At This Time

                                                           Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey. 




When thou hast thanked thy God
For every blessing sent,
What time will then remain
For murmurs or lament?
R. C. TRENCH.


So I finally went out and bought myself the 2018 calendar. I had to talk myself into it, because I'm afraid of the dollar store. Yes, you heard me right. I'm afraid of the dollar store. I cannot go in there and walk out with just one item, even if I make a list. Emily thinks it's just hilarious. Well, maybe she should do the shopping then. 

I buy my calendars there, because I see no reason to spend around twenty dollars for something I'm going to scribble all over. Besides, I really like their selection of landscapes and the size of the calendar. 

Calendars are pretty important around here. For as long as I could remember, Emily and I have been writing down all our appointments, dates, activities and any other important facts on it. Every Sunday, we check our calendar for that week to see what we are doing. We do this for two reasons: One, we always know where the other person is at any point in time. Two, it keeps us organized where we don't overlap appointments. It's much easier to make plans when they are written down in front of us. One can see the whole picture. 

Excuse the comment above the picture, but this is how I feel almost daily. It is a real struggle for me to live with people. I push myself constantly to mingle with the world. Although, there are times, that I wish I could live in my own bubble. When I saw that picture, it spoke to me wholeheartedly. This is the secret me.

As you can see, I have quite a few Bible studies that I'm trying to complete. I take my time, even when the study is over, I continue on trying to finish them. In the past, that would really bother me and I would hurriedly rush through the lessons. No longer do I do that. I take my time and really try to delve into the lesson. As the year comes to an end, my focus has shifted to finishing and preparing. Finishing any past projects and preparing for the New Year. This has become quite a tradition for this time frame. What are some ways you prepare or do you have any traditions for the end of the year? I would love to hear them. 

Have a Blessed day everyone.

P.S.
The Gratitude Challenge:
Today I am grateful for a good night's sleep. 

Let Us Not Despair

                                                                  Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.




Psalms 25:2
O my God,
 I trust in thee: 
let me not be ashamed, 
let not mine enemies triumph over me.


It has been one of those weeks, maybe more, where everyone seems to have a trial or struggle of sorts. Just in my own circles, my friends have been attacked spiritually, not knowing how or when. A friend of a friend lost an infant to Crib Death. Another is getting divorced and someone else just found out their mate was unfaithful. I know of at least two people suffering with mental illness and a pregnancy that isn't going well. 

Last night, Emily sprained her ankle walking home from work. As she winced with pain (plus some tears), I realized that the young don't know how to deal with pain. They have to learn. They have to learn what to do and how to react in a situation that may seem dire. They have to learn not to panic, but adjust to what is placed in front of them. That is how they grow. 

I have become very aware of how much hurt and anguish is truly out there. There is a real need to interact and share with others our pain and suffering. We need to be around people, especially the kind that can help us. When trouble abounds, we go to our closest friends and allies. We search for truth and answers as to what should we do. We also need to be very cautious in regards to whom we choose for that role. 

There are many people out there who give the wrong kind of advice. Or use our struggles to gossip about us. Not everyone we know is a good friend and we need to show discernment in doing so. Sometimes, we ourselves seek out these people. We want to be around people who will tell us what we want to hear, not necessarily what we need to hear. 

A true friend feels the pain her friends are going through. We try to console the best way we know how. We listen. We advise. We pray, but most of all, we are there. Reach out to them. Many are hurting out there.

Have a blessed day everyone. 

P.S.
The Gratitude Challenge:
 I am very grateful for good friends with good advice.

Celebrating Uniqueness

                                                           Everyday is a brand new day,
                                                            everyday is a journey.


Follow your 
Star that lights a desert pathway, 
yours or mine,
Forward, till you learn the highest 
Human Nature is divine.
Follow Light and do the Right--
for man can half control his doom--
Till you see the deathless 
Angel seated in the vacant Tomb.

--Alfred Tennyson.

All of my life I have wanted to blend in with the wallpaper. I've never wanted to have the spotlight on me. I preferred to sit quietly on the sidelines watching others in the limelight. Even my name was an embarrassment. I mean, how many Lotties do you know? Not many. As a child, I thought I had such a strange name and all I wanted to be was an Anne, Laura or a Mary. Not to forget that I was a foreigner having come to this country at the age of seven. 


It has taken me a very, very long time to like myself. A long time to celebrate who I was in my own uniqueness. Then cancer came, changing my appearance forever. Suddenly, I was staring in the mirror not recognizing the person I saw there. That is still an ongoing struggle. A journey of sorts. 

Just think about how long it takes for us to be able to look in the mirror and like what we see there. In school, we are bullied by our peers, because we are so different, so unique from one another. As we grow older, we search for someone to accept and love us for us. We want to find that perfect soulmate who love us unconditionally. Sometimes, we find the opposite. I know I did. 

I often say that I wish I became a believer before I had children. I believe I would have been a much better mother and person. Everything has a Season and Jesus seemed fit for me to be where I am now. There is no reason to be thinking otherwise. God places us where we need to be. 

So I come before all of you, naked in my struggle against this age old problem of not liking who we are both inside and on the outside. We all need to stop looking for the ideal image. What is that ideal? Is it even possible to achieve? Believe me, it's not easy. I have my good days and then some, but at least I try. What if we all tried to like ourselves? Image that. Imagine how upset Satan would be. Let's celebrate who we are, not who we were. Let's celebrate our uniqueness in Christ.

Have a Blessed day everyone. 

P.S.
The Gratitude Challenge: 
I am very, very grateful for my Women's group and cannot wait until our next lesson.

Walk With Me

                                                            Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.


Yet Love will dream, and Faith will trust
    (Since He who knows our need is just),
  That somehow, somewhere, meet we must.
    Alas for him who never sees
    The stars shine through his cypress trees;
  Who hath not learned in hours of faith,
    The truth to flesh and sense unknown,
  That life is ever Lord of Death,
    And Love can never lose its own.
J. G. WHITTIER.



When Linda was alive, she would have this saying she used whenever she was scared. Jesus, would you walk with me? I've never forgotten it and have used it many, many times.

I think of Linda all the time. I miss her dearly, her bubbling smile that always reached her eyes. Not many people can do that, smile with their eyes. Linda loved me and I knew it, because she showed it in all she did. That's love, folks. And Linda loved me.

I could so see us both walking around Heaven together, arm in arm. I'm looking forward to it. I welcome it. We would always wonder what we would see and hear there. The wonders that the Bible spoke of in so many books.

A day doesn't go by where I think of some memory or another that I have of her. There are times I wish I was there more for her than I was. We think of things like that after the fact, but never as we're living them. I wonder if I was a good friend, doubting myself. I didn't want her to suffer or to be scared during her last moments on Earth. Her husband assured me she didn't. 

We all have someone we have lost and cannot wait to see again in Heaven. Someone with whom we can take that walk with once again. 

Have a Blessed day everyone.

P.S.
The Gratitude Challenge:
I am grateful for a good meal.

Puzzle Time

                                                           Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey. 

The picture above is of a puzzle that my mom and I worked on. In fact, this has become a favorite past-time of ours. I begin them and mom continues until the next time I come over. It's also a great exercise for our hands and fingers, especially if we have arthritis. 

It has also become a great conversation piece when people come over. It lays on the dining room table, welcoming anyone who wants to add a piece or two. Not many people do puzzles anymore and I'm not sure why. They are such fun whether one is a toddler or a senior. Why not open up a box and try. 

Below is another wonderful poem that I wanted to share with all of you. I hope you enjoy. Today has been a quiet and peaceful time and sometimes, we need to be still. 

O may I join the choir invisible

Of those immortal dead who live again

In minds made better by their presence: live

In pulses stirred to generosity,

In deeds of daring rectitude, in scorn

For miserable aims that end with self,

In thoughts sublime that pierce the night like stars,

And with their mild persistence urge man's search

To vaster issues.

This is life to come,
Which martyred men have made more glorious
For us to strive to follow. May I reach
That purest heaven, be to other souls
The cup of strength in some great agony,
Enkindle generous ardor, feed pure love,
Beget the smiles that have no cruelty,
Be the sweet presence of a good diffused,
And in diffusion ever more intense!
So shall I join the choir invisible
Whose music is the gladness of the world.

--George Eliot.

Have a blessed day everyone.

P.S.
The Gratitude Challenge:
I am grateful to have an activity to share with my mom. 

Simply Sushi

                                                                      Everyday is a brand new day,
                                                                      everyday is a journey.



If the soft hand of winning Pleasure leads
By living waters, and through flowery meads,
Where all is smiling, tranquil, and serene,
Oh! teach me to elude each latent snare,
And whisper to my sliding heart, "Beware!"
With caution let me hear the Syren's voice,
And doubtful, with a trembling heart rejoice.
If friendless in a vale of tears I stray,
Where briars wound, and thorns perplex my way,
Still let my steady soul thy goodness see,
And, with a strong confidence, lay hold on Thee.
--Anna Letitia Barbauld.

I love sushi! This has been quite a surprise to me. I've had some earlier in my life, but somehow, it never tasted that good. I didn't understand how rolled up rice with some herbs was to fill up my tummy as a meal. How boring! 

Well one night, Emily came home with some sushi. I've never seen sushi like this before. This type had salmon, avocado, cream cheese and loads of other stuff. It was delicious and it was filling. And it wasn't cheap. I've learned my lesson. Good sushi costs money!

Like many things in life, I misjudged sushi before fully knowing and tasting it. We all have that problem, don't we? We judge by the way someone or something looks and not by how they truly are. 

I've recently discovered that I am a lot like that, I judge people. Not just everyone, but certain types of people. Not a nice thing to learn about oneself. It's so hard to look in the mirror. One may find something really distasteful. . . like your flaws. 

So what does one do to correct these flaws? Well, some aren't that easy. It's been 2 1/2 weeks without coffee and I really want some! And that's coffee. Imagine if it was something much bigger. Correcting a habit takes much longer and a lot of endurance. 

A co-worker of mine reminded me that we all have these biases and judgment calls when it comes to others. We take bits and pieces of what the world says about religion, race, sex, social studies and attach it to people just by looking at them. Unfortunately, first impressions do matter. If we happened to have a terrible day that effected our impression, well, that's just too bad. It's hard to get that first impression back. Or to erase that opinion. 

I believe that's how we all probably make our judgments on others. We really don't know. We assume. I assume and I'm sure so do you. They say the first step in recovery is to admit it. Well, I've done that and now the real work begins.

Have a blessed day everyone. 

P.S. 
The Gratitude Challenge:
 I am very grateful for mint tea, because I surely miss my coffee!

An Emotional Day

                                                          Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey. 

Could we by a wish
Have what we will and get the future now,
Would we wish aught done undone in the past?
So, let him wait God's instant men call years;
Meantime hold hard by truth and his great soul,
Do out the duty! Through such souls alone
God stooping shows sufficient of his light
For us i' the dark to rise by. And I rise.
--Robert Browning.

I don't know how it happened, but tears welled up and they spilled over. I never intended to become so emotional over a Women's Breakfast with a friend. We were meant to spend some time together, my having invited her to share my faith and expose her to something different in her life. 

The topic alone seemed very interesting: How to be okay when things aren't okay? Who hasn't experienced that at some point in their life. Some of us more than others. You see, there were these questions we were to discuss with one another at our table. It was then when I shared an experience and I went there, that an emotion was awakened once considered old and gone. I was there once again. It was raw and fresh as if it occurred this very moment. 

That encounter, that moment, stayed with me for the rest of the day. It made me sensitive to everything around me. I sometimes wondered who exactly is speaking. Is it really me? Or is it really the Holy Spirit? I wish I could retell it in the same way as that morning, but could I do it again? Some things are made of God, from God. He helped me speak that morning. He helped me speak my heart and it touched me. 

Even at Church I was quiet, deeply reflecting on my life. I've come so far and yet, I have so much more to go. If He would come tonight and take me home, I'm ready. How many people aren't? How many people out there are still searching? Way too many. So many people that need to be ministered in one way or another. 

It's okay to go there. It's okay to remember where we have been and where we are now. It's okay to have an emotional day. It's just plain okay.

Have a Blessed day everyone. 

P.S.
The Gratitude Challenge:
I am very grateful for some quiet time to get some things done.

That One Neighbor

                                                  Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.



 O Lord, how happy should we be  
If we could cast our care on Thee,  
If we from self could rest;  
And feel at heart that One above,  
In perfect wisdom, perfect love,  
Is working for the best.
J. ANSTICE.

We all have that one neighbor that never follows the rules. Always makes a fuss. The drama and all the ruckus always comes from that apartment. I think we all can safely say we've experienced a neighbor like that. 

Emily and I have always held onto the mantra of living in harmony with others. Unlike many, we love diversity and welcome all people. It doesn't matter if we live next to a family with small children or a person with multiple pets. They can have all the parties they want as long as they end at a reasonable hour or they are mindful of others in the building. 

That's the magic key, you know. Being mindful and respectful of people who are living side by side with you. You don't leave the front doors of the building wide open after dark. We all want to be safe. No one does laundry at 3:30 in the morning, because of the people living next to the laundry room. You don't party hardy until two in the morning with blaring base music. People need to get some sleep so they can go to work in the morning. 

Over the years, we've had many types of neighbors. Some of them were good and some not. I'm sure that some of those neighbors disapproved of us at times. None of us are perfect in every way. We always introduce ourselves to any new neighbors moving in and engage in conversation when we run into each other. 

Having said all that, there is always that one neighbor who never follows the rules. They just do whatever they want without any regard to others. We have someone like that right below us. Almost weekly, there is some drama going on downstairs that keeps the rest of us awake at night. Usually, at 2 a.m. What do we do with people like that? If one goes to complain to the landlord, it does no one any good. Even if the landlord reprimands them for it, they now have a vendetta against you. 

People have become extremely selfish with only thinking of themselves. There is no respect for the person living next to you. Everyone feels they have a right, because they pay rent. Just the other day by Emily's work, someone yelled at the girl bagging their food. Why? All because they didn't like the way she was bagging their food. They made such a scene, the girl breaking down in tears. For heaven's sake, people, grow up! We are such a selfish world!

Have a blessed day everyone.

P.S.
The Gratitude Challenge:
I am very grateful for all my other respectful neighbors.

A Year Of Findings

                                               Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.


As the winged arrow flies
Speedily the mark to find;
As the lightning from the skies
Darts and leaves no trace behind;
Swiftly thus our fleeting days
Bear us down life's rapid stream;
Upward, Lord, our spirits raise;
All below is but a dream.

--John Newton.

So it certainly has been a year of findings since my last treatment. I knew that I might have problems after the radiation with certain foods once in awhile, but I certainly didn't expect so many foods and so often. 

My list, thus far: Popcorn, grapefruit, fried foods, buttery foods, green grapes, dried fruit. If I eat any of this, I might as well stay home and swallow a box of anti-diarrhea pills. I will have problems for the next couple of days. I know this isn't a pleasant topic to speak of, but it is a major part of our life. If this upsets you, please forgive me. 

For some reason, I have no problems when Emily cooks. She always says it's because we know what we put into our food. We take control of the measuring and the nutrition. I believe that she is right. 

Once we live a certain way, we can never go back to what once was. That's the same when it comes to the food we eat. It's really difficult for Emily and myself to go out to eat. No matter how many items there may be on the menu, we can only eat a small fraction. Once you have reduced or taken away certain items from your diet, your body becomes accustom to it. Introduce those same items you have taken away, even though they may taste delicious, your body will reject them in a few hours. It's just not used to it anymore. 

That's what is going on here with us. I am finding out that I cannot eat everything anymore. My body has gotten used to a certain food lifestyle and when I veer off track, I end up paying for it. Now, it's very difficult when visiting people to explain all this, especially family. They spent all this time cooking and we're dabbling carefully at the meal they made. It does make for some very uncomfortable dialogue. No one wants to hear that their dinner is not healthy. 

So one would think I would lose some weight, but no such thing. I'm beginning to think it has to do with portion sizes and the fact that I eat at night when I get home. It's not good. This past Sunday's sermon dealt with offering up our bodies to God and how we are responsible to take care of them. I'm sitting there feeling extremely convicted. I mean, who wouldn't? I could be doing so much more in that area, but I'm just plain too lazy. Another finding. No....a confession. 

Have a Blessed day everyone. 

P.S.
The Gratitude Challenge:
I am grateful for a good movie to watch.

That Shopping Run

                                                    Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.


  Oh, take this heart that I would give

    Forever to be all Thine own;

  I to myself no more would live,--

    Come, Lord, be Thou my King alone.

G. TERSTEEGEN

Once this Season comes around, if I never leave the house, I'm extremely happy. Remember my word Burrow?  Yeah, that's right, I want to burrow. Unfortunately, we have to work and we have errands to run. Today's errand is shopping. 

I don't care for shopping. I know, I know. I'm a woman and I'm supposed to like shopping, but I really don't. The crowds, the no parking available, the long lines at checkout, none of these are for me. Window shopping? I don't understand that concept at all. How am I suppose to enjoy something I cannot have just by viewing it? This isn't picturesque scenery.

Going shopping is really a chore for me. I don't just jump out of bed and rush out the door. I have to talk myself into it. Okay, first I make a list so I don't have to go back for something I've forgotten later. I have done so many times. Then I steel myself mentally to get moving. I'm a procrastinator when it's something I don't like to do. 

Once out on the road, I try to line up my stops to be as close to one another as possible. None of this crisscrossing back and forth, I mean to get back as soon as possible from this craziness. 

When inside the store, I take out my list and go to town. I am known to check out certain aisles just in case something new showed up on the shelves. You just never know. I'm in and out like a bandit. I've even conquered the free snacks. Rarely do I stop for those and I mean rarely. 

Of course, things don't always turn out the way I want them to. Take today, for instance, One of my stops included to Home Depot to make a spare key for my HHR.  The first attendant couldn't do it. Then the second attendant showed up and told the first attendant what to do. He still couldn't do it. A third attendant showed up and told the first and second why it wasn't working. They moved the key making department from it's original spot and in the process lost the original key to my type of car. Sorry no can do, please visit another facility. 

No, I cannot do, I'm done and I'm going home. Have a blessed day everyone. 

P.S.
The Gratitude Challenge:
Today I'm so grateful for our little burrow, our apartment. It may be in the wrong kind of neighborhood, but it's ours.

Social Media

                                                             Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.



Oh! let us not this thought allow;
The heat, the dust upon our brow,
Signs of the contest, we may wear;
Yet thus we shall appear more fair
In our Almighty Master's eye,
Than if in fear to lose the bloom,
Or ruffle the soul's lightest plume,
We from the strife should fly.
R. C. TRENCH.

So I'm sure you have noticed that I haven't been on social media as often as before. I post something, but rarely and I do mean rarely, do I scroll. I have found myself upset many of times when scrolling, therefore, I just stopped. 

When I first joined the social media's fast track, it came as a surprise to me just how quickly I became addicted. I wanted to quickly fill up my friend list or have as many followers as possible. I wanted to be cool like the rest of the world. I looked to social media as a great outlet for reaching the world. I wanted to turn around all the negative posts and use this medium for something good. I truly believed all that. 

Nowadays, it seems I'm not as positive in regards to that concept. I've seen it being used for more negativity and destructiveness rather than actually as encouragement to our fellow men, especially our friends. I've seen many of my friends take a sabbatical from social media to just regroup mentally. Perhaps, they are in accord to my way of thinking. Is it really worth it?

There are times, I truly ask myself that question. Then I think of Paul and the Apostles. I think of all the people who have come before me. Did they give up and retreat, because things got  a little hard? Of course, so why should I? Do I believe in what I post or not? That's  another question. If I don't, then I should stop. Otherwise, stand firm in your beliefs. 

So now, like I said, I  post and leave. When I come on, I check my news feed and if any of my good friends post something, I scroll to their page. I don't need the negativity. I don't need the anger and biased opinions. I just don't need any of them. If people can't behave in a mature way, at least I will. 

Have a blessed day everyone. 

P.S.
The Gratitude Challenge:
I am grateful for this time off. 

It Is Simply Time To Trust

                                                      Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.




My God! in whom are all the springs
    Of boundless love and grace unknown,
  Hide me beneath Thy spreading wings,
    Till the dark cloud is overblown.
I. WATTS.

We all have dreams, ones that lay heavily on our hearts. Sometimes, we actually get to see these dreams come to fruition and others, not. What makes one dream more favorable than the other? Is it the passion that lies behind it? The drive?

We may have that dream, but do we have the trust in our Lord to deliver that dream? Placing our trust in anything or anyone is huge. I've always had a problem with letting go and trusting others completely. If I want to grow in Christ, I will simply have to trust in Him. 

Remember that old play acting activity of us falling back into someone's arms? I was never able to do that. Never! I did this with my 3rd. through 5th. graders in Sunday School. I was amazed how none of them had any problems falling back into their classmates arms. I watched as they kept doing it over and over again, my mouth opened with shock. Youngsters have no problem with trust. 

I wish I had no problems with trust. I still can't do that simple activity with anyone. I also bet I'm not the only one. Once we get hurt, we can't let go. We may forgive, but we never forget. We all pray for developing trust in God, complete trust. I did the same last year during my cancer treatment. I told Him that I trusted with my provision during that time and when things started going bad (didn't get paid for 6 weeks), I went crazy with worry. Not exactly trusting in the Lord.

He did provide, but not in my version of provision. You see, that was the problem. It's like when we lend money to someone who is in need. We give the loan and then become upset with what they do with that loan. They may be spending that loan in a way we don't like, but we're the ones who gave them that money in the first place. We must not have given from our heart then. We gave with a condition. 

We do the same when it comes to trusting God. We trust only if he provides with what we want, not what HE wants for us. That's why trusting is so hard. Trusting for real involves letting go completely. None of us seem to have a problem when we're in a crisis. Then we quickly and desperately fall on our knees, but can we fall all the time? Definitely something we all can work on. None of us are exempt here. None of us are righteous. None. We all could learn to simply trust God in the good times and the bad times.

Have a Blessed day everyone.


P.S.
The Gratitude Challenge:
I am grateful for my friend Cindy in joining this morning at my Women's Breakfast and allowing me to share my faith with her. 

My DIL

                                                 Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.


But what if I fail of my purpose here?
It is but to keep the nerves at strain,
To dry one's eyes and laugh at a fall,
And, baffled, get up and begin again--
So the chase takes up one's life, that's all.

--Robert Browning.

What can I say about my one and only daughter-in-law? She's beautiful, compassionate, loving, intelligent, emotional. I could keep going. How much time do you have?

                                                  Love this picture of my loves. 

Before Joey went and married this lovely lady, he would call me every Friday night on his way home. I would be driving also, but going to work. All of that changed when he got married. I remember telling Aubs. how much I missed that. Do you know what she did? She started calling me instead! A relationship began that has been growing and growing. Nowadays, I think we talk more with one another than I do with my own son. 

How did this happen? We certainly didn't set out to become great friends. We just did. Isn't that how love happens? Without any plan at all? One meets, we share our intimate stories about ourselves and love deepens. Love grows. There are all kinds of loves. People always ask me what the ingredients are to this special friendship with a Daughter-in-law of all people. I don't know. Maybe we both really want a relationship with one another?

I often joke that since I only have one son, I lucked out on the good daughter-in-law. If I had more, who knows what would have happened? Would I have a relationship with all of them? For now, I'm glad for the one DIL I do have. You have no idea how grateful I am for our time together. I enjoy and look forward to the future with her in our family. 

Have a Blessed day everyone. 

P.S.
Gratitude challenge:
Thankful for the lovely time I had with my mom this morning. 

A Bad Connection

                                                       Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.



We cannot make bargains for blisses,
Nor catch them like fishes in nets;
And sometimes the thing our life misses
Helps more than the thing which it gets.
For good lieth not in pursuing,
Nor gaining of great nor small,
But just in the doing and doing
As we would be done by is all.

--Alice Gary.

Another cloudy day. Another rainy day. Another day with bad internet connections. In fact, since we have moved in here, the connection hasn't been exactly great. This area where we're at has only one internet company. Yes, we found that out when searching for service. Almost everyone we called didn't have towers out here. I'm at the back of the apartment and Emily is more in front, Her connection is much better than mine. It doesn't make sense, but there it is. 

So I really cannot do much of anything today on my computer. It keeps stalling, buffering and it's very frustrating. So today I am catching up on some writing and food. 

Yes, food. We do not eat out on a regular basis. It is a rare day indeed, when we head out to a restaurant or order in. Even though I have a daughter who is a master chef in the kitchen, she works just like me. We do have a rule that if she is home, she cooks and if I'm home, I cook. It works out well for us. We do have a well stocked larder and that helps out a lot.

Now, I may not be a great cook, but I am very good at creating something out of leftovers. I've had no choice when my children were little, because money was tight. We do not believe in wasting food and we will find a use for just about anything. Emily is a vegetarian, so when we encounter something that doesn't coincide with our eating lifestyle, we just give it away. In our last place, we had a single mom that was very grateful whenever we shared with her. Believe me, someone has a need for whatever you don't want anymore. 
Waste not, want not.

So today, I ended up making a few dishes or lunches for work. This way, I just grab a container on my way out. Saves a lot of time if I prep ahead. Nothing else can be done this morning. It's too late for laundry. I've spent way too much time trying to write this post with all these interruptions. It's so frustrating, but I know when I'm beat. I've stopped trying to rate myself on how productive a day I've had. You will not always be able to get things done. Some days, it's just a toss up. Don't fight it, just go with the flow. You'll be less stressed. It is what it is. 

Have a Blessed day everyone. 

P.S.
The gratitude challenge:
I am extremely glad that I had a few minutes to lay down for a power nap.

The Gratitude Challenge

                                                    Everyday is a brand new day,
                                                     everyday is a journey.



Be wise to-day; 'tis madness to defer;
Next day the fatal precedent will plead;
Thus on, till wisdom is pushed out of life.
Procrastination is the thief of time;
Year after year it steals, till all are fled,
And to the mercies of a moment leaves
The vast concerns of an eternal scene.

--Dr. Edward Young.

Whenever November rolls around, one sees gratitude challenges spring up. November has become the thankful month. For one month, people post all the things they are grateful for and appreciate all they possess. It's very popular during this month and I always smile inwardly whenever I sit around the dinner table with friends. They always want everyone to recite what they are grateful for this year. Only this one time.

Too bad this only happens during November and Thanksgiving time. Why can't we do this every supper time or when we gather with friends? Maybe, it would become a boring routine after a time and monotony would set in. Being grateful a bore? Maybe not a bore, but definitely the norm. 

In my family, we have a mixture of different faiths. We have Catholics, Baptists, Lutherans, New Age and non-practicing Christians. One thing for sure, when it comes to dinner, prayer will be said. Once again, only for Thanksgiving dinner.

Another thing I noticed, if prayer is said before a meal at anytime, it depends on who is with us. We don't pray unless it is a fellow believer. Isn't that true of all of us? We only pray when it's a fellow believer. Why is that? Are we afraid of what our family or friends will say? Or are we avoiding an argument or debate? 

Recently, my Bible study leader reflected on her own family traditions during Holidays. When it is being held by their house, their house rules apply. It's their home and their values.  How great is that? This definitely should avoid all those argumentative confrontations with others of a different faith who come over. As a family, this is what we believe and stand for. If I'm going to be known for something, let it be for my love of Christ.

So here we are with Thanksgiving around the corner feeling the urge to be thankful. My challenge to you and to myself is that we become thankful all year round. Let's think of one think we are grateful for each and every day. Think we can do that? Let's try. 

Have a blessed day everyone.

P.S.
The Gratitude Challenge:
Today, I am grateful for sticking to my "giving up coffee" especially when I'm craving it so very much.