It's Friday.........but Sunday is coming!!!

What a promise we have been given!  Jesus died on the cross for my sins, your sins, everyone's sins.  All you have to do is admit you are that sinner, believe that He died for you and confess Jesus is Lord.  ABC. You and me.  Isn't that awesome? However to get to that point - Jesus had to die on the cross for our sins.  Good Friday.  Jesus was crucified.  Crucification is a Roman means of execution where the prisioner was nailed to a cross.  Heavy wrought iron nails were driven through the wrists and heel bones.  If the victim lingered too long death was hastened by breaking their legs.  There is agony and disgrace associated with being crucified.  The Bible says at the sixth hour a darkness came over the whole land.  That would be noon.  At the ninth hour Jesus cried out, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani.....My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?  Now it is late in the afternoon and there was an urgency to get Jesus' body down from the cross before sundown, when Sabbath began.  He was taken from the cross and buried in a tomb.  A huge stone was rolled over the opening.  Guards stood by the stone.

Does that sound like a good Friday?  It is Friday, but Sunday is coming.  He arose!  He gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit living in us when we accept him, all because his death on the cross.  We can look at Scriptures and see how Jesus fulfills prophecies spoken hundreds of year before, and we can understand that His is a kingdom far exceeding our hopes and dreams.  Even today God lets us go through faith crises, and we don't see how he can bring good out of these situations.  But each of us must live through our Good Friday and Silent Saturday to arrive at Easter Sunday, a time of resurrected hopes and dreams.

Blessings and Good Friday to all.

Blue Monday

GO.BIG.BLUE.
The Kentucky variety.  Bring home #8 tonight!!!

April Fool's Day, or April 1, 2012

Today was absolutely gorgeous. Sunshine, slight breeze, mid 80s. A perfect day for my first round of golf this year. Well, only got to play 11 holes, but thoroughly enjoyed the 11 holes I got to play. As my friend and I drove up to #12 (now don't let that confuse you since I said I only played 11 holes) at CCCC I laughed and said this would not be a good day to get a hole in one because nobody would believe me. I then hit my tee shot and seriously it came up short of the hole by maybe 15". We laughed so hard! Got excited because I really thought I had done it. Of course, I missed the putt. The greens have been aerated so were not ideal for putting, but I can't put the blame on that. I turned my putter. Oh well. A par is a par. Since it was such a beautiful day there were many on the course and we were only a twosome so we played #10 then #16-18 then #10-#16. That is a perk of playing in smalltown USA. We just wanted to play, not keep a score so we jumped around. It would have been a 39 if I counted the best score on the holes we played twice, so not bad for first outing.

Actually I would be happy with that all summer. It just was SO relaxing and SO beautiful with all the spring trees in bloom, and amazing how green the fairways were for this time of year. God is such an awesome creator.  Dogwood trees, azeleas, tulips, red bud trees, so many different colors and hues.  Such awesome display of God's beauty.  But did you know that God also believes you are beautiful?  I have never thought of myself as an attractive person, but God believes I am beautiful.  In Ecclesiastes after the part about a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven, Chapter 3:11-13 says "He has made everything beautiful in its time.  He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.  I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live.  That everyone may eat and drink and find satisfaction in his toil - this is the gift of God"

You have been given a gift of beauty - around you and in you.  May each of you see the beauty around you this week.

Blessings.

Day off

I took a vacation today.  Why do I always run out of day before I am done, though I did get a bunch done.  Started the day with mother's eye drops and then made a trip to the bank; to the CPA for a tax return for a company I keep books for; to another CPA to pick up my personal tax return; filled the car with gas; stopped to check out jewelry at On Main but ended up buying some kitchen cannisters; to Malone's for paint samples; home to eat some lunch; back to On Main for one more piece; cleaned and packed the dishes I took off my shelves; wash and dried 3 loads of clothes; pulled weeds and trimmed one landscape grass.  Why only one grass?  4 blisters on my hands before I was through.  Between my hand hurting and the pain shooting down my right leg from bending over I decided I needed to call it quits.  Supper is started on the stove, just waiting for Fred to get home.  Mother called and her neighbor is going to finish eye drops the rest of today, so all in all it has been a good day, plus a beautiful day.  I still want to go play a few holes of golf and wash the car but now that I have sit down........I am tired.

One of the hardest things is deciding on a color to pain the 4 doors on my house.  I have painted so many coats of different colors that I really need to sand them all down and start over.  Look at the colors taped to the left of the door.  Which one do you like?  At the very top is the color of my new siding.  The yellow on the door is the second shade of yellow/gold I painted.  Both panels were from paint samples I picked up at Walmart.  I don't like any of those 3 colors so I am back to square one.  Should I paint the doors the same color as the siding?    Help me decide.



Sunday School Fun

Twenty minutes until the UK-Baylor game, so I have time for a short post.  Last night one of the numbers on my list was to pull off a surprise.  Well, we did.  Our Sunday School teacher is a big Indiana fan.  Indiana beat UK in December so Friday night's rematch in the NCAA tournament was a big win.  Freddie created a new United States map that incorporated Kentucky and Indiana in blue and renamed them on the map as  Big Blue Nation.  He plotted out several sizes of maps and we hung those around the Sunday School room.  We got blue tablecloths and white tablecloths and some UK cups and decorated our Sunday School class (and for a shameless plug the tablecloths, napkins and cups came from Main Street Costumes).  I made blue "UK" cupcakes, sugar cookies and a taco dip, brought tostitos and fritos and soft drinks (including blue mountain dew).  We created a mini fellowship for our class.  Dan was a good sport and took our ribbing well - even the deflated red balloon we left at his seat. 

It was a good fellowship of friends and then on to our Sunday School lesson on how we use our words - to build up or tear down.  If you are not in a small group or Sunday School, I highly recommend you check them out at your church.  You need that fellowship and friendships to share any highs and lows and know there is someone to help you through it all.  It draws you closer to a group of people and closer to God. 

May you have a blessed day!

March Madness

I love March Madness.  Even teams I don't usually follow, I watch every game possible.  Of course, I want UK to win EVERYTIME. Go big BLUE!!

I didn't know who I wanted to win last game between Florida and Louisville.  On the one hand it would be great to have two SEC teams in the final four, but a Kentucky/Louisville matchup is also exciting.  We just have to get past Baylor tomorrow.  Blue vs Red, Red vs. Blue - people, that can split families in Kentucky!!  Personally, I bleed blue.  Can't wait until tomorrow's game.

Didn't get much accomplished today.  Freddie wanted to "run" by his office for "just a minute" and i ended up sitting there 2 1/2 hours.  Still had to put drops in mother's eyes (round 2 for today) and go to the grocery store for her and then for us.  Still on the list is 1) painting doors 2) strip beds and wash sheets 3) bake cupcakes 4) try to pull off a surprise for tomorrow 5) clean kitchen 6) rest of laundry.  And what am I doing?  Sitting here with the laptop.  Okay, I will get up and start on at least one of those numbers.  To finish today, here is what is probably the last of my spring flowers.  Hope you all had a good day.

Last Day of Winter

Today is the last day of winter.  I sure hope winter knows that!!  We hit another record high of 83 degrees today.  I would go play golf if I didn't feel so bad.  I have had a scratchy throat for a couple of weeks but just thought it was from all the trees blooming and maybe spring allergies.  Over the weekend I started coughing, but my chest is so tight, I can't get it loose.  Probably have a fever if I knew where a thermometer is kept in my house.  Somehow it never seems to get back in the same spot.  I did find a very old mercury rectal thermometer.  Don't want to know if I have a temperature that bad!!!  LOL.  I'll just take a couple Advil and call it good.

Here are updated pics of my spring blooms

Isn't that pretty?  I love the beauty of spring. 

My tulips should be blooming tomorrow.  What is your favorite spring sight?

What a difference a week makes

This week has been unbelievable with the weather.  The temperatures have been in the mid 70s to almost 80 degrees all week.  It gives me spring fever.  I am ready to play golf!!  People all around are mowing their yards, working on landscaping.  But, this is just scary for this time of year.  We have had huge snows later than this.  After having two tornado touch downs last week I would prefer that this kind of warm weather would wait until its time to come.  Here is a pic of my forsythia last week and this week.  Another couple of weeks and it will be full and beautiful!!  What a difference a warm spring week makes.  God is such an artist!!!

I hope I can add more pictures as it fills out and that we don't get a hard freeze that stops the growth.

I am excited to start getting my patio ready for the summer.  It is still a work in progress, but getting there.  Aww......spring fever......do you have it too?

Monday, Monday

My goal was to write something everyday and I messed that up by missing yesterday.  Oh well.  I had so much stuff I was going to accomplish tonight.  Oops.  After work I picked out a new paint color for my doors, filled up the car with gas that costs almost a whole day's pay, went to the grocery store for mother and then took it to her, stocked her frig, put in her eye drops and came home.  I cooked supper and then I did paint a coat on one of my doors, but after that I sat on the couch and watched The Voice and SMASH.  3 hours worth of TV.  What a lazy night. Are you watching SMASH?  What do you think?  I love the storyline of behind the scenes of a Broadway play and the singing but I could do without a couple of the issues they show.  Katherine McPhee has a gorgeous voice.  I was going to make a list of everything I was going to do, but I think that would just depress me.  I am just going to pretend I can sing like Katherine instead. 

I do however LOVE daylight savings time.  I don't know why it has to be changed back in the fall.  I still have a night of homework to do in the Beth Moore study James for tomorrow night, so off to my quiet time.  Have a good night all.

Saturday shopping

My daughter and I headed out about noon today in conquest of a new dining room table and chairs for me.  We have an old antique round table that does not extend and if you get by the leg you have to sit straddle that claw foot leg.  We have 4 chairs, a bar stool and a computer desk chair when we are all here.  I would love to have an extendable table and extra "matching" chair for family dinners.  Lori and I headed to Evansville.  All week the tv had been advertising what great markdowns and sales at Ashley Home Furniture Store.  Well.............bull..............their tables (exact one I had priced in Owensboro) was more expensive that any I have priced.  I dont know what they think the meaning of SALE is.  Anyway Lori and I went to 8 furniture stores and I didn't see anything I liked any better, so I will call Brooke Monday and see if she can get them.   My feet are tired.  We won't get as much sleep tonight.  SPRING FORWARD!!!  I bought a couple pair of pants tonight, so i need to go to spin tomorrow and lose at least 5 lbs so I can wear them!  Good day.  Loved all that time with my daughter, even if she did yell at me once when I gasped when she almost rearended another car. I have come to remember how to hold my arms, now I will work on my vocalizations.  I love you Lori.  Adam would have been able to see us but he was already asleep when we drove through Madisonville. Love you too Adam even if you wouldn't wake up for us to come over.

Finally Friday

So glad it is Friday, or so I thought this morning.  Mother went back to the opthamologist today and everything is going as it should, but she has to continue the drops in the eye for 4 more weeks and she scheduled the right eye for March 22.  That means eye drops continue through the end of April. four.times.a.day.   Pray for stamina for me.  I thought last night was the last of the drops.  I am not a good nurse.  She's not a good patient.  That doesn't make a good combination.  **sigh**

I ♥ you

Today was a good day.  Not nearly as hectic as yesterday.  I think we got about two inches of rain, so it was cold, rainy and yucky unless you are a duck, but inside the confines of the office things were quiet, warm and calm. I think the rain kept everyone home. My co-worker has a sick baby so I was on my own and had no one to talk to me.  That makes for a really quiet day.  But, also makes for a long day.  I miss her when she isn't there. Say a prayer that they get and stay healthy for the weekend. 

My mom had cataract surgery last Friday and she has to have eye drops in her eyes four times a day.  Since she also suffers from Parkinson's she could not put the drops in her eyes by herself.  I have been there 3 times today in this downpouring rain but my beautiful daughter is going to do the late shift on her way home tonight. ♥  Hopefully today is the last day for her drops.  I know she did not like them at all.  She goes back for a checkup tomorrow.  Pray for no complications.

Came home, had a supper of fried chicken, green beans, fresh corn (from what I froze this summer) and mac and cheese. ♥  Now I am dry, warm and have a full belly.  Mmmm. 

Best part of the day....I finally got a call from my doctor and the nuclear stress test I had 3 weeks ago is okay.  No ♥ problems.  Whew. My dad died from a massive ♥ attack after suffering from ♥ disease for 30 years.  Everyone always needs to keep a check on those family history problems. I had been going to my daughter's spin classes and with each class I was getting wheezy, super short of breath and light-headed.  This would last for about an hour after each class.  The last class I went to made even me nervous as I drove home gasping for breath.  I made an appointment with my regular doctor and he referred me to a cardiologist.  The consult with the cardiologist showed an abnormal EKG and he set me up for a nuc med stress test.  Now, having worked for doctors for 28 years I knew it would take a bit for results, but folks, it would be 3 weeks tomorrow.  I kept telling myself that if there was really anything seen on the test SOMEONE would have called before now.  But, it still is a huge relief when you actually hear that.  Guess this means that I will have to start back into spin class and exercising Sunday afternoon. Exercise induced asthma is much better than ♥ disease.  Maybe I just won't push as hard as I did before.  Hearing this today makes me ♥ everything.

Somewhere over the................

Is there anything more beautiful than a rainbow?  I love to take pictures of rainbows and over the years have managed to capture several.  But not this one.  A lady from our church caught this one Friday after the storms passed, a rainbow perfectly arched over our church.  Scary day, record setting for number of tornados in Kentucky, two in Muhlenberg County.  But there is something so soothing when I see the rainbow.  Genesis 9:12-15 "And God said 'This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come.  I have set my rainbow in the clouds and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.  Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind.  Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life"  The sign of the Noahic covenant.   Somewhere over that rainbow is a God who loves me and loves me just because I am me.  What can be more beautiful?

Back in the saddle

Well, my pastor and boss, Bro. Ray had to go to Nashville today.  Nashville has the closest Apple Store to us.  He took my phone with him and the techs were able to get it back to a restore spot.  All I had to do when Bro. Ray brought it back to me was open my iTunes, connect my phone to the laptop and hit the screen they had ready for me to use.  It took me about 10 minutes and I have my phone again!!  All the pictures were there, all the contacts were there!  YAY!!  My apps were not there, but small price to pay to be up and running again.  I have had a chance to download Word With Friends and it picked up the games I had in progress, so life is good and I am back in the saddle again.  (Well, actually back on my couch - laptop in my lap and phone to my left)  Feels good.  LOL.

Also, to be back in the saddle, I started back in my ladies small group Bible study tonight.  We started Beth Moore's James.  Phenomonal first night of video.  It is exciting to be back studying God's word in the depth that Beth Moore takes you.  It is also great to have an accountability group to keep me doing the daily homework.  I always say when I am out of group I will keep studying, but little by little life gets in the way and I end up putting that on the back burner.  Good group.  Nine ladies wanting to learn and study together.  I am looking forward to this.

On a sad note, we lost a fine gentleman of our church today.  I feel deep sympathy for Mr. Cornette's family.  I am of the age where lots of my friends are losing their parents more often.  It is hard to believe I am as old as I am and that the generation of people we grew up with as leaders in our church are now going on to their heavenly home.  Rest in peace Mr. Cornette. 

Technologically Challenged

Well, my laptop crashed about 3 weeks ago and I was amazed at how much I missed it. I love information. I love when I hear a word, or have a question about anything, there is this amazing thing called Google that I can search until my heart’s desire for that answer that satisfies my curiosity. So, after 3 weeks I got to go buy a new laptop yesterday. Didn’t get home until later in the evening and couldn’t wait to get it out of that box. Caught up on my emails, facebook, pinterest, looked at a dining room table I have had my eye on for a while……….I was back in touch with the world. All is good. ???? Hahahahaha! I guess I was feeling a bit tech saavy so I went to apple.com to download my iTunes. 3 hours later the box still read that there was 4 hours left and it is now 11:30 pm and church starts at 8:30 am. I left it running and went to bed. When I got up this morning everything was just the same as it was when I went to bed. No iTunes on my new computer and no 0.5.1 (whatever??) on my iPhone. Ok. After church I decided to start the process again. It took approximately 4 hours and it gives me a successful check mark. The symbol comes on my phone that Sync is in Process. THEN I get a picture of the iTunes logo at the top and the phone cord at the bottom on my iPhone. That was all she wrote. Dead phone, unless you like the pic of iTunes with a cord below. True to technology form, I turn everything off and back on. Number one rule, right? That didn’t work. I thought maybe the battery was low so I plugged into the wall to let charge. No change. I then plugged it back into my laptop and my iTunes page on the laptop shows all my apps but it does not even recognize that my phone is plugged in. So, once again I am in withdrawal. No iPhone. That’s how I “talk” to my kids. Random texts during the evening and before bedtime. Wish me luck as I brave the AT&T store tomorrow. That is about as painful as not having that instant gratification of knowing what is going on around me with that phone. So, all my friends out there…………….I am still here. Just technologically impaired at the moment.