was killed out by him having been on antibiotics for an extended time so bad bacteria had opportunity to grow. Isn't that weird....antibiotics caused the problem and antibiotics are what they will treat him with. At the time I talked to him he wasn't feeling well at all and didn't have any idea how long they would keep him. He must feel pretty bad to not be "chomping at the bit" to get out of there.

Thanks to all of you who told me you were praying. I appreciate it very much.

Didn't get to ride this evening. Keannon is trying to move out of his apartment and into his grandmother's. He wants to get himself more financially stable and this seemed to be the quickest way to achieve that goal.  So Doyle, Vanessa and I went over to finish up so He and Doyle can move what's left in the morning after he gets off shift.

I thought I might share with ya'll my scrap book I made for my friend Nancy who owns the Italian Restaurant here. I met Nancy not long after she came to our town in 1997. Someone who knew both of us told her about my love for horses. Come to find out she loved horses too! Now she doesn't look the country girl type...infact she has the "New York" look which is where they came from but we both shared a passion for horses. We took an instant liking to each other. I decided if she was willing I would teach her what I knew. Everytime we went riding she took a camera. At first I thought she was silly but now I am so glad she did. We've been able to capture some very precious memories.

Nancy took all the pictures and made duplicate prints to give me. In order to make this scrap book I had to scan all those pics! I must have scanned around 200 pictures!

Well, I'll close for tonight!

Tuesday August 02, 2005

I found out that my dad went into the hospital tonight. He was sick when we were there but evidently never got over it. He was having diarrhea and running fever. Of late his wife reports that he's beginning to lose his appetite (which is a sure sign something is wrong because he loves to eat!) He's also lacked energy and my dad has always been a real go getter. Anyway the doctor is concerned about him getting dehyrdated so he was admitted for fluids and tests. Hope to learn more tomorrow. Would ya'll pray for my dad? His name is Warren. This is the part of life I don't like is seeing people age and lose their health.

I also visited my friend Sherri who is in my home group. She is 56 yrs old and has diabetes. She has had a horrible time with her feet of late. A little over a month ago she was helping with a wedding anniversary celebration when she heard a pop in her foot. It hurt but she didn't really think anything about it. It did swell some and she went to the doctor. The diagnosis was a sprain. A few days later her leg up to her knee was swollen twice it's size. She went back to the doctor. Come to find out she had broken some bones in her foot. An infection had also developed at the site of the break. She was in the hospital a week (while I was in Missouri). The doctor wanted to do surgery to put the bones back together. He did that surgery a week ago this past Friday. When he got in there to put screws in the bone...the bone fell apart it was so brittle so he had to wire it back together. She is to be non weightbearing for 2 months! She lives alone and I figured out real quick that we're weren't going to be able to give her the care she needed so we made arrangements for the nursing home. She is doing very well. Infact I saw her today. The nice thing is she can leave and go to church so that will help. I actually think she's going to have a hard time leaving because she enjoys all the activities and having her meals prepared for her. She was telling me that there is Bingo tomorrow and Movies on Saturday night.