Bucket list anthem!

It’s amazing I’m not posting about this until two days later. I finally got up the courage to volunteer to sing the Star-Spangled Banner at the Bassmaster Rlite Series takeoff on the St. Johns River at Palatka Riverfront in Florida! 

I sang it again Saturday (getting the OK at the very last minute, as the invocation was being given!), but was grateful to sleep in today (Sunday)! 

I’m grateful to friends old & new strangers for all the encouraging words. I always sing along with The Anthem anyway, but it still took more courage than I expected to volunteer & then be the one singing on the microphone in front of everyone!

I may add more to this later. 

What a waste!

(This was a draft file April 2 so I could write about Walmart delivery fail on that resulted in 6 or 7 bags of groceries, many of them perishable, left at our front door. I didn’t get back to it until now, so it shows up on April 17. I also see now that this could have been part of my April Fool’s post, as April 1 is likely the day the delivery happened!))

Eclipse

No more fear of missing out. 

Not my assignment. 

Pray that people pursuing the eclipse experiencing find what they are looking for & give glory to God. 

(And I ended up experiencing the eclipse with Gene anyway! Thank You, God!)

So glad God is everywhere!

I’m grateful God can be everywhere at once when there are 3 places I want to be & I can only be at one. I trust I was where He wanted me to be today. I’m grateful for safe travel to Tulsa & back, & precious time w/ Penny & her family & friends as we celebrated the life of Scotty. Also grateful to get a text from my newly wed niece & to see a picture. And church member Elaine’s COL was live-streamed so I will be able to share in that as well. I’m grateful to be home. May I never forget how God sustained me thru these busy days of caring & service, even as I’m aware He’s likely calling me to be more selective in my choices, in response to His guidance. I know I’m still very inclined to try to meet my own needs & desires before I’m willing to truly act on my thoughts of others. I may be making small steps of progress. I desire & pray to continue letting God transform me in this direction.

Lake redemption

A great day followed one in which little went right. So glad for that. 

No joke!

I forgot to post that my best April Fool’s joke was Wordle!!

1- s h a (r) e wormy truck truly rigid prior proof proud prowl murky drunk dirty crowd crown color brick 

2- p R O w l trout

3- r R O u t  rock crock?

i y d f g j k z x c v b n m 

(not irony groin, broom)

4- c R O c k  romy rony rody rofy rogy rojy rozy roxy rovy r roon 

i y d f j z x v b n

5- g R O o m  droid 

6- d R O i d 

XX - FROND ends streak 4-1-24 at 36.

Several friends thought it was a hard word. We thought it would have been good a week ago, on Palm Sunday! 

One friend commented: I laughed so hard at this word- if they had put that word up on that day, I might've guessed it FIRST!!

I responded that I might not have thought of it then either. It depends on whether I played Wordle before or after church!!!

Easter blessing

Since the choir didn’t sing for the 9 AM Easter service at Goodrich Memorial United Methodist Church, I volunteered to do a solo. One of the regular attendees has been asking me to sing “The Holy City,” so I decided to give it a try! 

I posted the video on Facebook & the responses were humbling, amazing. 

I posted in response to one: Thank you … God reminded me again during Lent & Holy Week the importance of sharing our gifts. And not comparing my gifts or opportunities to those of others. My part is to pray; act in faith; & trust God with the results.

Then I added a longer response to all, because I want to be clear it’s not about me: I’m saying thank you, graciously & humbly. But please know that all the glory goes to God. I never have any clue how it will go when I sing. I pray & do my best to respond in faith, & trust God whatever the outcome. Many of you have heard first-hand the times that the blessing came from being uplifted & supported & loved despite the bungled words & rhythms & pitches. 

I cannot even express how grateful I am when God is glorified through my simple willingness to trust Him, whatever the outcome. 

May we all be blessed by the love of our Risen Lord & Savior, today & always.

Happy Easter! Christ Is Risen! 

I’m more than what I do

I’m more than what I do. But I sure do feel better about myself when I get things done!

Maybe I’ll write more about this ….

I am what I am

I’m pretty sure I’ve addressed this before. It came back to mind this week. Where better to share it than on my neglected blog?

Written 3-26-24.

I am what I am. 

I’ve spent a lot of time — most of my life — trying to be someone or something else, for some/ many reasons thinking who & how I am is not enough or right. 

Despite lots of affirmation & love & encouragement from others — plus assurances of God’s love & that He created me to be as I am — I’ve kept comparing myself to others & trying to be more like them. I couldn’t shake the feelings that I was not only missing out on the wonderful things I saw others enjoying, but also that I was failing to make the most of opportunities I was given.

I’ve gone around feeling deep inside that I’m a huge disappointment to God, my family & the world. 

I want to hold fast to this new reality — I am what I am. Period.

(Don’t judge it. Just be with it.)

For this moment, I’m letting go & trusting God with this reality. 

Happy

Thank you to all my family & friends for the birthday greetings. I’ve been without good internet connection most of the day so it may be tomorrow before I can read each one. It’s also possible I will have to delete things from my phone before I can receive some video greetings I was sent. These pictures (shared on social media) include some of the day’s blessings, from sunrise to sunset! I’m surprised to realize this is the first time I fished & caught birthday bass! The desire to do so — plus attend a monthly lunch with kinfolk — made this day kinda hectic & long. It may have also put undue pressure on Gene, because I went 2 hours without catching. I had begun chatting with God about that (how to not be disappointed) when one finally bit & stayed hooked! I was relieved for both Gene & me! #birthdayblessings #birthdaybass #simplepleasures

Goodbye to something …

Today was the last day before my 65th birthday. I’m not sure what I think about that. So I just keep pausing to pray & say God loves me & I trust God & that’s what matters most. Love God; trust God; share God’s love with others; trust God with results; give God glory, honor, thanks & praise. 

29 days

It seems a little odd that nothing stood out as special this Leap Day 2024. It’s just another day, even though it only occurs every four years. I just have a feeling or intuition that I may have missed something!

Did I really not post Feb 14?

 I did not post Feb. 14, even though it was both Valentine’s Day & Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent. And that’s OK!

Shoulda …(Remembering TK)

Shoulda posted this yesterday. Better late than never. A few words I shared on social media Tuesday after learning Toby Keith, 62, died Monday night from the ravages of his stomach cancer. …

So sad. 

I went through a surprising phase as one of TK’s Warriors. I have great memories of hooking up & hanging out with old & new friends attending Toby’s concerts. I guess I outgrew the fanatic stage but never lost my interest in & fascination with Toby. 

I love that he found strength to make a bit of a comeback before he passed. That could not have been easy. My heart goes out to his family, friends, colleagues & fans.

…

 … wow! That’s all!

Checking in or checking out?

It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything here. It seemed like a good idea just to type a few words, to hold a place in case I think of something it would have been nice to document! 

Yes! That’s still how it’s going …

Halfway across the country

Sunsets & kitties are as delightful to behold in Florida as in Oklahoma!

Just one day …

 I just skipped one day of Wordle. That was enough for now. 

Puzzling or not …

 1-2-24 

Once again God is calling me to abstain from Wordle as an act of faith in God & my desire to know & do God’s will, to God’s glory. 

This seems to be calling me, just for today, at least for today, to give up puzzles — Wordle, Word Search, other little distractions I cling to for escape, avoidance, mindlessness. It’s a simple & tangible act of faith. Puzzles aren’t harmful in themselves but my clinging to them & doing them instead of more important things — & not trusting God to reveal to me the more important things — has clearly become an obstacle to positive change in my life. So, just for today, 1-2-24, I pray to let go of puzzles, including my Wordle streak, as an act of faith in God & my desire to know & do His will for my life.

1-3-24 I made it thru yesterday without playing Wordle. My current streak ended at 48 since I didn’t play. I’m grateful I could trust God to help me abstain & also abstain from & toss some newspaper puzzles. 

Today I want to play again. It’s 3:47 pm. I attended, read & shared in DDmed & CLA miracles meeting. I’ve transferred & deleted a lot of photos. I have a lot of packing to do. Is it OK to take a Wordle break? I guess I will find out …

 Here’s to the first day of 2024! No glorious sunrise, clouds, sunset or big bass photos, but how about those black-eyed peas?!? Happy New Year!

Enjoyed starting the day on the farm, then heading back to the other home in Norman. No resolutions. Just love, acceptance, peace, hope & gratitude.