September 16, 2009

  • Odds and Ends....and pictures

    I'm having a little trouble getting back into posting. I've been so busy coming and going, and sometimes posting seems like an extra chore. And I'm battling a slight depression. Now, that's just a common side effect of another neurological condition I have, and I am very used to it, so don't anybody think I am fixing to go jump off a cliff or anything. God can handle it.

    I went to the doctor with Bethany yesterday. It was a follow-up visit with the endocrinologist. Yes, I know...she's 23, and doesn't need Mom to go to the doctor with her. But we do that lots of times, because 2 sets of ears are better than one. And I understand her condition very well, so if the doctor says something she doesn't understand, I do. (Yes, there are some doctor visits where I do not accompany her.)

    She is hypoglycemic, which is a type of pre-diabetes. Diabetes is rampant in our family. And I mean, Type 1, insulin-dependent diabetes. It's a genetic thing. How I escaped it, I don't know. I do have mild hypoglycemia, but nothing like hers. But with hypoglycemia, her blood sugar sometimes drops so low, so quickly, she must get sugar into her system immediately. If she has crashed too low, and is unable to eat anything with sugar (and might possibly be unconscious), she needs an injection. Dr. Chang gave her a prescription for Glucagon injections. She's going to instruct those she works with, how to give her an injection if she needs it. At work, they all watch out for her.

    She has gotten good at balancing her carbs and proteins, so that her blood glucose level does not drop too low, but sometimes it does hit suddenly. She has to eat several small meals throughout the day, to keep her glucose level steady. Sometimes if they are extremely busy at work, it's not possible for her to stop to have a snack.


    Yesterday, Bethany told me that one day when she was on her way home from work, she was at an intersection. A car pulled up beside her, but she tried to ignore it. It was a Corvette convertible....with a guy up on his knees in the passenger seat, hanging over the door of the car, trying to get her attention. It wasn't anybody she knew...just, once again, a guy that thought she was hot, making a fool out of himself. I just cracked up.

    That one is right up there with the guy that came into CVS when she worked there, and walked out watching her. He was not watching where he was going, and ran into the door. After he was out, he was trying to see in the high windows behind the counter, just watching.

    She use to attract all kinds of creeps. Even old guys with tobacco juice on their faces. Ug. I just want her to attract a really nice, Christian (preferably Southern Baptist) guy. One that shares her very strong beliefs, and her very strict moral codes. A guy that does not believe in moving in together. A guy that doesn't lie to her.

    And Lord, as long as I'm asking, can you make it a tall guy that would love to join a small Baptist Church in southeast Houston (she already has many responsibilities there)? A guy that does not live in some other state would be very nice. That's just Mom asking, please. If he's a cop, that might be a plus. She likes cops.

    Derek says she's a man magnet.


    It looks like my mother will probably get to come home from the hospital Saturday. That makes one month exactly, that she has been in the rehab hospital, with the goal of getting her strong enough for her heart bypass surgery. That will be done back at St. Luke's Hospital/Texas Heart Institute. She actually went into the hospital (St. Luke's) on July 27, and was transferred here by ambulance. Hospital stays get very old.

    She has a bazillion doctors (well, slight exaggeration...there's only half a bazillion at this hospital. The bazillion was at the Heart Institute.) They all have to agree on when she can go home, with the most important doctor being her nephrologist. That's her kidney specialist. Since she is on dialysis, he makes the final decision.

    So after she comes home, we'll have to see the cardiologist again, to see if he thinks she's strong enough. She has gained back almost 15 lbs, which was badly needed. But she could not avoid gaining, with all the special food and the Starbuck's caramel frappuchinos we've been bringing her. One nurse was not happy with her eating "outside-the-hospital" food (he can just get over it), but another sweet female nurse told her, "Honey, I don't care what you eat, as long as you're eating something!"


    Tonight is the church  business meeting, so I have to get my Treasurer's Reports printed. Today it will be easy, since I already have everything ready to print. It's always such a huge weight off my shoulders when all the bank statements balance, and the 2 reports balance each other!

    Last week, early Wednesday morning, I got sick, just in time for the original date of the business meeting. I called and told several I was sick, and just to go ahead with the meeting. We'd just do a double Treasurer's Report next month. But they cancelled the meeting and rescheduled, so I did not have to miss it.


    I wanted to post some good links for you to read. Most of you know that I post new links to things going on in the world and in our government. I'm going to post a link to Gabe's post on thinking about the positive. But please do not let all these news stories I post get you down. They are not meant to. They are only meant to inform you about what is going on, because so many do not read the news. We need to be informed, but not fearful. Everything that is happening, only points to the imminent return of Jesus Christ. That's both amazing and exciting.

    He also tells a story that all should take note of, and do something similar:

    And Now For Something Positive

    Ok, here's a really good article on whether or not God exists:

    Is There a God?


    How about some pictures? Last week when I was out running errands, and heading to the hospital, I was near "our" cemetery, the one where my daughter is buried. I stopped to take some pictures. I realized in the 25-1/2 years since she died, I had never taken any pictures of her headstone. That's soooo not normal for me, as you guys know

    This is our daughter, Rachel's headstone:

    This is my grandparents' headstone (my mom's parents):

    And these are my great-great-grandparents, Sarah and Noah Crenshaw:

    They are all buried next to each other, under the bright pink crepe myrtles my great-grandmother, Bessie Crenshaw Guinn, planted around her parents' graves.

September 11, 2009

  • In the news...and a blog...

    Demeaning the Institution

    Gay Man Sues Bible Publisher for Mental Anguish

    It's Still the Economy Stupid

    23 Dems Say They They'll Vote No on Obamacare

    100's of Victims of Government Healthcare Expose Truth About Obama's Public Option

    Sen. Cronyn: Address Will Go Down as a Missed Opportunity

    Persistent Prayer Reaps Rewards


    Obama Accuses Right of ‘Bogus Claims’

    ‘The truth is, he seeks to cover up his intention to use … government subsidies to pay for health-care plans that cover abortion.’

    President Barack Obama addressed a joint session of Congress on Wednesday night in an effort to clear up what he called “bogus claims” about health-care reform.

    During the speech, the president said misinformation had made Americans nervous about the bill.

    “The best example is the claim,” he said, “made not just by radio and cable talk-show hosts, but prominent politicians, that we plan to set up panels of bureaucrats with the power to kill off senior citizens.”

    One major concern among pro-lifers is a House bill provision directing seniors into “advance care planning consultations.”  The language was developed with the help of a leading pro-assisted suicide organization and would allow physician-assisted suicide to be on the list of end of life options in states where assisted suicide is legal.  

    Obama also attacked pro-life groups’ claims about abortion coverage.

    “Under our plan, no federal dollars will be used to fund abortions,” he said, “and federal conscience laws will remain in place.”

    Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., cautioned against believing the president’s statement.

    “If he intends to support the pro-life amendments that have thus far been deleted by pro-abortion members of his party, we welcome that,” he said.  “But the truth is that he seeks to cover up his intention to use the government-run public plan to send checks from the U.S. Treasury to abortionists around the country – and, use government subsidies to pay for health-care plans that cover abortion.”

    A recent poll by Public Opinion Strategies shows 43 percent of Americans oppose any inclusion of abortion in health-care reform.

    Marjorie Dannenfelser, president and chairman of the board for the Susan B. Anthony List, said inclusion of abortion in health care makes reform unappealing for many Americans.

    “This poll shows that women, independents and Democrats,” she said, “find it morally questionable, at best, to have abortion funding in a health-care bill.”

    The results show Obama’s continued push for the legislation undermines his support among those three groups.

    “President Obama’s promises to abortion organizations like Planned Parenthood may force him to fall on his sword and include abortion,” Dannenfelser said.  “But if he does so, it will be to the demise of his own health-care plan.”


September 8, 2009

  • We live in exciting days...


    Look at this map. The final battle, Armageddon,  will take place in the valley of Megiddo, also called the Jezreel Valley. Armageddon comes from the Hebrew Har Megiddo, meaning Mountain of Megiddo.

    Look where Megiddo is. Right smack in the middle of where they are drilling for oil in Israel.

    Deut 33:24....24 About Asher he said: "Most blessed of sons is Asher; let him be favored by his brothers, and let him bathe his feet in oil. NIV

    Some have thought in the past, that this means olive oil. It was a region heavy with olive groves. And the New Living Translation actually says olive oil. I think that's a misunderstanding. That's an addition made by man.

    Do you think maybe the Arab nations are going to be kind of ticked that Israel will become rich from oil? They will not be able to control Israel by cutting off oil, because they will have their own.

    Ezek 36:8-11...8 But you, O mountains of Israel, you shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to My people Israel, for they are about to come. 9 For indeed I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you shall be tilled and sown. 10 I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, all of it; and the cities shall be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt. 11 I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bear young; I will make you inhabited as in former times, and do better for you than at your beginnings . Then you shall know that I am the LORD. NKJV




    This is not new information, but I thought I would post it anyway. I think it's very interesting. I read an article a few days ago, about a wall being discovered
    in Jerusalem. I love archeology (no, I don't do it, but I like studying it).



    FROM WND'S JERUSALEM BUREAU
    More Bible proof: Temple relics unearthed
    Archaeologists discover official seals from Kingdom of Judah

    Posted: February 23, 2009, 10:39 pm Eastern © 2009 WorldNetDaily

    JERUSALEM – Israeli archaeologists yesterday announced the discovery of a large building dating to the time of the First and Second Temples associated with Hezekiah, the King of Judah.

    The Israeli government's Antiquities Authority oversaw the excavation in the southern Jerusalem village of Umm Tuba. The agency said its archaeologists unearthed the remains of an ancient building consisting of several rooms arranged around a courtyard, containing pottery and other artifacts from the First and Second Temple Periods.

    The finds include official government seals bearing the names of Ahimelekh ben Amadyahu and Yehokhil ben Shahar, who were high-ranking officials in Hezekiah's government. The life of Hezekiah, the son of King Ahaz is detailed in the biblical books of Kings, Isaiah and Chronicles. Hezekiah was the 13th king of independent Judah.

    Archaeologists also found a Hebrew inscription – dating 600 years after the Kingdom of Judah seals – on a fragment of a jar neck, characteristic of the beginning of the Hasmonean period. The ancient building was partially destroyed during the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem.

    The finds are the latest in a mountain of unearthed remains giving a clearer picture of the Jewish presence in Jerusalem during the First and Second Temple periods. Still, the Palestinian Authority, which seeks control of the Temple Mount and eastern Jerusalem, steadfastly denies the Jewish temples ever existed.

    In November, Ahmed Qurei, the PA's chief negotiator, who oversees all peace talks with the Jewish state, told reporters the Jewish Temples never existed and contended Israel has been working to "invent" a Jewish historical connection to Jerusalem. PA websites make similar claims.

    Holiest site

    The Temple Mount is the holiest site in Judaism. The First Temple was built there by King Solomon in the 10th century B.C. when the Kingdom of Israel was united. After the kingdom split into two entities, Israel and Judah, the temple was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. The Second Temple was rebuilt in 515 B.C. after Jerusalem was freed from Babylonian captivity. That temple was destroyed by the Roman Empire in A.D. 70. Each temple stood for a period of over four centuries.

    The Jewish Temple was the center of religious Jewish worship. It housed the Holy of Holies, which contained the Ark of the Covenant and was said to be the area upon which God's shechina, or "presence," dwelled. All Jewish holidays centered on worship at the Temple. The Jewish Temple served as the primary location for the offering of sacrifices and was the main gathering place for the Jewish people.

    According to the Talmud, the world was created from the foundation stone of the Temple Mount. The site is believed to be the biblical Mount Moriah, the location where Abraham fulfilled God's test to see if he would be willing to sacrifice his son Isaac.

    Jewish tradition holds Mashiach, or the Jewish Messiah, will return and rebuild the third and final Temple on the Mount in Jerusalem. The Kotel, or Western Wall, is the one part of the Temple Mount that survived the destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans and stands today in Jerusalem.

    Throughout all notorious Jewish exiles, thorough documentation

    shows the Jews never gave up hope of returning to Jerusalem and re-establishing their Temple. To this day, Jews worldwide pray facing the Western Wall, while Muslims turn their backs away from the Temple Mount and pray toward Mecca. The Al Aqsa Mosque was constructed around A.D. 709 to serve as a shrine near another shrine, the Dome of the Rock, which was built by an Islamic caliph. About 100 years ago, the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem became associated with the place Muslims came to believe Muhammad ascended to heaven. Jerusalem, however, is not mentioned in the Quran.

    Islamic tradition states Muhammad took a journey in a single night from "a sacred mosque" – believed to be in Mecca in southern Saudi Arabia – to "the farthest mosque," and from a rock there ascended to heaven to receive revelations from Allah that became part of the Quran. Palestinians today claim exclusivity over the Temple Mount, and Palestinian leaders routinely deny Jewish historic connection to the site, but historically, Muslims did not claim the Al Aqsa Mosque as their third holiest site and admitted the Jewish Temples existed.

    According to research by Israeli author Shmuel Berkovits, Islam previously disregarded Jerusalem. He points out in his book "How Dreadful Is this Place!" that Muhammad was said to loathe Jerusalem and what it stood for. Berkovits wrote that Muhammad made a point of eliminating pagan sites of worship and sanctifying only one place – the Kaaba in Mecca – to signify the unity of God. As late as the 14th century, Islamic scholar Taqi al-Din Ibn Taymiyya, whose writings

    influenced the Wahhabi movement in Arabia, ruled that sacred Islamic sites are to be found only in the Arabian Peninsula and that "in Jerusalem, there is not a place one calls sacred, and the same holds true for the tombs of Hebron."

    It wasn't until the late 19th century – incidentally when Jews started immigrating to Palestine – that some Muslim scholars began claiming Muhammad tied his horse to the Western Wall and associated Muhammad's purported night journey with the Temple Mount.

    A guide to the Temple Mount by the Supreme Muslim Council in Jerusalem published in 1925 listed the Mount as the site of Solomon's Temple. The Temple Institute acquired a copy of the official 1925 "Guide Book to Al-Haram Al-Sharif," which states on page four, "Its identity with the site of Solomon's Temple is beyond dispute. This, too, is the spot, according to universal belief, on which 'David built there an altar unto the Lord.'"


    I love symbolism. Fell in love with it many (many) years back, when I read The Red Badge of Courage. The teacher whose class I was in, also had a thing for symbolism. I also loved it in Pilgrim's Progress.

    I thought it was interesting that, while the Jews pray toward the Western Wall of the temple, the Muslims turn away from the temple mount, and pray toward Mecca. They turn their backs on the representation of the God of the Jews.

    But there's something I liked even more. All through both the old and new testaments, scripture speaks of remnants. Obviously there is a remnant of the temple left, eventhough the rest was destroyed. It was obviously preserved by God. It could have very well been destroyed just like the rest of the temple. But why leave it?

    Maybe a s a reminder  that He will return? Or maybe that He is permanent? That He is still there, no matter what happens? As a reminder that the temple will be rebuilt, so don't forget? (The Jews had a habit of forgetting that God keeps his promises...as do we.) Or maybe as a small reminder to the Jews of His original plans for them and His commandments to them? Maybe all of the above?


    The end really is coming, no matter how many people make fun of it. What is predicted in scripture is going to come true. The question is, which side do you want to be on?

    So many, many people, including those who call themselves Christian, have no real idea what scripture says. They like to think it says that God is love (yes, He is) and because of that, everything will be all hunky dory. That there will be no suffering in the world because God is LUUUUV. That He'll give us warm, fuzzy hugs every day, and give us everything we want.

    Guess again.

    There is only one way to Heaven, and it is by accepting the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.

    Acts 4:12...12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." NIV

    John 3:16..."For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. NIV

    But it comes at a price. That price is obedience. If you want Jesus to save you, you must also obey Him. Plain and simple.

    John 14:15-16...15 "If you love me , you will obey what I command. NIV

    Don't wait till it's too late.

September 5, 2009

  • Go, Mr. Rogers!


    Stimulus Report Card Gets a Failing Grade

    Yesterday, on the 200th day since its enactment, Vice President Joe Biden defended the President's $787 billion economic "stimulus." First, he said it was "to bring relief to those hardest hit by the recession." But an analysis by ProPublica found that there's "no relationship between where the money is going and unemployment and poverty." The Associated Press reports that distribution of the funds was guided more by politics than need. The New York Times adds that the "transparency" promised by President Obama is practically nonexistent, with most federal agencies failing to report lobbying contacts. Biden's next standard was "to jump-start the economy by giving assistance to states."

    On the day the "stimulus" was enacted, the national unemployment rate was 7.6 percent--today it is 9.7 percent. At least 16 states have unemployment rates of over 10 percent. Joe Biden's final measure was "to reinvest in existing infrastructure and lay a platform for the economic growth in future in energy, education and health care." The spending "targets" read more like a rap sheet than an investment in the future. Funds went to "bail out" such things as shows about perverts and to run porn films, courtesy of Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). Other funds potentially went to house sex offenders and predators in Florida and the mob in the New York City area. Vice President Biden might see the stimulus bill as a success, but by his own standards it has been a very expensive failed experiment.

    Crushing Parental Rights and Religious Liberty With One Rap of the Gavel

    In a shocking example of anti-religious (and anti-Christian) bias, a New Hampshire judge, Lucinda V. Sadler, has ordered a home-schooling mother, Brenda Voydatch, to place her daughter in public school--largely to expose her to "a variety of points of view" other than the strong Christian beliefs which both mother and daughter share. The order came as a result of a dispute between the girl's mother and father, who divorced when she was an infant. The father argued that ten-year-old Amanda Kurowski should be in public school to improve her "socialization"--but also because he "believes that exposure to other points of view will decrease Amanda's rigid adherence to her mother's religious beliefs." The court found that "Amanda is generally likeable and well liked, social and interactive with her peers, academically promising, and intellectually at or superior to grade level."

    Nevertheless, Judge Sadler agreed with the conclusion of a Guardian ad Litem that being raised as a strong Christian was preventing her from learning "to critically evaluate multiple systems of belief and behavior." Our friends at the Alliance Defense Fund have taken up Brenda and Amanda's case, noting both the fundamental right of a parent to direct her child's education and the clearly unconstitutional nature of a decision based primarily on disapproval of strong religious beliefs.


    Help stop the attack boy Congress on religious freedom!


    From the NRA:

    National Gun Registration And Waiting Period Are Goals Of New "Gun Show" Study

    Despite California's bans on "assault weapons," "unsafe" handguns, private gun sales, and sales of two handguns in a 30-day period; its 10-day waiting period on all gun sales; and its denial of carry permits to people who don't have the right connections, the Golden State's murder and robbery rates are 12 and 20 percent higher, respectively, than in the rest of the country. 

    Nevertheless, the Brady Campaign calls California's "assault weapon" ban "a model for the nation," and gives the state a high "grade" just for having more gun control than other states. Washington, D.C.'s city council adopted California's "assault weapon" ban and "unsafe handgun" ban whole cloth in January, backtracking on handguns this summer only in the face of court challenges. 

    And then there's Garen Wintemute, of the University of California (Davis), who in September released another of his "studies" in favor of gun control. His new piece is called "Inside Gun Shows: What Goes On When Everybody Thinks Nobody's Watching." 

September 4, 2009

  • Random stuff


    I got this in an email the other day from Tangle, but didn't post it. I was just watching it on Mike's site, and realized there may be people who have not heard the story, so I'm spreading it. This is the song I sing in church almost every year, on the anniversary of the death of our daughter.




    Obamanomics Explained

    Want to know a bunch of random, mostly useless facts? (Sorry, Gabe )

    Gabriel Peter



    This has been going around in emails for a long time, and I've seen it before, but I just thought it was funny. (Thanks, Cynthia.) Snopes says it's true, but lately, there's been some doubt that Snopes actually checks out everything they say they do.

    If these were my kids (which they wouldn't be), I'd try to give them away, too.

    Take My Kids!

    Dear Sirs:

     I am responding to your letter denying the deduction for two of the three  dependents I claimed on my 1994 Federal Tax return. Thank you!

     I have questioned whether or not these are my children for years. They are evil and expensive. It's only fair that, since they are minors and no longer  my responsibility, the government should know something about them and what to expect over the next year. Please do not try to reassign them to me next year and reinstate the deduction. They are yours!
     
     The oldest, Kristen, is now 17. She is brilliant. Ask her! I suggest you put her to work in your office where she can answer people's questions about their returns. While she has no formal training, it has not seemed to hamper
    > her mastery of any subject you can name. Taxes should be a breeze. Next year she is going to college. I think it's wonderful that you will now be responsible for that little expense.

     While you mull that over, keep in mind that she has a truck. It doesn't run at the moment, so you have the choice of appropriating some Department of Defense funds to fix the vehicle, or getting up early to drive her to school.

     Kristen also has a boyfriend. Oh joy! While she possesses all of the wisdom of the universe, her alleged mother and I have felt it best to occasionally remind her of the virtues of abstinence, or in the face of overwhelming
    > passion, safe sex. This is always uncomfortable, and I am quite relieved you will be handling this in the future. May I suggest that you reinstate Dr. Jocelyn Elders who had a rather good handle on the problem.

     Patrick is 14. I've had my suspicions about this one. His eyes are a little closer together than those of normal people. He may be a tax examiner himself one day, if he is not incarcerated first. In February, I was awakened at three in the morning by a police officer who was bringing Pat home. He and his friends were TP'ing houses. In the future, would you like him delivered to the local IRS office, or to Ogden, UT?

     Kids at 14 will do almost anything on a dare. His hair is purple. Permanent dye, temporary dye, what's the big deal? Learn to deal with it. You'll have plenty of time, as he is sitting out a few days of school after instigating
    > a food fight in the cafeteria. I'll take care of filing your phone number with the vice-principal. Oh yes, he and all of his friends have raging hormones. This is the house of testosterone and it will be much more peaceful when he lives in your home. DO NOT leave him or his friends unsupervised with girls, explosives, inflammables, inflatables, vehicles, or telephones. (They find telephones a source of unimaginable amusement. Be sure to lock out the 900 976 numbers!)
     
     Heather is an alien. She slid through a time warp and appeared as if by magic one year. I'm sure this one is yours. She is 10 going on 21. She came from a bad trip in the sixties. She wears tie-dyed clothes, beads, sandals, and hair that looks like Tiny Tim's. Fortunately, you will be raising my taxes to help off set the pinch of her remedial reading courses. "Hooked On Phonics" is expensive, so the schools dropped it. But here's the good news! You can buy it yourself for half the amount of the deduction that you are denying me! It's quite obvious that we were terrible parents (ask the other two).

     She cannot speak English. Most people under twenty understand the curious patois she fashioned out of valley girls/boys in the hood/reggae/yuppie/political double speak. The school sends her to a speech pathologist who has her roll her "r's." It added a refreshing Mexican/Irish touch to her voice.

     She wears hats backwards, baggy pants, and wants one of her ears pierced four more times. There is a fascination with tattoos that worries me, but I am sure that you can handle it. Bring a truck when you come to get her, she sort of "nests" in her room and I think that it would be easier to move the entire thing than find out what it is really made of.
     
     You denied two of the three exemptions, so it is only fair that you get to pick which two you will take. I prefer that you take the youngest two, I will still go bankrupt with Kristen's college, but then I am free! If you take the two oldest, then I still have time for counseling before Heather becomes a teenager. If you take the two girls, then I won't feel so bad about putting Patrick in a military Academy.

     Please let me know of your decision as soon as possible, as I have already increased the withholding on my W-4 to cover the $395 in additional tax and made a down payment on an airplane.

     Yours truly, Bob

     (Note: The IRS allowed the deductions and reinstated his refund.)CAN YOU BLAME THEM?

September 2, 2009

  • Energy...I needz it

    Yesterday, I started praying for energy, and the desire to actually do the things on my "to-do" list. I usually don't think of asking God to give me energy. Yeah...I don't know why, either.

    I need rest because of the health problems I have, but I cannot let myself rest. When I do, I feel like I have wasted the day. And that's every day. That's probably because I still hear my grandmother telling me I'd wasted half the day already, on weekends when I slept late as a teenager. My grandparents lived next door to us, and they were always up before the chickens. Literally. My grandmother had trouble sleeping, just like I do. But on those days, many times she'd be up sewing at 3:00 a.m. Or baking bread. If I'm awake at 3:00 a.m. (which many times I am), I can't get very much in gear.

    I want to be like that. I want to accomplish tons of stuff every day. But I don't. I like sitting and not doing much, but the other half of me beats me up for it. Even when I am on the go all the time, I literally do not feel like I give God my best.

    My only consolation is that my grandmother did not have seizures when she lacked sleep. I do. But I try to push it as far as I can. I don't really do it consciously all the time....I just don't think about it until it's too late.

    I wish I was Wonder Woman. Ok...I wish I looked like Wonder Woman!

    Monday I got a couple of tasks done that had been weighing on me. It was church-related bookkeeping stuff. I have got to set up a better system, so that these particular tasks don't get me down so much.

    After I got that done, and went to the post office, then I got the car washed, and got it inspected. It passed. Last year, it did not, because it had some engine problems. But we've had it worked on. Several times.

    Then I went to Walmart, Kohl's, and Office Depot. I had to pick up a few things for us at Walmart, but also for my mom. Daddy said they could not remember all the dates of everything she has had done, like when she went in the hospital, had surgery, and when she was transferred the to the current hospital. So I was off to find a calendar.

    Do you know how impossible it is to find a 2009 calendar in August of 2009? Everybody figures you should have bought your calendars in January. Walmart had nothing. So I went to Kohl's, because it was right across the parking lot. They had nothing. Even the store manager searched for me, when I explained why I needed it. As I was driving down the freeway toward the hospital, I saw Office Depot. I thought they must have calendars. And they did. Mostly 2010 calendars. *Sigh* But I finally found one little pocket planner for 2010, that actually had pages for July-December 2009. I settled. I had wanted something colorful she could hang up on the wall of her hospital room, but no such luck.

    I sat in the car in the parking lot, and wrote down all the dates in the calendar. I don't have trouble remembering them, although I do have trouble remembering what I did yesterday. And sometimes even remembering my name. I have begun to notice something...sometimes I have to stop and think what my age is! Good grief!

    I like to think it is because I am trying to put so much information in my tired brain, and there's not enough memory. Too bad I can't just go to Best Buy and get more to plug in. The truth is probably more like the hard drive I was given at birth is starting to crash. Pretty soon, nothing will operate right. Oh, wait....

    Mamma is making improvements, although they are little ones. But every improvement counts. She is far from out of the woods...in fact, she's far from even reaching the edge of the woods yet. Monday morning, they removed her temporary dialysis port that was put in back in May at another hospital. They feared the constant fever was related to infection in that port. So they put in a new one, but instead of being just below her collar bone like the last, it is in the side of her neck. That's kind of a pain.

    The doctor that did the surgery is talking about going ahead and putting the fistula in her arm. That's a permanent dialysis port in the left forearm. They have to go in and join an artery and vein to make that port. That's what she originally went in the hospital to have done, back on July 27. That's when everything went downhill. But I know there is a reason for everything that happened, and God is in control. I believe that with all my heart. I sometimes don't like His methods, but I know He knows better than we do. Our pastor is always saying that if God doesn't do things the way you would, congratulations. He doesn't do anything the way we would. His ways are above ours.

    She is eating much better. Probably because we have been taking her junk food. Yeah, it's not the healthiest, but it gets her to eat. She was severely malnourished because she was just not eating anything. Laurie has been occasionally getting her breakfast burritos and taking them by on her way to work at NASA. She is going to take her some homemade tortillas wrapped around turkey, cheese and avocados. I told her I can see what her food weakness is..she talks about tortillas all the time. She told me when she married a Mexican man, she developed a love for homemade tortillas. And I wish she wouldn't talk about them all the time. It makes me hungry!

    I think Laurie is taking her a hamburger tonight, and Heather will take something else tomorrow. Mamma said fried chicken sounded good. We are trying to balance the "bad" stuff with good. She has heart disease and hardening of the arteries. But right now, the goal is just to get her to eat enough to get stronger. The nurses bring her not only her regular trays, but snacks.

    Mamma always bought the Starbuck's coffee drinks that you get at the grocery store. She quit drinking them for a while because the milk in them was not on her diet. Too much protein can kill kidneys that are going bad. But now that they are totally gone, and she's on dialysis, she doesn't have to limit her intake quite as much. So she's back on her Starbuck's habit. And we are enabling.

    And good has come from dialysis, other than just the fact that it filters toxins. She is no longer considered diabetic. She's been diabetic most of her life. Type 1 diabetes runs strongly in our family. But the dialysis is taking the extra sugar out. She is not on insulin anymore. That was an unexpected bonus.

    Saturday my dad turns 73, so we are taking stuff to the hospital to celebrate. He raves about this peach cobbler he had at the Black-Eyed Pea. So I'm going to make peach cobbler and get vanilla ice cream. Then Sunday, Sept. 14, Mamma turns 72. Shucks...I guess we'll just have to party again!

    I did not go to the hospital yesterday, so I got a little bit done around here. I am trying, slowly, to get rid of stuff we don't need, use, or want. Yesterday, I pretty much filled a 55 gallon trash bag with junk. It's a little bit of progress on this war zone that is our house.



    I did not mean for this post to get so long....really. So here's a few links for things in the news. First, some stupid lawsuits:

    Lawsuit claims Apple, Mafia sent threats via iPod

    Burning Man survives suit by burned man

    Polish woman sues Egyptian hotel claiming 13 year old daughter got pregnant from swimming pool

    From OneNewsNow.com............

    Normalizing transgenderism in schools

    Ben & Jerry's ice cream honors same-sex 'marriage'

    And from WND:

    Ted Kennedy's letter to the pope

    Cops jump on swine-flue power: shots heard round the world

    Official Obama nativity story continues to unravel

    Parents rebel against Obama tv speech to schools

    Bank wants thumbprint from man with no hands

August 29, 2009

  • Yesterday, I read a blog that brought tears to my eyes. You should read it, too. It is Trusting in Jesus, by Marianna (daughteroftheking85). Read her explanation of the origin of the hymn Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus. It reminded me of the reason the hymn It Is Well With my Soul was written. Some of the best hymns were written from broken hearts.

    Read also, the story in her post about a woman praying for a banana. I loved the way God answered the prayer. Marianna is the daughter of Amelia (that's_italian). She shared this in a message a short time ago (Marianna, I hope you don't mind me sharing this here):

    "An elderly lady who had lost two out of her four sons, one from cancer and one had been in a three year coma from a car accident, remarked to me yesterday that in the valley is where the fertile soil is; and then when we get on the mountain top, we're supposed to shout what we learned in the valley."

    Perfect.


    Please also be praying for a couple of others in my family.  I have an elderly cousin who had his leg amputated yesterday, just above the knee. He has cancer.

    Also, my cousin, Greg, has cancer again, for the bazillionth time. He just turned 49 years old. When Greg was about 20, he developed Hodgkin's Lymphoma. After treatment, he was cancer free for a few years. A few years later, he developed a tumor on his brain stem. It was removed, but there was some damage to a facial muscle, that causes one side of his face to droop slightly. After that, he got married, and he has 3 children. Then he developed thyroid cancer, which was successfully treated. But last year he developed tumors in his neck, mouth, and kidneys. He has done well with treatment and the removal of one kidney. Now he has developed another tumor on his carotid artery. All of these tumors have been caused by the radiation treatment he received for the lymphoma.

    Greg and his family, along with his parents (my dad's sister and her husband) live in North Carolina. He owns a healthcare staffing service.



    Lutheran Group to Allow Gay-Identified Clergy

    With a 68-percent vote, delegates to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America convention approved a change to the denomination's policy and will now allow gay-identified people who are in monogamous, same-sex relationships to serve as clergy.
     
    Scott Grorud, steering committee member with Lutheran Coalition for Reform (CORE) said he was disappointed by the lack of a Scriptural basis for the decision.

    "It is really a loss of Scriptural authority," he said.  "It is putting the self above the Creator."
     
    The ELCA pastor said the fight will continue. 

    "Many of us are connected to this church body in such a way that you can't just walk away," he said.

    Now...after reading the above article, read this one: Was God in the Whirlwind? It's VERY interesting!





    Other stuff in the news..................


    Lesbian Custody Trial Continues

    Kennedy Joked about Chappaquiddick

    1.1 million sign petition against Obamacare

    Court orders Christian child into government education

    Homeschoolers beat average on entrance exams

    Chief Palestinian Justice: Temples never existed


    Doctors Concerned by HPV Vaccine

     

    Dr. Scott Ratner, a New York cardiologist, will not give his other daughters the HPV vaccine, after one daughter became very ill following the injection.

    "If I had to do it again, my wife and I, both physicians, we would not do it," he said.

    Wednesday's issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association features a government analysis of 12,424 voluntary U.S. reports of post-vaccination "adverse events," ranging from headaches to death. And a consultant to Merck, which produces the vaccine, has expressed concerns.

    Gardasil protects against the four most common types of human papillomavirus (HPV), which is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the U.S.

    Dr. Jennifer Shuford, director of applied science at the Medical Institute for Sexual Health, said the vaccine is relatively new and its long-term effects are not known. She also noted the vaccine does not protect against other STIs.

    "We really encourage people to avoid sexual activity before they're in a lifelong, monogamous relationship in order to avoid all of the negative consequences of early sexual activity," she said.

    FOR MORE INFORMATION  Learn more about the HPV vaccine.

August 28, 2009

  • Blah

    I've been very remiss in posting lately. My heart just hasn't been in it. Actually, my heart just hasn't been in much of anything lately.

    My mom has been in the hospital now for one month and a day....this time. In April and May, she was in for 3 weeks. She's had diverticulitis, a heart attack, perforated intestine (for which she had emergency surgery), peritonitis, a heart catheterization (which showed a half dozen or so blockages), psychosis caused by medications, and she started dialysis. She is waiting for a triple bypass, but has to get strong enough first, to withstand the surgery. And this last month, she did not even have the surgery that  she originally went in the hospital for.

    Last night, she started running a fever again. We don't know why.

    I'm just tired. And it's probably fixing to get worse. My dad is probably going to have another angioplasty, to put a stent into one of his coronary arteries. He has 7 already. One of his arteries has them lined up, end-to-end. October will be 20 years since his first bypass surgery. Bethany was only 3 years old, but they let her go into the cardiac ICU to see her Gran. She didn't want to leave. Last March was 11 years since his 2nd bypass surgery.

    I have done so little around my house in the last few months. Just the minimum we need to get by. And I've been relying a lot on frozen food. When you are counting Weight Watcher points, it's nice to have food with the points already printed on the package. It makes it so much easier. I have not lost very many pounds yet, but with my body's love of holding fluid in my feet and hands, my weight varies a lot. But the pants I had on yesterday are much looser than they use to be just a couple of weeks ago. I catch myself pulling them up a lot. Steve has lost almost 25 pounds. This week I have not lost anything, eventhough I have stayed within my points, and I have been getting tons of activity points. That means exercise. Everything counts...just walking in Walmart counts. And I do a lot of that. I feel like I live there.

    I look around at my house and know there is no way I am going to get done everything I wanted to get done anytime soon. Our dining room is still without flooring. Our half bath is still gutted. There is a leak in the bathroom upstairs above this one, that needs to be fixed before we can remodel the downstairs bath. Upstairs carpet needs to be pulled up and replaced. Our back yard is a jungle. Last week, the ceiling in Rachael's old room fell in. The air conditioner drain pan overflowed. Brandon fixed that, but it did not stop sopping wet sheetrock from falling. *Sigh* It is always something. And there is never enough time.

    I'm still working on the scrapbook for my mom. I still have a number of pages to go. Last night I broke down and bought a tote for organizing my scrapbook stuff. Not a fancy one specially made for that...just a tote where I can organize. I had it all in decorative hat boxes I bought at Hobby Lobby years ago, but those are falling apart. And this desk is such a mess now, I cannot find anything.

    Tomorrow morning we have a workday at the church to get ready for a concert Sunday night. Some of the ladies in our church were big fans of a quartet called The Relations. They are no longer going by that name. They are called Paul's Journey. But the tenor that use to sing with them is on his own now, and is doing a concert Sunday night. We'll have a potluck dinner afterwards. We are Baptist. Potluck dinners are in our bylaws.




    And now there is a bill to give the president power to shut down the internet. It is the Cybersecurity Act of 2009.

    Things are happening way too fast. You had better be watching the clouds.


    Just thought this was funny:

    HAVING MOM OVER FOR DINNER

    You don't even have to be a mother to enjoy this one...

    Brian invited his mother over for dinner. During the course of the meal, Brian's mother couldn't help but notice how beautiful Brian's roommate, Jennifer, was. Brian's Mom had long been suspicious of the platonic relationship between Brian and Jennifer, and this had only made her more curious.

    Over the course of the evening, while watching the two interact, she started to wonder if there was more between Brian and Jennifer than met the eye.

    Reading his mom's thoughts, Brian volunteered, 'I know what you must be thinking, but I assure you Jennifer and I are just roommates.'

    About a week later, Jennifer came to Brian saying, 'Ever since your mother came to dinner, I've been unable to find the beautiful silver gravy ladle. You don't suppose she took it, do you?'

    Brian said, 'Well, I doubt it, but I'll send her an e-mail just to be sure.
    So he sat down and wrote:
    __________________________________________________________

    Dear Mom,

    I'm not saying that you 'did' take the gravy ladle from the house, I'm not saying that you 'did not' take the gravy ladle. But the fact remains that one has been missing ever since you were here for dinner.
    Love, Brian
    _________________________________________________________

    Several days later, Brian received an e-mail back from his mother that read:

    ____________________________________________________

    Dear Son,

    I'm not saying that you 'do' sleep with Jennifer, I'm not saying that you 'do not' sleep with Jennifer. But the fact remains that if Jennifer is sleeping in her own bed, she would have found the gravy ladle by now.

    Love, Mom

    LESSON OF THE DAY - NEVER LIE TO YOUR MOTHER   

August 25, 2009