New year, new gadgets, new blessings.....that's what's going on for me and Mark right now. We're trying to step into the 21st century technologically speaking, as we're getting rid of our land line and getting ourselves two smart phones. What happens when dumb people are using smart phones? I guess we're finding out. Case in point: at the UK women's basketball game with my sister and brother-in-law, we four adults huddling together around our two new phones while one dials the other, so we can try to figure out how to answer said phone. It was sheer celebration when I was finally able to drag the proper icon over to the proper spot and actually respond "hello" to my husband of almost 35 years, standing right there beside me. Granted we don't actually consider ourselves dumb, just techno-dumb, but we're learning. Maybe you can teach an old dog new tricks, after all........we'll see.
After the UK women's basketball game, we joined up with the rest of the Six family to celebrate 66 years of wedded bliss with my parents and some of the grandkids. These years just seem to go by as quickly as turning pages in a book. Weren't we just at this same table celebrating 65 years, like yesterday? As I've mentioned before, "Life is like a roll of toilet paper, the closer you get to the end, the faster it goes". How true.
We were able to watch the majority of the Patriots/Ravens game once we arrived home. The only NFL game we've ever attended was in Foxborough, Massachusetts. We've been following the Patriots ever since, so we were a bit surprised to see them unable to score in the second half and ultimately lose to the Baltimore, Ravens. I had previously enjoyed watching the Ravens after I saw the movie about one of their players last year starring Sandra Bullock. Other than that, I was taken with the coverage of Ray Lewis as he neared the end of his career.
After the game, I was totally amazed at the things I saw and heard from the Baltimore players, Ray Lewis, in particular. The man took off his jersey and displayed a t-shirt that read Psalm 91, with an angel on the back. He then dropped to the turf, kneeling face down for what seemed minutes while a pack of photographers surrounded him in a huddle. It was a rather bizarre sight.
After the awards ceremony in their locker room, where they were given the trophy by a fellow player stricken with ALS who spoke through a computer, a few of the players gave brief statements, each emphasizing how this was a faith based team, who went through so much adversity, but maintained their momentum towards their goal. It was amazing and I look forward to reading more about their stories in the coming weeks.
Even though Mark was really sad for the Pats, I knew Tom Brady and his supermodel wife and the rest of the team will survive and be a viable contender next year. I'm looking forward to the main story of the upcoming Super Bowl, which has already been dubbed as the Bro Bowl, due to the two head coaches, Jim and John Harborough. It should be fun.
I'm going to enjoy this day watching the inauguration and playing with my new phone. I will also spend some time reading the first chapter of our Esther Bible study. It's definitely going to be cold, but my four doggies and I are keeping warm and I hope you're doing the same. Stay safe and have a great day, luv, PS Didn't the Cats look good Saturday night....especially in the second half......Go Big Blue!!!
Monday, January 21, 2013
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
FAVORITE THINGS........NOT!!!!!
This is not my favorite time of year. I have two reasons for this; number one, the weather. We actually had some really mild days earlier in 2013, but now it seems, we are going to experience a real winter. Precipitation started falling last night and accumulated a sheet of ice pellets on the deck, which remain this morning. From what I understand, the roads are okay, school is in session in Scott County, but Harrison County, just a few miles from here, is closed. Mark didn't seem to have any trouble, but he did delay leaving by a couple hours at least. From the forecast, it appears we're going from the freezer into the deep freeze as I see next Tuesday's low is 9 degrees, yikes.
The second reason I find this to be a "not so great" time of year is taxes. Yes, it's time to order forms and gather and organize all those wonderful records I've kept all year. With a background in accounting, this should all be a breeze. More like a gale wind that blows me away from everything that I'd like to do and toward that which I do not. Fun times ahead......NOT!!!
Usually, the only things that help me through this time of year are those diversions of family together time and sports. We'll be having our parents' anniversary soon and my Dad's birthday will bring us together in February. Sports diversions include the SuperBowl, which none of my teams made; tennis, which without Andre Agassi has been lackluster; and Kentucky basketball, which unless you're out of state, know that has been a struggle this year.
Let's all remember that Kentucky is a player first program. Yes, we put the players first before we consider what's best for the team or the program, or the fans....sorry, Big Blue Nation. Yes, let's all take a moment to pray for these fabulous freshmen and all the other Wildcats. These are young men that God has a plan laid out for each of them. Hopefully, it includes an outstanding college career complete with one or more National Championships. But, the bottom line is, we want God to use these young men and their talents He gave them to ultimately advance His plan, not the Big Blue Nation's. I will pray for them to know God's plan for their lives and do that which accomplishes His will for their lives. I know if they do that, we'll all be the better for it.
I am finally getting excited about our upcoming Beth Moore Bible Study on the book of Esther. It's called It's Hard Being a Woman. I have to say Amen to that. I took part in this study at Porter Memorial Baptist Church in Lexington several years ago, but wasn't able to stick with it as I would have liked. So, now thanks to my friend, Susan's willingness to share the responsibility of bringing Beth Moore studies to our little church, we are starting this study after completing Stepping Up, which was awesome. God can use Bible Studies to really strengthen churches, small groups, friendships and relationships with Him and each other. I'm praying this study is successful in doing that.
I will continue to recommend the reading of the UpperRoom devotional book to everyone. It's available on line although I enjoy my copy from church. I also continue recommending listening to Christian music. I tune in to K-Love on 89.9 FM and theMessage on Sirius.
I've had a great week early into the year, seeing friends and family and feeling like I'm doing what God wants me to do. I hope and pray you are having the same positive feelings about your new year. Take care and stay safe, luv, Susan
The second reason I find this to be a "not so great" time of year is taxes. Yes, it's time to order forms and gather and organize all those wonderful records I've kept all year. With a background in accounting, this should all be a breeze. More like a gale wind that blows me away from everything that I'd like to do and toward that which I do not. Fun times ahead......NOT!!!
Usually, the only things that help me through this time of year are those diversions of family together time and sports. We'll be having our parents' anniversary soon and my Dad's birthday will bring us together in February. Sports diversions include the SuperBowl, which none of my teams made; tennis, which without Andre Agassi has been lackluster; and Kentucky basketball, which unless you're out of state, know that has been a struggle this year.
Let's all remember that Kentucky is a player first program. Yes, we put the players first before we consider what's best for the team or the program, or the fans....sorry, Big Blue Nation. Yes, let's all take a moment to pray for these fabulous freshmen and all the other Wildcats. These are young men that God has a plan laid out for each of them. Hopefully, it includes an outstanding college career complete with one or more National Championships. But, the bottom line is, we want God to use these young men and their talents He gave them to ultimately advance His plan, not the Big Blue Nation's. I will pray for them to know God's plan for their lives and do that which accomplishes His will for their lives. I know if they do that, we'll all be the better for it.
I am finally getting excited about our upcoming Beth Moore Bible Study on the book of Esther. It's called It's Hard Being a Woman. I have to say Amen to that. I took part in this study at Porter Memorial Baptist Church in Lexington several years ago, but wasn't able to stick with it as I would have liked. So, now thanks to my friend, Susan's willingness to share the responsibility of bringing Beth Moore studies to our little church, we are starting this study after completing Stepping Up, which was awesome. God can use Bible Studies to really strengthen churches, small groups, friendships and relationships with Him and each other. I'm praying this study is successful in doing that.
I will continue to recommend the reading of the UpperRoom devotional book to everyone. It's available on line although I enjoy my copy from church. I also continue recommending listening to Christian music. I tune in to K-Love on 89.9 FM and theMessage on Sirius.
I've had a great week early into the year, seeing friends and family and feeling like I'm doing what God wants me to do. I hope and pray you are having the same positive feelings about your new year. Take care and stay safe, luv, Susan
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
I LOVE MY NEIGHBORS
Yesterday seemed to me to be the first normal day of the new year. Yes, I still have to put the Christmas decorations into their closet today, but everything else seems to be back to routine. I went to the Amen House, where we volunteers were getting food and clothing ready and distributing it to those who qualify at this location. Afterwards, I was able to visit a friend who is temporarily at a health care facility. We had a great time visiting and sharing our holiday and family stories. Afterwards, I ran the rest of my Monday errands and headed home to four frantic dogs and the dishes that awaited me from the weekend. It hardly seems like I got much done at home before it was time to head to Paris to meet with my former classmates for our monthly gathering. I can't tell you how wonderful it is to be able to spend once a month with the same friends I sat around the lunch table with in elementary school.
Today's UpperRoom reading brought me right back to my discussion with my friend, Dorothy from yesterday afternoon. I had told her how blessed I was to not have had any real health concerns in my life except for those that came up during menopause, the worst of which was anxiety. She was surprised to hear that was an issue for me. 1 Peter 5:7 states, Cast all your anxiety on Him because he cares for you. I know this can be understood to mean the everyday anxieties of life, but it also can express the deeper, darker form of anxiety that can overtake one's life. I experienced that about the time I turned fifty.
My health issues up until then had always been minor and my doctor appointments had always been routine, so when I was hit with overwhelming anxiety and a feeling of total detachment from myself, my regular physician tried to help me as he helped any woman at that point in her life, put nothing seemed to work and I simply retreated to my sofa on a daily basis, figuring there was no help for me but prayer. I prayed over and over Psalm 51:10-12 (see below ), asking God to help me. Finally, my dear friends and neighbors, Pam and Bethany, came over one afternoon and took me, unwillingly to the emergency room where my recovery began.
The ER doctor thought I might need to be admitted, but instead had me promise to find a psychiatrist to help me get back on track. My dear friend and neighbor, Jane, gave me the name of an excellent doctor in Owensboro and even took me on my first appointment. I am so thankful that God had not abandoned me. He brought me help right to my doorstep in the form of my loving friends.
Earlier this week I was also saved by some neighbors. After enjoying the first half of my walk with Riff and Pudge, I realized we were in big trouble as we had turned around and headed back home. One of my neighbors has a couple pit bull mixed breed dogs. The black one is usually chained up and the white one, who is currently nursing puppies, was in an enclosure on their carport. She is always jumping up and down as we pass. Well, as we were heading back toward this particular house, I saw her out in the road, sniffing and following our scent coming in our direction. I immediately retreated to the nearest house for safety. I visited with Nina, who in her eighties couldn't help me get by, but suggested Barbara Jean across the street. Eventually, Barbara Jean drove me and my dogs past this crazy mama dog as she chased the car, barking and carrying on, til we got past her to safety We then thanked our driver and finished our walk home. I called Nina to let her know we made it home safely. Believe me, you never know when you're going to need your neighbors for help.
Today I hope to get all those Christmas decorations safely stored for the next eleven months. I wish you a great day. Stay safe. luv, Susan
Psalm 51: 10-12
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
Today's UpperRoom reading brought me right back to my discussion with my friend, Dorothy from yesterday afternoon. I had told her how blessed I was to not have had any real health concerns in my life except for those that came up during menopause, the worst of which was anxiety. She was surprised to hear that was an issue for me. 1 Peter 5:7 states, Cast all your anxiety on Him because he cares for you. I know this can be understood to mean the everyday anxieties of life, but it also can express the deeper, darker form of anxiety that can overtake one's life. I experienced that about the time I turned fifty.
My health issues up until then had always been minor and my doctor appointments had always been routine, so when I was hit with overwhelming anxiety and a feeling of total detachment from myself, my regular physician tried to help me as he helped any woman at that point in her life, put nothing seemed to work and I simply retreated to my sofa on a daily basis, figuring there was no help for me but prayer. I prayed over and over Psalm 51:10-12 (see below ), asking God to help me. Finally, my dear friends and neighbors, Pam and Bethany, came over one afternoon and took me, unwillingly to the emergency room where my recovery began.
The ER doctor thought I might need to be admitted, but instead had me promise to find a psychiatrist to help me get back on track. My dear friend and neighbor, Jane, gave me the name of an excellent doctor in Owensboro and even took me on my first appointment. I am so thankful that God had not abandoned me. He brought me help right to my doorstep in the form of my loving friends.
Earlier this week I was also saved by some neighbors. After enjoying the first half of my walk with Riff and Pudge, I realized we were in big trouble as we had turned around and headed back home. One of my neighbors has a couple pit bull mixed breed dogs. The black one is usually chained up and the white one, who is currently nursing puppies, was in an enclosure on their carport. She is always jumping up and down as we pass. Well, as we were heading back toward this particular house, I saw her out in the road, sniffing and following our scent coming in our direction. I immediately retreated to the nearest house for safety. I visited with Nina, who in her eighties couldn't help me get by, but suggested Barbara Jean across the street. Eventually, Barbara Jean drove me and my dogs past this crazy mama dog as she chased the car, barking and carrying on, til we got past her to safety We then thanked our driver and finished our walk home. I called Nina to let her know we made it home safely. Believe me, you never know when you're going to need your neighbors for help.
Today I hope to get all those Christmas decorations safely stored for the next eleven months. I wish you a great day. Stay safe. luv, Susan
Psalm 51: 10-12
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Mountain Dew.......Not The Best Night Cap
I think today may be a rough day for me. Mark and I had a great first day of 2013 yesterday. He mostly did his thing outside, running around and driving to town and getting things accomplished. I started dismantling the Christmas decorations while I watched the Rose Parade. We actually ended up in the loft with TV later in the afternoon as the Rose Bowl was beginning. I think I fell asleep on the sofa some time during the first quarter and woke up about supper time. Lucky for me, Mark had picked up pizza at the store earlier, so our meal was taken care of. I thought that having some Mountain Dew with the pizza would be the perfect "pick me up" for the remainder of the evening, so I proceeded to finish off this horrendous looking soda that Mark had brought home after his warehouse open house earlier in the month.
Our evening progressed nicely and Mark turned in sometime around 7:00. I was enjoying the remainder of a couple football bowl games as the SEC teams managed to make comebacks from their slow starts. I was also making a comeback from my earlier lethargy I was feeling after my late afternoon nap. I was enjoying going through old Christmas pictures on the computer, especially since my sister mentioned to me how the little magnifying glass icon works for checking out each shot. I examined pictures from our last six Christmases. Hard to believe how time has flown since we had our first Christmas Eve here in Georgetown in 2007.
I usually am ready to go to bed around 11:00, but was still looking at pictures at 12:30 when I realized that I should turn in. It wasn't long after that I was wishing I hadn't downed three (or four?) glasses of mountain dew. I'm so used to dropping off to sleep after only ten minutes or so that I was uncomfortably tossing and turning. This isn't an easy task given my four furry friends nestling into all the various comfy places created by my sleeping position. Anyway, let's just say I didn't get a lot of sleep last night as I was still awake when Mark's alarm went off at 2:30. I've figured out a lot of the things we need to do for Christina's wedding dress and the Vinalhaven wedding....maybe I should have written them down.
As Mark was getting ready for work, I relented and started back on my reading. I'm about a third of the way through Andre Agassi's book, "Open" about his life story. I have to say it is so awesome getting to know about this incredible person who just happens to be a great tennis player. I think I read four chapters before I gave sleeping another shot.
Long story short here, having a bit of a rough morning. But, I'm happy to report that I have started my 2013 Upper Room. The cover depicts the three kings who knelt before the baby Jesus with their gifts. I've been enlightened these past years that these wise men did not arrive days after the birth as I believed in childhood, but came possibly a year and a half or so later. My minister's wife even told me that when she places her nativity figures out, she puts the wisemen clear across their apartment to make the setting more historically correct. I love learning more about this awesome true story!
I've read the first two daily devotions for 2013, as well as the opening letter from the publisher on page five reminding us that Ash Wednesday falls on February 13 this year. It's good to be reminded of this so as not to tell the first person you encounter with ashes that they have something on their face, been there....done that....many times. Hopefully, I won't do it this year.
It looks to be a beautiful, yet cold day outside. I hope you are having an awesome start to your New Year. I may be ready for a nap sometime before Louisville and Florida take the field later today. Right now I better get around and get my four furry friends fed. Have a great day and stay safe. luv, Susan
Our evening progressed nicely and Mark turned in sometime around 7:00. I was enjoying the remainder of a couple football bowl games as the SEC teams managed to make comebacks from their slow starts. I was also making a comeback from my earlier lethargy I was feeling after my late afternoon nap. I was enjoying going through old Christmas pictures on the computer, especially since my sister mentioned to me how the little magnifying glass icon works for checking out each shot. I examined pictures from our last six Christmases. Hard to believe how time has flown since we had our first Christmas Eve here in Georgetown in 2007.
I usually am ready to go to bed around 11:00, but was still looking at pictures at 12:30 when I realized that I should turn in. It wasn't long after that I was wishing I hadn't downed three (or four?) glasses of mountain dew. I'm so used to dropping off to sleep after only ten minutes or so that I was uncomfortably tossing and turning. This isn't an easy task given my four furry friends nestling into all the various comfy places created by my sleeping position. Anyway, let's just say I didn't get a lot of sleep last night as I was still awake when Mark's alarm went off at 2:30. I've figured out a lot of the things we need to do for Christina's wedding dress and the Vinalhaven wedding....maybe I should have written them down.
As Mark was getting ready for work, I relented and started back on my reading. I'm about a third of the way through Andre Agassi's book, "Open" about his life story. I have to say it is so awesome getting to know about this incredible person who just happens to be a great tennis player. I think I read four chapters before I gave sleeping another shot.
Long story short here, having a bit of a rough morning. But, I'm happy to report that I have started my 2013 Upper Room. The cover depicts the three kings who knelt before the baby Jesus with their gifts. I've been enlightened these past years that these wise men did not arrive days after the birth as I believed in childhood, but came possibly a year and a half or so later. My minister's wife even told me that when she places her nativity figures out, she puts the wisemen clear across their apartment to make the setting more historically correct. I love learning more about this awesome true story!
I've read the first two daily devotions for 2013, as well as the opening letter from the publisher on page five reminding us that Ash Wednesday falls on February 13 this year. It's good to be reminded of this so as not to tell the first person you encounter with ashes that they have something on their face, been there....done that....many times. Hopefully, I won't do it this year.
It looks to be a beautiful, yet cold day outside. I hope you are having an awesome start to your New Year. I may be ready for a nap sometime before Louisville and Florida take the field later today. Right now I better get around and get my four furry friends fed. Have a great day and stay safe. luv, Susan
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