Tag Archives: husband
Days 4-30 of November Thankfulness: All at Once I Realized….
Okay, I realized that if I don’t do the rest at one time then I probably won’t finish it so I’m just jumping ahead…. Here are the rest of the 30 things I’m thankful for in no particular order….
Just a part of my job
4. My job– On any given weekend I come home with great stories from the kids that I work with… whether it is a funny story (like the kid who asked if he could say bad words and when I said no, he said to his friend, “@#$%, we can’t say bad words.” or the sweet little girl who insists we call her “Dog”) or a sweet one (the kid who requires a hug from the other party of the dispute after the apology), I always have something great to share. Plus, because of what I do… I pretty much much get to be a kid… I love it.
5. My co-workers– I realize that not too many people can say that they love everyone that they work with … and if they say they love them, they may not like them so much…. But I love and like my co-workers. They are a great group of people who put up with me and love and like me back… at least, I’m pretty sure they do… I also know, not too many have co-workers that feel like family…. I do and am thankful.. (If you see my boss make sure you tell him I said these nice things)
6. My husband– Another one who puts up with me… So few get to see the funny side of him but the man cracks me up… plus he is a great dad and husband. ( You can also tell him I said these nice things. )
7. My freedom– I will be voting tomorrow and realize that for whatever reason, I have been fortunate enough to be born and live in a country that is free.
8. My kids– My girls are such a perfect addition to my life. They are all funny, compassionate, sweet (most of the time… well, okay… sweet to others), they love each other now and someday may become friends with each other (actually, I see it happening already) They aren’t perfect by any means but then again, they have an imperfect mom so what do I expect.
9. Our alphabet– abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz…. there may be a lot of them but thankful there are no ~ or ` or other symbols over the tops of them….plus, I like to write and am glad I don’t have to write in pictures..
10. Flip-Flops– I love the idea of slipping on a pair of flip-flops and letting my feet feel the sun… yeah, leather, canvas and other shoes are great too, but flip-flops are the next best thing to bare feet.
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11. Hummingbirds– Our summer is made better by these little guys… They zoom past our heads, flutter around our back porch and though we may sound easy to entertain, they are more fun to watch than most shows on TV.
12. Friends– some to laugh with, some to cry with, some to do both with, some male, some female, some who brighten my day unexpectedly, some who mentor me, some who we learn together…. some who have passed in and out of my life……….all have a special place in my heart
13. My health– thankful that I can walk, talk, and do most anything I want to do because I have good health
14. Ale8– The Central Kentucky soft drink that has made it’s way to a few other places in the country…. I’m pretty sure it is an acquired taste, but for those of us who love it … we really love it. And I’m thankful that they now have Diet and caffeine free, too.
15. Baby Animals– They are just so cute… puppies, kittens, baby rabbits, baby bears, etc… well, except baby narwhals
16. Creativity-I’m a person who loves to create…. whether it be a story, a painting or a sculpted caricature of someone….It is what I love to do… I’m thankful for a creative Creator and amazed at what He created
17. Nature– Waterfalls, the change of seasons, stars, storms, lightening, weird animals (narwhals, angler fish, tarsiers,etc)… whatever it may be it all goes back to the creativity….
18. Technology – I’m thankful to live in a day and age where people thousands and thousands of miles away can communicate as if they were next door neighbors. I also love that we can get to them by plane, train or car rather than only a horse or on foot.
19. Chocolate – ‘Nuff said…
20. Modern Medicine – I can imagine that without what we have today, I probably would have been one on the side of the road in need of healing when Christ walked by…. AND – can you imagine surgery without antibacterial items?? that’s what I’m talking about
21. The Bible – I used to never understand it nor care much about the stories from it, but once I began to dig into it with the help of Christ, it changed my world….
22. Music – It can perk up your day, help you worship God, mellow out a crying baby, make memories, sooth a tortured soul, help motivate, help memorize… It is a pretty powerful thing.
23. Grace– I know I’ve already written about it but I’m just doubly thankful that I don’t get what I deserve…. because I can never do enough to get the good portion of deserving all by myself….
24. Fruit-something good for you and tastes good too…. bananas, apples (fuji are my favorite), grapes, kiwi, raisins, watermelon, actually all melons, strawberries, cherries, clementines ….. add a little chocolate to some and then it’s even better…. shall I go on?
25. Humor -sense of humor- glad I have one, even if I am the only one who thinks I’m funny… and laughter, not at the expense of others but wholesome laughter could possibly bring the world together
26. Bug spray– Citronella, flea and tick repellent, after bite….. whichever it is, it was a genius invention
27. Gloves– They keep my hands warm. (particularly on days when my office is Freezing) I can even text in them now and best of all, I don’t have to touch things that are yucky if I don’t want….
28. My family-my parents, by example taught me how to work through arguments, dance, laugh, love each other, give to others and love God and church….I have no siblings but do have cousins, aunts and uncles… brothers and sisters-in-law, father and mother-in-law (deceased- but wonderfully remembered), a wonderful step mother-in-law…. so many great memories
29. My home– Yes, there are times when I wish I had a bigger yard or one more bedroom or a live in maid, but I am blessed to have what I have and know it
30. A Loving God– anyone who makes a way for you to get to them must love you a lot…. thankful that the Creator of all did that for me…. and for you…. so when I am thankful, that is who gets my thanks… without the Creator and his grace, all of the other things are pointless.
If only November had more days…….. Maybe I should just be thankful all of the time….
Ephesians 5:20
Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Tell me about it, Moses P. Diddy Hall…
I don’t know why I have such high expectations for the animals that I choose to own. Maybe those expectations were formed because of reruns of great shows such as Flipper (though I never owned a dolphin), Lassie or Fury…. or maybe it was Lady, my cousin’s collie who was incredible well behaved… or Babe, my uncle’s dog that was showbiz intelligent…..or Benji. How could I forget Benji? Whatever the reason, with a little training, I knew it couldn’t possibly be that difficult for my very own dog to become something of legend… nothing short of a human on four paws.
So let’s see, first there was Gustavia. Gussy was a little white poodle who chased cars, chased cattle and rolled in manure… smart dog. Then later came Rascal. An adorable little dachshund that turned out to be an incredible bully in the amateur dog show circuit. Then there was Sam. Another poodle who, for all practical purposes, was a pretty good dog, but he did bark at himself in the mirror. (Wouldn’t it be funny if people acted surprised to see themselves in the mirror each time?) There were more pets down the line… Buddy 1, Buddy 2, Bandit… and some cats, hamsters, and even a skunk (Yes, you read that correctly) but none have met the superstar expectations that I have believed in for so long… that is, until recently… .
Now, our ever-lovable shih-tzu, Moses P. Diddy Hall (a.k.a. Moe) is a dog that when told to sit, he sits…. well, he might lie down…. or possibly he will continue to go about what he was doing. He is also a dog that wears a diaper… well, technically it is a “belly belt” but you get the idea. Moe also knows to get in his bed when told, he knows to “hit the rock”(our family’s ultra hip term for shaking paws), he knows to go to the car when the van door opens. He even hates hanging out at the dog park… he waits by the exit gate until we are ready to take him home. See, it is hard for me to decide if either Moe is very intellegent and just pretending to be a dog to get out the whole “work dog” group, or if he is just like all of my other dogs in the past…. just a regular ol’ dog. I have been leaning toward the regular ol’ dog thing for quite some time, that is, until one night not too long ago. 
Moses P. Diddy Hall is not allowed to be on the couch. He has his bed. He has his spot near our feet. He is totally fine not to be on the couch, but on occasion there are those special times where we give in and give him some supervised couch time. Such as it was on that evening when I was certian that Moses P. Diddy Hall would be paying for my children’s college education. I was sitting on the couch and Moe was comfortably resting on my daughter who was on the couch next to me. Allison’s position was perfect as she laid on her back because if I turned my head slightly then Moe and I were face to face.
As Moe and I looked at each other, just as usual, I said something to him. I can’t even remember what it was but when I said it, something amazing happened. Moe began to talk back!…. and I’m not talking barking kind of talk… it was conversation kind of talk. Now, I might not have thought anything about it if I hadn’t seen the youtube clip of funny talking dogs but I knew Moe was trying to tell me something. I kept asking him, “What is it, Moe?” And he kept voicing something that was clearly a concoction of vocal movements that were trying to form words. To get him to continue his talking ability I started looking at him and saying things like, “Mama” (I never think of my dogs as kids so this was very awkward for me) and ” I love you.” Moe would look at me and try to repeat it.
I was so excited I could hardly believe it. I had a plan. He and I were going to work on this daily until he could speak in conversation. I started counting the dollars in my head. I called my husband, who was out of town (explanation of the couch time that Moe was getting), and told him the whole story. He didn’t share my enthusiasm.
The following day, Moses P. Diddy Hall and I went to work. I got down in his face and began talking to him. “Mama,” I said. Moe looked at me. “Mama,” I continued. Still Moe looked at me. I changed my pitch. I changed my tempo. Moe looked at me then cocked his head and looked away. It was time to change my game plan. I began the whole, ” I love you” verbiage. Moses P. Diddy Hall looked at me and walked away. I didn’t get it.
I began telling my story to anyone who would listen. My husband, my other daughters, but it was while I was telling a friend about my incredibly talented, Hollywood bound dog that would surely be whisked away to star in his own movie, when my hopes and dreams for him came to an abrupt halt. Allison felt it was time that she stepped in and prevented me from the inevitable… making a fool of myself. She quietly pulled me to the side and said, “Mom, I was blowing in his face.” It seems that the only reason Moe was “talking” was because he apparently doesn’t like to have someone blowing in his face. I was stunned. Moe is just a plain ol’ dog …. he is no different than any other dog that I have ever had. After the initial shock of the whole confession, I found it all quite funny. Fortunately, I was halted from looking like a fool and fortunately, I listened to what she had to say.
I wish faith was that simple. You know, something like….we may be a bit out of line, acting foolishly, forgetting to include God in our everyday life and then we are told we are being a bit foolish and we fall back into line…. that would be simple. I guess sometimes it might be that way, but there are those other times when we get so busy doing the right things in life that we may not realize we are doing them on our own…..depending on our human ability rather than trusting in God’s ability. In Galatians, Paul comes down pretty hard on the people. He even states that they are being deceived and they don’t even realize it because they are so caught up in living by the religious law that they have forgotten about what Christ did for them/us all. Still today, we may not be in Galatia, but we still tend to lean on our human ability, thoughts and decisions rather than allowing God to guide our way. I wonder what would happen if we all began to lean on the gift God gave us rather than wearing ourselves down and eventually looking foolish……
If Moses P. Diddy Hall really had the gift of gab, I’m sure he’d have the answer.
Galatians 3
1You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? 3Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? 4Have you suffered so much for nothing—if it really was for nothing? 5Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?
6Consider Abraham: “He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”[a] 7Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. 8The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.”[b] 9So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
Surprise, Surprise, Surprise! (Must say it with a Gomer Pyle drawl)
I realize that not every surprise is a pleasant experience. Yes, I’ve been on the boat of unpleasant surprises many times…You can ask the boat pilot whose name just happens to be Officer Gotcha A.K.A. Mr. “Can I see your License and Registration, please?” …Anyway, I am not naive to the fact that people may tend to connect surprises with a negative emotion, but I am also aware that surprises can be a wonderful thing.
Sometimes the unexpected is a great way to show someone that they are loved or a great way to feel that you are loved. Here’s what I mean…You know you are loved when:
- You go to work to find a surprise drawing on your computer wallpaper from your daughter that says, “I love you, Mom.” (Happened even with a post-it note this morning)
- Your seven-year-old surprises you with a shoulder massage. ( It was actually a job well done)
- Your co-worker brings to work your favorite dessert just to surprise you (Banana Pudding…. she is so thoughtful)
- You receive an unexpected phone call from your friend who just called to say that you are loved (Makes me miss ’em)
- Your health conscious husband surprises you with Krispy Kreme donuts on a Saturday morning while you sleep in. (Okay, that one didn’t happen.. but it might if he sees that I wrote this)
- Your husband surprises you by cleaning your office while you are in a meeting (that one did happen!)
- You wake up to a surprise of hundreds of plastic forks sticking up in your yard….. (Yes, you read that correctly… My neighbor and her accomplice put Howie Mandel, Allen Funt and Ashton Kutcher to shame)
See, not all surprises beat to a negative drum… some are just great reminders of how much you are loved… Okay, some might beg to differ about the whole fork thing but I’m leaning on the love side of the prank…
I’ve always felt that if those surprise moments were common place then they would mean nothing.
Take for instance the the story of Paul and Silas. Here are these two guys in prison, chained up, praying and singing their hearts out … probably pretty annoying to the non-believers in earshot and the jailer who has to listen while he does his job… but they were singing praises while chained up when all of a sudden an earthquake type event happened… their chains are broken off and they, along with others, are now free. I would imagine that the area was dark, possibly the jailer had a rock bump his head or maybe just in the panic of the situation, he, the jailer, had fail written on his forehead… he was ready to kill himself for slacking on the job and not keeping the prisoners in their places… earthquake or not. Now, Paul and Silas were given the opportunity to flee… to get out of there fast. But instead of running they surprised this man. They, along with the other prisoners were still there. They told him to not harm himself that everyone was still there and they weren’t going anywhere. The jailer was shocked. Their surprise stopped his suicide. Instead of his tragic intention, he was so blown away by their actions that he wanted to know more about who they were singing about. In reality, I guess their surprise showed so much love that he was changed then and there. He had Paul and Silas come to his home and he became a follower of Christ. Had this guard been used to seeing prisoners who had the opportunity to flee and didn’t……if this had been normal behavior that Paul and Silas had shown then their actions would have meant nothing.
Just like my family… if they did all of those things mentioned above on a daily basis then I would probably soon forget the importance of what they were trying to show me. Maybe it is not so bad to surprise others…
I think I know who my surprise “victim” will be today ….and I won’t even use forks.
Who needs a surprise from you today?
Acts 16: 22-40
22The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. 23After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
25About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose. 27The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”
29The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” 32Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family.
35When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: “Release those men.” 36The jailer told Paul, “The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace.”
37But Paul said to the officers: “They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out.”
38The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed. 39They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city. 40After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers and encouraged them. Then they left.
Take a hike… seriously… I mean, really… literally….
I don’t know what I was thinking… an hour to spare and I said, ” Why don’t we take this other trail? It seems silly to go home when we could keep walking for another hour. It can’t possibly take that long.” I don’t know if the map was totally exaggerated or if I was oxygen deprived and not thinking straight, but for me to suggest we hike further????? Totally not me. First of all, let me set the record straight, I do like to hike… as long as the trail is relatively flat, the air is cool and I can wear my flip-flops. Also, I need to walk with slow walking people… my leg stride is so short that I have to run to keep up with others and believe me, I have a few friends who just about kill me when we are walking… at the mall. You know who you are..
But the point is, hiking is a fun way to exercise my body and my mind. I love to look at the world around me as I walk and marvel at creation..( I also, like to stop and sit on creation and take a breather every now and then) I often wonder what it would be like to be someone walking that same route 100 years ago. Obviously, it is a way to get my mind off of the fact that I’m panting and doubled over… but it is way better than walking through a neighborhood or on a treadmill. Way prettier pictures…
Our hike last Friday was at a place we had never been before… we checked it out for its family friendliness and decided that it was going to be a diamond in the rough… a total treasure that we had overlooked. The pictures sported beautiful streams, small and medium sized water falls, a river overlook, rustic bridges, a wild animal or two… we were excited. We gathered our walking sticks… yes, we are that professional… our picnic cooler, cameras and I threw on my flip-flops and headed out the door.
After lunch we headed to the information center to get our trail map and into the woods we went. Our walk was a tree covered, dirt path that took us to a water gate that was long deteriorated and gone … probably for a century and a half… there was an incredible rock wall that had stood the test of time but the stream was a trickle…The only wildlife we saw was a tick crawling on a leg and my husband throwing a rock off of the trail to make us think something was moving in the woods…. Our seven-year-old began to grow weary and began stating her favorite hiking place was not the one where we were…her favorite, she reminded us, was the one that my husband had first suggested we go… I kept telling her to keep her opinions to herself… she longed to see a waterfall…I was determined that this would be her new favorite place…mainly because it was my suggestion… so I didn’t want to leave until she could find that picture perfect waterfall. I wasn’t finding the waterfalls on the map so I thought the river overlook might satisfy a seven-year-old’s desire to see water.
We worked our way back to the main path and I realized that we had a hour before the trails closed… it seemed such a waste to leave after such a short little walk…. we hadn’t even seen a waterfall. As we stood on the hot main trail, our older daughter decided that wanting a haircut was more important than our physical health and she started to zone out of the hiking mood… the first trail was fun but now in the hearts of all but me… well, it was time to leave. Instead, of leaving we took a shortcut through an open meadow that made us all cranky and thirsty. I hike in flip-flops so it is probably also apparent that I would not hike with a bottle of water or any other kind of liquid for that matter. We all began to get thirsty. My husband just so happened to have a Diet Coke Plus in the camera case and the girls were at least able to share that. About two thirds of the way into our “shortcut” we realized our timing was going to be an issue and now the whole bathroom thing kicked in too. We were so close to the river overlook that it seemed silly to walk away so my husband said that we could definitely make it if we walked back in double time. “Double time? I have been walking in double time,” I said. ….. (Remember my walking stride is short) So I finally shrugged it off and said, “On to the Overlook” With frustrated hiking daughters, we made it there. Still no waterfall, but it was a nice view… a cool, safe cliff to sit on and look over into the murky waters of the Kentucky River…. totally worth the walk…. we double-timed our way back to the car… we made it out of the park with 3 minutes to spare before they closed the gates. It was as if we had accomplished a tremendous feat.
Sometimes it seems that the most difficult thing to overcome happens to be the best experience that we never dreamed it could be. Our hike wasn’t devastating… but it wasn’t filled with many moments that would be considered incredible at the time either. However, looking back, had we stopped walking when we did, we wouldn’t have seen the river from the overlook point and we wouldn’t have had the family memory…. now we can laugh about it.
I’m preparing for The Family Adventure (a family event where I work) and I was reading the Persistent Widow Parable. You know, that lady kept on “keeping on.” She didn’t give up asking for justice. She finally got on the nerves of the judge so he gave in to her request. 
Jesus said that if we see this uncaring, unjust judge answering the request, then just imagine what a loving Father would do. It would be really easy to look at that parable and take away from it that we have to beg and whine in order for God to answer our prayers the way we want them answered or we should ask God to be our genie in a lamp, but I don’t think that either is the point. I think the point may be to not give up before it is time to quit so you don’t miss out on the blessing that God has in store. Maybe persistence in prayer is not for us to feel good about the accomplishment or the gift, but maybe it helps us appreciate the power of God.
So, if you are hiking and are ready to quit before the trails close… double-time your walk and continue on to another trail… you might see something incredible.
If you are praying and seeking God’s will, don’t give up when things seem quiet… but instead keep on “keeping on” and hold on for an incredible experience of God at work.
He loves you.
Luke 18:1-8
Parable of the Persistent Widow
1 One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. 2 “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. 3 A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ 4 The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, 5 but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’”
6 Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. 7 Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man[a] returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?”
What shall we do with the drunken slug? Adventures in my garden…
I try to be green. I mean I recycle… I think that is about as green as I know how to be or really want to be. I don’t try to be wasteful and I do try to be resourceful but I think light green is probably more likely my shade …. However, I did try to do something this year that I have never done before.. Gardening. I grew up on a farm and remember going to the garden with my mom and aunt but also remember feeling like it was torture. Not anymore… nope, gardening is way cool. I figured it wouldn’t hurt for me to grow a few items to help stock our refrigerator in these cautious economic times. So gardening is what I decided to do. But since I knew nothing about gardening I decided to get my kids involved and then they could grow them and we would all learn together. We bought seeds and a seed starter kit and went to work. We had squash, dill, cilantro, peppers, sunflowers and more. They grew and grew and we were so proud and still are. The day came when it was time to plant them in the real ground and now they are growing like crazy…. One problem though……I have no clue if the plant growing is a weed or a vegetable…I think I yanked up some baby carrot tops today because I thought they were weeds…. still don’t know for sure.
Now the sunflowers, mammoth sunflowers, to be exact, I’m way excited about. The first round of sunflower sprouts accidentally drowned while we were away on vacation and then after drying my daughter’s tears, we started over. This time the sunflowers are in the ground and growing right along… that is, until yesterday. Yesterday morning before I left for work I went to check on my little garden and the sunflowers since they are our newest addition. I was heart broken at what I saw…. nothing. That’s right. Three of our little sunflower plants were gone. Only a little stem was left to look at. 
My first thoughts were the weedeater… but I knew my husband wouldn’t have hit them. My second thought was a rabbit but I couldn’t understand why a rabbit would only eat the sunflowers and not everything else. I was highly disappointed but took heart because the other two baby sunflower plants were still going strong. I figured that the rest of my garden was in danger but really didn’t have a way to protect them from the hungry rabbit so I just had to hold onto the hope that all would be well in the morning.
Later that evening I was doing some work when my daughter came from outside and told me to hurry, “Dad, found what ate the sunflower.” I went outside totally expecting to see a cute but evil bunny when he stuck a little something in front of my face. It was ugly and gooey and had been sitting right on top of the sunflower…. the culprit? A gray field slug. I wasn’t completely convinced that it could do so much damage but I googled it and sure enough… slugs seems to love baby sunflowers. I became immediately protective of my little seedlings and like any good mother, sought to get rid of the bully. Again, I googled in search of a remedy and I also stated my disgust at this little slug on Facebook.
Amazingly, I must not be alone in trying to rid the world of ugly gray field slugs because people rallied to help me solve my problem. Some of the sweetest people I know jumped at the chance to tell me how to *cough, cough* torture those little slimy guys. First there was the whole salt thing. I thought that slugs didn’t like the feel of salt on their slug bellies but no… apparently if you place salt on a slug it will tell you top secret government plots and then it will melt away as if it were in a scene from the Wizard of Oz… ewww… Then there were others telling me to practically plan a slug keg party… okay, maybe that is a bit much but beer is supposedly a slug’s vice and they will drink themselves to death…. or maybe it’s drown in their yeasty beverage… 
whatever the death of choice for the slugs, I found it pretty comical that the little ugly, slimy sunflower murdering varmint could cause such a stir in good people.
I guess there are times when we just can’t put up with something and it tends to bring out something in us that we don’t always recognize until we’ve crossed a line. Peter was like that. He had the tendency to jump at a situation and then Jesus had to stop him in his tracks. I was reading in John tonight about the arrest of Jesus. Peter got a little out of control… I can picture the scene. He watched as the soldiers and priests arrived at the scene. I can imagine him to be clinched-jawed and squinty-eyed as they stepped closer to Jesus…. he was angry and wanted to protect his buddy/teacher/friend/mentor from this posse. He drew his sword and took off the ear of a servant named Malchus. Now, you might think that Jesus would be thankful for Peter’s enthusiastic act but instead he had to stop Peter …. good guy, bad move…he just couldn’t put up with the thought of them mistreating his mentor.
You have to really love Peter… He was always reacting and wanting to do the right thing… like the time he told Jesus that he wouldn’t let him die or the time that he told Jesus that he wouldn’t let Jesus wash his feet… Peter’s intentions were always good or at least they seemed good but it was good in the eyes of man and not the eyes of God… sometimes it is so hard to know… Obviously, Peter had been hanging out with God for quite some time and still didn’t get it completely…
I guess that can be us today, too. Feeling like we are doing the right thing because it seems to be the right thing……not necessarily because it is the thing God is giving us the thumbs up to but because we don’t want someone else to hurt or we don’t want to seem unloving or uncaring (isn’t that being the opposite of being like God?)… or maybe we want to seem angry and defensive (after all, didn’t Jesus get rather smart alec with those who were not willing to open their hearts)…. Peter could relate to reacting then thinking…. I’m pretty sure there are many of us who can claim that same attribute including me… I guess my next thought is how Christ reacted back… frustrated, stern and possibly even a bit angry…. that makes me very aware that when I react I need to focus on when God is giving me the thumbs up or thumbs down…
Now, does the Bible give any indication on how to treat a slug?
Matthew 16:21-23
Jesus Predicts His Death
21 From then on Jesus[j] began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead.
22 But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him[k] for saying such things. “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!”
23 Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”
John 18:1-11
Jesus Arrested
1When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was an olive grove, and he and his disciples went into it.
2Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. 3So Judas came to the grove, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons.
4Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?”
5“Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied.
“I am he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) 6When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
7Again he asked them, “Who is it you want?”
And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.”
8“I told you that I am he,” Jesus answered. “If you are looking for me, then let these men go.” 9This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: “I have not lost one of those you gave me.”[a]
10Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)
11Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?”
My Very Own Personal Oscars…. And the winner is…..
I’m not a fan of all the Hollywood Hoopla and hype and often feel like it is way out of control so watching the Oscars is not on my list of things to do…I do however, find some value in honoring some highlights in life.. so I created my own Personal Oscars… Same categories, real people and no one competes against the late Heath Ledger. Here are the winners in each category
Actor in a Leading Role- My husband! Chris told our friend Jeff, who was not in a position to watch a recent college basketball game, that the UK Wildcats were down by 20 points. Chris was amazing as he kept a straight face while watching Jeff in anguish until I blew the whole scene when I revealed that Kentucky was actually winning by 18. 
Actor in a Supporting Role- My husband! There are so many times when I know my husband is tired or doesn’t feel good but yet is always doing things around the house to help…and almost 100 percent without complaining.
- Actress in a Leading Role – My neighbor, Alex! Alex planned a wonderful surprise anniversary party for her mom and dad. She planned the whole event, ordered the cake, prepared a cookout at a friend’s house, got everything in order then called her parents to come get her because her car was “broken down”….. Not bad at all for an 18 year old young lady. It was too bad that her parents couldn’t be there though. They were actually at a fundraising event and couldn’t leave. So we all had the anniversary party without them. We did take a picture of everything for them though and later her mom was able to get away and come by. Alex was excellent in not only her call to her parents for car help but in hiding her frustration throughout the whole situation.
- Actress in a Supporting Role- My daughter Allison! Allison was in the local middle school production of “The Lunch Bunch”. This was the first year that she had the courage to audition and came out with flying colors. Hopefully more stage limelight for her!
- Animated Feature Film- my daughter Leah! If stop motion is considered animated then she gets the award for “Barbie doll Zombie” (not the original title) on my Iphone
- Art Direction- My husband! Chris is an amazing behind the scenes kind of guy. He is incredibly creative and often is my go to guy when I need direction in my creativity
- Cinematography – My friend Marcia! This was a tough one because during our recent ice storm there were so many incredible photos taken of beautiful scenes with great lighting and settings but it was one of Marcia’s photos that inspired me to go take some for myself.
- Costume Design- Libby Lou’s! My 6 year old spent the day at the mall with her older sisters. I went to pick them up only to find her with pink streaks in her hair, glitter and sparkly hearts and stars on her face. She was also sporting a Libby Lou’s pink sash along with other Libby Lou paraphernalia… I don’t know why that place is going out of business… We are one of the many who should have paid enough to keep it open.
- Directing- My daughter, Allison! She is great at directing her little sister to do things and some she herself could even do.
- Film Editing- My husband and myself! Key phrase, “Turn that off!”
- Foreign Language Film – My daughter Catie! Catie is often known for her ability to make people tilt their heads and ask, “What did she just say?” A few months ago in my attempt to go “greener” I bought a pack of bottled water in which the plastic bottles were made from corn. Catie took one to school for lunch and her friends were commenting about how hippie-like Catie was with her “green” bottled water. Catie said, ” Well, I’m just saving the fresh water so there will be more for others.” All of her friends stopped talking and looked at her in silence with question marks on their faces. “What?” they all asked. Catie, very proudly, chimed back in, “The water is made from corn so therefore others can have the fresh water.” Her friends all had a good laugh when they finally explained to her that it was not the water but the bottle that was made from corn. The girl does make really good grades… really.
- Makeup- My friend, Robin! This past summer our church had a Family Adventure. The theme was Adventure Island and we took on a theme similar to Pirates of the Caribbean. Robin’s son Alex was a nightly actor and his eye makeup creeped out some and the others of us laughing until we cried! Johnny Depp’s makeup artist has nothing on Robin.
- Music (Score) – My car riders! While listening to music in the car we concoct “Life Soundtracks.” These are songs that play as we see people walking on the sidewalk, jogging/running or doing other activities. So often the song will match the beat they are walking to, making it seem as if that song was meant for them… their “Life Soundtrack.” Try it.. you’ll be amazed and it will probably bring a smile to your face.
- Music (Song) – My daughter Catie! She finally showed the world her beautiful voice by singing a solo in the State Traveling Youth Choir.
- Best Picture- My daughter, Allison! Normally I love school pictures but this year Allison forgot it was picture day…. and so did her hair. When she brought the proofs home we were pleasantly amazed and humored as we looked at her hair, pulled back and sticking out all over….. matching her cocked smile… oh if I could just show you!
- Short Film (Animated)– My daughter, Allison! She is amazingly animated when telling a story… just ask her to act out Bon Qui Qui at King Burger… Su-curity!
- Short Film (Live Action) – My daughter, Allison! An incredible Stunt Person … read here to find out why this Live “action” award would go to her.
- Sound Editing- My daughter, Catie! When picking her up from school she is barely in the car 2 minutes before she asks one of two questions, “Can I put my music in?” or “Can I change the channel?”
- Sound Mixing- Me! I often call my daughter Allison, Catie…..my daughter Leah, Allison … my daughter Catie, Allison and ashamed to say it but sometimes I have called our dog, Moe, Leah.
- Visual Effects-All of my girls! It is amazing how clean their rooms get when they really want to go somewhere… very visually appealing and almost just as if it was a magical special effect of sorts
- Writing (Adapted Screenplay)- My friends Melissa and Stephanie! They took a script and made it into something incredible for our Family Adventure… Oh, Snap
- Writing (Original Screenplay) – My daughter Catie! She wrote a children’s book about a cabin boy on the Mayflower.
There you have it… my 2009 Personal Oscars…. And as every good award winner says…. “I want to thank my family, my friends but most of all I want to thank God for making all of this possible. Thank you.” And you know, I actually mean it!
The Prodygal Life 