Count your blessings

Seminary went well yesterday!  I am having a brain block about how to present Monday's lesson though.  I remember going through these brain blocks when I served as primary president though.  I know as soon as I hit on what the Lord wants me to teach the information will start flowing . . . . it just hasn't happened yet.  I hope this doesn't happen for the rest of the month or my head is going to be hurting!!!!

Part of our seminary lesson was about how God blesses you.  We were recipients of a huge blessing this week.  As Lincoln's truck is in the shop and I have the obligation of substituting seminary, we NEED two vehicles.  Lincoln also had an "off-site" meeting he needed to drive to in northern Maryland AND he had his canning assignment this week with his emergency preparedness calling that he n.e.e.d.e.d. a truck for.  Oh man, we didn't want to spend another 300 bucks on a rental, and we needed a truck!!!! 

Well, God works in mysterious ways.  On Monday Lincoln was able to get a ride to work.  On Tuesday we were able to beg a truck off a church member.  (THANK YOU!) and then on Tuesday evening the man who had taken Lincoln to work called and let us borrow his truck for the rest of the week while he and his wife were both out of town.  You cannot believe the relief we felt and are feeling! 

This man (Ray) is also helping McKay with his eagle project by mentoring him through as co-house captain of a Christmas in April project.  (more to come about that)  The really touching part of this is that Ray's wife has cancer.  He wasn't going to do Christmas in April this year because he wants to spend as much time with his wife as he can.  He is helping McKay out of the kindness of his heart.  Ray and his wife are out of town this week fulfilling his wife's "bucket list."  They are visiting the Grand Canyon.  AND they find the time to think of other people's needs and live a Christ-like life even in their time of crisis and pain.

I'm in tears as I write this . . . . . I pray that I may be as sensitive to other's needs as they are.  God bless them, as they have blessed us.

Looking forward

I'm just bursting to share what I'm looking forward to in the next month or so. . . . . .

I got my new piano tuned yesterday, and it sounds extra nice . . . . . I look forward . . . . . to playing it as much as I can!  I've spent hours playing the piano since it arrived!

My sons are coming to visit! . . . . . . I look forward . . . . . . to seeing them as it has been a year since I last saw them. . . . . . . . . I look forward . . . . . . with great hope to seeing what or if they've learned in this past tough year and half they have spent on their own.  Yes, great hope.

My hubby's brother offered to have us come along on their vacation to Costa Rica!!!  They have the use of a beach house and car while we are there so all we need to provide is airfare, food and activity money . . . . . . . I look forward  . . . . . . . . to time alone with Lincoln (and his brother and sister and spouses, ha!).

I think McKay is  . . . . . . looking forward  . . . . . . . . . to having his brothers be here while we are gone.

I am also  . . . . . looking forward  . . . . . to teaching seminary starting this Friday and ending at the end of the month while their regular teacher is in Germany.  I'll have to admit I am having a hard time feeling up to the challenge as my Sunday school class has been giving me fits.  I've lost a little confidence but hope to have it restored a little bit.  All I can do is my best which is what I will do!  (I usually love teaching, I just have a really challenging class this year :(

McKay is in process of doing his eagle project! . . . . . I look forward . . . . . .. to that part of our life being over with . . . . . scouting is such a pain in the keester.  (sorry you scout lovers, I'm just being brutally honest here)  He is co-captaining a "Christmas in April" house and will finished with his project April 30th!!!!!  I will do a jig on that day.

Anything new in your life???

My Best Friend



Here are my old friends



About a year ago, I succumbed to lust and purchased me a nice shiny new set of scriptures.  A quad . . . . with tabs . . . . . shiny golden tipped pages . . . . . . AND my name imprinted in gold.  My married name. 

Even though I had been lusting after these new scriptures, with much saddness I put my very battered, well used, unmatched scriptures, with no tabs and no gold tipped pages, complete with my embossed maiden name on the shelf. 

I am handicapped without them!!!  My old set of scriptures with their broken bindings and ripped pages practically fall open to any scripture I may need, want or desire.  My tabless old scriptures are much easier to navigate.  Who would have thunk that tabs could get in the way of finding things fast?  Who would have thunk that my nice, sleek, new quad's pages would be so thin, that I would fear to turn them lest they might rip?  My old scripture's pages have been used so much that they almost feel like leather.  (have you ever made "leather like" paper out of an old paper bag???) 



And the beauty that replaced them. . . . .



Last night, when I was going to bed, my "old" scriptures were lying on my bed open . . . .  having been used by someone.  "Honey, did you use my scriptures?"  I asked?  "no" was his answer.  This morning I found out who had used them.  My son, when leaving for seminary this morning said, "Oh, I have to run back in the house to get your scriptures," "why?" I asked.  Then he stated that he needed a spiritual thought for seminary today and apparently my scriptures are THE place to go and get one.  The last time he needed a spiritual thought, I took him to my "old" scriptures and explained to him how they were marked, and how I could find anything I wanted, and we found him a thought very quickly.  Now, I guess he realizes the worth of them also.

The tabs I thought would be so useful!
(the camera didn't pick up the shiny gold tipped pages!)

I have come to a decision.  While my new scriptures will have their place (church, where they will continue to look pretty) my old scriptures will not be shelved.  They've been too much a part of my life.  They will be my "at home "scriptures where they will continue to be my friend and my study companion. 

Whew!  Having made this decision I feel much better now!

Finding the silver lining

This inspired me today:

I AM THANKFUL:

For the wife

Who says it's hot dogs tonight,

Because she is home with me,

And not out with someone else.

For the husband

Who is on the sofa

Being a couch potato,

Because he is home with me

And not out at the bars.

For the teenager

Who is complaining about doing dishes

Because it means she is at home,

Not on the streets.

For the taxes I pay

Because it means

I am employed.

For the mess to clean after a party

Because it means I have

Been surrounded by friends.

For the clothes that fit a little too snug

Because it means

I have enough to eat.

For my shadow that watches me work

Because it means

I am out in the sunshine.

For a lawn that needs mowing,

Windows that need cleaning,

And gutters that need fixing

Because it means I have a home.

For all the complaining

I hear about the government

Because it means

We have freedom of speech.

For the parking spot

I find at the far end of the parking lot

Because it means I am capable of walking

And I have been blessed with transportation.

For my huge heating bill

Because it means

I am warm.

For the lady behind me in church

Who sings off key because it means

I can hear.

For the pile of laundry and ironing

Because it means

I have clothes to wear.

For weariness and aching muscles

At the end of the day

Because it means I have been

Capable of working hard.

For the alarm that goes off

In the early morning hours

Because it means I am alive.

And finally, for too much e-mail

Because it means I have

Friends who are thinking of me.