Easter blessings

For some reason I’ve been at a loss for words to describe my Easter Sunday. OK, maybe they are coming now … 

I’m blessed to know & worship the Risen Christ! I’m grateful for the Goodrich UMC family, choir & leadership. Pastor Stephen’s focus on God’s message of love in every season — Christmas, Easter, joy, grief, tragedy, new life, whatever comes — is changing lives. May we all know that God’s love is for each & every one of us — & that we experience heaven on earth & into eternity as we share His love with others, however we can. No act of kindness is too small. And yet, I’m grateful for the reminders that none of us can do it all. God loves & accepts us exactly as we are — even if we don’t accept ourselves or can’t imagine that God or anyone else can truly love & accept us exactly as we are. Nothing can separate us from His love. 

(And how cool it is for me when He sends special friends & purring angels along the way!!!

#theheartofresurrectionislove #eastersunday #heisrisen #lovewins #friendship #catangels

Good Friday lament

 I’m grateful for each step of faith & progress, no matter how large or small. I didn’t go to Good Friday service altho I listened to some online. I did a load of laundry & walked 20 min on treadmill, slowly due to knee pain. I tried to work on clutter; it seems like I just moved things; tiniest bits of progress. 

It’s Good Friday & the eve of 30th anniversary of the Murrah bombing. God, please grant me serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; & wisdom to know the difference.

I need help. I want to get this living area cleaned up. I want to vacuum. I want to not feel guilty about not calling or texting Pam today. I want to believe I don’t have to be perfect. I want to let go of things I don’t need. I want to be free of the bondage of clutter & self & self. Help me, Lord, I pray.

Won & done!

Yesterday’s Wordle post: 

Wordle 1,384 1/6

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 (SHEAR)

Dang! Now I have to come up with a new starting word! This one was a variation of my long-time previous one (SHARE). They both served me very well!!

Today’s Wordle post: 

Wordle 1,385 X/6

⬜🟩🟩⬜⬜ 

⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩

⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩

⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩

⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩

⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩

Oh well! That was a hard one. (KRILL)

My new starting word tried to help. Instead, my latest streak ends at 186. No shame in that.

Last Supper choices

I went to see “The Last Supper” at The Warren with friends on Thursday. We thought it would be The Chosen one. It was the Chris Tomlin one. So, now do I go see three more Last Supper movies? (“The Chosen Last Supper” is at theaters in 3 separate parts.) Or should I give that $50 to the church or the poor & wait to see The Chosen in TV? I haven’t watched previous seasons of The Chosen, so I’m not sure it will be worth it for me to jump in at the Last Supper. But I really enjoyed going with Carrie, Kathy, Linda, Freda & Belinda.

Is this a symptom of aging?!?!?

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: 

If you’ve switched to email reminders for when to renew your car tag in Oklahoma, CHECK NOW to make sure you didn’t miss it. I know 2 people who discovered too late that they didn’t get their notices & are paying the penalty! I won’t say how late it was; I would laugh if it weren’t so expensive.

(OK, I’m laughing anyway.)

To top it off, there’s a good possibility the reason it was finally noticed was because I was cruising around with the top down on the red Mustang on a borderline chilly day.

At least I wasn’t speeding. AND I had just left the tag agency, where I renewed my drivers license that might or might not have been deemed expired on the final day of March.

BUT — I did get a warning (JUST a warning) for not signaling long enough before changing lanes as I weaved through slow city traffic!! What? At least I was signaling!!

The kind young Norman police officer also gave me the “good news” that he wouldn’t tow my car, which apparently is an option when the tag is that out of date. He even let me drive on to pick up a friend to take to the airport in OKC!!

Amazingly & thankfully, I was able to get the new tags on the way home from the airport. (I also put my insurance verification where it belongs — in my car! Fortunately I wasn’t cited for its absence.)

I got home in time to prepare dinner & then took a walk, grateful to relax as I continued to count my blessings! 

#gladigotmyDLrenewedbeforehestoppedme #March31 #gettingoldkindasucks #notagingwell #praiseGodanyway #praiseGodalways

Acting in faith

After church I called Pam & ended up going to visit her & Rhonda 1 1/2 hours. And Angel. Very grateful. I told Rhonda I would take her to the airport. Lord, I want to & it seemed like the right thing to do, even tho it may be inconvenient & shorten my time on call w/Patty. I probably need to confirm the timing w/her, to be sure I have time. While there, I got a text from Penny that I have not yet replied to. I want to be able to call. After buying groceries, I didn’t get home until 3 or so. Put groceries away & finally sorted laundry from trip. I’m on treadmill now while I log & maybe play Wordle. I texted Patty & we moved our call to 2:30 but I still may not have time to pick up Rhonda for the airport. One other thing on mind is that I asked Gene to get something out of freezer for dinner. I’m not thrilled w/his choice. I pray to let it be satisfying & to be grateful. I’m also praying to use the opportunities God is giving me to help me let go of material things so I can more freely nurture friendship & serve others. 

Last night Carrie asked if I could help with her mom & I said yes. She ended up not needing me. I get the feeling Gene may resent me saying yes to helping others when my own space is a mess. I don’t guess I can blame him. I wish we had a moderator to help us see each other’s positions better & reach more supportive understanding of our differences. 

 

Stan

This is a placeholder to write about Stan & Pam. I thank God for them. 

Classic!

The 2025 Bassmaster Classic ended a week ago today. I hope to write about it soon. No time tonight. 

Birthday

I’m beyond blessed to have a great family & so many friends who wished me a Happy Birthday! I’ll try to respond to each one, although likely not tonight. I was grateful to be able to spend the day with my love, enjoying simple things like taking advantage of beautiful weather for an afternoon walk & a top-down drive to dinner at Victoria’s Pasta Shop. I’m blown away once again by the extravagance of gorgeous & fragrant yellow roses. I don’t take them for granted! And lest I forget — the celebration began Monday when another beautiful day allowed for me to catch a birthday bass & watch Gene catch several as well! So very grateful!

Earlier writing:

I’m grateful for each step of faith & progress. I enjoyed my birthday. I want to say I enjoyed my birthday. I did. I also feel guilty or ashamed because I think I was very unproductive & self-focused. I also struggle w/loving my roses & the tradition they continue but hating how expensive they are. It’s hard to wrap my head around. Meanwhile, I’ve backed myself into a corner of too much to do w/too little time. Steve can’t go fishing, so I will. Suddenly I’m overwhelmed again; when will I have time to do laundry, exercise, share flowers, visit, help others, get ready to go to Stillwater on Sat & to Fort Worth next week? Plus, it seems like I’m eating too much bread & gravy. It hasn’t added weight, but how can it not? I lift these things up to God, praying for help to know what I can & can’t do & then help to act in faith & let go of results. Breathe. Trust God. Pray, act in faith, trust, give thanks. Pray & receive God’s peace. Trust God & not my own thinking & understanding. Yes. Gratefully & humbly. 

(And that next time fishing ended up being a great day to bookend my birthday!)

By sharing his sorrow w/the disciples He took w/Him to the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus was clearly demonstrating that it’s okay to share my heart’s burdens w/others. Just because I have God in my life doesn’t mean I have to be poised, stoic & invulnerable. It’s okay to say, “Hey, would you mind coming along w/me for this?” & give someone else the opportunity to pray w/me & for me.

Jesus displayed a beautiful openness in inviting his closest disciples to come alongside him.

No, we don’t depend entirely on our loved ones. Nor do we act like faith erases them from the picture.

What am I trying to handle alone today? Has God shown me specific people I can share my heartaches & my dreams with? Am I willing to be invited into another person’s burden, even if it means sacrificing my time & my pursuits?

Heavenly Father, Help me grasp the fact that asking for help or asking for prayer does not chip away at my faith. Help me to be humble enough to invite people I trust to come alongside me on my faith walk. Amen.

Quiet gratitude

My start to Lent didn’t involve ashes or worship at church, but it did include quiet gratitude for hot water late Wednesday after two days without. The heat & air guys got quite a workout bringing things up to code as they replaced our 42-year-old (!!!) water heater! #focusonGod #faithinGod #lent #startwhereiam #daybyday #gratitude #ThankYouGod

(And I was able to participate in Ash Wednesday worship (without the ashes) via the Whaley United Methodist Church livestream! Thank you!)

The party

I’m still in need of that spiritual reset. I didn’t celebrate Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras, unless my usual lack of discipline counts! 

I was thinking I’m not ready for Lent. On second thought, how I am may be precisely ready, at least in the sense of being in need!

In a year that has started with the sports teams I follow starting strong — & then tumbling mightily — maybe it’s fitting the Aggies are beating #1 Auburn on Fat Tuesday. It’s the first time Aggie men’s basketball has beaten the top-ranked team, & this win ends a four-game losing streak for the Ags.

I think there’s a spiritual message for me, I’m just not sure what it is. 

Maybe the party’s over?

Bring on Lent!

Time for a reset

My sports teams are all letting me down.

I think there’s a message for me: let it go. 

Turn my eyes upon Jesus. 

Just in time for Ash Wednesday & the start of Lent & preparation for Easter. 

Florida in February

It’s finally sunny & warm. I love it.

So much drama!

I don’t even know what to pray or say.

Praise God in all circumstances. Worship & adore Him. seek Him & obey Him.

I pray to know God’s will for me; to act in faith; to trust Him with results; & to give Him all glory, honor, thanks & praise.

He knows the concerns of my heart & mind. I lift them up to Him, in faith & with thanksgiving. I thank Him for His promise of peace that surpasses my ability to understand, to guard my heart & life in Christ Jesus.

Thy will be done  In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

TBTB

Maybe that’s it: Too busy to blog! 

That’s my story!

Slacker!

 I’ve not blogged at all in February. Hmmm. 

12 years

 A dozen years without a kitty. I cried when pictures of sweet Bridget came up again on my Facebook memories. It’s OK. Sweet memories. I miss her sweet face & quirky ways. And I miss having a kitty. I’m grateful for the memories & the time we had together. 

Finally! Firsts of the year

Caught my first bass of 2025 on Thursday.

Sang a solo at church for the first time this year. Seems forever since I’d done it. It was good to be back. 

Keeping on

Update to New Year’s Day post:

I did visit the friend — & others — the next day. And I’m on Day 6 of the Bible reading plan.

So, yes, I keep on keeping on.

Thank God for each step of faith & progress.

Pray to keep my focus on & faith in Him; to act in faith; to trust God with results; & to give God all glory, honor, thanks & praise.

New year, same me!

Oh my! 2025 is starting for me like 2024 ended. I can’t even describe it. Back in the day, I thought a time would come when I’d have goals & plans & take disciplined actions to achieve them. When that day never seemed to arrive, I was frustrated & disappointed with myself. I never quit trying … & thinking I’d failed. 

FINALLY — I’m more at peace with however I am today. I’m more confident that God loves & accepts me just as I am (although I’m less certain this is how He designed me to be). And I’m grateful Gene keeps loving & accepting & supporting me (likely despite how I am). I’m sure it’s not easy. God is so good to both of us. 

As for New Year’s Day 2025, it’s a continuation of whatever it all is. So much good … & day by day, I need to accept & focus on that, even when it seems selfish. Pray & trust that God is leading & equipping me & is placing me where He wants me, even when it doesn’t make sense to me. 

I didn’t get pictures of today’s great start, including blueberry sourdough French toast & bacon for breakfast. I did get a picture of us at the gym. I put my black-eyed peas in the stew Gene started in the morning & was ready for dinner. I tried to not run out to take a picture of the sunset before we ate, but how could I resist?!?!? Yet, I did resist an invitation to visit a friend. Maybe tomorrow? Oh yes, I also missed a Zoom gathering I looked forward to, after I got distracted by breaking news.

Perhaps most representative of my day & life was my high hope for starting a new daily reading plan to go through the whole Bible again this year. “The Bible Recap With Tara-Leigh Cobble” came highly recommended. After I listened to & read everything for getting started & Day 1, I’m ready to give up. But I won’t. Not this soon. (Maybe tomorrow? Ha!)

Instead, again, I’ll thank God for each step of faith & progress. I pray to keep my focus on & faith in Him; to act in faith; to trust God with results; & to give God all glory, honor, thanks & praise. #newyearsameasoldyear

Early reflection ….

Off to a great start! Sleeping late. Quality time with my babe. Start a new Bible study. French toast for breakfast. Watch last hour of Tournament of Roses parade.

To end the year, I came upon the Lone Star NYE airing from Dallas & watched 10 minutes of fireworks shooting from & around Reunion Tower. Kinda cool. I could hear fireworks across the street behind our yard & saw a few! In bed 12:45. PJ’s all night, although I pulled on a blouse for an hour while I was on a Zoom call with friends. Good enough for me!