Today was a nice day. Great weather! I went to Corbin's soccer game at 9:00 this morning and enjoyed watching my sweet grandboy play. He did a good job, scored two points, I think and they won the game. Yea.

Bo & Whitney went car shopping for Whitney and she got a fancy new black car. It's a Kia Optima and very nice.

When they got back from car shopping, Bo, Whitney & I took her new car down to Palo Duro Canyon and took a hike down to the Lighthouse. It was lots of fun and we enjoyed it very much, but were very tired when we got back.

I took this picture of a guy that I don't know, but thought was pretty brave (or stupid) sitting on a big cliff at the Canyon.

*

Judgement Day

Jesus paid it all. All to him, I owe.
Sin had left a crimson stain.
HE washed it white as snow.

I've said it before. I'll say it again. I love this hymn. --White as snow. That's how God sees me. But only in my savior, Jesus Christ. I hear so many people talk about how on judgement day, we will stand before God and be judged for our deeds, rewarded for the good ones, and looked down on for the bad ones. I used to believe this myself and trembled at the thought, because I know how black my heart is, and how sinful my deeds are (but really, only slightly).

What a relief to find out that when I go to stand before God on judgement day, Christ will stand in my place. I will be judged on HIS deeds, and HE is perfect. And my reward will be spending eternity with Christ himself. I don't believe there will be degrees of rewards in heaven. We will all have the same. If you do a word search for rewards (plural) in the bible, you will not find it, in regards to rewards in heaven. You will only find the word reward (singular). Christ is our reward, and what better reward could there be.

Genesis 15:1
After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.

Why even bother to do good works then, you might ask? Well, certainly not for reward or fear of punishment. Those are selfish motives anyway. Not to impress God with my 'good' deeds. He's only impressed with his son. Do good deeds because of love for Christ.

Who would take better care of a sick child, --a mother who loves her child, or a paid nurse? And would a mother expect a reward for it? If we do good deeds only for payment (rewards, blessings) from God, then we're just working to get paid. How self-centered and selfish. But that's what we do in our human nature. Always looking out for #1.

When we stop thinking about rewards and punishment, just look to Christ and rest in him, good deeds will come, but we probably won't even be aware of them. We will just do what we love and want to do. I believe THAT is Christ working in us. And what a relief to just rest in him and not worry about blessings and punishment. That is true freedom!

Well, in case you're wondering. Mason had a good time at his prom. He danced the night away, even though he has never danced before, and had to learn as he went along. LOL.

I wanted to voice my opinion about the Virginia Tech shootings. What a hard, hard thing for the families of the victims to have to go thru. I know they must be devastated.

But I believe that God is in complete control of all that happens, not just what we consider to be 'good things' that happen. For some reason, which I sure don't know, God ordained this to happen, and he knows best. I believe that everything that happens is for the bringing in of his sheep, his people, the elect, (and utimately for his glory). And when the very last sheep is brought in, Jesus Christ will return to earth.

Perhaps, somewhere, somehow this event will effect someone or several someones to hear his voice and turn to him. God will do whatever it takes to insure that everyone that Jesus Christ died for will hear his voice. --And we are such a stubborn people. Sometimes it takes drastic measures.

Be that as it may, it doesn't make such a tragedy as this easy to bear for the victim's loved ones. Loosing someone you love is devastating and life changing, to say the least. My heart goes out to them all.

A Memorable Night for Mason

Tonight was Mason's Homeschool Prom, AND his very first date. He took a nice girl named Kimberly. And here they are. Don't they look nice?!

He went and picked her up, then came back by our house so I could take pictures, then headed to Red Robin to eat with several of the other kids going to Prom. After the Prom they are going to one of the kids' house for breakfast, (but not really breakfast).

I hope he has a great time.


















*

There is a little munchkin visiting my house this weekend.













But then, he's really not such a little munchkin anymore. More like a big Hon-yock!

There's something I want.

I pray for it and ask others to pray for it for me.

Is God swayed one way or another by how often or how many people are praying for that something for me?

Does prayer make him change his mind about giving it to me or not? (ie. Prayer changes things).

If I ask lots of people to pray for something for me, are my chances of getting it higher than if I had just asked one person?

Does it matter if I am praying for it selfishly or (in my judgement) unselfishly?

If I believe with all my heart, not doubting, that I will get it, will I get it?

What do you think?

Indian Winter

Here's what it looks like in Amarillo, Tx this morning on April 7, 2007. It's 27 degrees.

Is there such a term as Indian Winter?

We have a Date!

May 15th. That's the date we were given today to take possession of the house we are buying. Even if the owner's new house isn't ready, they will still move out by the 15th of May, they said. Finally, we can make some concrete plans.

Yesterday I got a call from a man who said he asked the builder when the house would be ready, and the builder said August 1st at the earliest. August 1st??? I said. Holy Cow. So Bo called the owner and said maybe we should back-out. The owner said he would call the builder. Well, the owner called back and said the builder said 30 days. Then the owner said, "Give us until May 15th. We will be out whether the new house is ready or not."

I am very relieved. I know ya'll are tired of me griping about it. I know Bo is too. Frankly I, myself am tired of griping and worrying about it. Now hopefully I don't have to anymore.

Driving Off For the First Time Alone

Off he goes out into the big wide world.

Seven Vehicles & a Port-a-Potty

I drove by 'the house' this morning on my way to Walmart. (It's only about 1 1/2 miles from my house and on the way). Here's what I saw:



If you look real hard, down at the end of the vehicles is a port-a-potty. Yesterday there were several cars too, but not the port-a-potty.

Could this mean they plan for several people to be working there in the days to come??? I sure hope so.

Yea! I'm encouraged again.

Birthday Week

Mason & I had a birthday this week. Mine on Wednesday and Mason today. Since Bo & Mason were leaving town on Tuesday, we had cake and ice cream on Monday night with Cody, Jenny, Corbin & Whitney.

Notice my candles say 29. Thanks Bo.

Here are Mason & I blowing out the candles on our cake.



Corbin gave me a little bookmark to use in my bible. He picked it out himself and gave it to me proudly. It was so sweet. The bookmark said 'Grandma.' I said 'Grandma?!' He said, 'sorry they didn't have one that said Grana.' LOL








Yesterday in Washington DC, Bo & Mason went to hear President Bush give a speech to the National Cattlemen's Association. Afterward, they got to shake his hand and Mason got his autograph! Isn't that exciting? --Mason thought so.

I'm enjoying my time at home by myself. They will be home Sunday night and it's back to the old school grindstone on Monday with three weeks and counting left before we're through. Yea!

Discouraged

Well, I'm feeling a little discouraged today about the house deal. I went to several open houses this afternoon. I just like doing that and I like to get ideas for decorating also. When I was out, I drove by the house we are waiting for to be built and saw people going into it, so I stopped and went inside. It looks to me like it is no where near finished, and as slow as those people work, I just don't see how it can be finished in a month (which was the latest estimated date of completion). Here are a couple of pictures I took inside:

It looks like about 3 or 4 months work of work to me with as slow as these builders are. And the other day I was talking to a guy that I planned to have do our hardwood floors. I told him our situation and where this house is and how we are waiting for it to be finished, and that it should be finished by the first of May. He actually began to laugh, and said, 'mam, I know that house & I don't mean to burst your bubble, but I don't think there's anyway that house will be finished by then. I know those builders.'

OK. So it's probably going to be 3 or 4 more months. We've been waiting for this house for a year this month. We thought it would be six months or so, but just kept waiting because each month or so, we thought 'well, we might as well just wait, it's not that much longer.'

Now I think it's getting ridiculous. I don't like the thought of spending another summer in this townhouse with no yard (even though it's really a very nice place). But hey, we've waited this long, might as well wait another few months. --Uh, that's what we have been saying, and the months have turned into a year, and now over a year.

I've booked our remodelers to start May 1st. That will have to be cancelled and rescheduled, rescheduled for when, I don't know. I need to give the remodelers a month, month and a half advance notice.

What do we do? Keep waiting? I like the house. I think we are getting it at a good price. I really don't want to start looking again. And the place we are living now is not bad at all. (except it has no yard). --But as I said, this is getting ridiculous.

OK. I'm through griping and complaining now. Thanks for listening, ....er reading, I mean.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Today was a pretty uneventful day. Probably not one that I will remember ten years from now (that is, unless something drastic happens between now and midnight). I worked most of the day and it rained most of the day too. After work, Jenny went with me to look for granite and tile for our house remodel. I think I've changed my mind about the granite. I'm thinking of going with BLACK granite for the kitchen countertops and butcher block for the kitchen island with beige blacksplash tile and yellow for the wall color. We found a picture in a magazine like that and I really like it. But we'll see.

I took Mason to a barbeque/party tonight for the graduating homeschooled seniors. He will be all done with school in about 3 weeks and will be in a graduation ceremony in May. One week from today he will be sixteen! He and Bo are leaving for Washington, D.C. next Tuesday with the Texas Cattle Feeders Association, so that will be his birthday and graduation present along with a vehicle to drive. He is getting our old 1995 Tahoe. A pretty good ride for your first vehicle, I say. It's been being worked on the last couple of weeks getting it in good shape for him. Many changes are about to happen in his life. I think he will keep his job at Sonic for a while but will begin to get more hours when he turns sixteen. Fifteen year olds can only work about 12 or so hours a week, so he has only been working on Saturday and Sunday. After next week he can work more days with more hours, and he's going to need those hours of work to pay for gas in that Tahoe. It costs $50 - $60 to fill that sucker up with gas.

Well, that's it for me today. TTYL.

Good Reading

I put a list of books I have listened to or want to listen to (or read) in the future on the right side under the 'Blogging Chicks' links. I've enjoyed all of them, if you're looking for a good book to read, you might take a look. Also, if you know of a good book to recommend, let me know and I'll add it to my list.

I think my favorite book on the list is 'Kite Runner.' I loved that book. It was very interesting. I learned alot about life in the country of Afghanistan and the story was so moving. It stayed with me for a long time after finishing the book. I highly recommend it.

I listen to books as I walk or ride my bike and I download them in mp3 format from Audible.com. As far as actual reading, I like to read theological books and articles on the internet.

A Trip Down Memory Lane

Today was an absolutely georgeous day. Bo & I went to Palo Duro Canyon and hiked 6 miles. It was great and I loved it, but my shoulders are pretty red and sunburned. We were so tired afterward. It's not the same as just walking on the street. There are many hills and valleys, so you really get your exercise. There were so many people out there today and lots riding their mountain bikes thru the trails.



Bo & I rode mountain bikes thru the hills in Colorado one time about 7 or 8 years ago. We were with a group of people that worked for the same company as Bo. One guy fell off his bike and hit his head on a rock. He was knocked unconscious for about 5 minutes. The guide that was with us would not let him move and a helicopter was called because there was no way for a land vehicle to get to him. When we got to the end of the trail, a local news reporter was there and interviewed several people and it was on the news that night. It was quite an ordeal and the talk of dinner that night. (The guy just had a slight concusion and was fine in a day or so).

Mountain biking is a pretty strenuous sport, too strenuous for me, I think. Now here's the way to go. Bo & I took this bike tour down Haleakala Volcano in Maui, Hawaii on our honeymoon 11 1/2 years ago. It was wonderful. Downhill all the way, nice smooth road, beautiful weather and scenery. It was great and a very special memory for me.

In fact, Bo was the one who booked the bike ride in Colorado for the group, because we had enjoyed the bike ride in Hawaii so much. We thought it would be the same as the ride in Hawaii, coasting down the mountain on the pavement, but when we got there, we found out it was on the dirt and thru the hills and valleys. But it was fun anyway, albeit it exhasting for someone not in shape for it, like me. Bo likes mountain-biking though.

Well that's it for me. Have a good night.

Happy Birthday PAJ!

Today is my daddy's 81st birthday. This is him and his wife (my stepmom and a very nice lady), Dorothy.

My daddy is a very hard-working (still), smart, kind, and just all around good guy. I have been very blessed to have him as a dad.

I love him very much!

Activity!

I walked over to the house I'm watching be built today and I about fell over from shock. There were three workers' vehicles in the drive and a dirt-mover-tractor-looking thing in the front preparing for a lawn. I couldn't believe it. That's the most activity I've seen over there since they were roofing it about six months ago.

Do ya think maybe they will actually get industrious and get the house finished soon? They said it would be ready by the middle of April (this time). Well, I won't hold my breath, but it does give me a little hope.

We'll see what happens tomorrow. It's supposed to be a beautiful day here, 80 degrees and low winds. Sounds like a bicycle ride day to me. Yea! I love nice days and riding my bicycle. I'll have to pedal over that way and see if the activity continues.

I'll keep you posted.

I planted some seeds last week in these little expandable sod things and this week I've got some sprouts. Aren't they cute?













I was at Walmart this afternoon and I put a six pack of Diet Coke in my basket. When I got to the register and lifted them up to put on the belt for the checker, I noticed one of the bottles was only about 1/4 the way filled. Oh man, I was going to have to hold up the line and run all the way to the back of the store to get another six pack. Then a man behind me in line spoke up and said, "I'll run get one for you." And off he went.

I thought that was just so kind of him and I really appreciated it. What a nice man.

Our Venture Out This Morning.

You know that Bo, Mason & I (and sometimes Corbin)worship at home each week on Sunday. We have a good study and listen to a sermon tape from one of several gospel churches scattered about, but not within driving distance for us. Bo & I talk very often of how we wish we had a gospel church to attend, how we miss the fellowship of like-minded people, and even entertain the possibility of moving near one someday. Well, there is a Calvinistic Presbyterian Church here. We visited it one time before about 3 years ago, and this morning we decided to visit it again.

It started off well. We sang several hymns and the preacher even expounded on one of the hymns, "Jesus, thy Blood and Righteousness," telling of how Christ is the only way to heaven. Yes, he certainly is. I agree, tell us more.

Then he opened the bible and began preaching on Hebrews 10:23-25.

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

A good scripture passage, but this is where the focus on Christ was left behind, and the focus on US and what we need to DO, began. By the time we left, I felt like I had been given a tongue-lashing on what I need to and better get to DOING. We were told that even though we would probably prefer to go fishing, or golfing, or whatever on Sunday morning, we must put that aside and go to church. We must love and be there for other believers.

WHAT??

Now, this may be the way that churches that preach law and works get people to church, but it's not the way to get true believers to church, is it? All you've got to do is preach Christ, and believers will be there, because they love Christ and love the gospel. True believers PREFER going to church to fishing or golfing, if the preacher is truly preaching Christ.

I hate hearing the message of do, do, do. I love the message of done, done, done. What Christ has done, that is. And he has done it ALL. There's nothing left for me to do. What a wonderful gospel. A gospel that is new every morning, and never gets old no matter how many times you hear it.

And because of this gospel, I want to go to church (even though I don't have one). I want to hear the gospel expounded upon. I feel a love for and kinship with other believers, but certainly not because I mustered it up myself. No, no.

The gospel truly sets us free. Free to do exactly what we WANT to do.

I guess this morning's excursion was a good experience for us,

but, needless to say, we decided to just continue studying at home.

Just some thoughts

“Whatever fate befalls you, do not give way to great rejoicings or great lamentation; partly because all things are full of change, and your fortune may turn at any moment; party because men are so apt to be deceived in their judgment as to what is good or bad for them.” --Schopenhauer.

I read this quote on a blog I read regularly called The Happiness Project, and I started thinking (dangerous, I know). But I think this quote is very true. We don't know what is good for us or even what is bad, really. Now we know what feels good or bad at the moment, but that's about it.

I think and have said, I feel the same way about praying. How can we possibly know what to ask for, short of asking for someone's eyes to be opened and the gospel revealed? (And even then, only if it's God's will). When we pray for someone to be healed of sickness, how do we know it is not in their best interest to remain sick? Maybe the Lord will use their sickness to bring them to himself. Maybe someone's death will deliver them to heaven and persuade someone else to seek the Lord. --Maybe not.

I do believe that God is in control of every little thing that happens, so really what need is there to pray requesting anything, except that his will be done in each situation, as it says in the Lord's prayer. 'Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.'

I guess I think prayer is mainly for praising the Lord, thanking him, and agreeing with him that we are dreadful sinners in need of his mercy. Also lifting up others and praying for God's will in their lives. --But we know his will, WILL be done regardless. He's sovereign and in control of all that happens. Still, he tells us to pray.

To be honest, many times when I pray, I feel so hypocritical because my prayers aren't said in earnest. My prayers are shallow, dead and lifeless, repeating the same old lines day after day. Often my thoughts are wandering and I know I am just doing 'my duty' as a christian. What a waste of time. I hate this.

Other times when I am just thinking of the Lord and his great mercy, reading a scripture, or listening to a sermon about the Lord Jesus, I feel such joy and gratefulness in my heart to the Lord. For just a short period of time, I get a glimpse of Christ. And what a wonderful blessing from the Lord.

I wonder, could this be a form of prayer?

Here is the granite countertop I really like (the one on the right) and am thinking, at this point anyway, we will put in the kitchen at our new house, if we ever get to take possession of it. The granite color is called Crema Gianti. I like the splash of red in it.


If the owners of the house don't call and say the date their new house should be finished is moved back AGAIN, we should be able to take possession the middle or end of April.

That's not that far away. Yea! Time to start making plans.

A New Look

I got a new bedspread yesterday (from Walmart, no less). But I like it. First here's the old one I've had for 13 years. I'd say it was time for a change.














And here's the new one:




A little more sleek, I think. Sleek? Is that the right word? Yes, to me, it is. Now I don't know if sleek goes with the antique-look in the room, but oh well.

You know, the "experts" say your bedroom should be your safe haven, your refuge from the hectic world, your oasis, your special place, your ......, well you get the idea.

Worthy?

I heard someone pray last night at a meeting I was at. It was a nice prayer. Then, he said, "thank you for dying on the cross for our sins. I just hope we can be worthy of that sacrifice." He finished and everyone said 'amen.'

How in the world can we ever be worthy of Christ's sacrifice on the cross? I don't believe we can.

Romans 7:18 For I know that in me that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Genesis 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Thank the Lord and praise his wonderful name that he, in his gracious mercy, died on the cross for his people, who are so very UNWORTHY.

God's Love

I keep hearing that God loves everyone. Smile, God loves you & such. I do not believe this to be true. ~Shocking, I know. I believe God loves his people, his elect. He loves them with an everlasting love. He loves them so much that he sent his son to die for them and everyone of them will go to heaven.

If God did love everyone, then what would God's love have to do with anyone's salvation? Apparently, nothing. Because some people will die and go to hell. Will God still love them when they're in hell? Or will he change, and hate them then?

As much as we love our children, would we let one die and go to hell, if we had the power to stop it? Would we say, "You have sinned and you did not choose to follow me, so you must go to hell." Or would we grab them up, change their heart, and take them to heaven anyway, knowing what is best for them, even if they don't. Is God's love less than ours? I don't believe so. It's more, much more.

God loves his people so much that he would not let even one go to hell. He did all that was needed to insure that ALL the elect go to heaven. He sent his son to die to pay for their sins, and that IS enough.

What a wonderful, merciful, loving, God!

Bo's dad, Corky went home from the hospital today after having a port-a-cath put in, so that he can take his chemotherapy without having to get a new IV each time. He will start chemotherapy next Wednesday. They have decided to give him chemotherapy only and not radiation since the cancer is so advanced, and they don't think they can cure it anyway, just hopefully prolong his life some. We will have to wait a couple of months to see if he is responding to the treatment.

I did laundry, went to the grocery store, and made up next week's school lesson plans this morning, and then went to work this afternoon. As I was coming home from work, and sitting at a red light, the car in front of me had a man and a boy who looked to be around 10 or 11 in it. All of a sudden the boy started hitting and yelling at the man, and the man started punching back and yelling back at the boy. You could tell they were both very angry. Then the light changed and they drove off. Strange and very sad.

Bo's dad, Corky was diagnosed with Metastatic Lung Cancer today in stage 3.5 to 4. A very serious and grave diagnosis for him. I know he must be feeling very scared and upset tonight. He will begin a treatment of chemotherapy and radiation soon.

I know that Paula, Bo's mom, Bo and his siblings are feeling very sad and worried tonight. I hope they find comfort and rest in our Lord Jesus Christ. He is in control of all that happens and he knows best. But still, the trials we face in this life are sometimes very hard to deal with. The people we love in this world are very precious to us.

Our time on earth during this life is just a short stopping place on our way to heaven, if we know the Lord Jesus, if he is our substitute, our advocate, if he died for us on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. We can rest, assured, if we know him.

May the Lord's will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Would you take me to the mall? Would you take me to the YMCA? Would you take me to work? I need a ride to my friends house. These are questions I hear almost daily. But in just one month, I shouldn't be hearing them anymore. Mason will be turning 16, and he will be getting his driver's license (if he passes the driving test). Yikes! Mason with his driver's license. That's a scarey thought. No, really, he's a pretty responsible boy.

I have had kids that needed rides for the last 27 years of my life. Since I was 23 years old and had my first son, Cody. Now, Cody & Mason were both very good to use their legs and their bicycles to get around quite a bit. But still, there are lots of places legs and bicycles can't go and get there very quickly.

Part of me is glad Mason will be driving, and part of me is sad too. He is growing up and moving on, just like Cody did. And the old saying:

A daughter is a daughter all of her life, but a son is a son til he takes a wife.

is true in a lot of ways.

---Well, I still have a few more years with Corbin.

Isnt this a pretty picture that a friend sent to me? Her husband is a photographer and they live in Friday Harbour of San Juan Island, WA. His website is here.

(Double-click on the picture to make it bigger).

It was taken at Skagit Valley near Tacoma, WA. Did you ever go there, Jocelyne?

I think the snow geese are so pretty and fun to watch. We used to have some at Rita Blanca Lake in Dalhart sometimes. When they all take off together, it is just amazing to watch (like the ones in the background of this picture).

The wind is blowing so hard here today. 40-50 mph with 60-70 mph gusts! Corbin & I tried to run across the street this morning, but had to walk mostly. It was just too hard to run in the wind. I thought he was going to blow away just like a leaf.


And another one.

Corbin & I went to see a play tonight called 'The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.' It was put on by a local theater group of young people. We tried to get Mason to go with us, but I guess he thought it was just too uncool to go to a play on Friday night with (gasp) your mom & young nephew.

Bo stayed the night in Gruver to work tomorrow. He has taken most of the week off this week to be at the hospital with his dad who has had pneumonia, and is waiting for a diagnosis on a tumor in his lung. The doctors took tissue for a biopsy earlier in the week, but it was inconclusive, so they will try again on Wednesday of next week. In the meantime, he went home from the hospital today and will go back next Wednesday. May the Lord's will be done in that situation, as I know it will be.

Anyway, the play was really good and the young actors did a great job. I was somewhat surprised that they did as well as they did. I don't know what I expected exactly, but just thought it would be more amateur-ish than it was, I guess. Corbin enjoyed it alot too, although I don't think he understood what was going on thru much of it. You had to really listen to follow the story, but it had alot of funny lines.

I talked to sister Glenda today. It's her birthday and she was doing well. Happy Birthday Glender! She is three years younger than me, but was always much tougher than me growing up. I was a big wienie and both my sisters could beat me up pretty easily.

One time Gendy took me for a ride on her dirt bike. (I should have known better). We were about 11 or 12 & 14 or 15 years old or maybe a little younger. I can't remember for sure. Anyway, it was just a little 50cc motorcycle, and we could both barely fit on it, so I was kind of hanging off the back. She started going pretty fast and I kept telling her to SLOW DOWN! Of course, she didn't listen to me and just laughed at me as she sped down the blacktop road. We hit a bump and, --you guessed it, I fell off the back. Dang, that hurt. I had road rash all over, and got up limping home. She came back and rode along beside me telling me to 'get on and I'll take you home.' I wasn't about to ride with her again and I was furious with her. 'No way and get out of here and leave me alone!' I yelled at her. I can still remember how mad I was. LOL. That night I couldn't sleep all night, I was hurting so bad. I had big oozing scrapes on both legs and on my arms. --And she just went on her merry way, unscathed.

Thanks alot, Gendy!

Here's the house we're waiting on to finish being built, so we can move into the builder's old house. It is supposed to be done by the middle of April. (First it was December, then February, now April). I went inside today and looked around and there's still quite a bit to be done on the inside so I'm skeptical about the middle of April. Now if they would work on it everyday, they could get it done, but from what I see, they only work on it about one day a week. And it's hard to get alot done working at that pace.

I can tell you one thing, if I ever do build a house, I will not use that builder.

Christ our Substitute

I love the gospel. It is truly a wonderful declaration to God’s people. And it IS a declaration, not an offering. The Lord Jesus Christ took upon himself all the sin of the elect and the punishment for that sin, and gave to us his holy & perfect righteousness. Now we can stand before the father, holy & without blame. Now we can enter into heaven and fellowship with the father. We have no sin. We are perfect. ---What? Me, perfect? How can that be? --Only, ONLY in Christ, my substitute. Praise his wonderful, holy name!

Jesus paid it all,
All to him I owe.
Sin hath left a crimson stain.
He washed it white as snow.

I took this picture a few months ago when I was out on a bike ride one day. Cody, Adam & I lived in this house. This is the house we lived in when Adam died. I have such sweet memories as I look at it. What I wouldn’t give to go back for just a little while. But I know it would never be enough, and the thought of what would happen later would ruin it for me. So I guess there is no going back, is there?

I have been a bit under the weather the last few days. Wednesday afternoon at work, I began to feel sluggish and feverish, so I decided to head home and get some rest. Later that night my stomach began to feel queasy and that lead to a case of the ‘back door trots’ or the 'running off' as we called it growing up. (Do you have the 'running off,' my mother would ask) --Seems kinda funny now, but sounded perfectly normal back then.

Anyway, ---Not a fun time, and this went on most of the night and part of the next day. Then Friday morning, I felt somewhat better, albeit tired and unenergetic, but I decided to go back to work nevertheless and hopefully get some things accomplished. It was a pretty productive day and I felt better as the day went along.

But then, last night, it all started again. No, no, no, I said, I’m supposed to be getting better! ---All to no avail. I was up again all last night. Once I even slipped and fell on the bathroom rug, as I was making a mad dash to the comfort station. (no, I wasn’t hurt, just a little disheveled).

I’m better today, but again feel drained and tired.Ugh.

I ate some no-fat Pringles on Wednesday and again on Friday, you know, the new kind with the fat substitute olestra (also called olean). I can’t imagine that would make this happen to me, but I have read that olestra can have this side effect in about 2% of people that eat them. Funny thing is, I’ve eaten them before, several months back and was fine. So maybe I just have a bug.

Who knows?? But I don’t plan on eating no-fat Pringles again any time soon. (They sure were good though and with only half the calories as regular Pringles).

Hope you’re having a good day anyway.

Are you a hugger?

I read this post on a blog that I regularly read called Antique Mommy, on the subject of hugging. (wish I could be as funny as she is). Boy, could I relate and was so glad to know I’m not the only one feeling that way. I was beginning to think I was just really weird or something.

Have you noticed that hugging seems to be a big thing these days? I just gotta say I’m really not very comfortable with it. Now mind you, I love a hug from close family or friends, people I love and care about, but strangers or mere acquaintances, I can do without the hugs. A nice smile and a nod will do, thank you.

Frankly, I don’t even care for the handshake. I always walk away wondering where that hand has been, and consciously try to remember not to touch my mouth or face until I wash my hands.

Here’s a video that has been going around the internet for a while now about hugging. It really gives you a warm, fuzzy feeling, but it almost makes you feel bad if you don’t like hugging strangers. Like you're just too uptight or something. I don't buy it. To me, hugging should be reserved for special people in my life!

What do you think?

Corbin came to spend the night with us on Saturday and that afternoon, Bo & I took him skating. It was lots of fun. Corbin is just learning, but he did really well. Then Sunday afternoon Corbin wanted to go BACK to the skating rink, so being typical grandparents, we said, w-w-e-e-l-l-l....OK. (John Rosemond. a leading parenting expert, says it's OK for grandparents to spoil their grandchildren).

I skated both days, but Bo only skated on Sunday. Thankfully Bo & I both stayed on our feet the whole time, although we didn't go very fast. Can't say the same for Corbin though. He probably has a few sore spots today.

After skating, we went to eat hamburgers at 'Buns over Texas,' a hamburger place here in town. After you place your food order, they ask your name. We gave them Corbin's name. When your order is ready, they call out 'Corbin, your buns are up!' We all got a kick out of that.

Mason played in a basketball tournament ALL day on Saturday from 8 am until 10pm. We went to watch his games, but left to do other things in between. He likes it better when we are not there, and he can just 'be himself' with his friends --without us around. Mmmmmm. Imagine that.

A good quote

“If we wish to conquer undesirable emotional tendencies in ourselves, we must assiduously, and in the first instance cold-bloodedly, go through the outward motions of those contrary dispositions we prefer to cultivate.” --William James.

I like this quote. I read it on a blog that I read regularly called The Happiness Project. I think it has alot of truth to it because I have found it to be true in my own life, if I will just do it. Another way of saying it is 'fake it till you make it.'

I used to think that if I didn't FEEL something, there was no point taking the action. I believe now that feelings can follow actions. If I really want to change something about myself, but I don't FEEL like doing what it takes, I can just pretend I feel like it, go ahead and take the action, and alot of times the feelings will come soon after. It's not easy and it takes work, but it does seem to work many times.

--I think that is a good thing to know.

Take a look at this guy.

We live on a street of townhouses. Most of the townhouses are occupied by older folks. They are all very friendly and nice. Great neighbors.

Right across the street from us is a couple in their 90's, Henry & Ivy. The street mailbox-center is right in front of their house and during the warmer months, they sit outside and talk to everyone as they go to pick up their mail.

A couple of weeks ago, I noticed that their truck was stuck in the snow at the end of the street and there were two men helping them get unstuck. A couple of hours later, our doorbell rang, and there was Henry. This 90-something year old man had walked across the slick street that was covered with ice and snow. He was holding out $5.00.

Hello Henry, How are you? …….Uh, what’s that for?

It’s for your husband and son, for helping get my truck unstuck this morning.

Uh, Henry, that wasn’t my husband and son. Bo is out of town and Mason has been in school all morning.

What?? That wasn’t your husband and son helping me?

No, it wasn’t

Are you sure? I could have sworn it was them.

Yes, I’m sure. It wasn’t them.

Well, OK then. ……….I wonder who it was.

Then he turned to walk away with a puzzled look on his face.

I don’t know, but please be careful crossing that street.

I cringed as I watched him cross that slick street again, but he made it home safely. Thank goodness.

This morning as Bo & I were sitting around, not doing much, the doorbell rang. I went to the door and there was Henry.

My wife wanted me to bring this present and card over to your son for delivering our paper every morning.

Your paper?

Yes, isn’t your son the one who delivers our paper everyday?

Uh….. No. That’s not our son. He doesn’t deliver papers.

He doesn’t? My wife said it was your son, and she sent me over here with this present (a container full of tootsie rolls). I’ve been over twice already this morning and you weren’t home. ….Well, what the heck, just give him the present and card anyway.

Oh no. That’s not necessary.

No, no, please, just keep it. And he turned and walked away.

Well, OK. Bye then.

Bo & I looked at each other and smiled.

About ½ an hour later, the door bell rings again. Ding Dong.

Yes?

It’s Ivy, Henry’s wife.

Can I have that present and card back?

Yes, mam. Here it is.

Thank you. I don’t know why he left it here in the first place since your son doesn’t deliver our paper.

And back across the street she went.

We got our natural gas bill last week and I about fell out of my chair. $31! --- $31? What??

Since we are in this smaller place, I have been turning the heat up MORE than I did in our bigger house, thinking it would be OK. But I was expecting $125 - $150 or so. We have had a cold winter so far. I was getting bills around $225 at our house last year and we had a mild winter.

Last month I got a bill of $25. I was shocked then too, but it was our first cold weather bill, and I thought surely they hadn’t read our meter yet or something. So I was expecting it to all catch up this month. I got this bill, and slowly opened it expecting the worse. And as I said, I about fell out of the chair.

I started to get worried, thinking something is wrong, ….I’m going to get a huge bill sometime in the future. This just can’t be right. Heck, I’ve been keeping the thermostat on 72-73 degrees.

So I called up my landlord. Our heating IS natural gas, isn’t it? Yes, she assured me it is.

OK, so next I called Atmos Energy. Could you check and make sure my meter is being read? I just can hardly believe my bill is right. She checked, and came back. Your bill is right. Your meter is being read.

Wow! This is weird. I feel like I’m ripping somebody off or something. But hey, I’m going to relax and enjoy it.

This will pay for those jeans I bought last week that weren’t in the budget.

Read this for a good laugh

I was surfing the web earlier tonight just perusing various blogs and I came upon this post by a lady about my age, I'm thinking. Anyway, as I read the post I just cracked up laughing, so I wanted to share it with ya'll.

A warning: it has some a couple of foul words in it and it is somewhat crude.

Be sure to read the comments too.

Here's the link: Maybe You Just Dont Want To Know

PS. You may have to be over 50 to relate.

I cancelled my membership to Audible.com today. I just haven’t been listening to my audio books lately. It’s been too cold out to take walks, and I just hate going to the gym and walking on the treadmill. I really don’t take any long commutes to anywhere so I just don’t have much opportunity lately to listen. I will get back to walking when the weather improves. Right now I’ve got three long audio books waiting to listen to, so I figure there’s no sense just letting them pile up. I will reactivate my membership when I get caught up. I really enjoy the audio books though.

Right now, I’m trying to listen to Dr. Laura’s new book: The Proper Care and Feeding of Marriage. So far, it’s a lot like her other book, ‘The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands.’’ It has pretty much the same message: Women have all the power in a marriage if we will only use it. Of course, this only applies if you are married to a ‘nice guy.’ Doesn’t apply to marriages with jerky guys. I think the books make a lot of sense. I also listen to Dr. Laura’s radio program. I don't agree with everything Dr. Laura says, and certainly not with her theology, but with alot, --probably 80% of what she says.

The other audio books I have waiting to listen to are:

Water for Elephants
By: Sara Gruen

Mayflower
By: Nathaniel Philbrick

Outlander
By Diana Gabaldon

I just finished The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. It took me a couple of months to get thru it, but it was pretty good. Not one of the best I’ve very read, but it kept my interest. I couldn’t really relate to any of the characters though. It seems the main theme throughout the book was about family ties. One of the main characters, Margaret was heartbroken over her twin sister who had died at birth. It didn’t say how old Margaret was, but she was well into adulthood and still lived at home with her parents. She just pined and pined over her dead sister. Then there was another character, (cant remember his name), who was in his 50’s or 60’s and he pined and pined over his mother who had abandoned him at birth.

Now forgive me for being cold hearted, but I say move-on already! They never even knew the dead family members. They spent their whole lives wishing for something that never was. ….But, as I said, it was a book that kept my interest pretty well, so I would recommend it, I guess. It’s gotten lots of good reviews.

On another note, here’s an interesting story about a guy who won a seat on a spaceship:

Then reality struck. After some number-crunching, Emmett realized he would have to report the $138,000 galactic joy ride as income and owe $25,000 in taxes. Unwilling to sink into debt, the 31-year-old software consultant from the San Francisco Bay area gave up his seat.

I say he was a smart guy.

Wouldn't most people just say 'I'll worry about the taxes later. This is an opportunity of a lifetime!'

And that's true, it IS an opportunity of a lifetime, but if you don't have the money to pay the taxes, you shouldn't make the trip.

And yes, you would probably just feel sick about it.

And yes, I think taxes are too high.

Being thrifty isn't always nifty

Bo worked yesterday in Gruver, and Mason worked too, so I had the day to myself (which is nice every once in a while). I decided to go and do some 'window shopping' just to get out of the house. I'm just such a tight wad, it's hard for me to let go of money, and even though that can be a virtue, in some ways in can be a detriment. Just ask my husband! Anyway, first I headed over to Cavender's Boot City because I like their jeans. I am pretty tall (5'8) and have long legs so its hard for me to find jeans that are long enough. When I do find them long enough, they usually don't fit as I like, or they are too 'low-rised' for an old lady like me. So it's rare that I find a pair that are long enough and fit right, AND are a good price. (That's my jean dilemma. I'm sure everybody has one). Anyway, Cavendars carries Lawman Jeans and sometimes I can actually find a pair of Lawman Jeans that I like. And even though I was only window shopping, I like the challenge of finding 'the perfect pair of jeans.'

But guess what? I found a pair that I really liked, not perfect, (is there really any such thing) but a good fit, and they were 15% off. Yippee. But wait.... I'm only window shopping. I didn't expect to actually find a pair I like. I wasn't actually prepared (in my mind) to spend this money. So now I have a delimma on my hands. What to do, what to do??

I have a conversation with myself: It's not that often that I find a pair of jeans I actually like, yes but... I really don't want to spend this money. But the jeans actually fit well and they are even long enough.... But what if I get them home and they shrink in the washer, then they will be too short. Oh, they probably won't. It says they're prewashed and that's another thing, I really like the color of these jeans due to the prewashing.... I know, but they just cost too much, even with the 15% they are higher than I would prefer to pay.

Oh dear, what to do. I walked around the store looking at other jeans, took a few pairs to try on, hoping to find a cheaper pair that I like just as much, all to no avail. I tried on the good pair again. None even compared. Oh dear, I knew I was going to have to just bite the bullet and buy the jeans. So I hesitantly walked towards the check-out counter, all the while thinking, 'I can always bring them back, this is not permanent.'

Finally, I handed the jeans to the check-out clerk, gave her my credit card (which I ever-so-faithfully pay off in FULL every month), signed the receipt and headed home. When I got home, I carefully cut the tags off, saving them and the receipt, --just in case I freak out and decide to take the jeans back.

My, what an ordeal to put myself through. It's not as if we are destitute and can't afford a stupid pair of jeans. Sometimes I am so weird.

As I said, being thrifty is not a always virtue, although sometimes it does have it's rewards.

This morning as I was putting on my makeup and getting ready, I turned on the TV for a little while. The 700 Club happened to be on, so I just watched for a little while. The whole show was about how to prosper financially. It was all about what YOU can do in order to get a blessing from God. I am just appalled at this teaching. There were several stupid moving stories about people who had been really down and out and how THEY decided to accept Jesus as their savior, then THEY decided to start tithing, some even double tithing. And because THEY did these wonderful things for God, THEY received the full benefit of God’s favor. What a man-centered bunch of bunk! I hear this teaching so often these days and it just sickens me. I hear so many people use such verses as these to prove this teaching:

I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. Phil. 4:13

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Phil. 4:19

But they have taken these verses out of context. In this chapter of Philippians, just a few verses before these two, Paul is talking about how he has learned that in whatsoever state he is in, to be content. He says ‘I know how to be abased and I know how to abound.’

So when Paul says ’I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me,’ it seems to me he is saying he can endure whatever comes his way, be it hardships or prosperity (and we know he had lots of hardships).

When he says, ’God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus,’ isn’t he also talking about how God will, thru Jesus Christ, supply our needs, which would be, in this context: the ability to be content and endure whatever comes out way.

To use these verses to say God will make us rich or we can do anything, achieve anything in this world, is just total abuse of these verses, I believe. (I guess Paul and the apostles just didn't have enough faith, or didn't tithe their whole 10% because they sure weren't rich and all died a martyr's death).

The gospel of Jesus Christ is not about what WE do, it is about what CHRIST has done. We do not turn God this way or that by how much we pray, how much we give, or whatever ‘good deeds’ we do. God is not there to serve us. We are here to serve him. He is not our Genie in a bottle.

I guess it's good (for the world anyway) for there to be people that believe this garbage teaching because sharing the world with people that strive to be good and do good deeds, even with the wrong motives, is better than sharing the world with people who care nothing about doing the right thing (isn't it?), but man, when you do look at people’s motives (to prosper themselves and using religion to do it), it is just sad to me. …..BUT I know God is in complete control and it is his will for things to go this way. So, praise his Holy name! I pray he will keep me from such deception because if he doesn’t I will fall right in line with them (and do in so many areas). God help us.

Here's something interesting I ran across today about Daylight Savings time.

The last few days have been pretty uneventful around here, so I really have nothing to blog about, but just thought I'd share the above link.

Have a good day!

It’s 11:00 on Friday night. Bo has gone to bed and I’m sitting up alone just surfing the internet. It has just begun to snow outside and the weatherman predicts we will get 8 - 14 inches tonight and tomorrow. Ugh. I sure hope not. But the Lord knows best and he controls the weather, along with everything else.

I went to Walmart today to get some groceries before the snow storm set in, and it seems many other people in town had the same idea because Walmart was packed. I just hate trying to grocery shop when it’s that busy. There are so many people in the aisles, it’s hard to get thru, and I feel bad if I stop for too long to look at something or read a label because I am in somebody’s way. And then there are the electric cart people who seem to dawdle along. Anyway, today I was on the beverage isle to get my Diet Dr Peppers, and as I reached to pick them up, they slipped out of my hand. The whole pack dropped to the floor and DP’s went rolling everywhere. Of course there were several people on the isle with me at the time, and everybody had to dodge the rolling bottles. Ugh. I WOULD do something goofy like that on such a busy day. Oh well.

Corbin spent the night with us on Saturday night and on Sunday morning, Corbin & I got all bundled up and walked over to the park to play in the snow. The snow is not very deep and it was an icy snow, so you really couldn't do much with it. Corbin just ran around sliding and such. And he found out that walking backwards into the wind was much more comfortable than walking forward into it. It sure was cold (like 20 degrees), but was fun. ---Making sweet memories!

Mason decided a little while ago he would walk over to the library. I told him, 'it is very cold out, you better wear your long underwear, a big coat, neck warmer, gloves, and such. He stood there in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt with another open button-down shirt over it. 'Naw, I'll be fine,' he said. As he stood there, I typed http://weather.com into my internet browser. 'It's 23 degrees!' I said. 'You better get some warm clothes on. You will freeze if you don't.' He came back with, 'Why don't you just let me find out for myself instead of always telling me what to do? I'll be just fine.' "OK,' I said, 'see ya later.' So off he went. Now, mind you, it's a mile walk over to the library and a mile back. About 40 minutes later, here he comes walking in, about frozen. (He didn't even wear gloves!) 'I should've listened,' he said, 'I about froze to death,' he said as he touched my face with his very cold hands. I hated to say I told you so, but just couldn't resist. Teenagers! .....But to top it all off, the library was closed for Martin Luther King day.

It is 12 degrees here this morning with a wind chill of -2. Brrrrr. It's cold. We have snow on the ground and only have an expected high of 27 today. AND it's supposed to be like this thru Monday. Ahhh, winter in Amarillo. Oh well, it's not as bad as some places and I AM in a nice warm house, so I can't complain too much.

Bo had a business meeting yesterday and business dinner last night in Gruver so he just spent the night there. He will be driving home later today. Mason has to work today at Sonic. Hopefully he'll be working inside and not carhopping. He hasnt been carhopping much anymore. Now he's working at the intercom inside. I think he likes that better, but he does miss the tips. I have had a quiet week, not much going on. I worked Wednesday and Thursday morning and I picked Corbin up from school on those days. Jenny went to San Diego with her dad, so Cody & Corbin are batching it for a few days.

Well, that's about it for me. I talked to Jocelyne this morning and she said it is pouring down rain in Austin. --Aren't you glad you read my blog today and got the latest weather reports in a couple of areas in Texas? What's it doing in your area? Eileen, it looks awful cold in Colorado. And to think..... they're having a heat wave in New York City for this time of year.

Jeff Foxworthy said: "You might be a redneck if you spend at least forty hours a week at Walmart and you don't work there." Sometimes I feel like I spend that much time there. I really don't, but I know that hardly ever does two or three days go by that I'm not there. I do all my grocery shopping there and for some reason I just can't get all my grocery shopping done once a week like my mother did while I was growing up, so I have to keep going back to get stuff. I am glad that I live only a couple of miles from Walmart instead of the 80 miles away I used to live. How did I survive back then without Walmart being close by?

Don't Ever Bowl In Tennis Shoes

Yesterday Bo, Mason & I were just sitting around the house, not doing much of anything and a little bored, so we decided to go bowling since we had such a good time bowling on Christmas Day. As we were driving over to the bowling alley, I told Bo I thought I would just bowl in my tennis shoes because I don’t like the idea of wearing shoes that have been worn by many other people, all of whom I do not know, AND don’t know what kind of fungus might be growing on their feet. Bo told me he didn’t think they allowed people to bowl in their tennis shoes and that it probably wasn’t a good idea anyway because my feet wouldn’t slide properly. I told him that I was going to try it anyway, and if I wasn’t supposed to, the bowling employees would probably come and tell me. Bo again told me he really didn’t think I should do that, but I, being the independent person I am, said I will just try it and see how it works out. I waited over to the side while Bo & Mason got their shoes and we got assigned a lane, then we all picked out a ball. Mason bowled first and then sat down as I got up to bowl. I did my usual technique ….step one, two, three, four, slide. ----And slide I did! I slid over the line and busted my rear end fell hard on my backside. Then I couldn’t get up. I fell a couple of more times as I tried. The floor across the line was so slippery it felt like I was on ice, only magnified a couple of times. I would put my weight on one foot trying to stand and my foot would slip out from under me. By this time, people were watching me and Bo was cracking up laughing. I finally sort of inched my way to the other side of the line and got up, feeling like a total idiot, but laughing hard myself. I almost took a bow to all the people watching, but decided against it. After catching my breath and acknowledging to Bo that he sure was right, I promptly limped over to the counter and asked for a pair of bowling shoes. Needless to say, I will not try that again! My backside is still pretty sore today. ----So if anybody out there is as dumb as me and thinks they will try bowling in their tennis shoes, take my advice and DON’T! (And always listen to you spouse).

"Blessed is the man who hears Me, watching daily at My gates, waiting at the posts of My doors" (Proverbs 8:34).

Oh, how true. Anyone who truly hears the gospel is so blessed. It’s funny but, used to, when I would read a bible passage that says ‘blessed is,’ I thought it meant IF we do such ‘n such (whatever the specific verse is referring to), we WILL be blessed or rewarded somehow. So I thought the ‘blessed’ verses were telling us something we need to go do in order to be blessed. Now I see that they are saying we are blessed already, if we are able to do whatever the verse is referring to. If we are able to hear the gospel, we have been blessed already.

I love this verse:

And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona for flesh and blood hath not revealed [it] unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. Matt 16:17

The Lord Jesus had just asked, ‘Whom do men say that I, the son of man, am?’ Simon Peter answered and said, ‘Thou art the Christ, the son of the living God.’ That’s when Jesus replied by saying, ’Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.’ The Lord Jesus was telling Simon Peter that he is truly blessed already because he is able to SEE Christ and know he is the son of the living God. The blessing is that he can see Christ, because on his own, he would not be able to.

The beatitudes in Matthew 5 use the word blessed many times. Blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are they that mourn, blessed the meek, blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, blessed are the merciful, blessed are the pure in heart, blessed are the peacemakers….. Are these verses telling us we need to muster up these qualities, and when we do we will be blessed or rewarded in some way? ---If so, I am surely in trouble. I can’t seem to muster up anything good within myself, much less these qualities. There is no way I can be blessed then.

I no longer believe we are to DO to be blessed. I believe we already ARE blessed if we are able to do any of these virtuous things ever, (and probably won't even know when we do them) because the only way we CAN is if Christ is working in us. And oh, what a blessing that is! It means that Christ has saved us and is working in us. What greater blessing or reward could there be? ---Praise his wonderful name.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

We had a wonderful Christmas day yesterday. I cooked all morning and everything turned out delicious, if I do say so myself. The buttermilk pie was exceptionally good! Jocelyne, Cody & Jenny, Whitney, & Corbin were here with Bo, Mason & I. We ate lunch, then opened presents. We didn't do alot of presents this year, but it was no big deal. Corbin got a Nerf gun that everybody had fun playing with. Cody, Jenny & Corbin had to leave after a while to go to Dalhart to visit Jenny's family, so Bo, Jocelyne, Whitney, Mason & I went bowling. That was lots of fun. Bo was really hot yesterday! He bowled a 183. I started out really bad and had of score of around 50 the first game, but ended up improving and doing OK with a score of 130 in the second game. Mason did great the first game but petered out in the second. Whitney did pretty good in the first and bad in the second and Jocelyne stunk in both games. You just need to work on your moves Jocelyne! LOL. One, two, three, four, slide.

Anyway, Jocelyne left for Austin this morning, and Bo went to Gruver, so it's just back to Mason & I. We took the day off from school, but will start back tomorrow.

Hope you had a good Christmas!

I really enjoy Christmas time. I love the getting together with family and fellowship, all the good food, the pretty lights, the trees and such. It’s just a special time, I think. I must say though that I don’t especially associate Christ with Christmas time anymore than I associate Christ with Valentine’s Day or any other holiday. I mean it’s hard to not think about it with all the nativity scenes and things you read and hear people say about it being Christ’s birthday and such, but I do feel like the Christ that’s being talked about by so many, is not the same Christ that I worship anyway. I worship a Christ that totally and completely accomplished salvation for his people. Nothing needs to be added to it. He did it all and every single person he died for WILL be saved. To say that we must add something to his death on the cross is robbing Christ of his glory, I believe, and God will not stand for that. And why should he? Everything that we do is tainted with sin. God is perfect and holy and just. He cannot and will not look upon sin. We need a perfect substitute and we have one in Christ, but it will and must be ALL Christ’s work and absolutely none of ours. It seems that in most religions today, we are told that we must make a decision, pray a prayer, DO SOMETHING in order to be saved. Not so! Christ, on the cross said, "It is finished." The work is done. All God's people are saved already. Praise his holy name. There is nothing we need to do.

No where in the bible are we told to celebrate Christ’s birthday, and we really don’t even know what day he was born. I don’t like seeing all the images men make to represent Christ at Christmas time and all year long, for that matter. (Are we to even make images of Christ?) How in the world could any doll or picture or even a real baby represent the glory and wonderfulness of Christ, our savior? I really find all the nativity scenes at Christmas time offensive.

I’m not against having a holiday called Christmas. It’s fine with me as a day of getting together with family and friends and such, and as I said, I really enjoy the holiday, but I don’t agree with setting the day aside as being more special than any other as far as remembering Christ. Christ’s birth and death should be celebrated in our hearts everyday.

So…… Merry Christmas to you or Happy Holidays or WHATEVER! May you have a wonderful holiday.

It rained all day yesterday and then snowed last night, so we have ice covered with snow. There are lots of broken tree limbs all over the city because of the heavy ice. The trees look so pretty all covered with ice, but the broken limbs look pretty sad. And it's cold outside!


Mason helped me in the kitchen yesterday make some Christmas candy and cookies.

Congratulations Jenny! Last night Jenny, my daughter-in-law graduated with honors with her bachelor's degree from WTAMU. She has worked very hard and I know it took alot of effort with a husband and son to take care of while going to school, so I am very proud of her.

Whitney & I went to the graduation and afterwards Jenny's dad took us all out to the Amarillo Club, a very nice restaurant on the 31st floor of a tall building in Amarillo. (Bo didnt get to go because his company had their Christmas party last night). It was such a nice place. The food was great and the view was spectacular!

I enjoyed it so much, just spending time with my kids.













I even got to have a dance with my son!

Well, I just thought I was on the mend. I woke up Saturday morning and the whole thing started all over again. Ugh. I have been so sick the last 3 1/2 days. Today I am out of bed (and in my chair). I am feeling a little better, but still weak and tired. Hopefully, the worst is over. The nausea is better and that's been the worst of it, I think. I was planning to work tomorrow, but don't know if I'll be able to. One good thing is that feeling so bad makes you really appreciate feeling good, which I tend to take for granted. I have been thinking about my mother while I've been sick because she has been taking chemotherapy and she feels this way most of the time. How miserable that must be. Yesterday was her birthday. She turned 77. She has decided to stop the chemotherapy. It just makes her feel too bad and it's something she would have to continue the rest of her life. Odd, the very treatment you need to keep you alive keeps you in misery while you're alive. ---Or as in the case of my Adam, the chemotherapy itself kills you.

Sometimes this life is hard, but it sure makes heaven look good.

We made it back from Las Vegas and had a good time there. We went to the National Rodeo Finals two nights, which was really good. We also ate at some very nice restaurants. One was called Lawry's. (Yes, the same Lawry's that makes the seasoning in the grocery store). We had prime rib which was outstanding, but I wouldn't say it was quite as good as what it cost though. My goodness, it was expensive. Thankfully we weren't paying for it, but the company that took us out there. An animal health company that Bo's company buys medicine from. And that sure was NICE of them! There was a girl with our group that got sick while we were there. A stomach flu or virus or something. She stayed in her room most of the time. Then yesterday around noon (after we were home), I started feeling sick at my stomach and proceeded to get worse and worse. Ugh, I had an awful night and have been weak and still feeling bad all day today. I am keeping food down now though, so hopefully I am on the mend.

Bo is taking a group of work associates pheasant hunting tomorrow and Sunday. Guess I'll just be hanging out around the house. Hope you have a good weekend!

Is anybody even reading this?

Bo & I are leaving for Las Vegas tomorrow and will be there until Wednesday. We're going for the National Rodeo Finals. It should be fun even though Las Vegas isnt one of my favorite places to go, it is very interesting and I know we'll have a good time. We are staying at the Treasure Island Hotel on the strip. I just like to walk around looking at all the fancy hotels and casinos. They are so spectacular and something to see! So... I'll talk to you when we get back.

Here's a picture taken while we were in Tyler for Thanksgiving.





In the back from left to right is sister Mary, sister Glenda, Me & brother Buster. The front: My daddy, stepmom Dorothy, stepdad Fred, & my mother.



Here's a picture of the whole group:















And here's Bo, Mason & I:

Corbin, aka Sparrow

I picked Corbin up at school today and he was dressed like an indian. He told me his indian name is Sparrow, so I took his picture and here he is. I think he is a fine looking indian. If you look hard, you will see the indian necklace he is wearing. According to Corbin, indians used to trade necklaces and other sorts of things. Thanks Corbin for helping me write today's blog entry!

We had a great thanksgiving visit to Tyler and got home last night. We had such good food and enjoyed our visit very much. Here are Mason & Whitney making a cheese ball.
Hope you had a good Thanksgiving too!

November Thankfulness: the Internet

I'm getting packed tonight. I am flying to Tyler tomorrow to visit my family for Thanksgiving. Whitney will take me to the airport in the morning as she is leaving for Gruver to spend Thanksgiving with her grandparents. Bo & Mason left this afternoon for Dallas. They will spend the night there tonight and go to the Cowboys game tomorrow. After the game they will drive on over to Tyler, we will stay there for a couple of days and all come home together on Sunday. I'm really looking forward to spending time with my family and am thankful for each and everyone of them. Today was a gorgeous day. I worked until about 3:00, then came home and rode my bike for an hour. It was great! No wind and warm temperatures. I usually ride or walk over by the house being built by the people whose old house we will be buying. (Did that make sense?) It is coming right along and looks to me like it should be finished in a couple of months or so. Then we will be moving AGAIN. Ugh. I don't like moving, but I am glad to be getting into a house with a yard. I miss sitting out on my porch and just being outside. This townhouse we are in is very nice and has been great though.

Today I am thankful for my computer and the internet. I probably spend too much time on it, but I really enjoy all the things I do with it. I know there is lots of bad stuff on the internet, but there is lots of good stuff too. I found my favorite preacher, Henry Mahan on the internet and many others that I really like to listen to. Also, I've learned so much thru good articles by great old (and new) religious writers and have been so blessed by them. And I like to blog and read other blogs and visit discussion forums.

Well, I've got to get packed. You have a great Thanksgiving!

November Thankfulness: Bathroom Cleaners

Have you seen and used all the convenient cleaning supplies that are out these days? I cleaned my bathroom this morning and well.... I am appreciative for all the modern cleaners that make the job so much easier. I hate cleaning the bathroom. In fact, I am a borderline germophobe, so cleaning the bathroom is not at the top of my 'fun things to do' list. But with the little throw away toilet scrubby things, the disinfecting wipes, windex wipes, long handle bathtub scrubber, and such, cleaning the bathroom really isnt that bad. And have you ever tried the purple cleaner called Fabuloso? I just love that stuff, it smells so good and fresh.

When I think of how much more work cleaning the bathroom used to be before all these neato products were out, I can honestly say I am thankful for bathroom cleaners. Heck, you don't even have to wash a dirty rag afterwards. ----(If you've never had to clean a bathroom regularly, you probably won't understand)

And no, this isnt a commercial.

PS. Oh, and turn up your volume. I added some blog-reading music! What do you think?