Samples

I am still battling the after effects of the accident. Lots of back pain and weariness. And it all may be because of samples.
On the day of the accident, we had been running errands all morning. Our last stop was a nursery that was having a fall sale. Boy, did we get some good buys. I got a 'chenille plant' which is a hanging plant with red sort of cat tails that look like chenille puffs. We got it for $5.00. Also a pansy basket and some mums. Jon's big find was a sale on blue ceramic pots and he chose a lovely one. $29.00 at 20% off. As we waiting in line, we saw the almond samples. 'Just one' I said. HA! They were so varied and good that they kept calling to us. Too cheap to buy any, we hade another round of samples before paying for our purchases. They made us want more and more.
That delay may have put us in the wrong place at the right time. UGH. But they were so good.
So it is with God. He calls each one of us to taste and see that He is GOOD. I have done just that and can't walk away, for knowing Him is a more powerful experience that eating almonds, trust me on this. He is my Father, my shepherd, my Comforter, my Guide and so much more. But you will never know until you taste and see. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you and He will.

Details

I love that God , though he is awesome and sovereign, it into details for his children. Today I was at the Chiropractor for the aftercare from the accident. This is a new DR. to me and I was a little nervous. It also had been a very busy day and I was tired to say the least. After an initial exam and Xrays I was hooked up to equipment for deep stimulation of the muscles and sat quietly waiting for that to end. Music was playing on the radio . What should come on but Angel by Sarah McLachlan. My daughter had given me a singe of it several years ago. I love the haunting melody and the words too.' In the arms of an angel'. I relaxed and felt God holding me and quieting my heart and my body. I was revived when the treatment ended.
Now that is just like my Father- so involved in my life as to know what would touch my heart and when I needed it most . Thanks Father.

Shock

Sometimes I wonder why God answers my prayers. Like a Father in Jesus' day, I find unbelief when I least want it.
Case in point: Today I talked with God about the car mess and asked that He straighten out the towing snarl quickly, as well as get the adjuster on the ball. Because of my knowledge of who God is, that is, sovereign, provider, mover and shaker, I knew he could do all things. I also knew that He has chosen to involve himself in the lives of his children, as any good parent would. I believed in my mind that He had the power to do what I was asking. But at that point, doubt crept in, not about what God Could do but about what he Would do. But I prayed on and left it in His capable hands.
Then a phone call late this morning caused me to know that my God REALLY is involved in the affairs of His children, even their damaged cars.
The upshot is that the adjuster gave the estimate of $8700.00 and approved to have the car fixed. He said it was good that we did not approve to have it moved to Sacramento. As we speak, it is being towed to the shop we wanted - less than 1 mile from where it has been stored.
All I can say is YEAH GOD. YOU ROCK. Thanks for answering even with my doubt.

Treasures on earth

We continue to deal with the implications of the car accident. Today has been one frustration after another. When will the adjuster come to do his thing? What will he determine? Total or fix? Why does the insurance company think it is cheaper to tow the car 80 miles to Sacramento until the adjuster can check it out and then back 80 miles to have it fixed when it is going to go to a shop one mile from where it is stored? On and on it goes.
The real battle is that this car have been like a family member. It has a name, Alexander the Great. In fact, when I emailed my daughter, I used the word 'fatal' and she panicked thinking I meant one of us had fatal wounds. Jon has babied this car, carefully selecting parking places away from home and guarding it as best he can. Often we park far away so no one will park close to us, only to come out and find someone right up on our bumper. That really makes him crazy. In a word, it is a treasure to him. Granted not the Porsche he wants, but special none the less.
Jesus talked about how things on earth can rust, be eaten by moths or stolen by thieves. He said if your greatest treasures are on earth, that is what you can expect. But if your teasures are in heaven, that is, life with God, loved ones, rewards for obedience, etc., no one can steal them, eat them or crash into them. So think on that for a few minutes and assess what your treasures really are.
Meanwhile, I will keep you posted on this saga.

Right

My dad had all kinds of sayings, kind of like King Solomon.
One of them was:
He was right dead right as he sped along
But he was just a dead as if he was wrong.
We have an adaptation:
We were right, really right, as we crept along
But we were hit as hard as if we were wrong.
All this to announce the probable demise of our beloved Alexander the Avalon! Someone was not watching for the speed bump and hit was as we crept over it. What a sad day. Poor Alex has been babied for 5 years and was taken out by a Ford pickup.
Life is short. Beware, for we all face death when we least expect it. Do you have your reservation?

Unraveling

I seem to have a knack for tangling things up. When I was a child, my Dad took my fishing and I would always get the line tangled, caught in a tree or a root underwater. As a knitter, I find that they do not wind the yarn well and find myself trying to untange it and making it worse as I go.
Today I heard a song that put this all in perspective:
Sometimes I think of God that way
Untangling all the mess I make
Unraveling my line so I can fish again
Sometime I think of God that way.

I sure must keep him busy untangling the messes of my life!

A wimp

I admit it. I am a wimp. Today I have to 'fast' for 24 hours before a test.I am allowed all the jello, tea and broth I want- YUM. To make matters worse, this evening I get to take some nasty stuff that will give me flu- like sypmtoms. Doing without is not my idea of the way to spend a fun day. But if it is necessary to detect possible colon cancer, so be it. My last test was clear so I am hoping that this one will be too.
I do love to eat, especially carbs. I have psyched myself out about all this and feel anxious. What a good example of trusting God! HA!
Then today I read in Proverbs that God wants me to trust him and cast my cares on Him. God gets more specific in the New Testament where he says, do not worry about food! I thought about how Jesus fasted to 40 days,. He didn't get to have lime jello or chicken broth. I only have to endure for 24 hours. What a wimp I am.
So today I am camping on this thought: I can do all things through Christ who gives me the strength.
See you tomorrow at Round Table and don't get in front of me!

Light or dark?

When we were at our daughter's last week we had an interesting event. Just as we sat down to dinner, a luscious dinner, the electricity went out! No big deal except it never came back on. When we left, it was out for miles away and did not come back on for many hours.
I did those before mentioned dishes in the dark- hope I got them clean. I have never done dishes by candle light before. I am not sure if it was romantic??? Then we visited in the dark. Kind of relaxing I think. It sure did calm the dogs.
Micah caused his Father to just about bust a blood vessel when he came downstairns to report that he had needed a candle in the bathroom and had lite a piece of toilet paper to light the needed candle!
All this talk about darkness reminded me that darkness is light to God. There is no dark place where he can't see you or reach to your needs. So the next time you feel alone, remember that God has his loving eye on you and is reaching to hug you.

The Little red hen

When we were at our daughter's house this last week we had a lovely dinner. Afterward she asked who would clean up the dishes so we could have the pumpkin pie that Gabriel had made. No one volunteered. That prompted me retell the story of the little red hen.
You will remember that she was making bread. First she had to grind the wheat.
" Who will help me grind the wheat?"
"Not I", they all said.
On and on the jobs went with no one offering to help.
Finally she said, "who will help me eat the bread?"
" I will" they all cried.
"No you won't", she countered. "You would not help before so now I will eat it alone!"
At the end of my story, Gabriel shouted out," Grandma and I will". To his credit he stayed until all the dishes were done. Then the pie was our reward.
King Solomon had something to say about all this:
A sluggard does not plow in season; so at harvest he looks but finds nothing.
Paul adds.:
If a man will not work, he shall not eat.
So I guess I had better get dinner going or we will not eat.

Do you know?

We have just returned from a nice vacation to Santa Cruz. We enjoyed the beach, family and the thrift shops.
While we were gone, we have a friend house sit. That is when you really get to know someone. For instance,you know if their tea pot's spout is covered with a lid held in place with a paper clip. That is too long story to tell. Suffice it to say, I am cheap! Or take the ironing board cover. I knew I needed a new cover but now I have a lovely one, courtesy of my friend who must be a ironing freak to iron while away from home! I even have three new kitchen towels, color coordinated.
Truthfully, I tried to cover all the bases and think of what might need replacing. I bought some lovely new towels but for some reason she used an old one. I made sure there was food in the frig but I guess she ate out.
Oh well. You can't fool a friend. Nor would you invite a stranger to 'walk in your shoes' while you are gone. But in some ways, that is exactly what you do when you invite Christ to come and live in your life. And like my friend, when he comes he does some needed redecorating. A new attitude here, new wallpaper on the walls of your mind there, new motivations for why you do what you do.
He is as welcome as my dear friend and more so. Whatever he touches is permanently 'updated'.

Dripping

Thought for the day from King Solomon
A quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping.
I would amend that to read:
A quarrelsome spouse is like a dripping faucet.
Drip, Drip, Drip.
It is annoying and wears you down.
UHG
Solomon should know having had 1000 spouses!!!

STOP!

Yesterday my friend and I were walking in the regional park near our house. As we were just about back to the car, a little boy shot by us on his 'big wheel'. His Father was yelling for him to STOP and running after him as fast as he could go. The boy heard him alright but refused to stop. He was having FUN. The father was frantic and when he caught up with him, he was barely able to grab him before he hit the street.
'Close call, too close', he voiced his fear.
I thought about time that Gabriel did that to us. Only in his case, he ran that big wheel right into the path of an oncoming car. I was hysterical as Jon ran to grab him . This was even closer than the boy yesterday. But I guess that a miss is as good as a mile.
How foolish that boy was. He thought he knew better than his Dad. He thought he was just trying to spoil his fun.
I'm never like that, am I? Well, it's true that I do not have a big wheel and would not be able to ride on if I did. But all too often I ride on through life and ignore God's call. 'Stop that whining.' 'Don't answer back in kind.' 'Don't run ahead with your own plan; wait on me.' And just as often God has to catch me before I do something that will devastate my life or the life of someone else. Like that little boy's father, my Father has my best interest at heart.

Brain fade

I think that I had brain fade on Saturday morning. It was kind of like having sand drain out of your shoe.
I read this verse:
Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam. So drop the matter before a dispute breaks out. Proverbs 17:14
Wow- that is a power verse I told myself smugly. I don't struggle with quarrels.
Then I went to get ready for our day at the apple ranch with friends and some family. I was undecided about what I was going to wear. I was debating in my mind between my Levis and new blouse or my giraffe dress. Each had an advantage. I really liked my new blouse but if I have much abdominal pain the pants might be a 'pain'. On the other hand, the dress had no tight waist and was sleeveless so if it was very warm I would be cool.
My mistake was in asking Jon if he could help me make a decision. He deemed the dress 'inappropriate'.
" For you",I said. And a quarrel was brewing for sure. Why hadn't I just kept my mouth shut, either before I chose or after he gave his opinion? But no, I wanted to be right on the subject and my dander was up.
Enter that still small voice in my head- 'Drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.'
Oh, how I didn't want to drop it. I wanted to start and win the quarrel, fool that I was by then. But I took a deep breath and marched into my closet and put on a skirt and blouse which would meet both requirements and defuse the silly quarrel and thus saved spoiling a fun day.
I take no credit. As you can see I had had a brain fade and completely forgotten what I had just read. I give the credit to God who pointed out the right thing to do but left the choice to me.
We had a great day and who cared after that moment what I wore?