Seven Random Things

So I've been tagged --- and now have to tell 7 random things about myself!!


1. My favorite church season has always been Christmas -- it started in grade school at St. Matthew's with singing Silent Night (first verse in German ) lights off and just the glow of the
Christmas trees --- still brings back wonderful memories.... and there is no other way Slient Night should be sung!!!!!!!!!!!!! but now I want Christmas without snow ---I know I know it's showing my age but I don't care ........we don't need snow to have a great Christmas. My best Christmas gift was a Barbie,, still have a picture of me holding it tightly while little brother shows off his gun and holster set which included a cowboy hat!!!!!!! Those were the days :-)

2. I wanted to go to Arizona after graduation and be a teacher at the Indian orphanage there,,
but instead I stayed here and am working in the medical field.

3. My favorite food is pasta ---------- any shape -any way ,, should have been Italian instead
of German......

4. Car rides are my passion -- love to get in the car and find some place new or find out where
this road leads .... a true Karen Ride is at least 100 miles !!!!!! So make sure you take a bathroom
break before we start because no telling when you may get another one !!! :-)

5. HT made quite the impact on my life --- still don't understand all of it but am truly grateful for where God has me now . I firmly believe every youth should go to at least a couple of
HT conferences during their Jr/Sr years......... soak up all you can while you can.

6. The older I get the more I realize how much I don't know..........How I ever made it through
school is beyond me....but I do like to learn ..........History is a favorite.... of course you know
Geography wasn't :-)

7. Want to be the kind of friend that people can count on to help,, be there when needed
and that people like having around............... still working on this one.

Well that's about all the old lady can come up with at this hour --- now that all are bored you
should have no trouble falling asleep!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sweet Dreams

A Very Special Anniversary

Today is a very important date in my life, one of those life changing events. It was one year ago tonight that TQ and I started our journey down a road we never saw coming, but we thank God
daily He put us on it's path. We started attending a bible study at a church we had heard about at a HT retreat(thanks KH). It was a small group but that didn't stop the Pastor from being well prepared (we later learned he's not just well prepared but also very well educated). The group was studying the Book of Concord -- which being a Lutheran I knew about and also by being a Lutheran hadn't looked at it since conformation class :-) What struck both TQ and I that night wasn't just the knowledge the pastor has( it is impressive) and how little we knew ( we figured that out in the first five minutes of class !!) but the way this group wanted to learn, enjoyed learning and had a hunger for learning. -- Amazing--Even though we were still apprehensive -- it felt good to be around this group of strangers, in an unfamiliar church, in an area we had never been in, learning things we had never heard or had forgotten. All we could say on the way home was-- what a blessing!!!!!!!!!!!!! We had no idea that night that three months later TQ and her family and I would be calling this church home and it's members part of our extended families,, one of the greatest blessings to date!! Not just because of all the "warm fuzzies" we have when we are around these people we have grown to love and cherish,,, but the way in which this church values the preaching and teaching of the Gospel in it's truth and purity. The way the Sacraments are given according to what God commands. The love for learning from the youngest to the oldest and the love for the Lord and their neighbor,, now a days all this is a rarity in a church. God has graciously showered me with many many blessings over the decades, for which I am truly grateful -- but I had no idea stepping into that bible study that night what a blessing He was going to give me. What a joy !!!!!!!!! So on this anniversary I want to thank God for giving me such a blessing I don't deserve. To TQ for going with me that night I wouldn't had gone alone. To Pastor S and Pastor G for their love for God and their vocation. And to the members for their out pouring of love. My prayer is that God continues to bless this church and it's families with many more decades of learning and love so we can enjoy many more anniversaries and that more people will find Christ's love and compassion here among us.

One of Life's Struggles or Just Plain Laziness

That's what I've been tossing back and forth for quite some time,, since the first Higher Thing retreat in 2006. How much I don't know about the history of the Lutheran church, church fathers and just the simple catechism memorization's. I "grew up" in the Lutheran church, went to Lutheran school for 9 years of my life -- learned the catechism,, hymns,,bible verses-- the "whole 9 yards" . I know with age you lose things you've learned-- but is it that or the laziness on my part not to keep up with it. One of the goals I had during my "time off" was to read and study more --- and how much did I do ------------- zero!!! I have several bible studies and countless books but never touched them. And then I go back to church and see all these darling little ones that have no problem saying the catechism,, love learning and are eager to be in God's house,,, what a blessing -- what a statement ,,, so why don't I have it????????? I just ordered a book to be released next month-- a daily devotion book.......looks very good but shall we take bets on how long I keep up with it!!!!!!!! I know laziness is a sin and I guess I can say I'm the Queen of this one!!! But yet what am I doing to change my behavior??? I came home from church today -- too rainy to do anything (if I could) so a great day to read and what did I do ----
sleep!!!!!!!!! Like I said the Queen. It's interesting,, one of the reasons I started going to this church is how they concentrate so much on learning -- yet I'm not taking advantage of this gift.
Why????????? There is so much I need to learn or relearn and the years tick away without
any great improvement on my part and there is no one to blame but me. So is this what I need to jump start the old person or will we come back next year to the same kind of blog!!! God
only knows....................

Thankfullness

This post is overdue,, the title doesn't seem enough but here goes;



First-- I'm thankful for my Pastors -- Pastor S and Pastor G thank you for not listening to me and coming to see me,, preaching the Gospel and giving me the Sacrament.
Your visits got me through some very blue days. Your words were always what I needed to
hear at the time............ Thank You for taking your vocation seriously and for caring for your
congregation.

Second -- I'm thankful for all the help I have had- to be able to stay at home. My girls My girls
what can I say -- you gave up a lot of your summer to stay with an old lady... I hope I wasn't
too mean and cranky!!!!!!!!!!! All my friends and family that got things the way they needed to be to be home...All the visits and phone calls and cards........bright spots in my day.

Third -- My church family -- the cards,, the visits,, all the prayers -- the welcoming I got from the kids when I returned -- the church in action is what I saw and I am eternally grateful that God has surrounded me with such loving,, caring people. K & R next time will watch the movie !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-)

Fourth -- My physician ,, my therapist and all the other people that took care of me during this time...they know their stuff and they are very compassionate and caring people. Definitely a
gift from God.

Fifth -- Wanda at work -- she took over my job along with hers,, I can't thank her enough . I
owe her the world !!!! She's been a great co-worker and dear person for ten years,, another
gift from God! I also am thankful for the doctor's I work for -- they were very patient in waiting for me to return,, they also are very caring and compassionate men-- this community is very
blessed to have these guys here.

Reading over what I wrote I can't help but thank God for everything over these past weeks
(past lifetime) He gave me some struggles that of course I wasn't happy about,, but He always
got me through them and there were more blessings during this time then I would have ever
dreamed of. He of course deserves all the praise..

Keys in hand and we're off !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Went to see the dear old doctor this morning and although he didn't tell me everything I wanted to hear ,, I did get some things that made me smile ---- I can start driving !!!!!!! Yeah!!
Have already been on one ride today. I can't go back to work until the day after Labor Day :-(
I still can't put much weight on it -- the therapist comes tomorrow to teach me how to walk with just using 50 -60 lbs on the left side ,(that's probably just my 2 toes !!!!!! ) but all in all there is
some glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. Well that's all for now because Miss Margaret and I have to go on another ride!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-) :-)

Same old Same old

Nothing new --- Nothing has changed-- Still can't sleep well,, Still can't put any weight on the leg, still can't get up and around like I'd like , Still have to have help with the laundry, Can't get groceries, can't go to the bank or run errands and the big ones ---I can't go to work and church !!!!!!!!! So what if the Dr. tells me on Monday -- keep doing what I'm doing for another 3 weeks!!!!!!!! It may not be the end of the world but it's going to come close in my book at this time. It's almost Labor Day and all I've done is having to have people rearrange their schedules so they can help me---Don't get me wrong the help has been a God sent but I'd rather help people than people help me!!!! I don't want to hear how it's coming along just keep doing,
I want to hear I can start having my life back. I hate to say it but here goes --- I'd like to be able to mop the kitchen floor or clean the bathroom-- I know I know that won't last more the one or two times but it still came out of my mouth now -- can you see the desperation -- Cleaning sounds fun!!!! I need to get up and do something before I completely loose it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Can I see bright spots --- Yes but I don't want to I want to have a pity party.
Bright spots -- 1. I have had little to no pain. 2. Both pastors have been more than gracious in showing their care for their members and what they need. 3. I've enjoyed the people coming over to visit and getting to know them better. 4. And of course my right hand girls I can't begin to be able to thank them enough. 5. All the other thing my friends have done to make this as smooth as possible -- running errands -- getting groceries -- fixing things in the house etc .etc .
6. All the prayers, cards, picture and phone calls -- always a bright spot in the day. A lot of
people don't have all this to help them so I am truly thankful and blessed I do. So should I
quit complaining and deal with it ??????????? YES -- Whatever happens on Monday I will
deal with ( maybe not well) and will get over it............God knows what is going to happen and
I need to trust him with the outcome. Easier written than done!!! I have to remember
Jeremiah 29:11 and know that some day I'll look back on this and laugh and most importantly feel very blessed for all the people and love God has put in my life.

Grant me patience Lord.................but hurry

Just a little old statement people have been saying for decades but right now it holds a special meaning........... that's my prayer. The surgery went very well but post op they discovered I had a hairline fx in my femur because............you're going to love this........because my bones are small and the retracters were too much for them so they went crack!!!!!! So because of that I have
no weight bearing on the leg for 6 weeks up to 3 months,, depending on how it heals... My vote is for 2 weeks but nobody ask me!!!!!!!!!!!! You can't imagine how often you use the leg and the little things you don't think of until you go to do them and can't............so I have helpers with me most of the time,, my nurse and her family have been there since the start with whatever I need and TQ has been an angel of mercy ,, so has her family, I don't know what I'd do without them, but I still would rather do it myself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! there's that control thing God is making sure gets broken............because I have no control now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We're down one week ???? to go ,, my prayer and my prayer request is that God gives me the patience to endure this (I know He will)
and the self control to be sweet to those around me --- for their sakes!!!!!!!!!!!! :-)
I appreciate all the prayers, cards, notes, phone calls and visits -- it's a diversion and a ray of sunshine in my day so thank you very much!!!! Pastor thanks for taking the time to shop down here so often lately ---I know I originally said don't bother but I'm very glad you have and I loved the visit with the all the babies,,big and small that was a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So God is teaching me patience and letting go- so please pray I get through this (and all the people around me) and still have friends after it's over.... :-) !!!!

Countdown

Well we're in the home stretch............4 days and counting ---till surgery. I am so thankful I had a day off this week to get things organized.........between getting things in the house ready and getting everything at work caught up or almost caught up it's been alittle frantic to say the least. I still have a list of things to get and errands to do before Tuesday but the lists are getting smaller........thank goodness,, for awhile for every one I crossed off I was adding 3 or 4 more!!!!
It will get there -- today's project is cleaning (that's why I'm on the computer :-) ) Trying to get as many of the dust dinosaurs ( they're way to big to be bunnies !!!!) as I can and make sure the
living room is set up efficiently,,,still strange to see the twin bed in there -- oh well it's just for
a few weeks. Tomorrow after church will be laundry,, it will be the last time for awhile I'll be able to do that. And then there's Monday and all the things to do there and things to tell Wanda so she won't have a harder time than she will. All the little things you don't think of while you're doing them but have to think about when you have to write them down for someone,,
oh well Wanda trained me so I think she'll remember as she get's going. Monday night will be
evening service and bible study,, A nice way to calm down before Tuesday -- of course Tuesday
for the most part I'll be asleep -- so that's not so bad is it!!!!!!!!!! :-)
It will all come together as it's suppose to and then my fun will really start when I have to be
good and follow directions and have to have people help me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Prayers Prayers Prayers -- for the people that help me --- I'm not a good patient!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not yet anyway.

God's Word

God's Word is our great heritage..................................

So what-- big deal --the bible has been around for a long time,, we have the freedom to take it
or leave it......we have burned it .......buried it..........ignored it......and changed it..................... some have taken it to heart and inwardly digested it......but one thing is for sure I would have no life without it. Just as there are those that can't understand why it's such a big deal-- I can't fathom not having it in my life. One of the greatest gifts my parents gave me was taking me to hear and learn the Word of God. Nothing else they could have left me would be of more value than knowing who God is and what He has done for me. I'm also very thankful to God that he has given me Pastors that are faithful to their call and preach and teach the pure Word and rightly administer the Sacraments. Who faithfully tend to God's sheep even when they could be doing something else. This is something that is becoming very rare today and it's more than a shame-- it's a travesty. Even when we have trouble understanding everything that is done liturgically or doing things differently than what one is comfortable with -- as long as God's Word is taught in it's Truth and Purity --the rest will come together,, God will see to that. That's the key -- it doesn't matter if we stand or sit ,,, make the sign of the cross or not ,, have blue paint instead of green........it's what are we doing with God's Word??? We are never to compromise on the Word and how it is taught,, not as a Pastor in the pulpit --- not as the layperson in the pew.

............Lord grant while worlds endure we keep its teachings pure
Throughout all generations.

Crossroads

Have you ever been at a crossroad in your life when you're not sure which path to take next??

It could be about your job -- do I stay in the one I have or find a new one??
Do I continue my education or go out into the "real world"??
Do I stay in this relationship or go??
Is this the church I should be at or should I move on??
Am I really the person God wants me to be or do I need to do a major overhaul??
Am I really a Christian or just pretending to fool others and myself??
What makes me question everything I have learned about faith and religion??

What is it--- Where is it--- and Why don't I understand it???????????????

Things aren't always black and white ,, sometimes they're gray and that's what trips people up every time......

Why do bad things happen to good people and why do bad people have good things happening to them???

It was alot easier when we were young and thought we knew everything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
But now we're older and questioning everything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HOPE

I hope I get an A on the final exam. I hope the weather is nice for the picnic. I hope I can find a new outfit for the wedding. I hope he/she likes me. I hope the surgery goes well. I hope the recovery is short.

What is hope??

The dictionary defines hope as: 1. a feeling that what is wanted will happen; desire accompanied by expectation. Name it -- claim it ,,,I don't think so.

Just because I hope someone will like me doesn't mean they will -- they might hate me!
Just because I hope surgery will go well and recovery will be short , doesn't mean it will -- the surgery might be way more complicated then anyone expected and there might be double or triple the recovery time. Does that mean I'm lousy at hope or my hope isn't as good as yours?? Or am I looking at hope in the wrong way? On one of those "big" birthday's when I was having trouble dealing with the number ( oh to have that number again -- hope??) someone wrote in my card Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you hope and a future. When the world thinks about hope it's a, I wish it so-- but when God talks about hope it's certainty. Do we need to think along those lines? It's natural to want to get A's ,, have people like us,, look nice at events,, and have blue skies and no troubles all the time, but what about when the bottom falls out of everything -- when all the news is grim and you're not sure about tomorrow?? Do we want to hear Jeremiah 29:11 ?? Can I then as Peter puts it in I Peter 3:15 ....be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope you have.... Can I say what I hope for or can I say WHO I hope in.. hope }not --I wish it so .. but hope} that I know who holds tomorrow and I am CERTAIN it will all work out-- I don't know how it will work out but it will. I'm reminded of a hymn LSB 575 My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less
My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus' blood and righteousness;
No merit of my own I claim But wholly lean on Jesus' name.
On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand.

The world would have us believe the name it claim it game ,but unfortunately that only leads to sinking sand............My hope --- The world's hope is in the shed blood on Calvary's Cross
where I can stand securely not by my own power but because of Jesus.......so no matter what tomorrow may bring I know who holds tomorrow and that's my hope.......my certainty!


Oh and when I start going off about Oh woe is me ----- tell me to read my own blog or better yet -- God's Word !!

It's Graduation Time !

Nothing new for this time of year and nothing new for me,, I have been to many. Family, friend's children, my god-child's --quite a number over the years. So this year's isn't anything new right -- wrong !!! This year a very special young lady will graduate, and start the next chapter in her life-- a life that I really haven't been apart of until the last few years but it's amazing what a few years can do. My first remembrance of her was in church when she was 10-12,,I loved to sit across from her and listen to her sing -- she loves to sing and it has been apparent for a long time. She has always sung from her heart down to her toes and I would just sit and listen to her and not sing -- she sang for both of us and much better than I ever could, but it was more than a good voice -there was passion and not just passion for a certain song but passion for the one that song was for. Her love for her Lord was evident even back then. That was about it for the most part,just listening to her sing- when she sat close enough and maybe a Hi or other pleasantries to her and her family, but nothing special. Then her family moved to a different church and I was busy with life ... fine that's the way life goes,, well almost. When I finally decided it's time to move on in my church life our paths cross once more, this time I end up (not really by my choosing) her youth leader --- I had no idea what I was doing. I certainly am not a jock,, so any kind of sports for fun is out the window and I'm not a frilly girl ,so girly girl things aren't going to do .. but that's ok because that's not what she (and the other 2) were looking for, they wanted to learn --learn as much as they could about God's Word and what God wants from us --- lipstick and football would have been easier!!!!! So we learned -- boy did we learn,, I learned how much I don't know.........but there was that passion again --- that passion for her Lord........she hadn't lost it --if anything it was stronger than ever. So off to some retreats and conferences so I could see how little I knew and I could see what passion for Christ and His Word was. This young lady has taught me a lot over these last couple of years more than she will ever know.. not just book -but heart-- what it truly means to be a follower of Christ..
Part of me is excited to see her life unfold and all the new adventures she will have, but part of me is going to miss all the times we have had -- talking,, discussing and giving our opinion on everything. Her quick wit can catch you off guard and her slowness!!! will drive you crazy but all in a good way. She's God's child and no matter what happens down life's path He will always be with her even when her family (and I ) can't. Her endless questions I pray will always be a part of her .. I have only seen her one time, sit through a bible class and never open her mouth... but you know what-- you don't learn if you don't ask !!! In this day and age where there are so many young people trying to grab on to something that won't last -- job,, money, material things, it's so wonderful to see people holding on to the solid rock of Christ and that's a prayer I have for all people, not just the graduates. So next week when I watch this beautiful young lady graduate and move on in her life -- I will thank God not only for blessing her with all the gifts He has given her,, but thanking Him for the gift of her, that He gave to me and that we both are His children by grace.

Mom for a weekend Again!!

Last weekend I picked up the two girls and they spent Friday night till Sunday morning with me,, they said they had a good time. Now it's the four boy's turn ( minus the baby -- he hates me !) I will pick them up tomorrow night and bring them back Sunday.......Party time for the boys doing boys stuff with an old lady !!! I'm sure I'll have as much fun as I did with the girls.

It's fun to have kids around ,, something along with a husband of course that I prayed for --for
many years (decades !!!) but God's answer was no to both -- why -- I have no idea, wasn't my dream to be single ,but I read one time that God doesn't with hold any good gift from His children- so if wife and motherhood wasn't a gift God wants for me -it's not whats good for me at this time. It's something that's taken a lot of years to come to grips with ( OK decades) but it doesn't bother me like it use to --- don't get me wrong if God made a man fall from heaven for
me I'd not say no -- but if singleness is the life style He wants for me -- then so be it.

When I think about it - God has really put more than the number of children I asked for -in my
life at various times, its seems when the one group grows up there is always a new group waiting in the wings. Not only do I have my nephews to watch grow up into fine young men but I also have had several more that I have watch grow into very wonderful young people plus God has graciously given me little ones so I can start the process all over again,, and the
best part when I "play mom" I get to be the fun one !!!! I get to sugar them all up then send them home -- and yes I get to come back to a quiet house but that's the perfect kind a house to take a nap in when the kids have tried out the old lady!!!

So I could feel sorry for myself that I don't have......... or I could take time right now and thank God for giving me children in my life even if it's only for a weekend here and there and yes
thanking Him for my singleness so I can come and go as I please and take weekends to "play mom" just another reminder that He does know whats best even if we can't see it .

Why ???????????????????????

So I have a blog --- Why ????????



Because everyone else does ? I don't think so --- I'm way to old for that line!



Because I want everyone to know things about me and what's on my mind?? You know me

that's not it either......................



Because I'm planning ahead for the 6 week period when I'm stuck in the house and there is

only so much reading and TV .........................hummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Possibly



I like to lounge but I also like to go when and where I want to --- so the thought of up to 6 weeks not working not going to church and bible study and not being able to get around

easily doesn't delight me one bit BUT it's not the end of the world it's something that

others have done and survived to tell about and it's something with God's help I can get

through..

So I decided that maybe a blog will occupy some time ... So I have a blog.. So people can

read and comment Yipeeeeeeeeeeeeee I don't know how often I'll blog or if it's something

I'll continue after Sept. there isn't much worthwhile I have to say --- Annie and Wanda can

testify to that !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-)



But this is my first post for what it's worth !