WEEK-END THOUGHTS

Hope you all had a relaxing, restful week-end, as I sure did!  : )

It started with getting some exciting news late Friday afternoon!  My youngest son James and his wife Larissa are expecting again!  She is already 15 weeks along and they found out on Friday that they will be adding another SON to their family.  This was such good news as they have 2 girls and 1 boy already, which just evens things out over there perfectly.  Little JD was so matter-of-fact about all of this.  He told his mom several weeks ago (when they were told about the baby) that OF COURSE God would be giving them another boy, as "He already knows I have TWO sisters, and NO brothers".  haha. Sounds about right to me.  Everything is going wonderfully so far, and I again covet your prayers for this new little life.  Melody was especially excited to hear that her new one (due in June) and this one (due in August) will only be a few weeks apart in age and now the same sex as well.  This will mean at the next family gathering in Dec., (God willing) there will 3 little boys under 2 years of age!  haha.  And 11 grandchildren altogether. Talk about your cup running over.    I have got LOTS of sewing to do now, so I will be getting busy on that soon.

On Sat. we spent a VERY leisurely morning having coffee and tea and catching up on everything going on.  It is hard sometimes with mom here to get a lot of that done, and makes us grateful we still have week-ends to do this.  Hubby has been offered a wonderful new job possibility, and we spent quite a bit of time discussing the pros and cons of this, and have lifted it to the Lord as well.  We will see.  I am excited about it all, but know from experience now, that if this isn't what God wants for us, then we don't either.  Either way, we should know soon.  After lunch at a new (to us!) Mexican restaurant, (soo yummy btw) we decided to see a movie, and chose the Quartet starring Maggie Smith.  It was good, and kept us both thoroughly entertained.  I have really enjoyed her on Downton Abbey, and she was just as good in this in my opinion.  We grocery shopped after that, and spent the rest of the evening catching up on American Idol.  : )

Sun. found us down in San Diego for church as always, and then over to James and Larissa's for lunch and to hang out for a couple of hours.  We really haven't had much of an opportunity to do this (the hanging out part that is) for quite a while, and we really enjoyed it.  Larissa made her SUPER yummy Chicken Enchilada's and homemade guacamole (which reminds me I forgot the box of avocado's she had for us from her fathers tree...sigh...I will get them next week I guess) and so lunch was great.  We got to watch the 3-d video they had from their ultra sound on the new baby, and that was wonderful too.  Soo amazing that we can get such a glimpse into a miracle like that growing inside.  We stayed a little later than we usually do, so we didn't get home till close to 5.  Hubby bbq'd some Salmon, and we watched a little TV and headed off to bed.

I have been struggling for a while to get into the habit of a NEW devotional time.  For years (it seems) I have just done this first thing in the morning, after I have had my shower and dressed for the day.  I'd pour myself my first cup of tea, and just spend a good 45 - 60 minutes reading my Bible, praying, and getting my heart in the right place.  It is just hands down the BEST way to start my days.  With mom here it just hasn't worked.  She is up and needing me from the minute I leave my bedroom in the morning it seems.  I tried (and sometimes do) doing a little study with Mom and praying with her instead, but while this is nice, it is NOT the same, and not what I am needing.  Now OF COURSE there are other times I could do this, as Mom for instance usually naps every afternoon for a couple of hours or so give or take some.  No reason I can't do it then.  But for some reason I just haven't been.  Truthfully sometimes I just forget.  Other times I find myself busy with something else I have been waiting to get to. (sewing time!)  But honestly, there are times when I just want to relax, talk on the phone, or even catch a quick nap myself.  And as for doing it before bed (after mom has gone to bed) truthfully I am beat, and I find myself just falling asleep.  Soo, to say my devotional time has suffered would be putting it mildly.  Especially since Christmas and the broken neck became all consuming.  And have I ever noticed!  I have found myself falling into bad habits.  Feeling sorry for myself, bitter feelings, and feeling VERY overwhelmed with my own physical issues that I deal with everyday.  Truthfully I am not sure how much longer I can put off getting my knees done, and now I am feeling the arthritis in my neck, back, and ankle...sigh.  However, while these things are not good, it is more the feeling of distance between me and my God.  And again, from years of experience, I know whenever this happens, it is not Him who has moved.  It is me.  Of all the things I do, THIS is the MOST important.  The one thing that has ETERNAL value.  The message yesterday felt like it was for my ears alone.  Funny how often that happens huh?  But how good it is to settle into my heart KNOWING my God loves me no matter what.  That He is there, just waiting for me to join Him again in daily communication.  His Word NEVER fails.  I spent time this morning (Mom doesn't return until Mon. afternoons) reading and mediating in the Word and feel like a new woman.  I have noticed that every time I spend time with Him, I feel a gratitude in my heart for all the ways I have been blessed, and draws my mind away from life's struggles and hardships.  Gratitude really does protect one from negative thinking.  Thankfulness enables me to see His abundance.

I know this was kind of long, so I will sign off now and leave you with a couple of cute pictures of Sam.  Enjoy your week!

GOT MILK?  HAHA  DAIRY BOY AND YET BUYS HIS MILK AT THE GROCERY STORE!  YOU CAN SEE HIS "WHITE" HAIR COMING IN (BARELY) IT'S AS WHITE AS HIS MAMA'S WAS...

AT HOME DEPOT SAM DECIDED TO DRIVE WITH HIS FEET!  HAHA