Monday Morning Musings

Can't believe it is Monday once again.  

Life just seems to be speeding by. 

Had a fun weekend celebrating Ron's birthday.

Had friends stop by the campground 

and enjoy coffee and donuts to begin the day.

Had a great visit with Darrell & Patty 

brainstorming about ideas for the campground.

Enjoyed dinner and seeing Barbara Fairchild & Roy Morris' show at Golden Corral and visiting with them for a little while afterwards.

Sunday found us helping guests a few times 

and painting the apartment.  

We cranked up some great Southern Gospel music and painted, painted and painted some more.

All the walls are done and trim work in the bedroom is finished.  Today and tomorrow will be more painting of trim work.  It is coming together and I can't wait to show it all off.

God is so funny 

and I am always amazed how he meets me right where I am.

This morning was no different.  

This is what He shared with me as I was contemplating my day:

 

Yesterday as we painted and sang along with the radio,

I thought about how singing just made the work go faster.

Not sure what radio station we were listening to 

but it was playing some of the old great hymns:

Standing on the Promises of God

The Old Rugged Cross

Power in the Blood

and

Jesus Loves Me

 

...that one made me cry

 

as I thought of just how much God loves me.

I was sharing with someone earlier in the week about our boys and how we always celebrated Jamie's birthday on August 8th - cause that is the day he was born and we always wanted it to be a happy day.

And that on August 11th we remembered our baby, Jamie's twin, 

Royce Alan

on the day he went home to be with Jesus

and that on August 11, 2009

32 years later

God orchestrated the date 

Max legally became Brandon's son, and our grandson.

We shared so many happy tears that day.  

It was like God took a day that had always been hard for us 

(and in some ways it still is as we will never forget Royce 

as we wonder what life would have been like if he was still with us here on earth) and made it extra special by adding our first grandson officially into our lives.  

And then this morning God's word was

 

and how as we have worked on the apartment

God's love has 

been proved over and over

with the love of friends and family

with words of encouragement,

notes on Facebook,

and helping us paint.

And we look forward with anticipation

to have visitors in our home.

We love to entertain

and even though we have done some entertaining 

while living in the rig

it is not always easy to do

so watch out Branson peeps

be ready to have some fun times at the 

Wandering Workentins

stationary home!!!

Thank you Jesus for helping us to build 

our home on solid rock, with your love

and for encouraging me each and every day.

God's Blessings & Wise Words

First off,

 

Spent some time with the Lord this morning before the rush of the day.

He is so Faithful to me and I am so Thankful to Him.

Yesterday we were blessed by one of the couples here in the campground

with a

 

along with corn-on-the-cob and hush puppies dinner!!!

God is Faithful and provides for us.  Dinner was delicious and a special treat as we had been busy in the office and painting in the apartment.

This morning, my scripture came from 

 

and

 

Immediately my thoughts went to where my life was in the late 80's and 90's when I struggled with such bitterness, anger and hurt done to me by my parents and step-father.

And the lingering pain today that my sister, Joanie chooses not to have anything to do with me or my family.  I have tried so hard to find out why she hates me so...but since she won't talk to me, it's kind of hard to find out.  The last time I spoke with her was in Laughlin, NV when I saw her when our older sister, Kathy had passed away.  I said hello and she said hi.  When Ron and I were leaving I said Good-bye and she would not even look at me.  Thinking about this makes my heart cry.

The truth of the abuse that was put on me as a child, teenager and even a young adult along with the hatred and hurt feelings that I felt towards my parents and confessing all that hurt to God has definitely set me free.  And healed my heart from so much.  

I am so thankful for a God who loves me through the thick and thin, who surrounded with me with a wonderful and caring pastor, a good ARNP who knew what combination of medication would get me through the hump of major depression, suicidal thoughts and anger bursting from the seams, along with a friend/counselor who sat with me for many hours, praying and crying with me, just listening and praying some more...who let me yell, cry and scream but most of all loved me through some horrible pain, and the best hubby any girl could ask for, who got way more trouble than he bargained for, two sons who love me and forgave me for the not so nice parenting I put on them at times, and for special friends who stood by me, encouraged me, told me never to hang up the phone on them ever again ~ and I haven't :)  

I am so very thankful for the love, forgiveness, care and support...there are not enough words to express my thoughts but there is still some pain when I think of my sister...our parents and grandparents are all gone, our older sister is no longer here either (taken from us at age 54...too young to die) and yet my heart craves for a relationship of friendship with my younger sister.  I know she reads my blog, so once again I am reaching out...please tell me what I have done to hurt you so bad, please let's heal this relationship before it is too late, and even if not for me for our sweet niece...we are her family and she needs us both.

I love you Joanie!!!  Life is too short to let hurts from over 20, 30, 40 years ago keep us apart.

You know how to get a hold of me...as they say...the ball is in your court and it is time for you to take a shot.  You have 2 beautiful nephews, with sweet loving wives and 5 beautiful and sweet great nieces and nephews who would love to be a part of your life and you a part of theirs.

Patience & Forgiveness

Patience & Forgiveness

and

 

I have been feeling impatient with myself.

Feeling like there is so much to do

and not enough time to get it done.

This morning I am reminded that I need to be 

PATIENT

with myself. And with others.

I feel like there is so much to be done

and it is 

 

and then I do one of two things.

I either get frustrated with others and myself

or I hide and do nothing.

This morning I was reminded that 

 

is what is important.

And so I come to God this morning

asking Him for patience in attacking my LONG To Do List

and

forgiveness for letting my frustrations run loose.

Monday Morning Musings

Woke to 

 

at 4:41 this morning...flashes of bright light, rolling thunder (not to loud) 

and rain drops tinkling on the roof of the motor home.

Rolled out of bed at 4:46 and turned the alarm off so as not to wake Ron.

A cup of coffee seemed very inviting but not to be as I have a doctor's appointment this morning and some fasting blood tests.  Good thing the appointment is at 8 a.m. so by 9:30 I should be able to have a cup of Java...may have to stop at Starbucks :)

Had a very quiet weekend at the campground...will be glad when we get busy.  Ron was busy replacing the air conditioner in the Activity Room...will be nice to be able to play games, walk on the treadmill or pedal on the stationary bike without feeling like you are in a sauna.  

Sunday we went to breakfast 

and who do we meet but Darrell & Patti :)  

They are off to Dallas for a few days 

but we will see them again on Wednesday.  

We came back to the campground and did a few things in the office then went to see Barbara Fairchild and her family at the Kinfolk Reunion ( you can read more about it at The Wandering Workentins later this week ~ the camera is still in the car and it's raining........)

I started my morning routine and immediately felt discouraged...got on the scale...I hate the scale but it is also a good reminder what I need to be focusing on.  I started The Beck Diet Solution back on 4/25/13 and was doing really well.  It is a 6 week program...okay I took almost 3 months.  At one point I was down 8 lbs for a total loss of 23 lbs but today I am only down  1.1 lbs for a total loss of 16.6 lbs...and there is no one to blame but me, Me, ME!!!  I do so well and then seem to flounder.  

So frustrating and yet it is all my doing.  

And then I remember

that I need to

 

and

 

and

 

and that

 

and so today I

 

and

 

by setting a few goals:

1.  Drink at least 3 23 oz bottles of water

2.  Write down everything I eat (log on myfitnesspal.com)

3.  Make healthy food choices

and remember

 

What do you struggle with?  

Is there anything I can pray about for you?

Lord, thank you for this gentle reminder this morning that You love me no matter what.  

Thank you for this new day, to begin anew with you.  Thank you for walking beside me each and every day of my life and encouraging me when I fall.  Thank you Jesus for loving me!!  Amen.

A Little Encouragement from God this morning.

I can't believe it is

a

 already!!!

What a busy week we have had.

Lots of work and yet found time to play a little.

Yesterday we spent about five hours working on the apartment.  The bathroom carpet was pulled up and surprise there was linoleum underneath so that came out.  All the faceplates were taken off in the bedroom and bathroom and both rooms are taped and ready for some paint.  Can't wait to get started on that...not sure when that will happen but I know it will be soon.

I found myself a little disgusted with myself this morning when I stepped on the scale...I had been doing so well while we were in Kansas and it seems since we have been back in Missouri that my focus on me, my health, eating and drinking healthy has kind of been pushed aside.  

Oh, I am doing okay, not binging or anything like that, just not being intentional in my eating and exercising.  Some days are better than others.

And then I opened my Bible. 

To

 

and I just started crying...

Lord you are my strength, my strong tower

and I need to remember I can't do this on my own.

I need you!!!  

And then to reinforce those thoughts

He focused me on 

Deuteronomy 8:7-18

and I like how The Message reads:

So it’s paramount that you keep the commandments of God, your God, walk down the roads he shows you and reverently respect him. God is about to bring you into a good land, a land with brooks and rivers, springs and lakes, streams out of the hills and through the valleys. It’s a land of wheat and barley, of vines and figs and pomegranates, of olives, oil, and honey. It’s land where you’ll never go hungry—always food on the table and a roof over your head. It’s a land where you’ll get iron out of rocks and mine copper from the hills. After a meal, satisfied, bless God, your God, for the good land he has given you.

Make sure you don’t forget God, your God, by not keeping his commandments, his rules and regulations that I command you today. Make sure that when you eat and are satisfied, build pleasant houses and settle in, see your herds and flocks flourish and more and more money come in, watch your standard of living going up and up—make sure you don’t become so full of yourself and your things that you forget God, your God,the God who delivered you from Egyptian slavery; the God who led you through that huge and fearsome wilderness, those desolate, arid badlands crawling with fiery snakes and scorpions;
the God who gave you water gushing from hard rock; the God who gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never heard of, in order to give you a taste of the hard life, to test you so that you would be prepared to live well in the days ahead of you.

If you start thinking to yourselves, “I did all this. And all by myself. I’m rich. It’s all mine!”—well, think again. Remember that God, your God, gave you the strength to produce all this wealth so as to confirm the covenant that he promised to your ancestors—as it is today.

It is so easy in the "good" (fill it in...busy, hectic, stressful) times to try to do things on my own and forget to seek God for his help, his guidance, his promises, to lose sight of his many blessings, his power, his strength, his love...God sees and knows everything about me...I just need to focus on him each and every day, ask Him to be with me, to help me in each activity I do, each project I engage in.

I need to remind myself each day I am not on this journey alone, that God is with me to help me do things all the way, with an enthusiasm and eagerness that comes from God.

Thank you Lord for your Word this morning, reminding me  

 

and

 

and

 

Thank you Jesus for encouraging me this morning.

It was just what I needed.