I've said before that I hang almost everything to dry... everything except sheets and blankets. Well..... add sheets & blankets to that list. Yup- our old dryer died. And by old, I DO mean old. We bought this dryer for about $30 a year ago when our previous dryer died. That one was about 14 years old. One of our dear friends, Dave Brunswick, helped Tim move it here and downstairs while Stacey & I hung out. (Man, I miss those two!!!) The dryer was quite old... at least 30 years old, but it worked. DID work.
Friday, while the dryer was trying to ignite, it kept clicking. And clicking. And clicking. Tim just took out the part that would need to be replaced and went to the appliance repair shop that a friend owns. Lo and behold, those parts are too old to be carried anymore. (sigh) While I was looking for a picture of a dryer that resembled our old monster, I came across this handy contraption. I thought it looked pretty cool, till I saw that it cost $149 plus shipping. I think my style of hanging clothes on hangers in the basement works just fine!
Since we are NOT in the position to buy a new dryer right now, I've learned that I DO indeed have room enough to hang sheets downstairs.
We head to West Virginia tomorrow! YEAH! The kids are so excited they can barely sit still. Tim, Timmy, and some others from church will load the box truck tonight, and Tim will drive it down there tomorrow. Sierra, Garrett and I will follow in our car.
Last night was our karate Christmas party. It is always a nice time. Last night it was even more special because MANY families brought in food & supplies for us to bring with to Appalachia. Many of these families are feeling the budget crunch themselves, but are still willing to reach out to others.
I was asked to lead the blessing last night. My amazing pastor, Rick Duncan, helped me with part of it. Thanks, Rick! I know you are incredibly busy, but you still took the time to get back to me. You are such a blessing to me and many, many others! It was NOT a "bless this food, keep us safe" type of blessing. My intention was not to offend, but I refuse to be so concerned about NOT offending, that I do not reach out.
This is what I used:
Heavenly Father, we thank you for bringing us together safely tonight. We thank you for all you have given us, and ask that you always keep us humble, remembering that to much of the world we are rich beyond imagination- we have a safe place to live, clean water to drink, clothes to keep us warm, and enough food to eat. I thank you for those who thought of others that do not have these things, and brought food and items to help those families in Appalachia.
We ask that you keep us safe in our travels home this evening. We ask you to bless this food- that it nourishes our bodies and keeps us healthy. We ask for your blessings on all our karate families. Especially for J's grandmother, for M's father, and for K's father. Lord, you know what they are going through. We ask for healing, but mostly for the love and comfort only You can give them.
2 Timothy 4:7- I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
Dear Lord, You are the Creator God. You made our bodies to be used for Your glory. Thank You for giving us the privilege of using these bodies to learn karate. Help us to always use our skill for Your purposes. There is evil in this fallen world, and one day You will make all things right. But meanwhile, help us to fight- body, mind, and soul- against anything contrary to Your wise and good purposes. Help us to help the helpless and to defend the defenseless. Use the disciplines and skills we have learned to equip us to fight the good fight of faith. May we finish well. May we keep the faith. And may we honor Jesus, the only One who perfectly fought the good fight of faith, who dies and who rose again to save all who believe. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.
****
I'm sure this didn't go over well with everyone there, but I pray that it worked on thier hearts. One of the people there is staunchly anti-religion. This person was included in the prayers for healing. I pray that this didn't anger that person, but instead helped them to experience the love that ONLY comes from a relationship with Christ.
Friday we will be heading to Keystone, WV again. We do mission work in the Appalachian Mountain areas with others from our church. We began in the Beckley area, and in the last 5 years we've branched out.
We first went to Keystone 1 1/2 years ago in the summer to clean up the park area, to spend one-on-one time with residents while we pampered them, and to hand out food and supplies to needy families there. MOST of Keystone is living in poverty. It is a small coal mining town near the southern tip of West Virginia. The mine used to employ about 1000, until it was exhausted in 1986. Now the mine there only employs a small handful of people. There is very little work to be found anywhere nearby. As bad as the rest of the county thinks the economy and unemployment are now..... it's been that way for years and years in Keystone. They were also hit his 2 big floods in the last several years.
This will be our second "Christmas" trip. Yes, we bring presents. Yes, we bring food. But the most important thing we bring is hope in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The time I've spent with individuals there brings joy that just cannot be measured!!!!!
This past summer I was approached by a woman there. After hearing my testimony the day before, she searched me out. We talked for just a short time when I knew that she not only HAD struggled with drugs (as she had told me), but was currently using and was high right then. We prayed together, and we had others pray with us. One of the other women I was with then put her in touch with services to help her get clean. I can't wait to see if she will be there this weekend!
One of the biggest highlights of my trips to the Appalachians was my time with Josh. Josh had been speaking with one of the men on our trip while getting his hair cut. The two of us sat and talked for quite awhile. He opened up about his past with drugs and how he was determined to stay clean when he left the half-way house we were visiting him in. I began sharing Christ with Josh and he was more than a little receptive. Finally, I asked Josh if I could pray with him to accept Christ into his life and he said YES. We prayed as I held his hands in mine. By the time we finished, we were both crying. I hugged him and told him that I loved him and God loved him. He said, "I love you too. Thank you!"
As a mother, I can honestly say that nothing in the world compares to giving birth.
And I can honestly say that nothing in the world compares to seeing someone be born again.
I love being a full-time mom. I really had NO desire to work outside the home. But.... circumstances being what they are, it became necessary. I looked around, did a lot of searching, and found a couple things.
One is UPS. It isn't an easy job by any stretch of the imagination. And I haven't even started yet! The hours, when I DO start, will be something like 4 am -7 am, Monday through Friday. The pay isn't even anything to brag about. But the benefits! Oooohhhhhhhh, the benefits. After one year, I will have full benefits. After 18 months, the whole family is in.
Now, we already have pretty good medical coverage. It's an 80/20 plan after a hefty deductible, but we can go to anyone, anywhere. However, depending on what happens with Tim's work, we may or may not have it in a year. If he isn't working in his field, through his union, in one year- we won't have insurance. UPS would be a really nice back-up plan.
So.... how do we get those neat little frivolities like heat and food while Tim is out of work????? Unemployment won't cut it. Not with both boys in braces and some serious medical bills rolling in.
So, I needed to find some other work to tide us over.
I did my homework and found that there are some very good, reputable companies that provide work from home opportunities. I decided on one of them, contacted them, and turned in all my paperwork. Then I did the preliminary training. That was back in September. Then I waited and waited.
I finally heard from them in November! I started my training a week ago, and finished on Wednesday. It was a bit nerve wracking. I love working with the public, so this was a good fit. I put in my first night of work last night!!!
I'm not thrilled that I will be working EVERY weekday evening, and eight hours each on Saturday and Sunday, but this will get us a little closer to being able to pay our bills. We are still several hundred short each month, but we know God will take care of us. I love to see Him work!!!
Now I am off to spend some quality cuddle time with my hubby! (And since the temp is dropping back down to 50ยบ for the night in this house, cuddling is even more rewarding! LOL)
This math is the triangle, I think it's very vital To rock (the sine), that's right (cosine) It's Triggy is the title, here we go...
To know the sine, and the cosine & tan this time It's Triggy...it's Triggy (Triggy) Triggy (Triggy) It's Triggy to know the sine, and the cosine& tan this time It's Triggy...Tr-tr-tr-triggy (Triggy) Trrrrrrrrrrriggy
Well, I'd like to say that my brain is fully recovered, and I'm back to my same old self.
HOWEVER- Timmy, who is in 8th grade, is starting trigonometry.
I like math. I'm more of a geometry person. (I believe most people can be split into two groups- geometry people and algebra people.)
I've got a lot to RE-learn to be able to keep up with him now. He loves this stuff. He gets excited when learning new math concepts. He gets VERY frustrated until he understands it, but he will NOT let up until he has it mastered.
Sierra was in tears on Tuesday. Her laptop that she scrimped, saved, and worked so hard to buy herself wasn't working. It would power up, but then the screen would go black. No log in screen. No nothing.
I'm no computer genius, but I do know a thing or two. (Maybe even three, but certainly not four.)
I knew how to start it up in safe mode, so I did that. There I could log in. Ok.... so it was probably a software issue. I deleted all the garbage stuff, scanned for spyware, and did a virus scan. (AVG rocks. It's free and it doesn't mess up things like McAfee.) Only thing is, when you are in safe mode, you can't run a regular scan. I'm not sure if it caught anything or not.
Restart. No luck.
So I got on my computer and googled like a google-extroidaniare. I did more scans. I deleted unnecessary programs.
Restart. No luck.
Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
Restart. No luck.
(sigh)
Go to bed and try not to think about that stupid laptop in the living room. I could almost HEAR it mocking me. Calling me stupid. I'm sure it called me other geek-tech-type names, but I tuned it out. Dumb computers.
Got up and went to the gym. Sat in the sauna for 10 minutes. Maybe that would help me come up with something?
Get home and power up her computer. Same thing. Dumb computer.
Call the number of the $99 service plan I paid for on her laptop. Wait on hold. Get transfered to "service plans". Get transfered to "computers". Get transferred to someone whose first language is NOT English.
He tells me all kinds of stuff, but I only understand half of it. I DO understand when he tells me that if it is a hardware problem, it is covered. If it is software, it will cost me.
"This is most likely a software problem, right?" "Yes" "So.... that $99 I spent won't help me." "No, but you can take it to Best Buy and they will help you." "But they will charge me." "Yes"
(silence... or I would have said something bad)
"This computer did not come with a restore disk. If I had this, I could fix it." "They can do that for you." "But they will charge me." "Yes"
(silence.... I think he was afraid of me)
"There is a way to restore it, but it may be too difficult for you." "There is?"
He explained a bit, but it was hard to understand him. I had already told him (nicely) that I couldn't understand him, and would he please repeat himself. I thought if I asked again he just might not help me. (My $99 didn't include this type of help, so I was really at his mercy.)
I took note of what he said, said "thank you" and hung up. I quick got to work while I stil had some idea of what he was talking about.
I powered it up and hit F-11. (I'd already done this before, but this time I did somthing different.)
All of a suddent he screen came up and I freaked a bit, worried that I didn't do it right at all.
Then it made a noise. Not a bad noise, but a noise that sounded like maybe it should be making that noise. Sierra came running in.
me: "Is that a good sound?" her: "That's the sound it makes when it starts up."
James 4:7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Pretty much everyone who knows us knows that Tim was laid off last week. We have not been worried. We know that God will take care of us and we refuse to let our hearts be troubled. I kind of feel like I've been walking around with a stupid grin on my face because I know that my hope is in the Lord.
We have been amazingly blessed by our sisters and brothers in the Lord. Their prayers and their concerns have amazed us. God has shown His love abundantly through them.
So then WHY is this verse suddenly so relevant to me?
Because for about one minute (maybe two) I felt a pang of jealousy. Someone I know has had a very difficult year and because of this, God's people are reaching out to them. As quickly as I let my guard down, Satan jumped in. He took that moment to make sure I knew how much more stuff they had and how they couldn't possibly appreciate it as much as I do.
I am so ashamed to even admit that. Go ahead. Hurl those rotten vegetables. I deserve it.
Luckily, God wasn't about to put up with my "spoiled brat" attitude. He kept me awake that night for a couple hours and we had quite the conversation. He told me, "You have ME, Kim. You KNOW Me. You tell Me that you trust Me, so why do you pout and stomp your foot like one who has never heard My Name? Where would you rather have your riches- here, now? Or in eternity with Me? For those that do not know Me, the riches of the earth may be used by man to show them My love. Why do you want what they get, when you already have what they don't?"
Talk about spiritual flick on the forehead!!!
The joy I had been feeling has now been tainted. It's still there, but I don't know if it can ever be as perfect as it was before I let Satan dig his dirty, grimy, sinful foot in the door. But I cast him away. The devil is not welcome here. He flees. And boy, is he ticked.
When I had to change my diet to exclude meat and most meat products, I did a lot of research. By way of the internet, I checked out hundreds of sites. Most of them were not of interest to me, but many were. I even signed up for updates from some of them. What was I thinking?!
I got an email from one of those sites just a few minutes ago. This site claims to support green living, vegan diets, and human rights.
The email I just received made me cry.
This is an excerpt from that email: Stop Bush's Sneak-Attack on Reproductive Health! Bush's new ruling under Health and Human Services (HHS) would allow health care organizations that receive federal funding to refuse to provide abortions based on "religious or moral grounds." What on earth????? I went to the site to take my name off thier list and what do I see on the front page? Animal Rights. That's a good thing, but why do you get so worked up about Fluffy or some chickens, yet don't flinch at the idea of a human being being torn limb from limb then thrown in the trash?
The war. I have my feelings on this and, no matter what they are, this article there left me scratching my head: torture is wrong no matter who does it to whom. the u.n. isn't as effective as it should be, because it's members don't support it. it seems there are too few people who support working toward peace. too many want to eradicate with torture and war rather than to sit down and try to find a solution. Do I even need to comment on that one? I will anyhow. You don't want to see a (possible) terrorist tortured. However, when a partial birth abortion is performed, the abortionist jams scissors into the baby's skull. The scissors are then opened to enlarge the hole. The scissors are removed and a suction catheter is inserted. The child's brains are sucked out, causing the skull to collapse. The dead baby is then removed.
This is not only acceptable with you, but you will use all your energy & resources to make sure this is continued?????
It goes on & on. I don't understand. How can ANYONE who's heart breaks for a defenseless animal not feel the same compassion for the most innocent & defenseless?? They not only don't defend the unborn, but they will fight with all they have to keep up the torture and killing????
I like to think of us as frugal. Many people think we are wacked.
I would never dream of buying bread crumbs. Those bread crumbs most people toss in the trashcan get put into a gallon size ziplock bag, and put in the freezer. Dried out bread goes with them. I always have them readily available. Oh yea. And I make my own bread. It costs me about 25¢ per loaf. When I slice it, I have plenty of crumbs for my 'bread crumb bag'.
We keep our home at 60°. Honestly, you get used to it. We used to keep our home at 65°, but went down 5° last year. We used HALF as much natural gas with that slight change! When we are done baking, or running the dishwasher (I said I was frugal, not Amish), we leave the door open. That heat is paid for, and the steam from the dishwasher adds much needed humidity.
I hang almost EVERYTHING to dry. That includes towels, socks, and underwear. I only run the dryer for sheets & blankets. I hang everything in the basement, and I don't have the room to hang those. This not only saves a small fortune by not running the dryer for 2+ loads every day but, again, it adds much needed humidity to the air in the winter!
I do not buy processed foods. I used to use coupons and get them very cheap, but I have found that cooking from scratch IS cheaper! (No one was more amazed than me.) We also eat much healthier this way. I've had to change my diet to exclude meat, but my family still eats meat. I make at least 3 vegetarian meals every week, and it is much cheaper than a meat based diet. As I've become more used to cooking without meat, our meals are much more varied and I'm cutting out the meat even more.
Those who know me know that I make my own laundry detergent. Before you roll your eyes- it is NOT hard! It takes about 15 minutes to make enough to last for at LEAST 2-3 months. It costs less than $3 to make that much, and it works better than any commercial product you can buy. Seriously!
There are many, many more things we do, and I'll try to share more of them in future posts. Now that Tim is about to join the ranks of the unemployed, we are racking our brains to think of new ways to save money. It's frustrating when we watch these "how to save money" bits on the news every day, because we already DO all these things. So.... what to do..... what to do.......
Could we cut our heating cost even more??? We have 'zoned heating'- meaning each area of the house has its own thermostat. The office/classroom is a heat pit, so we put styrofoam in the windows during the winter. Hmmmmmm.... could we close it off? Where would we do school????
We are getting our house ready to put on the market. The number one thing to do is to clear out everything that isn't necessary for life. So, we got a POD . This has worked wonderfully, but we really need to cut somewhere.
Hmmmmmm........
Today, it hit me! We move our classroom downstairs! (Actually, Tim & had already talked about this) and turn off the heat out there. Then, we move all that "STUFF" from the POD into the office and get rid of the POD. Yea, it feels kinda like a waste after using the POD for so long, but why use it for the next 5 months if we don't have to! When the house is ready to show, THEN we move it out. These two things could save us about $200 a month!
Will we be a bit more cramped this way? Yea. So what. We have a roof over our heads. We have heat. We have food. We have our health. We have 2 cars!! We are so much better off than more than half of the rest of the world. By FAR!
Thank you, God, for all you have given us. Please keep our thoughts thankful and our heats humble.
"If a calamity occures in a city has not the Lord done it?"
Are we being disciplined as a country? Will we be?
This is something I've been struggling with for awhile. I'd appreciate and consider any input. I've got too many thoughts to write about it now, but I'm working on it.
NOTE: You WILL get mad at me before you finish reading this, and you WILL want to quit. PLEASE DON'T STOP READING UNTIL YOU GET TO THE END!!!! If for some reason this post does NOT make you angry, then you REALLY need to read this entire post. Probably at least twice.
I used to be "pro-choice". There. I said it. Yes, I was brainwashed into believing that it was my "choice", that it was a "blob of tissue", that it was "my body". As a Christian, it is absolutely impossible to believe that anymore. Even if you are not a Christian, do some research that isn't linked to any 'pro-choice' information. You will be amazed. And sickened.
Some of the arguments I've heard is are:
"It's better this way if something is 'wrong' with the baby."
"Most of these babies would be born to mothers who can't afford a baby/are poor."
"If abortion didn't happen, our world be even more over-populated that it already is. It's population control."
Well, I have the perfect solution to all three of those problems, and it doesn't require a single abortion. In fact, it would save our government billions of dollars, and would help bring us closer to getting rid of our national debt! Yes, really!!!!
First of all- the big number: This year there will be approximately 1.3 million abortions performed in the United States.
Now, what if there is something wrong with the baby? Did you know that in the U.S. right now, there are approximately 6.2 people who are technically "mentally retarded"? That means that their I.Q. score is below 70. (The mean score is 100, with 70-79 being borderline retardation.) The number of people in the U.S. with "Severe Mental Retardation", meaning their I.Q. is 20-34, is approximately 300,000.
Well, these people are obviously a drain on society. They cost the medical community and taxpayers every year. They cannot earn a wage and pay taxes, so they are negatively influencing our economy. I'm sure they are an incredible physical, emotional, and financial drain to their families. And besides, what kind of life is this for them to live anyways? After all, "quality" of life is important, right?
By "choosing" to "eliminate" them, we can free up those tax dollars for better uses. It would also relieve their families of the undue burden they put on them.
What if the mother cannot afford a baby? Here is where it gets fun and I save you more money that you ever thought possible! The most recent numbers I could find were for 2006. With the economy where it is right now, those numbers may be higher, but this is what I am working with.
In 2006 there were 36.5 million people in the U.S. living at or below the poverty line. Since our poverty line is a bit liberal compared to the rest of the world, I chose to work with the number in EXTREME poverty: that is, less that half the poverty level. That number is 15.6 million. Say that half of that number is children. (It's probably higher, but this is a safe estimate.) Wow. Can you imagine how hard that must be on the parents?
I'm sure their lives would be much better off if they didn't have to worry about that financial responsibility. By "choosing" to "eliminate" those 7.8 million, it would be much easier for those mothers to make something of their lives. I'm sure it wouldn't be an easy decision, but once they understand those facts I'm sure they would agree it is what is best for them.
Now, with the options I've listed, we have just eliminated 8.1 million unintended dilemmas. It has helped these women who find themselves in difficult and inconvenient situations.
You don't agree? Would they not be better off financially? Of course it wouldn't be an easy choice, but there are plenty of clinics to help them get through this decision process.
After all... we don't know when life begins and who are YOU to tell me what is best for me?!
*************** Obviously, I was playing devil's advocate. One of the biggest arguments I hear ANY time the abortion discussion comes up is, "What about in the case of rape or incest?" Some statistics for you: Why women have abortions 1% of all abortions occur because of rape or incest; 6% of abortions occur because of potential health problems regarding either the mother or child, and 93% of all abortions occur for social reasons (i.e. the child is unwanted or inconvenient). So don't even go there with me. That's a crap argument, and you know it.
By the way, I hate the term "mentally retarded", but it is one that most people are familiar with. And, since I was more than a little offensive in the rest of this post, I decided to go all in.
“We are failing to segregate morons who are increasing and multiplying . . . a dead weight of human waste . . .an ever-increasing spawning class of human beings who never should have been born at all.”
I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone-for kings and all those in authority. -1 Timothy 2:1-2
I've intentionally stayed away from writing anything about the election. It's not that I don't have anything to say- believe me, I have a LOT to say. And it certainly is not that I don't care. I always vote. Every primary, every issue, everything. I don't think I've ever cared as much about any election as I do about this one!
I am not an Obama fan. I don't agree with him on any issue. Not one. I AM thrilled that a black man has the possibility of becoming our next president.... but I really don't want it to be him. I understand why so many African-Americans, as well as many others, are excited. Who can blame them? Most of the black children I grew up with never dreamed that THEY could actually be our president. I mean... yea.... they may have said they'd like to be, and their parents may have told them they could be, but I doubt too many of them every believed they could be given the chance. I am an UNprejudice as they come, but I know that bigotry is alive & well in the U.S.
I just cannot wrap my mind around the fact that so many people vote for someone because of their skin color. And, if it was Hilary that was running, many woman would vote for her JUST because she carried that illusive "X" chromosome.
Just as infuriating, are the people who allow themselves to be brainwashed into voting along party lines for no other reason than they 'belong' to that party. Really? How 'bout you give that party headquarters a call and tell them you'd like your membership dues refunded. It's not a club, folks! You don't OWE them anything!
You don't need to vote for anyone because your company or union tells you you should! USE YOUR BRAIN PEOPLE!!!!!!! The internet is right here! If you are reading this, you can just as easily google the issues, or go to usavoter.com and LEARN something!!!! I take my right to vote very, very seriously. I learn about the judges. I actually READ the plans our candidates put out there. Is it easy? Absolutely not! But this is one of the most important decisions I must make. EVERY time I vote.
Yes, I voted for McCain/Palin. I know it's incredibly obvious (right?), but I didn't want anyone to think I intentionally left that part out and was just bashing Obama. My body is tired and the tears are beginning to flow. Again.
I've been in prayer most of the day, and I'll be praying again as soon as I publish this post. I know that it is in God's hands now. I pray that He continues to bless us with the best country in the world. The ONLY country I want to live in. The country that I LOVE! I pray for God's blessings. That whatever happens, and whoever becomes our next leader- our next commander-in-chief- that we do not experience His wrath. I pray for our country to truly be the land of the free: Free to remain the country our forefathers fought for. Free to enjoy the gains of our own hard work. Free to practice religion without persecution. Free to speak without fear of prosecution. Free to keep marriage sacred. Free to remain accountable for our own actions. Free from terrorism. Free from murder of the unborn.
I will pray today, tomorrow, and every day for these things. God- HEAR MY PRAYER!
(And just in case anyone who reads this doesn't think abortion is THAT rampant, there have already been almost 39 MILLION unborn humans murdered so far in the world just THIS YEAR!)
“In answer to your inquiry, I consider that the chief dangers which confront the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, and heaven without hell.”
William Booth - founder and general of the Salvation Army. 1829-1916
I have spent the day with this dumb grin on my face, and this time it isn’t because I’m plotting something.(Yea, I do that occasionally)
I have been much more purposeful in my time with God lately.I started by allotting a half hour in the morning, after Tim left for work, for bible reading, journaling, and prayer.The past week or two, I have spent around 1-1/2 hours each day.I don’t plan it… it just works out that way.
Some time ago, I would have insisted that I did NOT have that kind of ‘extra’ time every day.But now I am calmer and seem to be getting more done.This past week was absolutely crazy with meetings, doctor appointments, and events.I really thought I’d be half insane by this time, but here I am with this sense of peace that passes all understanding!
I have been praying for God to help me be a better friend- Today I sit back and I’m in awe of the wonderful friends that I have, and have been spending time with!
I’ve been praying for peace during a very uncertain time of employment for Tim.Things have become more & more uncertain, but I am very calm.
While I prayed about how “clean my refrigerator” is, I’ve been taking a harder look at myself, and I see changes.I still have a looooooonnnnnggggg way to go, but I feel I’m heading in the right direction.
Now, of course, there is another reason for this grin-
I had one of the most wonderful nights of my life last night.
We were blessed with the opportunity to go to the Home Opener of the Cavaliers last night.We were part of a group that went with our church,Cuyahoga Valley Church, and included the kids being able to go on the court before the game & shoot hoops.Our names were put in a drawing for a chance to “high five” the Cavs players as they entered the court after half time.
We got into the arena a little after 3:00 and walked down to the court and sat down.They started by telling us what was going to happen. and then they asked some Cavs trivia.Timmy answered the very first question and won a t-shirt!Then the kids got to go out on the court.They took turns throwing from the free-throw line, then they did drills.The kids had a blast, and I got some great pictures.(We were allowed to go just about anywhere we wanted around the court area.)
A couple hours later, we walked off the court and went into the concourse.They had all kinds of ‘goings-on’ out there-the kids made signs to hold up during the game, they got candy galore, other assorted thingys, I got a blanket and Tim got a t-shirt.I was with a great friend of mine.A few of our kiddos got their hair sprayed with Cavs colors.There was also the opportunity to have our faces painted.We pressured my friend’s husband to have his head painted like a basketball!(There’s no hair there to mess things up.)
While we were talking, some young ladies walked up to usand asked if any of ourchildren were involved in the “High 5” group.I said yes, and luckily they asked if ALL the kids were.As soon as we said “no”, they handed us flyers for the “Cavs Kids” group.Our other kiddos got to down on the court again, but this time while the players were warming up!There were only about 20 kids picked for this!!Each of the kids got a t-shirt, a press pass, and a disposable camera to take pictures of the players!Then, they picked 5 kids from this group, and the players handed them basketballs to keep!!!!(We didn’t make that group.)
Oh yea, as soon as we were sitting down inside to watch our yunguns, my friend looked at the Jumbo-tron and yelled.There was her Hubby on the screen!He was being interviewed while he head was being pained like a big orange basketball!!!!!
After that, we headed for food (which was included in our ticket price) and then for our seats.We had quite a walk…… LOL
The game was going great, with the Cavs trouncing the Bobcats.With 5 minutes to go in the first half, Timmy met with his group to get ready for his brush with fame.I got his picture when he had his hand up to meet that of LeBron James.
As my friend said:
Purchasing a ticket for your son to the home opener: $25.00
Buying him a Cavs sweatshirt: $30.00
Seeing the look on his face while high fiving Lebron James at the end of half-time: PRICELESS
Yes, reality is showing itself loud & clear around here today.
Sierra is taking a bible study course for homeschool girls. They are studying Exodus, and right now they are studying Moses as a baby. God blessed her amazing teacher by supplying 3 computerized "babies" for the class to use. You know those dolls that cry at any given time and must be 'consoled' with a key and then held, etc? Well, Sierra got her doll yesterday.
It was a lot of fun for her. We had a dinner to go to, so she got to bring her "baby" along and show it off. When we stopped at the grocery store on the way she was noticed by a few people. (One actually came up to me and said, "I am so glad that is a doll! I thought she was so young!!)
When we got home, Tim told her that she would probably want to get to bed a bit earlier.... after all, most babies don't sleep through the night!
Before we turned off the news and went to bed, at about 11:20, we heard the crying. Sierra was sound asleep, and I actually had to wake her. I'm not sure she was completely awake during the 15 minutes it took to 'feed & console' her little one.
I heard Tim mumble.... "the baby is crying" at about 1 am.
I heard her get up to a crying 'baby' at about 3 am. She was up again a little after 5:30 when I was getting Tim off to work.
When I finished my bible time at about 7:30 am, she was staggering out of her room with the 'baby' in her arms...... She's had to put her school work aside once or twice already this morning to care to her 'baby'.
Don't get me wrong- she IS truly enjoying this. A LOT! But when that 'baby' gets passed to the next girl tomorrow, I'm sure she'll be looking forward to a decent night's sleep!
We went to see Expelled- No Intelligence Allowed yesterday. What an incredible movied! EVERYONE should see this. It is very sad that in a "Free" country, so many scientists are oppressed. Science seems to have become a religion in itself.
I really want to write more about the movie, but I'm recovering from a migraine. I had to take Maxalt for it. It was a real doozy. It works, but it leaves me a bit groggy, and not all that literate. LOL As I posted before, I have drastically changed my diet. I've had amazing results! I do miss some of the foods- mostly cheese. I was hoping that I may be able to work some of these things, slowly and moderately, back into my diet.
Last night, after the movie, Tim & I went to Ruby Tuesday's. They have the most amazing salad bar! When I got up there, I was doing really well until I came to the blue cheese. Now, I know I shouldn't have, but it was as if my right arm had a mind of it's own. Before I knew it, there was blue cheese on top of my otherwise vegan plate of healthy goodness.
And it tasted delicious!
Today, though...... Now I know that blue cheese is a well known trigger of migraines, but I never really associated the two. I mean, since I gave up Diet Pepsi the number of migraines I've had has plummeted. But today was a "10".
Good-bye blue cheese. You'll always have a place in my heart, but never again will you be on my tongue.
Have you ever had a friend that holds a really special place in your heart? I don't mean the kind of friends that you have several of. I mean the kind that, even if you don't talk to them often or see them even less often, you get a warm feeling and smile when you think of them?
I got to see that friend today. I hadn't seen her for quite some time. And one thing really bothered me. You see- I have a confession to make:
I am a bad friend.
I really am. Anyone who remains my friend deserves a shiny gold star on their sticker chart. No.... they deserve a BUNCH of gold stars. You see, I stink at staying in touch. (My friends that are reading this just uttered an audible "duh".) I almost never call, but I WILL talk when they call me. I'm horrible at returning messages. I almost never initiate plans to get together with them. I love to have people over, but I seldom invite them.
Back to my friend-----
The first time I met her, we talked for.... I dunno..... a long time. It was like I had known her forever. We talked about our families, our lives, our love for God. She met my family. I loved her smile, her kindness, her sense of humor, and her passion for Christ.
Today I learned so much more about her. She is vulnerable and has been hurt in a way that NO ONE ever deserves to be hurt. Yet she is so amazingly strong, that she is willing to use that pain and open herself up to others so that she might help bring them closer to God. (Yes, you ARE that wonderful!)
As soon as I got to talk to her today I hugged her and I didn't want to let her go. I almost starting crying, but I stopped myself. (I'm not sure why I made myself hold back the tears.... I'm certainly not holding them back NOW.) I knew that she didn't have much time, and I knew that I didn't either, but I could have sat and talked with her for a loooooonnnngggg time.
I have been thinking about her all day. I don't ever want to lose touch again.
I need to be a better friend to all my friends. I just EXPECT that they know I'm here for them whenever they need me, but I don't show it. Maybe it's my own insecurities that stop me- I often think "what if they don't like me all that much, and are only pretending to like me so they don't hurt my feelings?" Yea, I'm much more insecure than I let on. Did I just type that? Now do I have the guts to leave that up here and not come back and delete it?
Please, all my friends- Hold me accountable. I will love you even more for it!
I became a vegetarian about a month ago. I got really sick a couple months ago.... August 5th to be exact. I thought it was food poisoning or the flu, but it just wouldn't go away. Then I always felt uncomfortably full and I was having some serious stomach pain- enough to double me over and bring me to tears. And the migraines!!!!! I went from one every month or two to 7 in one month! (I used to get them once ever 2-4 weeks until I gave up diet soda.)
After 3 weeks of this, I went to the doctor. He thought it was my stomach, maybe an ulcer. So he ordered an x-ray of my stomach and an ultrasound of the gallbladder and other such innards. After the ultrasound I went to the x-ray room. X-ray Dude said, "No, she has been ordered back to ultrasound", so back I went. Ultrasound Dude (ok, he's a doctor and may not appreciate me calling him that, so how about U.D. instead?) So U.D. says, "We see something and we need to take a closer look." So the tech wiggles around and U.D. watches. Then U.D. says, "There is a 'good sized' mass on your liver. I don't think it is cancer, but it's in a bad place. You need to have a cat scan so we can see it better." It was a good thing I was lying down when he said this, or I'm sure I would have fallen down! The "C-Word" freaked me out.
I waited about 20 minutes while they call my GP, and then I'm in getting the cat-scan. Oh yea... and they wanted a REALLY good pic, so I got to drink yucky-creamy-orange-gatorade-tasting-stuff AND get dye shot in my arm. Then I got to wait for the results. Results were that they wanted an MRI next! Had that a few days later.
A few days after that, I get the call from doctor to come in for the results. No... he didn't want to share them over the phone. If my stomach didn't hurt already, it would have by then.
(By this time, I've lost about 15 pounds. I had thinking about changing my diet to no processed food and mostly veggie for awhile, and had been doing some research for the last 5-6 months. Now I'm pretty convinced this is the way to go. And it's easier now that I have absolutely NO appetite.)
I have several cavernous hemangiomas on my liver. What was freaking them out was that the largest one (though still only about 1" x 1") was up against the inferior vena cava. Thank GOD it was on the outside. They were concerned that it may on the inside. That would have been bad. The fatal kind of bad.
Oh yea. And it was NOT cancer.
The docs didn't think this was causing my pain, so I was sent to a GI doc and get a tube & camera stuck down my throat and into my stomach. Yea... fun.
He tells me my stomach looks fine, and sends me off to a hepatologist. He's a big time doc at the Cleveland Clinic, but I get an appointment in 3 days. He decides that the hemangioma is not putting enough pressure on the vena cava to cause problems (only about 10% blockage), my gall bladder looks fine, and he doesn't know what was causing these symptoms.
In the mean time, I've lost 25 pounds, I'm eating almost no animal products or processed foods, and I'm feeling pretty darned good. Of course, all the docs agree that it's not my diet.
uh huh. right.
What I DO know is that I feel MUCH better, the headaches are about gone, and I'm even getting used to this new way of cooking and eating. My family is pretty open about trying new foods and they've been a huge support The kids RAVED about my bean burgers and have been begging me to make them again. I even got Tim and the kids to try kale!!!!
Eating out hasn't been too much of an issue as the other two times we've picked places that I can find something for me. Well, yesterday Tim & I went out to eat and for some reason I decided to have a burger with all kinds of crap on it, but substituted the beef patty with a Boca burger. And I had fries.
M-I-S-T-A-K-E!!!!!
I feel like crap today. I've felt sooooo nauseous, my tummy hurts, my head hurts, and my neck is stiffening up and threatening to turn into a migraine. Yea, God. I hear you. I get it. Loud and clear. I need to stay on the dietary path You've chosen for me. Oh yea- and we shouldn't go out to eat. It's definitely not in line with the financial plan You've chosen for us.
I have been spending much more time in the bible, and in prayer. Every day. It isn't always easy to settle down at the end of the couch with my bible, journal, pen, and tea at 6a.m. Well, that part isn't hard... it's not adding a blanket, laying my head on the throw pillow, and drifting back to sleep that is so tempting! But as soon as I get going, I'm completely and totally enthralled. Just as with any friend, the more time I spend with Him, the closer I feel! And I had three big "WOW Moments" yesterday that I just have to share:
1. I was at a different church service yesterday- not at CVC. The pastor there is a man I respect, and I get to listen to several times a year. Yesterday, during his sermon, he said something that...well..... it wasn't right. I caught it immediately, and in the split second it took me get the shocked look off my face I heard his wife quietly comment behind me. It was very obvious that she caught his error also. Now it was probably just a slip of the tounge, but it made me think. It is SO important that I use wise words when I speak to others about Christ. How easy it would have been for an unbeliever to be angered by his oversight, possibly turning away from a chance of salvation! (Now, I did not find it necessary to call him on this mistake. I'm sure his wife lovingly spoke with him. And I seriously doubt that anyone who reads my blog has EVER met this man, so you may as well quit trying to figure out who he is right now! LOL) I was also incredibly grateful for the knowlege God has given me so far, that I knew immediately this wasn't correct, and that I need NEVER doubt His love for me. (I am by NO means an expert on the Bible... to say I'm a novice is probably pushing it!)
2. Yesterday afternoon, while Tim & I were getting our travel trailer winterized, the kids were doing thier best to find something else to do. Sierra and Garrett were walking around when they spotted the mother of all booties next to the dumpster- a cool red bike! Now Garrett has a bike that he rides. It is getting too small for him, but he still rides it because it is closer to the ground and doesn't scare him. He still has training wheels on it. What he doesn't realize, is that Tim has slowly been raising the training wheels on it. Well, for some reason I will probably never know, Garrett let Sierra talk him into giving this "cool red bike" a try. I didn't know any of this had transpired until I heard Sierra yelling "Mom!!!!! LOOK!!!!!!!" Sure enough, he was mobile! He went about 20 feet before he went over! He was so excited that he got right back on, and did it again! And again, and again, and again! Now it's almost as natural as breathing. Yup, my boy is a two-wheel biker!!!!!
(Now, if you don't know why this is such a miracle, you haven't heard his story. It's long, and I'll write it another time, but know that this is something we thought may never happen. Heck, nine years ago, if someone had suggested this, we would have never believed it!)
3. As I posted before, Tim is going to get laid off. We are in the process of cutting out, cutting down, and cutting off anything that isn't really necessary. One thing we ARE going to need, is new tires for the van. Well, only if I want to actually DRIVE it this winter. We didn't know where the funds would come from, but we knew that if we were truely going to need them, if it was God's will, God would HAVE to provide. We let it go at that. Yesterday, after we got home, I went through the mail. Lots of medical bills from my latest stint.... but hopefully we've already paid out enough that insurance should cover most of it. The last envelope made me a bit leery- hmmmm.... those kind of envelopes are never good. 'Cept for this one. Almost $500. The cost of a new set of tires. GOD IS SOOOOO GOOD!!!!
John 14:13-14
Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.If you ask meanything in my name, I will do it.
I have a small kitchen. It used to be even smaller, but we gutted it out and redid the whole thing. The fridge and stove stayed in the same place, but we added a dishwasher, a peninsula, counter top space, and lots of cupboards. When we added cupboards, we added a large, deep cupboard above our refrigerator. The builder guy kept telling us that it wasn't a good idea, it would be hard to get to, yada yada yada, but we did it anyhow. No, I don't regret it at all.
To today- I'm not very tall.... about 5'3". So when I want to get into those cupboards, I must stand on a chair. No big deal. Thing is, at 5'3", I never see the top of my fridge unless I am standing on a chair. I had to get things down this morning so I got a good look up there. EWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!! It made me wonder who CAN see up there when they walk into my kitchen. Would I bother to keep it cleaner if I thought anyone at anytime might be looking there? If I know someone is coming over, I'll make a quick run through the house to pick up some clutter and maybe even sweep up the dog hair. But no one sees up there, so why bother?
What about the "top of the refrigerator" of my life? Like a lot people (I believe), I try to be "good", and I try a little bit harder to LOOK "good" to those around me. What about the parts of my life that no one sees? Are those parts clean?? Are the things I say & think when no one is there to hold me accountable the things I'd want anyone to take a white glove to? How would I behave differently if the "top of my refrigerator" was low enough to everyone to see?
It took me awhile to clean the grime from up there this morning. I know that it will be dirty again in no time. It will take a constant effort to keep it clean. Will I keep up the effort? Probably not.
Lord, help me to put much more effort into keeping the "top of the refrigerator" of my life clean.
Last Tuesday I went & saw the hepatologist (liver doctor). I"d been having severe abdominal pain, no appetite, nausea, as well as some other undesirable symptoms. After two weeks of that, I went to my doctor. He ordered an upper GI xray as well as an ultrasound of my gallbladder an other assorted inside stuff. During the ultrasound they found a "mass" on my liver. That is when the excitement started. They did a cat-scan almost immediately because of the placement of the mass. Things still looked pretty bad, so they ordered an MRI. Finally we found out that the mass was not in the vena cava like they had feared. (This would be VERY bad.... fatal kind of bad.) After more & more doctors, the hepatologist finally said that it was a hemangioma (I have several on my liver, but this one is the one they were worried about) and that it wasn't putting enough pressure on the vena cava for it to be putting me in any danger. My blood work came back good, and I don't have to go back except to have a repeat MRI done in a few months to make sure it isn't growing. YEA!!!!!!
(That was the good news!)
We did end up buying a "new" car for Tim. We bought a Ford Focus ZX5 that will hopefully get about 30 mpg. It's actually a sporty little car with lots of pep. Tim was a wee bit bummed about getting this instead of a big truck, but the more he drives it, the more he likes it. He'll be working in Louisville for about 3 weeks, so I'm glad he has something safe to drive that is also good on gas!
The bad news is that when the work is Louisville is done, he very well may not have any work here. I'm praying I am able to start working soon, so that we can at least make ends meet while he is out of work. It looks like he will either have to go into a new line of work, or we'll be moving out of Cleveland. (sigh) God got my diet to change, he just may be changing my scenery as well! Today Rick talked about "living for the line instead of living for the dot". Rick's messageThis really got me thinking about when, in my every day happenings, do I live more for that dot? I immediately thought of two circumstances that got me squirming in my seat. And I think they were both pride driven. Yuk.
James 1:2- Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. This verse has been one I've held very close for many years. I feel that when times are tough, I pretty much do look at the line instead of the dot. Does that sound really self-righteous of me? I hate to tell people that, because I don't want to come off as "I have more & better faith than most of you. I don't doubt that God is in control. I don't doubt God's power, love, or existence." But truly, I get almost excited when something difficult happens or my comfort zone is re-zoned. The first thing I (almost) always think is: "OK, God. What's up? Why are You taking me through this? What is it that You want me to learn, or how do You want me to grow?" That is really difficult for me to share, because I SO don't want to come off as a snob. I'm just a stupid, stinky sheep and I'm no better than anyone else. I think another reason I'm hesitant to share that is that I don't want to sound so comfortable that God says, "OK, Kim. You think you got it handled? Here's another one for you!" In fact, I'm pretty sure that if God EVER shakes His head and rolls His eyes, He's doing that to me right now. :)
I've said before that I hang almost everything to dry... everything except sheets and blankets. Well..... add sheets & blankets to that list.
