Making Mistakes

I was at Trunk or Treat Sunday night at Brad and Whitney's church. I was visiting with an older woman who is the mother of one of their friends. She isn't much older than me....I don't think! She told me that her and her husband really think a lot of Brad. She said that they were very impressed with him and appreciated his up bringing. She said that she could tell that he was raised well. I thanked her and told her I appreciated her comments. I told her that I was pretty proud of him too and that he turned out good in spite of the mistakes we made.

I don't know if she knows about mine and Sonny's marriage (my ex-husband). I know that they know we are divorced though. After we finished talking, I began to think about Brad and how things were when he was growing up. I made a lot of mistakes that I can't go back and change. In spite of the mistakes, Brad must have listened more to the good parts than to the bad. HAHAHA!!

This is sort of weird for me to write but part of having a blog is to be able to express myself and my feelings....so here goes. I was married to Brad's dad for 27 years. Some good years and some not good years.....as with all marriages. Bad choices were made and our marriage ended. Looking back I have realized.....through lots of counseling......that I made mistakes and that things change. Not going to get into that...life goes on and I am head over heels in love with Ken....a blessing from God. (That story is for another blog entry.....stay tuned)

I am thankful to Sonny for the 27 years of marriage....I am the woman I am today because of my life with him. Out of our marriage came Brad and Tara. True blessings from God and I love them so much. Not only did I receive great kids but I have three of the most wonderful "Angel Babies" that this Granny could ask for!! God blesses even when we make mistakes!!

After my conversation the other night, I have realized that Sonny and I must have done somethings right. We have two of the most wonderful children!! EVER!!! They are strong, sensitive, loyal, honest, hard-working, loving, responsible, God fearing people. Yes I am a little prejudice!! Well they are seriously the best!! I thank God for them daily and for the opportunity to be their mom!

Yes people make mistakes, bad choices. Part of being human and part of God's plan in giving us free-wills to make those choices and to discern right from wrong. God's people have been making mistakes for years. I think of David in the Bible. He made plenty of mistakes and bad choices but God forgave him. He learned from his mistakes and he grew in his faith. He will forever be know as a "man after God's own heart,".

I can only hope that I have learned from my mistakes.....sought God's forgiveness.....and have become a better person, stronger in faith because of these mistakes. One of my greatest blessings is to have the love of God and His continual forgiveness.

I am positive that I will continue making mistakes.....learning from these mistakes.....and growing into the faithful woman that God wants me to be. I am thankful that God loves me and gives me plenty of "do-overs".

From my corner of the world......thanking God for his unending grace and mercy!

Blind Faith

When I was a little girl we lived in California, I think I was in 6th grade maybe....too long ago. My older sister was in 9th grade which was in high school in California. My little brother was maybe in Kindergarten or 1st grade. Dad was really leery about my sister being in high school in our school district....it was a huge high school and he just didn't like the way things were headed and was concerned about our education and the influences it world would have on us.

Mom and Dad made the decision to leave California and move to Texas....where we were from originally. They put our house on the market thinking that it would take a while to sale....first person that looked at it bought it. So we were moving to Texas.

Dad didn't have a job, Mom didn't work outside the home, we had no house to move into....We were just moving to Texas.

I remember my Dad bought a large flatbed truck.....built side walls on it....and that is what we moved in!! Talk about the Beverly Hill Billy's....LOL.....we had that thing loaded and both of our cars loaded!!

I remember one of my older cousins, Frank, drove one of our cars, Mom drove one of our cars, and Dad drove the big truck. Texas here we come!!!!!!!!

I look back at that now and cannot imagine doing that. Those of you that know me know that I have to have everything planned out, I make reservations any time I am staying at a hotel....print out maps anytime I am going someplace....Yes I am type A personality!!

My parents had prayed about this move and they knew that God would provide.....Blind Faith!! Within 3 days my Dad had a job.....within a month we had bought a house and were moved in!! God provides when we follow His call!!

You have heard the saying "the faith of a child" describing the innocence of children's faith in God. Both of our daughters have taught me the kind of faith that children have....the kind of faith that God calls us to have in Him.

Three years ago Tara was working at a great job in South Texas. She calls me one day and says that she quit her job and was coming back to Abilene....she wasn't happy being that far away from family. I sort of freaked out....asking her where are you going to work, where are you going to live, how are you going to pay your school loans....etc. She said I don't know but I know I need to come back to Abilene....Blind Faith!!!

Looking back this was all part of God's plan....little did I know that God had plans for Tara and a certain young man by the name of David!! What a blessing Tara's faith in God has been....I now have a wonderful son-in-law and a precious angel baby named Addison!! All part of God's plan for Tara....thankful that she listened to His call.

Yesterday, our youngest daughter, Linley, came over and visited with Ken while he was home on vacation. She told him that she had quit her part-time job....not having a clue about another job......Blind Faith!!

She has been volunteering at a Texas Tech Lab here in Abilene that is doing cancer research. She deals with human blood, tissue.....I'm not sure what all because it grosses me out and I don't really listen whens he talks to her Dad about what all she does! LOL She works at Michael's in the mornings from 5:30 to 10:30 unloading trucks and the such....then she goes to the lab at 1:00 and works there until sometimes 6 or 7 at night. She was feeling the stress and felt that she had to quit the part-time job at Michael's!!!

I talked to her last night......well we texted (learned a long time ago that in order to communicate with my kids I had to learn to text)....so proud of Linley....she told me that she didn't have a clue what she was going to do but she felt a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She said that she knew this was what she need to do.....her exact words... "I have complete peace about it, I know it was the right decision, and right time to move on."

Folks that peace is God's assurance that He has plans for Linley....God called Linley to His plan and she obeyed!!  Blind Faith!!!

God often calls us to come to the cliff....asks us to keep our eyes on Him....and jump!! Jump knowing that God will catch us, provide a safety net. He doesn't ask us to put on a parachute...He just asks us to jump!! Blind faith!!

This is one of the hardest things for me to do....trust God with the little things....safety net, parachutes....and jump off the cliff!!

From my corner of the world.....Blind Faith as God calls me to his will!!!

I don't understand.....But I know!!

There are many things in this life that I don't understand.....BUT......there are many things in this life that I know.....

I don't understand how a loving husband and dad can leave work one morning and by the end of the day end up in Parkland Hospital......burned over 80% of his body......fighting for his life.....BUT.....I know that God is sitting in the lobby holding his wife's hand and guiding the doctors that take care of him!!

I don't understand why a 10 year old little boy has a cancerous tumor growing in his head.....the doctors saying they have done everything they can....sent him home with his parents and tell them to call in Hospice......BUT I know that God is preparing a very special room in His mansion for this precious boy and that He is carrying this family through the sand until they can walk on their own!!

I don't understand how a nation that was founded on God and His principles can re-elect a leader that leads us so far away from God.....BUT.....I know that the one and only law I am to obey is God's law...."Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind".....and...."Love your neighbor as yourself".

I don't understand how I can be sooooo blessed when I am weak and sinful....disappointing God daily in my bad choices and weak moments.....BUT.....I know that God loves me soooo much that He sent His son to die for me.....I know that God is a forgiving God and is all about giving me "start-overs"!!

From my corner of the world there are a lot of things that I don't understand....BUT....I know that God is in control and that He he tells me...."I will never leave you nor forsake you".

Who Woulda Thunk???

I have had problems with my stomach and with my colon for years.....been to several different doctors....all saying the same thing:

"EAT MORE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES"

UGH!!!!! Those of you that know me.....I don't eat fruits and vegetables, well not many, and just a select few.

Well at the age of 54 I began to have more and more bouts with my stomach and they were getting worse. I was missing work.....hurting more....and just miserable. So once again I go to my "stomach" (can't spell his professional name). Well the first thing he wants to do is run the ever loving COLONOSCOPY....Yup on of my favorite tests!!

After have that done and several other tests I was diagnosed with having Irratible Bowel Disease....specifically Ulcerative Colitis!

And once again I was told: "EAT MORE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES". Well I was so sick and tired of having to stay close the bathroom and hurting like I was I decided to do what the doctor told me!

I STARTED EATING MORE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES!!!

That was about 10 weeks ago and it has made a huge difference in how I feel.

I sleep better, feel better, no stomach problems, no hurting and I have more energy!! I went back to the doctor about 2 weeks ago and he askd how I was doing to which I said I was doing great. I told him that I had always blown off the doctors orders of "eating more fruits and vegetables" for years but that this time I really took it to heart and have stuck with it. He asked how did that make me feel. I told him as much I hate to admit it....I felt great and that I wish I had listened to him years ago. I told him that I told me husband that I was really surprised that the doctors really knew what they were talking about....my doctor replied by saying "Yes, I only had to get 4 degrees and years of schooling to tell you to eat more fruits and vegetables".

Something so simple to change and it was one of the hardest for me to do OR should I say one change that I just didn't want to do...I liked the food that I ate....my comfort food. Having made the change now to mostly fruits and veggies with some chicken and beef I have to admit that I feel great and it wasn't as hard as I had thought it would be.

You know if you think about it, Adam and Eve lived off fruits and some veggies in the Garden of Eden. That was God's plan for us and that is the way that God made our bodies to be.....by eating things that HE created.....not processed foods or man made food!!

Thank you God for making eating right part of your plan for me!!


From my corner of the world.....I am never too old to learn something new and make changes to my life!