Stretch Marks: Devotions For the Not So Perfect Woman

Shutting It Down . . . For A While

2011-06-03T05:59:00.000-07:00

Dear readers,

I am writing my last blog for a while. I'm taking the summer off to regroup. I have been doing this blog for over three years now and I need a summer break.

I hope to return to it in September rejuvenated and ready to go again. I pray you will drop by about then to join me.

I appreciate all of you faithful ones who regularly visited my site. It is because of you that I have continued so long. Your words of encouragement and statements that you loved the blog are what kept me going all these years. YOU HAVE BLESSED AND ENCOURAGED ME!!! I pray I have done the same for you.

I have a book coming out in the fall based on my blog posts. Of course, it will be called, Stretch Marks: Devotions for the Not so Perfect Woman. I will post the info here when the book is about to come out. Check back in September to see if it is ready by then. I don't know exactly when it will be out, just the fall.

I love and appreciate you and hope I have brought some laughter and spiritual truths into your life that have made your walk with the Lord more meaningful.

See you in fall (I hope).

Love Ya!
Gloria McQueen Stockstill

Things That Affect Us Spiritually

2011-06-01T06:09:00.000-07:00

Hallelujah! I slept more than five hours last night. Do you think it doesn't take much to make me happy? :D

Well, when you don't get enough sleep, it affects your whole life. You're tired. You have to fight (and sometimes lose) being irritable. You don't feel like doing much (I always use that as my excuse when it comes time to clean house!). I guess today I won't have an excuse should I become irritable or not want to clean. Oh well, you can't have it all.

There are some things that affect your spiritual life. Stop regularly reading your Bible, praying, going to church and fellowshipping with other believers. Stop making decisions based on the leading of the Holy Spirit. Stop sharing your faith. Stop letting who you really are affect the way you act, think,and talk. You will find you have become a "tired" Christian. You will find your entire life is affected. You will lose any strength to live the abundant life God planned for you. You'll find life empty and meaningless.

I pray we both will be faithful to energize our lives through the things God left for us. Then we will be happy, vibrant believers who affect those around us.

Freedom Is Sometimes Costly

2011-05-30T04:44:00.000-07:00

It's Memorial Day here in America. Yet, I wonder how many people will even consider that as they pull out the barbeque and enjoy a day of relaxation.

Many have died so we could relax, laugh, enjoy our friends and family or simply do nothing today. Have you stopped and thanked God for their sacrifice? It is quite a price they paid. May we never forget!!!

Let's also ask God to keep our military forces safe who are right this minute fighting on foreign soil to keep us safe here in America.

Remembering the great sacrifices made for my freedom, Gloria

Knowing God Better Through Prayer

2011-05-27T08:15:00.000-07:00

I'm at my daughter's house. My grandson, Justin is sitting beside me. We were talking about what I should write. He asked, "Don't you always pray and ask God to give you strength to handle the grandchildren when you're here?"

Well, he may be right. I played basketball and volleyball with them yesterday and I'll probably never be the same! Maybe I should have prayed harder!!!

Prayer IS for asking God for help in times of need but it is much more than that. It is spending time with God. We miss out if we just pray when we have some need. And, our praying will only happen when trouble is in our lives.

Maybe we all need to take a step up in our faith and start praying just for the purpose of deepening our relationship with our Father. I know God would be pleased if I did that and I would be blessed.

Hoping to pray so I can know God better, Gloria

Aging, A Gift From God

2011-05-23T07:41:00.000-07:00

I'm going to do something unpleasant today. I'm having my picture taken for our church directory. I would forego it but they do expect the pastor's wife to be in the directory!

I NEVER like pictures taken of me. Pictures tell the truth. Truth is good when it comes to moral issues but I would prefer a camera lens that wasn't so honest. Alas, they don't hide anything!

My friend has decided to have her picture touched up. I tried that once. I know you think it is impossible but the touched up one looked worse than the real thing. I looked like a botox queen! There wasn't a line anywhere. My face was like a piece of smooth plastic.

I guess I can thank God for wrinkles. It means he has allowed me to live, have children and now grandchildren. It means I've had years and years of opportunities to serve him and declare his greatness. It means I have developed thousands of relationships that will continue on into eternity.

Now that I think about it, wrinkles are an indication of life, a gift from God. I'm going to think a little differently about aging. But, I'm still going to use my wrinkle cream!

Thanking God for all the years he has given me, Gloria

Rejection? Never!

2011-05-20T07:21:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm at it again.

I got in my car and started to leave home. I couldn't find my keys so I tried to scrounge through my purse to see if they were there. Of course, when you have as much in a purse as I do, it does take some time to find things!

My left hand was full, so I was having difficulty finding anything with only one hand. In exasperation I began pulling everything out of my purse. When I had emptied the entire purse, I still had no keys. It was then I moved my left hand and heard a jingle.

I was afraid to look. Surely I couldn't be that dumb. My keys COULD NOT be in my left hand! WRONG! There they were. After twenty minutes of putting things back in my very large purse, I was on my way.

I was reluctant to post this. I didn't want someone to happen upon this blog and say, "Wow! This woman is really dumb. Who could possibly do a thing like that?" I would really be embarrassed to tell them it was not the first time (and I fear it will not be the last) I have done such a thing!

Sometimes we don't want others to know things about us because we fear they won't like us or fear they will reject us. So, we keep things to ourselves hoping we will be accepted.

We can tell God anything. Actually, he already knows it anyway! We need not fear that he will reject us or not like us. He not only likes us, he loves us! Love that "exceeds all our guilt and shame", as the song goes. His love was so great he sent his Son, Jesus, to die for our sins so we wouldn't have to.

I am thankful for friends who accept me and like me, even though I do dumb things. But, that can never compare to the God of creation loving me and accepting me. That is hard to wrap my brain (such as it is) around!

Thankful that God will never reject me, Gloria

God Does Anti-grumpy Too!

2011-05-18T06:28:00.000-07:00

Mutter. Mutter. Mutter. Bad mood. Only five hours sleep the last few nights. Fear tendencies to snap at everyone near are about to arise. Already frowned at my husband as I walked past him and into the shower.

Thought shower would help. It didn't.

Two choices. Cave in to irritation. Ask God to give me strength to get through the day without biting someone's head off (probably my sweet husband's). Okay. What's it gonna be?. . . . . . . . . . .(thinking) . . . . . . . . (thinking) . . . . . . . . . ..

I've made a decision. God says I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I'm believing he can give me the power to cease to be a crabby woman and make me sweet in spite of how I feel. I'm opting for that.

If you woke up in the same mood as I did, I hope you'll opt for that,too. If you're not in that kind of mood today, remember the verse for the time WILL come that you'll need it!

Choosing God's strength to relieve my grumpiness, Gloria

Honesty, Even When It Is Uncomfortable

2011-05-16T08:04:00.000-07:00

I'm in a rush today. Going to my writers' critique group. I always look forward to seeing them and letting them critique my writing.

Some people have trouble with other people telling them they are wrong or need to correct things. Some writers can't handle that. Me? I love it! I know they can see things I have overlooked. They make me a better writer!

I wonder why we are not willing to let others tell us areas of our spiritual life that need fixing? Is it pride? Maybe wanting others to think more highly of us than we shoul.d. I guess that really is pride, too!

How wonderful if you have a friend or two to whom you will be accountable, friends you have given permission to tell you the truth, even when it hurts.

I have a couple of friends that I have asked to do that. I know it may be hard for them AND for me but I know I will be a better Christian if I allow them to tell me and correct my mistakes. Now, wouldn't knowing you are walking closer to the Lord because a friend told you that you were walking in the wrong direction be worth a little uncomfortableness?

Maybe you need to find a friend and ask that the two of you be accountable to each other (this is always done in love, not judgment). Both your lives will be blessed (if you aren't "touchy") and your walk will the Lord will grow sweeter. Try it!

Thankful I have friends in my writing and my spiritual walk who will be honest with me, Gloria

Going To Church For Others

2011-05-13T17:42:00.000-07:00

If you're reading this, you've checked back. Sorry. I have been trying to post since about midnight last night. The site would not let me access. After about ten today, I quit trying.

I hope you will be back on Monday. Hopefully there won't be any more glitches.

Have a great weekend. Don't forget to go to church and worship with your Christian family. There may be someone there who especially needs you. That's one of the reasons to go to church (to minister, that is). How often do you go to church asking God to use you, if he desires, to be a help or encourgement to another believer. It surely makes church less of a "what's in it for me" idea when you do that!

Hoping God will use me this Sunday, Gloria

A New Book

2011-05-11T04:27:00.000-07:00

I need to get more light in my bedroom. Either that or wear my glasses when I get dressed. If I don't, I may look pretty dumb when I leave the house. Today is a good example of why I need to see better.

I was getting ready to meet my husband for lunch (He hasn't had lunch at home for years!). The last thing I put on was shoes. I probably wouldn't have noticed that I had on two different shoes if I hadn't kind of walked funny when I put them on. My right leg seemed to be longer than the left. I walked with a sort of limp. I looked down to realize I had two different shoes on. Of course, the limp was caused by the fact that one shoe had a higher heel than the other!

I don't know why I hadn't noticed one shoe was pointed and the other was squared. Oh, well. At least I realized it before I rushed out the door. This time, only I would know my stupidity. Since so many know lots of things that put me in the ding-a-ling category, I didn't want to add to their list.

God once had a list of things about me. Not good things. Bad things. They were called sin. All my deeds were written "The Books". Then something wonderful happened. Jesus saved me from my sins. My name was taken out of "The Books" and put in The Book, the Book of Life."

All those horrible things listed about me were erased. I will NEVER have to face them. Jesus took them to the Cross. Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Thankful my wrong deeds are not in God's books, Gloria

Mother's Day Revisited

2011-05-09T07:11:00.000-07:00

I think I have done permanent damage to my toes. It's because I curled them under so much yesterday.

I did tell you someone told me you could stop yourself from crying by curling your toes under, didn't I?
Well, I did a lot of curling my toes yesterday. I don't know why I had the "weepies" at church but everything moved me to tears. My toes were curled under most of the time I was there!!

Mother's Day is a special time for most. Some may dread driving long distances to see their mom or dread all the hassle of fixing a meal for them or, worse yet, trying to take them out to a restaurant. But, mothers SHOULD be honored. We went through a lot to get our kids to the adult stage!!

My mother died when I was eleven. I did not have the joy of getting to know her, of having her to help me through crisis, of having someone to fervently pray for me as I made my passage from child to adult, or having someone to love me as no one else would. I am now a mother and grandmother but I would still love to have had the joy of having my mother around all the years.

I know some mothers are not very honorable. Still, God tells us to honor them. It's not a matter of whether they are honorable but whether we will be obedient to God.

Some of you have wonderful relationships with your moms. Treasure that and commit yourself to seeing that relationship is kept intact. You are truly blessed. Thank God for it!

Someone who has missed out on the joy of a mother, Gloria

Now Is The Time!

2011-05-06T07:12:00.000-07:00

Well, it's time to go home. I admit, I'm just not ready. I need more time!

I have done the same things I do at home; wash dishes, sweep floors, make beds, cook. For some reason, it doesn't seem the same. Even cooking seems less tedious while camping. Of course, if I did this full time, I would soon be complaining about it here, too!

Funny how being under the trees, near a lake and with friends changes how we look at things. When I get back, I wonder if I could talk my friends into coming over every day to visit with me while I clean house. I doubt they're THAT good a friends!

Proverbs 18"26b says, ". . . there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." I know that to be true.
I have church family who are as dear to me as any of my blood relatives. If I have troubles, they are the ones I go to. They truly stick closer than a brother.

But, there is one brother who outdoes them all. He is a blood relative in a different way. It was his blood that was spilled so I could be part of God's family. His name is Jesus. I find it amazing that he would do that for me. I also find it amazing that I am part of the family of God. Such a miracle of grace!

When was the last time you praised and thanked God for making you part of the family of God? Now might be a good time!!

Thanking and praising God that he made a way for me to be part of the family of God, Gloria

The Ordinary

2011-05-04T07:51:00.000-07:00

What do you call sleeping later than usual, eating more than you should, laughing a lot, taking walks, and going out to dinner with friends? Heaven? No. VACATION!!

I have been doing all of the above. It has been so relaxing. I could get accustomed to this kind of life!!

I know I'll hate myself for the eating part but it surely has been fun! The rest of the stuff wasn't fattening, thank goodness!

I will be back into sync next week, if you want to return (I hope you do!) and won't be so bad about not posting. That is, if I can remember!!

I know most of you are still at your homes slaving away at the daily grind of things. I pray God will give you joy in your daily routines and delight in knowing that, even though your day may not be filled with exciting things, you are glorifying God in each thing you do. Really, that is better than a vacation. Honest, it is.

Praying for you, Gloria

Intercession

2011-04-27T06:44:00.000-07:00

I'm not feeling well so this will be short. I woke up during the night with a fever and really bad headache. I've taken medicine so I've sweated off the fever. I hope that's the end of it. The headache is still hanging on.

By the way, why do we say, "I have a splitting headache?" I envision someone splitting my head open with a hatchet that has the words "headache" on it. Actually, some headaches kind of feel like that. I really feel sorry for people who have them regularly.

Hopefully, I'll be my normal self (well, as normal as I can get) in a few hours. I'll take more medicine and hope it will knock it out. We're supposed to leave for a few days of much needed R&R. Don't want my hubby to have to go without me!

How are you feeling today? No pain. Stop right now and say, "God, thank you that I am feeling well. So many aren't."

If you're having a few aches and pains but nothing really serious stop right now and say, "God, thank you that my aches and pains are minor compared to what some are suffering."

If you are suffering greatly, stop right now and say, "God, my suffering is great. Give me strength to bear it today so you will get glory."

Okay, those of us who have minor pains should stop and ask God to give grace and strength to those who are suffering so badly. After all, that's what family does for each other.

Have you been a good family member?

Hoping I'm lifting up the family who needs me to intercede for them, Gloria

P.S. So much for short!

Tiring But Glorious Week

2011-04-25T07:28:00.000-07:00

It's probably good you are only reading this and not face to face with me. I say that because the Grouchy Bug entered our house during the night. It was NOT while I was sleeping. It was BECAUSE I did not get enough sleep and, since I had a busy week, I needed my rest. Notice I didn't even bother saying beauty rest!

We had Wednesday night at church for a prayer meeting and Bible study. Thursday night was our Maundy Thursday service. It is a time of worshipping our Lord Jesus and taking the Lord's Supper to commemorate his death in our place. Saturday started by being at the church at 7:30 am to prepare for our Easter egg hunt for the community. Then our sunrise service started at 6:00 am on Sunday. I led our prayer time in all four of the services. Then I was home to fix food for a friend who invited us over to eat with them since our family was not going to be here.

Do I hear you saying, "For pity's sake, Gloria. Snap out of it. Don't let the grouchy bug get you this morning. You have had a blessed week." Funny, that is just what I am saying to myself. Thanks for confirming it. I knew hanging out with you was going to be a good thing!

After all, how awesome to be able be part of so many wonderful things that glorified our risen Savior!

Hey, guess what. The grouchy bug is gone! I can't find him anywhere. I'm just sitting here thanking God for the privileges he has given me this week. So many of my brothers and sisters in other countries would LOVE to have had my opportunities. Thanks for helping me see things clearly.

Thankful for a tiring week of glorifying God, Gloria

Easter, A Time To Celebrate!

2011-04-22T06:16:00.000-07:00

We had a service at our church last night to commemorate the death of Jesus. It's called Maundy Thursday.

After the service, a few of us went out to a fast food place (my second home) to get something to drink. My husband had to run an errand so he left me at the church. I told a friend I needed a ride to the restaurant. As we drove up to the restaurant, I reached to get my purse. No purse. I said, "I left my purse in Wayne's car." It was then I realized I HAD DRIVEN MY OWN CAR TO CHURCH!

If I hadn't needed my purse, I may have just ridden home with my husband and not realized until the next morning that my car was at the church until the next morning. Well, at least my friends and I had a good laugh!

There is something that is no laughing matter. It is that Jesus died on a Cross so we would not have to die in our sin. Why would he do that? I'm surely not worth it. It was because he loved me.That kind of love amazes me!

I hope you will celebrate this weekend. Celebrate the love that sent Jesus to the cross. Celebrate that this act opened the door for your salvation and mine. Celebrate that he is coming again some day to take us home to live with him eternally. All we have to do is be ready. That means we accept Jesus personally as our Savior and Lord. I hope you have done that. If so, you have a great reason to celebrate. If not, find someone to share how you can.

Have a happy and blessed Easter. HE IS RISEN, HALLELUJAH, WHAT A SAVIOR, Gloria

Thoughts On Easter

2011-04-20T13:38:00.000-07:00

My daughter, Cynthia, wrote this about her experience with our grandson, Justin. I felt it was worth sharing with all of you.
Love,
Gloria

Ever since I had my first child, I have often thought about Mary and her experiences during this event. Each time Easter rolls around, I wonder how she could have borne the grief of watching her child be publicly mocked, falsely accused, beaten beyond recognition, hung and stabbed. How did she resist running up and attempting to snatch his garments from the soldiers who gambled over them?

As I sat next to Justin this past week, listening to him hallucinate through yet another extreme fever, I couldn't help (especially in my fatigue) wondering what it must be like to have a terminally ill child, or to lose a child, or to have been Mary at the foot of the cross. I am not comparing my child's illness to any of the above. I am saying how blessed I feel that I have only had to deal with illness (no matter how scary).

This week is our break from school, and we are spending it trapped in the house trying to get Justin well. I don't resent this, because I know there was another mother who had an entirely different experience at this time many years ago. I feel blessed that her sacrifice, and that of her son, allows me the faith and luxury of knowing that my children are eternally safe.

Cell Phones Can Get You Into Trouble!

2011-04-18T07:52:00.000-07:00

Another embarrassing moment. It happened in church.

Every Sunday there is a request on our screens and in the bulletin asking us to turn off our cell phones. Do you know where this is going?!!

Normally I leave my phone in the car but last night I didn't. Guess what. Someone called me during the services!

My purse was on the floor so I tried to put my feet on it to muffle the sound. Good thing there was nothing extremely fragile in it because I pushed HARD! Still, you could hear it ringing.

I finally got the phone but couldn't figure out what to push to turn it off (I've only had the phone for two years!). Eventually I happened on the right place to turn the phone off. The worst was yet to come.

If I had one person give me a hard time about not having my phone off, I had twenty. So much for hiding your sin!! I think they enjoyed razzing the pastor's wife!

You can be sure (as sure as I can be with the memory I have) I won't be bringing my phone into church next Sunday!

Although my church family brought up my mistake just to tease me (I hope that was the reason!), sometimes we can be guilty of bringing up the mistakes of others in order to make them look bad. The difference is that we seldom do that kind to person's face. It's usually always behind their backs. No wonder the Bible says in James that the tongue is set on fire by hell!

Let's make a pact. This week we'll ask God to help us use our tongue in a way that will bless and not curse. That surely will stop some air pollution!

Praying I can fulfill the pact, Gloria

2011-04-15T04:35:00.000-07:00

I'm off to get a sleep test tonight. I've even bought a new pair of PJ's for the occasion. I hope they appreciate that I spent money on PJ's that could have been spent on something more important. Like a new purse!

I have a dilemma. My fear is I'll sleep like a baby, something I haven't done since, well, since I was a baby. If I do that, they won't see any problem. On, the other hand, it's kind of embarrassing to think someone is going to hear me snore and make weird sounds as I gasp for air.

I guess I can handle the humiliation of snoring before perfect strangers. They had just better not ask me to get on the scales. That would be a little over the top!

God has gifted man in the field of medicine (and other fields) in amazing ways. Things that, a few years ago, would have meant sure death to a person are now treatable. We live longer and better lives.

When is the last time you thanked God that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made"? Even someone with a brain like mine!

Thanking God for even my mind, Gloria

Help! I Need A Mishap!!

2011-04-13T02:34:00.000-07:00

It's 2 in the morning and I'm sitting here trying to think of something funny to share with you. Trouble is, I don't feel funny. I feel tired. Who wouldn't at 2 in the morning! So, this may be the most un-funny (I think I just made up a new word) post you have ever read.

I've been holed up in the house the entire week getting my book ready. Not much excitement there. It does eliminate opportunities to get into trouble. But, that hinders my blog posts. If I don't get into mishaps, what will I write?

Hopefully, I'll be out and about soon and some mishap will give me something to write about on Friday. Did I actually just write HOPEFULLY? Why would I hope for mishaps? I'm beginning to scare myself! I think it's time to go back to bed!

Have you ever thought of mishaps as blessings from God? The way I see it, it's the way we handle the mishaps that is important.

Maybe God allows mishaps hoping we will handle them in a way that will bring glory to him. You know, we act right in a bad situation, people know we are Christians and take note that we have handled the situation in a way that is not normal. Bam! God is glorified.

Having any mishaps in your life? How are you handling them?

Hoping I handle mishaps in such a way that God is glorified, Gloria

P.S. I'm on my way back to bed. Surely I can't have any mishaps there, right?
Goodnight!

Hot, Cold Or Lukewarm?

2011-04-11T06:50:00.000-07:00

My body can't decide. Does it want to be hot or does it want to be cold? It is very disconcerting.

When I get dressed, I don't know whether to dress for winter or summer. If I dress for winter, I may find myself dripping with sweat when the body furnace revs up to about 200 degrees. If I dress for summer, I may find my teeth chattering and my lips turning blue from the 40 below temperature my body has fallen to. I WISH MY BODY WOULD MAKE UP ITS MIND! Am I going to be hot or cold? I'll even settle for lukewarm!

God won't settle for lukewarm. He talks about it in the Bible. He says if his church is lukewarm he will spew them out of his mouth. Wow! Do you get the idea God hates lukewarm?

Question: When God looks at you does he see cold, hot or lukewarm?

I'm not referring to the things you DO. I'm talking about your heart, your relationship to God. God says he would even prefer his church be cold rather than lukewarm! Perhaps it is because when you're lukewarm you can delude yourself into thinking you are OK. God doesn't see it that way.

Take a minute to be honest with yourself today. Are you lukewarm? Would God spew you out of his mouth? Confess, if you need to, and ask God to make you an "on fire" Christian.

Praying I am not a lukewarm Christian, Gloria

Food Fight

2011-04-08T05:25:00.000-07:00

I'm down in the dumps. Why? Because, for the last several days, I have eaten everything that was small enough to put in my mouth. And, it didn't even have to taste good!

One day I was desperate for something sweet. I didn't have anything in the house. I finally became so desperate I took some crackers and dipped them in melted chocolate. To say they were good would be an exaggeration but, at least, I had something sweet!

Why couldn't I resist that temptation? I guess the truth is, I didn't really want to do so. I WANTED FOOD, especially sweets!

When you fail to do what you know is right, it leaves you discouraged and depressed. At least it does me. If I allow myself to do so, I could mope around the house and berate myself about how pathetic I am. And, it is really hard not to do that!

Today I have done some positive things. I started my exercise program again. And, I haven't spent the entire afternoon with my head in the refrigerator. I can't say I've not eaten things I shouldn't but I'm fighting. The worst thing I could do is give up!.

I know as I yield myself to the Holy Spirit he will direct me in all areas of my life, even what I eat!

Hoping today I yield to the Spirit in all areas of my life, Gloria

In Heaven I Will Be Perfect (Praise The Lord!)

2011-04-06T11:34:00.000-07:00

Well, the few precious days of no blunders are over. I FORGOT TO POST THIS MORNING!

You would think I could remember something I have been doing for over three years! I guess the 21 day habit thing doesn't work on blogging. Sigh.

I do sometimes get tired of being me. How awesome it would be to never forget, to do everything perfectly, and to never make dumb mistakes that cause frustration to me and others. What a perfect world that would be.

Hey! There is hope!! One day I will be like that. Never will I again forget. Never again will I make a mistake. Never again will I cause anyone around me frustration. When I get to heaven, I'll do all things perfectly. I can just hear my friends and family shouting Hallelujah!! I know I am looking forward to that and I imagine lots of my friends and family are, too!!

Thankful I will be perfect in heaven, Gloria

Forgetting This Truth Can Lead To "Blunders"

2011-04-04T07:09:00.000-07:00

As I was beginning my post, I realized a miracle had happened in my life this week. I did not have one Gloria's Guffaw. Not one. I'm telling you, it's a miracle!

I can't believe I haven't done SOMETHING dumb. It must be that the old memory is getting even worse and I just can't remember some of the things I did this past week. That's got to be the answer. It can't be possible for me to live a whole week and not blunder in some way.

Or, maybe the blunder was so bad I've blocked it out of my memory. I pray that is not the answer. I fear I might recall it some time later and have to face what I have done.

It's not possible for me to live my spiritual life for a week without a blunder either. But, that doesn't mean I don't try! God has made himself resident in my life (how awesome is that!) and gives me power to overcome sin in my life. It's only when I forget that truth that I get into trouble.

Trying to live a godly life without relying on the Holy Spirit is like me trying to live my life without guffaws . . . it just "ain't" gonna happen! Yet, if I allow the Holy Spirit to control me, I find I make less and less "blunders", better known as sin.

I pray for you that this week your life will have less "blunders" because you have allowed the Holy Spirit to control your life.

Hoping I don't forget to allow the Holy Spirit to give me power to overcome sin, Gloria

Joy Or Chore?

2011-04-01T05:11:00.000-07:00

I'm a procrastinator. I seem to put things off, especially those things I don't like to do . . . like clean house. I can think of dozens of other things to do when I know I have to vacuum, wash clothes, and ESPECIALLY iron. As I am writing this, I remembered I threw a bag of clothes in the garage when I knew I was going to have unexpected guests. That was several weeks ago. No wonder we don't have any clothes to wear!

Writing is another story. I LOVE to write. So, I opt to do the thing I love most. I write.

I HAVE gotten better. Those of you who have followed my blog know I have used the "21 day habit maker" idea. I now make my bed EVERY day. Now, that, my friend, is a miracle. An even greater miracle is that I now clean my kitchen after I cook. Of course, I do try to cook as little as possible so I don't have to do much cleaning. I may be ditsy but I'm not stupid!!

Funny. It's not hard to do the things I love to do. They are not tedious at all. They are a joy.

Is it a joy or a chore for you to read God's Word? Is it a joy or a chore for you to pray? Is it a joy or a chore for you to live a godly life?

If these things that once were a joy to us have now become a chore, perhaps we have left our first love. Remember, Christianiyt is about a relationship with Jesus, not works.

No amount of "doing" things can bring the joy that developing a relationship with God can do. Works will always become a chore. Let's create a "habit" of a relationship with God. Then all those things that help us grow and mature such as reading the Bible, praying, and living godly will, once again, be a joy.

Praying my life in Christ is always a joy, Gloria

Doctor Gloria

2011-03-30T05:53:00.000-07:00

A friend told me her sister is now reading my blog. (Welcome!!!) She asked her sister if I really did all the things I had posted. My friend affirmed that they all were true. ALL OF THEM.

Yes, I do seem to have more than my share of mishaps. But, when you think about it, what would I blog about if my life was not filled with these "Perils of Pauline" now known as "Gloria's Guffaws". By the way, if you are not familiar with the word guffaw, it means "to snicker, to chuckle, to burst out in a fit of laughter."

Yep. That seems to be my lot in life. God put me here and "allowed" me the opportunity to do ditsy things so I could make people snicker, chuckle or burst out in a fit of laughter. Hey, somebody has to do it!

I kind of think the ones who laugh the loudest may be those who have the same ditsy tendencies I do. Just a guess. Others may snicker and chuckle and, while they are doing it, they are thanking the good Lord they aren't like that!

The Bible says laughter is like a medicine. It brings healing. So, I guess you can call me Dr. Gloria. It's for sure my life makes for a good laugh!

Praying God he can use me to bring healing laughter to another persons life, Gloria

Mismatched Knee Highs

2011-03-28T05:53:00.000-07:00

Well, I did it again! Another one of my regular blunders.

I went to church yesterday, stood on the platform before our congregation THREE TIMES, and NEVER knew I had mismatched knee highs. It was not until I got home from church and slipped my legs out of the car that I realized I had one patterned knee high and one plain.

I wonder if I could convince people I really meant to do that. Kind of like a new fashion trend. With what I see today as fashion, I don't think it is too far fetched!

Of course, I had to tell my friends. I don't know why I don't keep my mouth shut about these things. That way, everyone would think I'm this suave, sophisticated intellectual who has an "all together" life. I don't think anyone who knows me would buy that!

Some Christians live "mismatched" lives. They have been chosen by God to be his children. On one hand, they try to do what God wants but on the other hand they want to do some things that are contrary to what they know God teaches.

To live that way is to live a "mismatched" life. God wants (and expects) us to live like his Son. In fact, we are supposed to be conformed more and more into his likeness. When we allow into our lives those things that do not match his character or what he would do we become "mismatched" Christians.

Check out your life. Are you living a "mismatched" life? Do you need to add or eliminate things in your life that will make you "match" your Savior? Something to think about.

Hoping I'm not a "mismatched" Christian, Gloria

Changing My Mind About Cleaning Toilets And Other Such Things

2011-03-25T04:25:00.000-07:00

Do you hate to do some things? Like cleaning toilets? How about vacuuming? Maybe washing and folding clothes? Well, so far I hate doing ALL of the things listed!!

I guess there are some things we have to do whether we like doing them or not. I know that, in the windy area where I live, if I didn't dust occasionally, the dust bunnies would stack to the ceiling in a few days. (I have had them about two feet deep but hubby gets a little grumpy when he has to wade through them any higher.)

Okay, I won't even go to toilets. But, eventually you have to wash clothes. I'm not too good at putting them away. Hey, things are easier to find if they are piled out in the open!

What are some things you really don't like to do yet know you need to do them? What is your attitude toward doing them? I wonder if we changed our attitude toward the things we hate to do that we would not dislike doing them as much.

God says that, "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he." That might be true of how we think about the things we are not "wild" about doing. Do you think it might actually change our attitude about doing them, that the chore would become less of a chore?

I'm going to try and change my thinking about the things I don't care to do. Want to join me? Let's see if changing how we think about doing those things changes the drudgery and dislike of doing them. I know we may have a challenge thinking right about cleaning toilets!! :D

Asking God to help me think right, Gloria

Not So Perfect

2011-03-23T05:05:00.000-07:00

I'm up early again today. Back to my normal routine. I'm surely glad I don't have to work outside my home because, when I get tired from these early morning awakenings, I can take a nap. There are definite advantages to working at home!

How many people can do their work while snuggled in their flannel pajamas. Actually, I guess revealing I wear flannel PJ's is another indication of my age. My husband doesn't seem to mind that I have exchanged my lovely negligees for flannel. He is such a great guy!

Added to my delight in working in my PJ's is the fact that I have the sound of dripping rain at my window. A perfect day . . . for now.

I'm sure something will come along to try and squelch my idyllic day. There just aren't very many days that are totally perfect. At least not in my world! I guess the important thing is how I look at the day.

God never promised us everything would be perfect . . . at least not yet! Someday, yes. But, for now, we are to accept from the hand of God whatever he gives us and rejoice in it whether it is perfect or not. Easier said than done, right?

Today, whatever comes our way, let's praise God and thank him that he has a purpose and plan in it all. It really does make the "nitty gritty" stuff easier to handle. So, are you praising yet?

Praising God for my not so perfect days, Gloria

A Coming Quake and A Coming Christ

2011-03-21T04:21:00.000-07:00

It's four in the morning and I'm listening to the wind howl like an angry monster that can't get to his prey. I'm hoping the wind monster can be kept securely outside my home. I am so glad for homes and nice snug beds to cuddle into!

I got a disturbing video about a man predicting an earthquake where I live (California). Since he is a scientist and predicted the one we had in northern California some years ago, I did not ignore him as some kind of kook. I called my kids and told them to get some things in store, just in case.

If you live in earthquake country, it is wise to always be prepared with water, food, flashlights, batteries, etc.. But, we seldom do such things until someone gives a warning like this. Even then, many will simply ignore it and go about "as usual".

Hopefully, the man will be wrong. HOWEVER, he has made me consider doing something I knew to do long before his warning.

People are like that about God's warning. He has said we cannot get into heaven apart from accepting the atoning death of his Son, Jesus. Still, millions ignore the warning, even consider it foolish.

Still others who claim to be Christians ignore his teachings and commands. They think there is nothing to worry about. They go through life missing out on the wonderful life he promised his children, even here on earth. Their lives are tumultuous, like an earthquake, and they don't understand why.

I pray we here in California will all be prepared for an earthquake but I am more concerned people are prepared for the day the sky will be split open and the Son of God will appear. It's more important to be ready for the "big day" when Jesus returns than the "big quake".

Hoping the eyes of many will be open to the coming event before it is too late, Gloria

Dream, Dream, Dream

2011-03-18T07:14:00.000-07:00

There was a song when I was a teenager that started off, Dream, Dream, Dream. Well, that's what this post is about, my dream.

Have you ever gone to bed stressed? Your dreams will often times tell if you are. Mine did last night.

In my dream, I was supposed to be doing a photo shoot. Now, that should have let my mind know I was dreaming. NOBODY is going to have me doing a photo shoot. Maybe the fact that I want to learn how to be a better photographer crept into my dreams!

As I was trying to do the shoot, my camera messed up. I didn't know how to fix it. The director was impatiently waiting for me to "get it all together". He was not happy. I felt such pressure and just couldn't find a way to fix that camera!

When I awoke this morning I still had a heaviness over me, like I was still in the dream. I'm still trying to shake it. Funny how a dream can be so real that, even after you wake up, you have to fight getting over it.

My dream made me realize I'm not resting in the Lord as I should. Sure, I have a stressful life right now. But, I have the privilege of being able to lay all my burdens on the Lord and know he will get me through. I guess God had to use a dream to make me realize it!

I hope today you and I can roll all our stress causing situations on to Jesus and let him help us carry them.

Thankful God used a dream to show me my error, Gloria

Things Are Not Always As They Seem

2011-03-16T08:24:00.000-07:00

Have you ever seen pictures of those gorgeous movie stars when someone catches them without their makeup? They look pretty average. The facade (makeup) covered up what was really there.

I saw something similar a few days ago as my husband and I were on our way home. On the side of the road was a large field covered with bluish-purple flowers. They covered a large area and made it look so beautiful. HOWEVER, those beautiful flowers belied the truth that lay beneath them. They were goat heads!

Now, if you are not familiar with goat heads, they are a plant that has stickers attached. They are very painful when you step on them. I even think they have poison in them.

It made me think about how we can sometimes hide what is really underneath. We act like Christians on the outside, even look like one. But, when the facade is torn off, hatred, bitterness, anger, unforgiveness, a lack of commitment to a relationship to God, a spirit of dissension, and many other things lay hidden beneath the surface. We may really be Christians but we have not allowed the Holy Spirit to remove all that junk from our lives. As a result, we are only surface Christians. That kind of Christian can never experience the life Christ died to give them.

Are you living with a facade? Look deeper and ask the Holy Spirit to remove those things that keep you from really being a beautiful Christian.

Hoping I'm not hiding under a facade, Gloria

Looking Good

2011-03-14T08:15:00.000-07:00

Well, yesterday was one of my "Perils of Pauline" days.

Three Sundays a month, I lead in scripture and prayer during our services. I went into the 8:00 o'clock service and realized I had (so I assumed) left my scripture and comments at home. I ran as fast as someone my age can , trying not to knock down anyone as I went, and got to my car. God is good. I had actually brought them but had forgotten to take them inside. After a few minutes of gasping for breath, I rushed back inside.

I decided to drop by the restroom before I went into the auditorium. Still rushing, I, well, you know what I did. No need in going into too much detail.

As I rushed out the bathroom door, I just happened to look down (actually, I think it was a God thing). My slacks were unzipped AND unbuttoned. I quickly retreated back inside and fixed things. I didn't even dare think about what it would have been like going up on the stage with unzipped and unbuttoned pants!

I got through all three services without another glitch. I think God was gracious to me because he knew my stress level was high enough for one day!

It seems life is full of stressful days. It may not be big things, just things that would destroy our peace. I know I seem to have lots of them! When I do, I try to breath a prayer, asking God to give me the strength to get through the situation with a right attitude. I pray that I will not act in such a way that I make him look bad. To me, that is the most important thing about how I handle adversity. I do so want people to see that God can get you through the little and gigantic difficulties you face. It may not be easy but making God look good makes me feel good!

Hoping my actions always make God look good, Gloria

Squandering Time

2011-03-11T08:05:00.000-08:00

Wow! This is really late for me . . . again. Is it because of the old age thing that I am sleeping later? No, I think not. Aren't you supposed to go to bed earlier and get up earlier as you get older? Since I've always gone to bed early, by the time I'm eighty, I may be crawling under the covers about one in the afternoon!

It could it be that I had a horrific night trying to sleep? Whatever the reason, I feel I have wasted so much of the day already. Time I can never recover. Had I gotten up earlier, I could have had my blog done, my devotions done, and written on my story assignments. You notice I said nothing about cleaning the house. I hate doing that no matter what time I get up!!!

Have you ever thought about lost time? I have. I've wonder if there have been times I squandered time. Times when I should have done something but didn't. Times I did something that was not worth wasting my precious time on.

I suppose all of us can look back and find some period we wish we had used our time more wisely. That can be good if it spurs us on to change our patterns. It can be bad if we let the devil drag us into despair about it.

God has allotted each of us so much time, time to grow more like Jesus, time to serve, time to learn, time to worship, time to rest. All are important. May we use wisely the time we have left.

Hoping I don't squander the time God has given me, Gloria

Two Choices

2011-03-09T06:57:00.000-08:00

Why does life have to be so complicated? Why can't it run smoothly most of the time and have only a few bumps now and again? I HAVE NO IDEA!! I just know it doesn't work that way.

My day started off rather smoothly. Then an email had me running around to find things I needed so I could reply to the email. As I rushed, the stress level increased. What had started off looking like a day that was going to be quite pleasant was now filled with frustration and anxiety. And that was before six o'clock in the morning!!

Ever have days like that? I imagine most people can relate to my morning in some way. I guess we have two choices. We can fret and let all those dastardly frustrations ruin the rest of our day. Or, we can stop, take a deep breath, whisper a prayer asking God to give us calm in the midst of our storm, thank him that we have his peace and power in all situations and then go on with the rest of our day. Singing a song or two probably wouldn't hurt either! For you who feel you can't sing, humming is fine.

Thankful I don't have to let the first of my day determine the rest of my day, Gloria

Sin Squeakers

2011-03-07T07:38:00.000-08:00

I woke up to light this morning. That is unusual for me. I'm usually up before the sun decides to get up. Two things accounted for my delay. It is getting lighter earlier and I stayed in bed longer. Not because I was asleep but because I'm such a good wife! Well, at least I was this morning.

My hubby had a hard day yesterday so I didn't want to wake him up. When you get out of our bed, it squeaks. We're not talkin' about a soft little squeak but one that could raise the dead! I knew if I got up it would rouse him and he probably couldn't go back to sleep. So I lay there . . . and lay there . . . and lay there. When I could take it no more, I tried to get out as quietly as possible. Hah! That didn't happen. It sounded like a groaning giant (I'm not referring to myself!) had awakened. No one could doubt I was getting out of bed.

It made me think. If God would put a "squeaker" on us every time we started to do something wrong, it might deter us from doing it. You know, I start to open my mouth and say something unkind about another person and a loud squeak comes out. Now, not only God but everyone near me would know I was about to do something wrong. Wow! I think that would make me use my tongue more wisely!

Or, how about you are sitting in a crowded room and think something wrong. A loud squeak emanates from you. You've been caught! Everyone in the room now knows you have thought something wrong.

The more I think about it, God was wise not to do that. If every time we all did wrong, there would be a squeak, there would be so many squeaks going off, we wouldn't be able to hear anything else. Talk about noise pollution!

I'm really thankful God was so gracious to not give us squeaks. He knows when I do wrong and expects me to confess it. But, it's between me and him. What an awesome God!

Thankful I don't have a "sin sqeaker", Gloria

Thinking Right Really Does Help!

2011-03-04T06:25:00.000-08:00

Okay, if you were here you would see a woman clad in a red robe crying like a baby. What's wrong?

I crawled out of my sick bed to write a blog. When I was just about finished, it all vanished! Well, you know how you can't handle as much when you're not feeling well? I couldn't handle it. I cried. Okay, I cry a lot about things anyway but this one was a cry of frustration.

Some could go back and piece their ramblings back together again. Not me. I told you I was forgetful!!!

I look forward to heaven where there won't be such mishaps. In fact, I doubt we'll need computers up there. That, in itself, will be heaven for me!

How has your week been? Sick? Sick and tired? Things not going as planned? Frustrated? Welcome to the world!

I guess I could go back to bed, put my head under the covers, and read another book (more about that later). No. I think it's time to kick discouragement out the window and get up.

The Bible says we live out what we think. What are you thinking about? Angry at someone? Depressed about how your life is going? Doubting things are going to get better?

Clear your mind of the negative thinking. Get into the Bible and read verses that praise God. Sing a few songs (hey, God loves to hear you, even if no one else does!) You may find your clouds don't look quite as dark, your heart isn't quite as heavy and you just might be able to smile a little. THINK about it!

Thankful I don't have to live in despondency because I have a Savior who gives me power to think right, Gloria

Physical Sickness, Spiritual Sickness

2011-02-28T08:33:00.000-08:00

I have that coughing, sneezing, can't breathe kind of cold so this will be short. I won't say sweet because I'm not sure this clogged head can come up with something sweet OR funny.

I hate being sick! Duh! Doesn't everyone? Not really. There are some people who love being sick because it means people will cater to their whims and wait on them, as we say in the south, "hand and foot."

It seems dumb to most of us that someone would enjoy being sick. Why wouldn't they want to take medicine or whatever they needed so they could get well and live a life free of sickness?

Something else puzzles me. Why do people not want to give their lives to Jesus so he can make them spiritually well PERMANENTLY? I can't understand that any more than I can understand people wanting to stay physically sick.

Praying those who are spiritually sick will determine to seek out the healer, Jesus, Gloria

Clean Kitchens, Clean Lives

2011-02-25T05:50:00.000-08:00

I've hit another milestone in my life. Not a big one in the eyes of most but a really, really, big one for me. For over 21 days now I have cleaned my kitchen in the evening.Yea for me!!!

Now you neat and tidy types may be saying, "What's so big about that. Doesn't everybody always clean the kitchen after dinner." Well, I want to open your eyes. NO, THEY DO NOT! At least I'm hoping I'm not the only one who has left a sink full of dishes because I just didn't have the energy (or the desire) to wash them.

I admit, I always hated having to face the sink come morning. Now I feel good when I walk into my kitchen in the morning and find everything nice and neat. The only thing I hate is having to mess it up! I do that as seldom as possible by convincing my husband we should have breakfast . . . or lunch . . . or dinner out. I have been known to convince him to do all three in a day but not as often as I would like!

Another that makes me feel good is when I win another victory over a sin in my life. It doesn't have to be what we consider a big sin (I say "we" because God looks at all sin the same).

It's nice to see your life has been cleaned up in an area that has been dirty for some time. Of course, like my kitchen, if we are not persistent, it will get dirty again! Like I must daily clean my kitchen, I need to daily seek the power of the Holy Spirit in my life to rid my flesh of those things that make it "dirty".

Got anything in your life that needs to be cleaned up? Develop the habit of letting the Holy Spirit control your life. You'll be thrilled to see that your life will become like my kitchen . . . nice and clean.

Thankful I can have a clean kitchen but happier that I can have a clean life through the power of the Holy Spirit, Gloria

Mind Changer

2011-02-23T06:27:00.000-08:00

It's going to snow in a few days. At least that's what they predict. I can hardly wait!

I know I'm in the minority around here when I look forward to snow. I look forward to it with great expectation.

Everything is beautiful when it snows. All the "junky" stuff is covered with this pure white layer. The snow even looks like it has diamonds in it when the sun glistens on it.

I'm also in the minority about looking forward to heaven. The Bible says, "Many are called. Few are chosen."

Some people don't believe heaven is more beautiful. Worse yet, some don't even believe there is a heaven!

In heaven, all the "junk" stuff will not just be covered; it will be gone!! Your junk. My junk. Taken away. And, let's not forget about having those new bodies. I'm REALLY looking forward to that!

The glistening in heaven won't be from snow but from God. The Bible says there will be no need of the sun for God will be the light there.

No pain, no frustrations, no sorrow. Why wouldn't everyone want to go there?

Some people are blind to the beauty of snow. More are blind to the beauty of heaven.

I'm always trying to change people's minds about the snow. Am I as faithful in trying to change their minds about God and heaven? How about you?

Hoping I'm trying to change people's minds about the right thing, Gloria

Cake Crumbs and Crummy Lives

2011-02-21T06:50:00.000-08:00

I did another dumb thing. Are you getting tired of hearing about them?

My family was coming to take family pictures. My daughter had a birthday the first part of the month so I told her we would celebrate. She asked for an Italian Cream Cake.

I prepared the cake (or, so I thought) and put the three pans in the oven. I then realized I had not added the whipped egg whites. I took the pans out, plopped the mixture back into the bowl and added the egg whites. I was thankful I caught the error in time.

I proceeded to put the mixture back into the baking pans. After it was all in, I realized I had not greased the pans again! By that time, I was thinking about going to a bakery and buying a cake!

I WAS NOT about to scoop the mix out again so I just prayed a lot. I could just see me having to scoop the cake out in little pieces. I wondered if she would like a "crumb cake"!

After baking, I did have to scrape around the edges but the cake came out intact. The family loved the cake and I was glad the ordeal was over. Now, do you see why I had rather go out to eat!!!

In the Christian like we sometimes start off with good intentions but, somewhere along the way, we mess up. It could be when we say something unkind or gossip about another person. It could be failing to say, "I'm sorry." It may be doing something we know we shouldn't or not doing something we know we should. Our life could wind up a pile of "crumbs".

What is the key to not allowing that to happen? How can be assured we won't be a perpetual gossip, a person who is unkind, a person who always does what we know we shouldn't do or a person who never does the things we know we should do?

The only way to get it right the first time is to allow the Holy Spirit to control our lives, what we think, what we say, what we do. Are you doing that? Am I doing that? It is our only hope of living a life that is not "crummy".

Hoping I allow the Holy Spirit to control everything in my life today so it won't be crummy, Gloria

Putting It Off Long Enough!

2011-02-18T05:23:00.000-08:00

I'm going to do it today. Not going to put it off any longer. I'm going to get my Christmas trees and Christmas decorations out of the house and into the barn. At last!

I usually leave my Christmas decorations up longer than most people. Lots longer than most people! The end of February is my record, I think.

I do love the Christmas holiday and want to enjoy it as long as possible but, the truth be known, I haven't gotten the house "undecorated" this time because I just haven't wanted to bother putting it up. It's not fun to take the ornaments down. It's simply work.Still, I know it has to be done. It's the right thing to do. I just have to commit myself to getting it done.

My spiritual life can sometimes be like that. There are things I know I need to do but I just don't want to put the effort into doing them.

Living the Christian life is not always easy (think the apostle Paul). It takes commitment, determination, and a willingness to do things because they are the right thing to do, even when we don't feel like doing them.

Want to know a secret? I sometimes don't want to read my Bible and pray. I'm too tired, too busy, too overwhelmed with difficulties. Do I stop reading my Bible and praying just because I feel that way? Absolutely not! I know that those times are when I need to spend time with God more than any other times.

It does take commitment and determination to read the Word and pray when you don't FEEL like doing it. It may even seem like work. But, as you allow the Holy Spirit to open the Word to you and you pour out to God your distresses, you will find that you are sustained as you never could have been had you not spent time with God. And, it doesn't even seem like work anymore!

Hoping I don't put off spending time with God today, Gloria

God, Goop and Coconut Cake

2011-02-16T05:40:00.000-08:00

I had to make a cake for church on Sunday. That should have been simple enough. Just open the box of cake mix, add eggs and oil, slather on a little icing and you're done, right? Well, it all went fine until the slathering on icing part.

I decided to make a coconut cake. That means I make a 7 minute frosting. You have to boil sugar, Karo and water until it becomes semi-hardened. Then you add egg white. You come out with a airy, yummy icing that is perfect for making a coconut cake. IF you cook the icing right, that is!

I put the icing on to boil and decided to check a quick thing on my computer. Well, it didn't turn out to be so quick. I started doing one thing and that led to another thing, and another. Suddenly, I remembered the icing.

I ran in the kitchen only to find a deep, deep, brown something-or-other in the pot.
But wait! I'm not finished yet. There's more to the story. I hadn't already done enough damage. I had to add more!

I took the pot of "goop" and threw it into the sink and turned on the water . . . cold water. Know what happened? Right! The "goop" suddenly stuck to my sink like crazy glue!! Now I had this dark brown glaze on the bottom of my sink that refused to budge. Dear, dear, why do I even bother cooking at all. This just confirms that I should eat out every meal.

I tried to clean the "goop" off without destroying my sink. It was not an easy job! All that work has made me vow to NEVER make icing again (at least until I get hungry again for coconut cake).

God gets "goop" off me. And, he does it without destroying me. In fact, I look even better than I did before! Now, who doesn't want to look better than they did?

Got any "goop" that you need to allow God to clean out of your life?

Hoping I allow God to remove all the "goop", Gloria

Waffles, Water and Plastic Bags

2011-02-14T06:07:00.000-08:00

I have the cleanest waffles in town. Yep, that's true. I can almost guarantee it. Here's why.

I had grand kids here. One had a birthday so we were celebrating by having chocolate chip waffles for dinner.

I had a few left over so decided to put them in a plastic bag. I was hoping they would want them again for breakfast. That would mean I didn't have to cook up another big meal. I may be a devoted grandmother but I'll still try to find ways not to cook!

The next morning, my hubby was in the kitchen taking dishes out of the dishwasher. I heard, "What in the world!" I hurried in to see what had made him react. There in his hands was my bag of waffles. He had just pulled them out of the dishwasher!!! Now do you see why I can almost guarantee I have the cleanest waffles in town?

The plastic bag did a pretty good job of keeping the waffles intact. In fact, I'm considering writing the company and telling them what their product is capable of. I hesitate only because I fear they will want to tell my story on a television commercial. Then, my ditsy tendencies will be known by millions. The thought makes me a little queasy.

I can just see it. I'll be walking down the street and someone will stop me and say, "Hey, aren't you that ditsy lady that put waffles in your dishwasher. Boy, that was dumb!"

Nope, I think I'll just keep this between us. No one else need know. I'll just tell people how sturdy the plastic bags are without letting them know how I'm so sure that is true.

There is something I love about God. He doesn't make us confess our stupid actions, our sins, our missing the mark, to anyone but him. Think about it. Isn't that another indication of a loving God? His goal is not to shame us before others. He just wants us to be clean so our fellowship with him isn't broken. I don't know about you, but that makes me love him even more!

Thankful for such a wonderful God, Gloria

Dual Gift

2011-02-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

My WiiFit has dual benefits. It not only helps me exercise, it gives me lots of laughs. When my husband gets on it and tries the hula hoop exercise, two things happen. First, I laugh so hard I can hardly breath and secondly, I actually get exercise myself because I twist and turn as if I am the one doing the exercise! I guess I think it will help him!! My husband doesn't seem offended when I laugh at him. In fact, he gets to laughing too. Of course, that doesn't improve his hula hoop ability.

How great that we have something that can make us laugh AND get us fit. Dual is good!

Jesus gave us dual gifts when he died for us. He gave us the gift of salvation from our sins. He also gave us the Holy Spirit to direct our lives and conform us to his own image.

It seems lots of Christians like the first part of the gift, sins forgiven. They aren't too interested in the second part, conforming to the image of Jesus. That, like exercise, takes effort. It's a lot easier to DO things for God than to be changed into his image!

I wonder what this world would be like if every person who professes to be a Christian would actually start living lHoly Spirit controlled lives?

Are you incorporating both of Jesus' gifts into your life? Are you allowing the Holy Spirit to change you so that you become more like Jesus? Something to think about.

Hoping I'm accepting both of the gifts Jesus gave me, Gloria

Lessons Learned From Pork Chops

2011-02-07T05:46:00.000-08:00

My son and grandkids came to the house and stayed for dinner. I fixed pork chops, one of my son's favorite meals. They all ate heartily. They had better! I don't cook any more than I have to but, you do LOTS of things for your grandkids that you wouldn't do for anyone else, right? Do I hear an amen out there?

That was over a week ago. I opened my oven last night (I did say I don't cook any more than I have to) and there, dry and withered up, sat two pork chops! I had left them in the oven and forgotten them.

Several things upset me about my forgetfulness. One, I had paid good money for those things! Two, my husband and I could have eaten another meal of pork chops. The worst thing about it was that I missed out on not having to cook another meal!

I got to thinking about those pork chops. When I put them in the oven, they were nice and plump and could have been used to nourish our bodies. Hidden away in the darkness, they became shriveled up and worthless.

Our Christian lives can get like that. God wants us to live our lives getting to know him, gaining spiritual nourishment from being in his presence, walking in the light as he is in the light. Instead we choose to walk in darkness, refusing to learn and grow. Just going through the motions. The result is we become dried up and shriveled Christians. We have not been nourished by God so we cannot nourish others as we are told to do.

The wasted pork chops were bad. A wasted life is even worse!

Hoping I'm not a shriveled, dried up Christian, Gloria

Scooping Up Goodies

2011-02-02T04:10:00.000-08:00

When I was a kid (long, long, ago) we had a candy delivery truck come through our neighborhood. Something happened and the truck wound up in the ditch. All the boxes of candy spilled out into the street and on the side of the road. Every kid in the neighborhood was there in a heartbeat. Candy was strewn everywhere. All kinds of candy!

Since the candy couldn't be sold because it had been on the ground (wrapped in paper, of course) we were given the opportunity to grab all the candy we wanted. I was in candy heaven! So much to choose from! We scooped the candy up, took it home and feasted for weeks on the delicacies. Come to think of it, maybe that's why I had to go to the dentist so much when I was a kid!

I know other delicacies I have the opportunity to scoop up. They are found in the Bible. Unlike candy that rots the teeth, the things I scoop from the Bible will only do me good, help me to know God better, and teach me how to live in a way that will bless me and please God. I wonder why so few people take advantage of such an opportunity?!!

Hoping to scoop some sweet truths from the Bible today, Gloria

2011-02-01T05:08:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm at it again!

Yesterday, I had to make a cake. Being a southern gal, I make 7 minute frosting. It's a white frothy icing I use when I make coconut cake. It is make up of sugar, water, Karo, vanilla and egg whites. Good and healthy!

I was boiling the frosting and decided to run into my office and check something on my computer. Just a second. That's all I was going to be there.

Minutes later (much more than 7 minutes) I was still at my computer when I realized I had forgotten the icing on the stove! I rushed in to the kitchen. There in the pot was a deep brown, almost black concoction.

I quickly grabbed the pot and ran to the sink. I threw the contents of the pot into the sink and turned on the water. I watched as the cold water made the goop coat my stainless steel sink like another layer of hardened steel. Now, not only had I ruined the frosting, I was going to have to ruin my sink trying to scrape the junk off of it! The pot was not in much better condition.

It took much time and patience to get the "goop" out of my sink and pot. I had to be persistent. I HAD to get it done. I couldn't let Wayne see I had ruined the kitchen sink! The pot wasn't a problem. He seldom sees me using them so he has no idea what they are supposed to look like!

The incident made me think about my spiritual life. It may apply to you, too.

Sometimes I have things in my life that I don't want there. I know they are not pleasing to God but they are hard, embedded, been there a long time. I find them difficult to get rid of. Still, I persist. With patience and dependence on the Holy Spirit giving me his power to overcome them, I can eventually clean all the "goop" out of my life.

Do you have some "goop" that needs to be removed from your life? Has it been there a long time and you doubt it can be removed? Don't dispair! Keep at it. Allow the Holy Spirit to control you in that area. Ask him to help you claim his power. He will. Then, one day, you'll realize that particular "goop" is gone. The Holy Spirit has given you victory in that area of your life. What a victory!!

Praying we all are allowing the Holy Spirit to rid our lives of "goop", Gloria

Words, How Important They Can Be!

2011-01-31T06:34:00.000-08:00

Five words. Just five words is all it took to make my day. What were they? Did he say, "You've inherited five million dollars." Or, was it, "I'm paying off your house." Or,"I'll publish all your books."

No. Nothing that tremendous. He said, (drum roll please), "You look three years younger."

OK, not such a big deal. But, I did have to refrain from falling into his arms and saying, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" :D I wish he had said I looked ten years younger but, at my age, I'll take what I can get!

Most any kind words can change a person's day. Like my friends words, they don't have to be life changing.

The Bible says, "A word spoken in due season, how good it is!" Proverbs 15:23

Maybe there is someone who needs your words of encouragement. Maybe it's just a smile and a, "I hope you have a wonderful day." Or, maybe a, "God bless you." It may be just what that person needs to make their day better.

Do something this week. At least once a day for the entire week commit yourself to saying words of encouragement or praise or kindness. It can be at the store, at work or at home. In doing so, you may be used of God to lift another person up. And, you may find it lifts you up as well!

Hoping to lift and encourage others this week, Gloria

Missed Post

2011-01-29T03:51:00.001-08:00

I'm sorry I was unable to post on Friday. I was on the road and my computer battery was so low it wouldn't even open for me to post. I'll try to do better next week!!

Love Ya'll,
Gloria

2011-01-26T05:23:00.000-08:00

I got a Wii for my birthday, Christmas and anniversary. No, not one for each occasion but one for All the occasions.

I was delighted with it but now I'm having second thoughts. It is mean to me!

When I get on it says, "Oh." Does that mean I'm so heavy it is having trouble holding me up?

When I tried the boxing game, it said, "You can do better than that."

When I did the balance things it said something about that not being my best ability.

It even told me I had gained a pound since I was last on it!

Did I want to buy something that would insult and shame me? No! Am I going to keep it? Yes!

Much as I hate to admit it, it motivates me to do better. And, it makes exercise a lot more fun (if exercise can be fun). I actually appreciate it keeping me on my toes, so to speak. I know I wouldn't take too kindly of those comments came from my hubby. Actually, he has better sense than to say such things!

Sometimes God uses people (pastors, Bible study teachers, friends, television personalities, writers) to tell us areas of our lives that need improvement. We can resent them or we can take them as a gift from God and make improvements in our lives.

P.S. I recommend you get a Wii, if you don't mind being insulted by a machine.

Going to get on my Wii so I can be insulted again, Gloria

Ten Minute "Little" Blessing List, Did You Do It?

2011-01-24T05:03:00.000-08:00

OK, did you do it? Did you take the ten minutes to thank God for the little blessings in your life? I would love to know what you put down.

When I started to do this, something distracted me. I don't know if it was my doing or if the devil wanted to keep me from doing it. Whichever, I realized that I was about to get sidetracked and not take the time to thank God. I immediately got out a piece of paper and a pen. I looked at the time and determined my ten minutes. I began.

In ten minutes, I had written 25 "little" blessings God has given me. I would have been able to write more but I had to stop and wipe my nose and eyes because I was crying. It made me realize how good God is to me. I don't deserve it but he graciously blesses me anyway!

I hope you did the ten minutes of thanking God. If you didn't, you can do it right now. Don't get distracted!!!

I'm going to list some of the "little" blessings I thanked God for. If you want to take the time to read them, it might help you to realize how blessed YOU are. If you want to bypass these and start writing your own, that would be great, too.

Some of my list:
pen and paper to write with, books (I did not put my Bible as a "little" blessing. It is my greatest treasure.)Kleenex, slippers for my feet, a lamp so I can see when it's dark, covers to keep me warm, a watch to tell time, lipstick and mascara, a computer, grocery stores, a washer and dryer, Christmas trees and decorations.

None of these things are life altering but I do appreciate having them. Why me? Why did God bless me to live where all these things (blessings) are available? I don't know but I praise him for his goodness to me!

Let's pray for each other that we will be more aware of the "little" blessings God gives us.

Praying I will be much more aware of the small things God gives to me, Gloria

Ten Minutes To Thank God For Toilets And Such

2011-01-21T05:47:00.000-08:00

Hey, it's only 5:27 and I already have my bathrooms cleaned. That doesn't sound like a great way to start your day but why not get the disgusting stuff over with first. Once you get those toilets cleaned it makes the rest of your day feel like a trip to Disneyland (a slight exaggeration!).

I guess we shouldn't complain about cleaning toilets. We should thank the Lord we have them.We could be throwing on our robe and slippers and running to the outhouse. Wouldn't that be fun!

I can honestly say I never recall thanking God for my toilet. I guess that shows how much I take for granted that he gives me. How many people in the world would be thrilled to have a toilet to clean?

I got to thinking about so many other things I have that people around the world long to have. It makes me realize blind I can be to the goodness of God.

It's easy to praise God for the BIG stuff that he gives us, something out of the ordinary. But, he has blessed us with so many little things that we fail to say, "Thank you," for.

Let's stop right now and thank God for the little things he has blessed us with. Just ten minutes. Not much time out of our day. I have a feeling our day will start on a more upbeat by having done so. And, I know God will be pleased that we have recognized what he has done for us.

Stopping right now to spend time thanking God for what he has given me, Gloria

Cold Feet, Cold Heart, Which Is Worse?

2011-01-19T03:08:00.000-08:00

My feet are cold! It may be because I have been up since 12:30, sitting at my desk, without anything on my feet. It doesn't help that it's forty degrees in my house!

I know the solution to my cold feet. Put on slippers! That seems simple enough, right?

I just don't want to bother going looking for slippers. They could be anywhere, except in the closet!

I guess I'll just have feet frozen to the floor beneath my desk. Either that or I'm going to have to get up and take a little time and effort to go looking for them.

I know, if I do get my slippers the old feet will thank me. Another benefit will be that I won't have to spend three hours trying to get my feet warm after I go back to bed.

I see a parallel in our spiritual lives. We will be blessed if we take time to visit with God on a regular basis by praying and reading the Bible. We will be warmed by spending time in his presence, by getting to know him better, by learning how he wants us to live our lives. But, we just don't want to take the time to do it! As a result, we have, not cold feet, but cold hearts. A much worse condition than cold feet!

My feet may be cold but I pray my heart isn't, Gloria

Flying Tripods Are Dangerous

2011-01-17T06:31:00.000-08:00

I think I've changed the shape of my head. It wasn't a fun experience.

I am cleaning out my office. Ugh! I moved a bookcase and put two tripods on top of it. As I was putting books in the case, I shook it too hard and one of the tripods (of course, it was the VERY heavy one) came down on my head. I rushed in to where my husband was so he could see if I had split my skull. No. I kept waiting for him to say, "Didn't I tell you that you were hard-headed." He was watching a ballgame so I was saved the remark.

Now I know some of you are thinking, "Why would she put a heavy tripod on top of a bookcase?" Hey, give me a break. It was the only place I could think of!

I now know it was a dumb thing to do. I have a lump on my head to remind me!

I don't limit my mistakes to tripods. I sometimes make dumb decisions in my spiritual life, too. I do things, say things, and think things I shouldn't. But, the beauty of my wonderful Savior is that he forgives me when I confess my sin and I don't even have a "lump" after the experience! He wipes all those sins away!!

How about you? Have you made some dumb decisions? God will forgive you. Just ask him!

Thankful God forgives dumb decisions, Gloria

Impacting Those I Love

2011-01-14T05:04:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it? We're already two weeks into the new year. I'm getting older fast! Before I know it, we'll be celebrating Christmas again.

Why does time seem to go by faster as you get older? Is there some scientific reason for this? I haven't heard about it, if there is one. Still, I know it to be true. It seems this Christmas holiday flew by like one of those bullet trains you see on TV.

Do you ever think about your mortality? I do. The older I get, the more I think about it! I realize my time left here is dwindling. Almost before I can say "Christmas is here again," several of those holidays will have rolled around and I will, even more so, consider the fact that my life is nearing its end.

Don't want to sound morbid at the beginning of a new year. But, I do hope we will all consider that, as the Bible says, "Life is like a vapor. It appears for a little while and then vanishes away."

What are you and I going to do with the rest of our "Vapor"? Shouldn't we live lives that will leave a godly imprint on those we leave behind?

However long I have to live, I pray my life will have the imprint of Jesus. I want those I leave behind to remember me but to also remember Jesus in me. After all, he is our life!

Hoping the imprint I am making now will be godly and impact those I love, even after I'm gone, Gloria

Commandments

2011-01-12T04:49:00.000-08:00

Well, I've managed to get through the holidays without killing someone (think brownies) or killing myself (think climbing ladders to decorate trees). But, I have not managed to get my decorations down. In fact, I don't intend to get them down for a bit.

Since I only decorated my trees on Christmas Eve day (that has never before happened in my lifetime), I'm not about to do all that work and not enjoy it for a while. So, if you visit me in say, August, you might still be able to enjoy the glittering lights of the Christmas holiday!

OK, maybe I will take them down before then, but, not too much before then. I just don't want anyone to think I'm weird. Did I just write that?!!! :D

Unless you live in one of those homeowner association places, who says you have to take down all your decorations by the first of the new year? Is there some law, some commandment that tells you when is the right time to strip all those glittering lights from the tree and start using dull light bulbs again? If there is, just call me a rebel. I'm going to do this, no matter what they say!

There are some commandments I don't want to rebel against. They are God's commandments. Jesus told us there were two, Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, strength and your neighbor as yourself. Wow! Wouldn't the world be different if so many of us didn't rebel against THOSE commandments! I think I would really, really, like living in a place where that happened. Wouldn't you?

Rebelling against some commands but hoping I obey the commands of Jesus, Gloria

You Love And Let God Do The Tweaking

2011-01-10T04:41:00.000-08:00

Our property is fenced. We have a remote that opens and closes the gate. During the snow, it wouldn't open.

My husband is NOT the winter kind. Give him 120 degree weather and he's happy. Me? I'll take 20 below over 120!

As we worked to fix the gate, Wayne was obviously uncomfortable in the cold weather. I, on the other hand, was happy as a Lark. No better place to be than shoveling snow on a cold winter morning! I tried not to burst out in song. Two reasons held me back; the neighbors and the look of disgust I know my husband would have given me!

People are different. God made us that way. Some like winter; some like summer.

Some have different beliefs about spiritual things. Some are advancing in their Christian walk, some are not.

It is our responsibility to accept each person and love them. If they need to be "tweaked", that is God's job. Judging others won't help. Loving them will!

Hoping I'm always loving, even to those who need to be "tweaked", Gloria

Killing Your Friends Is Not a Good Thing

2011-01-07T05:33:00.000-08:00

Well, here's the latest.

I had invited a few friends over. I was making some brownies for the occassion. OK, Betty Crocker really made them. At least I mixed them up and put them in the pan!

I coated the pan so the brownies would not stick. I noticed the spray smelled funny. I stuck my nose closer to the pan. This WAS NOT my Pam!

I went to the pantry and looked. There on the shelf, looking a great deal like my can of Pam, was the Liquid Gold. For you who do not know, Liquid Gold is a furniture cleaner!

I'm surely glad old age hasn't made me lose my sense of smell. It could really mess up a party if you have to rush everyone to the emergency room!!

People make mistakes. Some of them are more serious than others. Still, in God's sight, even the ones we consider REALLY bad can be used to make us better. We just need to give them over to him, ask forgiveness, if need be, and begin again.

This is a new year, fresh and full of potential. Let's commit ourselves to following the Lord in a closer way so we don't make so many mistakes this year.

Praying I will walk closer to God this year, Gloria

Spiritual Sunglasses

2011-01-05T07:32:00.000-08:00

The new year has not changed some things. I'm still ditsy!

I was riding in the car with my husband the other day. It was dark and difficult to see. I asked him if he had his head lights on. Well, not HIS head lights. The car head lights. He said yes.

I was really having trouble seeing. I said, "You need to check your lights. They aren't burning very brightly. That could be dangerous." He said he could see fine. Of course he would say that!

I didn't say anything else but fretted that it was so difficult to see. It was not until we arrived home that I realized I had SUNGLASSES on. No wonder I couldn't see!!!

Yes, I told him what I had done. Such things are so common now that he just grunts. Business as usual, as they say.

Sometimes we can have on spiritual sunglasses. They make it difficult to see where God is directing us. We may even be blind to the fact that we have them on.

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal if you are wearing spiritual sunglasses. He WILL show you. Then, it is your responsibiliy to take them off.

Hoping I'm not wearing spiritual sunglasses, Gloria

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2011-01-03T05:21:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR dear friends!!
I received this from another friend and wanted to share it with you. I do pray God will bless you in this new year and that our lives will bring glory to God. Love ya!

Today, I am giving you a

DAILY SURVIVAL KIT

To help you each day............

Toothpick ... To remind you to pick the good qualities in everyone, including yourself.

Rubber band ... To remind you to be flexible. Things might not always go the way you want, but it can be worked out.

Band-Aid ... To remind you to heal hurt feelings, either yours or someone else's.

Eraser ... To remind you everyone makes mistakes. That's okay, we learn by our errors.

Candy Kiss ... To remind you everyone needs a hug or a compliment everyday.

Mint ... To remind you that you are worth a mint to your family & Me.

Bubble Gum ... To remind you to stick with it and you can accomplish anything.

Pencil ... To remind you to list your blessings every day.

Tea Bag ... To remind you to take time to relax daily and go over that list of God's blessings.

This is what makes life worth living every minute, every day

Wishing you love, gratitude, friends to cherish, caring, sharing, laughter, music, and warm feelings

In your heart in the 2011 year.

Looking forward to the new year, Gloria

Another Year Come And Gone (Almost)

2010-12-31T04:18:00.000-08:00

It's almost over! Another year come and gone. I don't know about you but it seems to me they come faster and faster each year.

As I look back over 2010, I can remember some good and some bad. If I had a better memory, I could probably remember a lot more!

Whether the things I remember are good or bad, I can be confident God either brought them into my life by his direct plan or allowed them. For that I can praise Him. Either way, he was in control.

Never forget that God orchestrates your life. He takes the bad the world or others would bring into your life and gives you the ability to rejoice. Now, isn't that awesome?!

He also takes the good and makes you praise and rejoice at his goodness to you. That is awesome, too. Of course, it's a lot easier to rejoice when things are good than when they are bad. At least, I see that in my life!

Bottom line. This coming year, rejoice in whatever God brings because you know he loves you and directs all things to work out for your good. What an awesome God we serve!

Rejoicing in such a wonderful Father, God, Gloria

Plans That Fall Apart Can Be Rebuilt

2010-12-29T06:14:00.000-08:00

Hallelujah! I was able to get to my blog today!! I don't know if it has been the bad weather around here or what but I could not get to this site on Monday. Maybe God wanted me to shut up for a day or two! :D

Sometimes things don't work out like you plan. Like when you want to make divinity candy and it rains (NEVER try to make divinity when the weather is wet. It won't work). Or, you plan to do something special and the plans fall apart.

Maybe you planned to serve the Lord more this year. Or, read your Bible more. Or, get to know God better. Maybe you planned to remove some bad habit from your life.

Here it is the end of the year and what you planned has not been fulfilled. What to do?

Well, one thing you DON"T do is despair. The devil would love that. He would hope the despair would make you want to give up and not try again.

All of us fail. We don't like to admit it but, it's true. Still, we have a choice. We can just give up and not try to do what we had planned or we can grit our teeth and try again.

God is a God of second chances (and third and fourth) and he will rejoice with us as we pick ourselves up and start again.

What did you want to do this year that you failed to do? Was it God honoring? Then don't give up on accomplishing it! Get up! Get going! It's never too late to grow more like Jesus.

Getting up off the ground and starting again, Gloria

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T04:56:00.000-08:00

So, you'll probably be reading this some time after Christmas. I know you have better things to do with your time since it's Christmas Eve!

I pray God will bless you this season and that you may experience in a greater way the truth of what happened that first Christmas. I pray God's love will surround you, no matter what your situation, good or bad. I ask God to let you experience in a new light the truth of the old, old story of the baby in a manger.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, DEAR ONES!!!!

Gloria

Glory To God In The Highest

2010-12-22T04:44:00.000-08:00

In only a few days, my house will be filled with grandchildren. Noisy, time demanding, grandchildren. I will love every minute of it. Well, I may need to take a few minutes and nap so I can survive all the fun!

Christmas is sweet for some, bitter for others. Family tensions arise. Relationships between family members are not ideal. Add to that demanding schedules and financial stress and you might wonder why we even bother to celebrate the season!!

Even in the midst of all those difficulties comes the clarion sound of angels as they sing, "Glory to God in the hightest, peace on earth, good will toward men." That's what it's really all about!

Don't you find it astounding that God would send his Son to the likes of us? Or that the Son would come vouluntarily? AMAZING!

Take time to tell this wonderful news to all who will listen.

Amazed at the love of God, Gloria

Doing It Out of Love

2010-12-20T05:33:00.000-08:00

I'm not saying I'm behind or anything but I still have three trees that need to be decorated. Getting sick didn't help my schedule any either.

In over forty years, I have NEVER been this late getting things decorated. It things continue, I may be finishing up my decorating when the rest of you are taking yours down!

So many things got in my way this Christmas. Things I considered more important, like writing stories for a Christian school and trying to get my book ready for publication. The decorating just had to take a back seat. But, I was determined my grandkids would not come to Nanny's house and not see decorations!

It may not be a tree in every room like usual but there are some things in the rooms they will sleep in that will delight their child eyes.

Sometimes you do things for others when you don't feel like it because it's the right thing to do. That is a godly trait, I think. He did lots of things for us that were not exactly something he delighted in doing (think coming into this sin filled world an dying for our sins). But, because he loved us so much, he did it. I think we show his likeness when we do the same.

Hoping I am showing the likeness of Jesus in my life, Gloria

Seeing And Not Seeing

2010-12-17T06:26:00.000-08:00

I'm here but can barely see. My eyelids are drooping over my eyes and the lower part of my eyes are so puffed they are about to meet in the middle. All this on my birthday. Do you think someone is trying to tell me I am old? I REFUSE to believe it!!

I hope things improve before I have to be on the podium on Christmas Eve. I might scare the children and they may run out screaming. I wonder if I could see to read with dark sunglasses on?

To say this birthday was not my best is putting it mildly. I even had to cancel a lunch date with friends. Now you know I wasn't feeling well!!

It would be easy to whine and cry. OK, maybe I did a little of that. But, God is good. I realize I am really blessed to be alive, healthy, have a roof over my head, food to eat, great friends and church family and a wonderful family. I have so much to be thankful for, even if I'm having a little trouble seeing all these blessings right now!

Whenever you're tempted to whine about what you don't have or what is wrong in your life, take some time to think about what you do have and what is right in your life. You may find your attitude adjusts!

Thankful for what I can see and what I can't, Gloria

The Reason For The Season

2010-12-15T05:23:00.000-08:00

Well, do you have your Christmas shopping done? I have!

Now, don't be jealous. I'm only done because most of my grandchildren want CASH. I guess they think their old grandma may bring them something dumb that they really don't want. Hey, I don't care. It makes my life so much easier. So, I'll just take one of my decorated boxes and throw in the cash. Now, how easy is that!

It can also be easy to get stressed out during this time of year. So stressed that we forget what the season is really all about. Don't let that happen to you! Take time to celebrate the wonder of God sending his Son into the world for the likes of us. What a miracle of love and grace!!

Remembering the reason for the season, Gloria

Unclear Mirrors

2010-12-13T04:56:00.000-08:00

I have made a decision. I am now going to count my birthdays backwards. Who says I can't? Of course, should I live to be 40 again, I will look like the oldest 40 year old in history! But, I'll worry about that should it happen. Now all I have to do is not look in the mirror anymore and I might pull this off.

I wish I had lived in the era when they didn't have clear mirrors. You could only vaguely see yourself. That way, you were spared the truth of what you really looked like. Now those were the days!

Sometimes I don't want to see what is really inside me either. It's not always easy to admit what I look like on the inside. Much easier to look at myself through an unclear mirror.

It takes courage to REALLY look at what you are. And, like our outward mirror, what we see is not always pretty. I pray we will have the courage to let the Holy Spirit reveal to us what ugliness is there. Unlike the outward, the inward can actually be made to be more and more beautiful. Now, that's good news!

Glad I can get more and more beautiful . . . on the inside, Gloria

Scales and Mirrors, UGH!

2010-12-08T06:32:00.000-08:00

Who invented scales anyway? OK, I know the guys who drove their cows (why did I use cows as an illustration!) needed to weigh them before they sold them. That I can understand. But, please, tell me why humans need to weigh themselves? It's certainly not so you can know if you are fat or not. All you have to is look in the mirror and that can be confirmed!

While I'm thinking about it, why did they invent mirrors? We can look at each other and determine what we look like. If your husband or boyfriend thinks your pretty, why do you have to have a mirror to contradict what they say?

I think we should get rid of all the things that cause us to feel bad about ourselves. Of course, that would leave a lot less in the world!

Maybe I should quit worrying so much about what I look like on the outside and really strive to be a "knockout" on the inside. That happens as I let the Holy Spirit change my looks. It might even make me look more beautiful on the outside!

Hoping I look good on the inside, Gloria

There's More Than One Kind of Dance

2010-12-06T05:17:00.000-08:00

I've created a new dance. It's called The Foot Stomp. This Foot Stomp dance is not to be confused with the term, "That song is a toe tapper." That means a song just makes you want to tap your feet for the joy of the music. My dance is definitely not one of joy!

The desire to do the Foot Stomp dance can come on you at any time. It can be while you're sitting watching TV. It can happen at two in the morning when you are lying in bed. It can be when you're driving your car.

What brings on the desire to do the Foot Stomp dance? Cramps in your feet! Not just a little cramp but one so painful you might consider yelling out in pain. Of course, that's not a good idea if the Foot Stomp urge happens at two in the morning and your mate is sleeping soundly beside you! When I am in this situation, I simply get up and go to another room and begin my Foot Stomp dance.

Each person can create their own moves. Mine include standing on my toes like a ballerina or walking around the house moaning.

I'm not sure the dance will catch on. I hope not! But, I believe there are thousands "out there" that already do the dance and, like me, would be happy if we never did it again!!

There is a dance I'd like to catch on. It is a dance unto the Lord. Psalm 149:3 says, "Let them praise his name with the dance."

Why not try it today. Lose all those inhibitions. Put some praise music on. Life your hands to God in praise. Sing along, if you like. AND DANCE! Dance unto the Lord. He will be delighted no matter what you think it looks like.

Hoping the only dancing I do today is unto the Lord, Gloria

Mind Changing

2010-12-03T05:00:00.000-08:00

Why is it everything that is good for you taste bad and everything that is bad for you taste good? I know that is an exaggeration but when was the last time you expounded on how wonderful a stalk of celery tasted? A piece of Mississippi Mud Cake, now that’s another story. You could expound on that for days!

I also know people say that once you start eating healthy foods you won’t want to eat all that other “junk.” Right! It is going to take some serious “mind changing” on my part to prefer a carrot stick over a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, a head of cabbage over a hot fudge sundae or tofu over strawberries dipped in chocolate.

OK. I know it’s better for me to eat all those healthy foods and I really am trying. It has been weeks since I had a hot fudge sundae! I did cheat and have a small Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. Does it help that I felt really bad after I did it?

I’m longing for the day when I feel like all those healthy people who gag at the thought of a hot fudge sundae and would never pollute their bodies with a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. Some day soon, I hope!

My spiritual life often parallels my physical life. The Bible tells me there are things that are good for me and things that are bad for me. It is sometimes a challenge to change my mind about some things I am told to do or eliminate things out of my life that have been there for so long. I find that, as I trust God’s Word and allow Him to change my spiritual eating, I am much healthier spiritually. That’s even more important than being healthy physically!

Hoping I am changing my mind and progressing toward being healthy both physically and spiritually, Gloria

A Wise Decision

2010-12-01T05:44:00.000-08:00

Well, December means it’s official. Christmas is on it’s way!

I haven’t yet heard the commercials that say, “It’s only ____days til Christmas but I know they will soon be popping up. Like we don’t know how long it is. We can read a calendar!

I don’t think they are just being nice and helping us keep track of time. I believe they want to pressure us into getting out there and making them lots of money!

I’m going to fool them. I’ll ignore their siren songs and keep my money under my mattress. Well, maybe that won’t be a good idea. The possibility of forgetting where I put it is too high. I guess I’ll let the bank take care of it. They seem to keep track of things better than I do! Sometimes you just have to trust someone else to take care of things for you.

That’s true with God. We need to trust him to take care of things for us. It’s not always easy to surrender ourselves to God but it is the right decision. After all, he does know what is best for us. So, go ahead. Invite him to take care of everything in your life, including yourself. It will be a very wise decision!

Hoping I’m willing to let God take care of things for me, Gloria

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Doing My Own Thing

2010-11-29T05:45:00.000-08:00

My husband left me . . . at the church . . . last night. Let me explain.

After church last night, I went to help prepare some Christmas boxes we are taking to children in Mexico. I assumed my husband knew where I was going. Well, the old adage, "Don't never assume nothin' " proved to be true. My husband DID NOT know where I was going! So, while I am happily getting things ready for the trip to Mexico, he is frantically searching for his lost wife.

He said he looked for me "everywhere." He called me on my cell phone ( I have no idea where my cell phone is). Since we were going to eat with several friends, he called them to see if I had gone with them. No one answered their phone! He even sent a friend into all the women's restrooms to see if I was there. He finally concluded I MUST have gotten a ride with someone else so he went to the fast food place. WRONG!

Imagine my surprise when I went looking for him and realized he had left me! I called his cell phone and said, "Did you forget something?" He went through all the things I have shared with you (sorry if you were bored). But, the story had a happy ending. He did come back and get me. I guess I should be thankful for that!

God is like that. When we're off doing our own thing, he goes searching for us. He doesn't give up. He keeps on trying to bring us back to where we ought to be.

Is God having to search for you because you're going your own way, doing your own thing? Just as I was thankful for my husband coming back to get me, we should be thankful that God comes back to get us!
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Thankful that God never quits searching for me when I do my own thing instead of his, Gloria

God And Double Beds

2010-11-24T11:01:00.000-08:00

This may not be posted until later in the day (or not at all today!). I am at my daughter’s house and I can’t get the internet on my computer. I’ll try later. Thanks for being patient. And, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

We are sleeping in our grandson’s bedroom. He has a double bed. Thanks to the invention of king size beds, I haven’t slept on that size bed in twenty years! Since there is now more of me AND my husband, we were, to say the least, close! But, it really was nice to snuggle up close. In my king size bed, if I want to stick my cold feet on my husband to get warm, it may take me several minutes to find him! You don’t have to worry about that on a double bed.

I thought about God. Sometimes we live our lives toward him like we had rather be on a king size bed. He wants to bring us close and let us know how much he loves us and we want to stay WAY OVER on the other side. It's only when we get cold feet (trials or troubles) that we seek him out.

How about you? Are you allowing God to have fellowship with you or are you so busy doing things FOR him (way over on the other side) that you don't have time to cuddle up close and get to know him better.

Hoping I'm willing to get close to God, Gloria

Perils of Pauline (Gloria) AGAIN!!

2010-11-22T05:33:00.000-08:00

OK, here's my latest "Perils of Pauline (Gloria) incident.

I was on my way to meet my husband for lunch when I realized I had forgotten something at the house (Right now, I have NO IDEA what that was!). I drove in the driveway and decided to leave the car there instead of going in the garage. I left the car door open since I was not going to be long.

Once inside, I decided to fix lunch (how often does that happen!). I called my husband and told him to come home. About ten or fifteen minutes later he walked in the door and asked, "How long were you going to leave the car running?"

THE CAR!! I had forgotten that I left the engine running since I was just going to be a minute. I must admit, I even shocked myself with this one. However, my husband seemed to take it as an every day occurrence, in my life, at least!

I got to thinking. What if I hadn't called and told him to come home for lunch. I may have let the car run until he came home for dinner. Or, the car may have run out of gas before that. Now, had that happened, considering the cost of fuel, my dear husband may not have been so nonchalant about the incident!

I am sometimes amazed that my husband puts up with my antics and seems to accept me as I am, a dingbat! I can't really understand such patience, even when he knows it is going to happen again (and probably soon!).

I am also amazed that God accepts me, even when I do stupid things, things I should not do. I can't understand such patience and love. I do know WHY he does it. It's because his Son, Jesus, has cleansed me from all unrighteousness. He did that when I asked him into my life to be my Savior and Lord. Since that day, God looks at me as though I had no sin. Isn't that awesome!!

Amazed (and very thankful) that God sees me as sinless, Gloria

Reeses' Candy - - - And Other Downfalls

2010-11-19T04:55:00.000-08:00

I've been a bad girl for about a week and a half now. What have I done? I've not stayed on my diet (unless Reeses's Peanut Butter Cups are on a diet)!

We had some of them left over from our Harvest Festival. I tried to send them to the office so they would get fat and not me (You may have heard of "Chewing the fat" (talking) but I wanted to "share the fat!").

My husband said he wanted to leave them for the grandchildren. He said he would hide them in the pantry. RIGHT! This man has no idea what a sleuth I can be when a candy urge overtakes me. Needless to say, I found them. And I ate some!

I would love to tell you I looked at those tiny little morsels and said, "Get thee behind me, Satan." Actually, I think the devil may have been in my pantry that day! I peeled off the wrapper and popped one into my mouth. It tasted wonderful . . . for a few minutes. Then the guilt set in. Why did I do? I knew better. I'm just a failure!

Reese's are not the only thing I struggle with. The devil is always throwing something into my brain to make me turn away from God. In those instances, I have to make a decision just like I did with the candy. What do we do?

I know what I could have done. I could have had my husband hide that candy somewhere beside the pantry. I need my temptation to be FAR AWAY from me.

Do you struggle with some sin in your life? Try to get as far away from it as possible. Then pray like crazy!!

I know God can give us victory over any area of our life that we struggle with! And, he will not belittle us when we fail. He will pick us up and set us on the right path again. AWESOME!!

Struggling but continuing to resist Reeses and the devil, Gloria

A Trendsetter Or A Servant

2010-11-17T05:42:00.000-08:00

I know you are going to find this almost unbelievable but I am a trendsetter. That's right. And, I didn't even know it until I heard a commercial for some kind of fabric softener. It said, thanks to their wonderful smelling product, you can actually leave your sheets on the bed for a week. A week. Don't tell anybody but I have left mine on for longer than that! I can almost hear some of you moaning in disbelief!

I guess I should send the company a letter telling them I, not they, came up with this idea years ago. Of course, my reason is because I hate housework!

Perhaps I had better not do that. They may ask me how long I've been using their product. I would have to tell them I have never done so!

I guess I'll just have to be content that I know I started the trend and not worry that people will not praise me for my great accomplishment. Sigh. So hard to be humble!

It's sometimes difficult in the Christian life to do something and have someone else get the credit for it. But, really, is that the reason we do things for God? Isn't it because we love him and appreciate beyond measure what he has done for us?

If you struggle with that issue, ask God to give you a humble heart. Tell him you will do things in his ministry even if you NEVER get recognition. Ask him to make you a humble person who desires that HE get the glory for things and not yourself. You'll be a long way toward Christian maturity!

Praying I do things for Jesus simply because I love him and want to see his kingdom come, Gloria

Cold Hands, Warm Heart

2010-11-15T04:35:00.000-08:00

I'm cold!

I really don't know why I love cold weather so much but, in my book, cold is better than hot any day!

When was the last time you were dying from the heat and could remove enough clothing to get cool and STILL be decent? Not so with cold. You can put on layer after layer until you get warm. The only negative about that is you might look 20 pounds heavier! Nothing is perfect.

Although I am cold outwardly, I pray I am not cold inwardly. To be cold inwardly means my relationship to God is not what it should be. The remedy for being cold inwardly is just the opposite of being cold outwardly. When you're cold inwardly, you may need to shed some things that will help you warm up again.

Being complacent about our faith, not spending time with God by studying his Word, failing to pray, not seeking a deeper relationship with Jesus are some things that need to be shed if we are to have warm hearts.

Are you cold? I hope it is only an outward cold! If it is inward, shed those things that make it so. If you're willing to sit quietly and ask God, he will reveal the areas that need to be shed. Then you'll find a heart that is warm toward God and others.

Hoping I am warm inwardly, even when my toes are cold, Gloria

Seed Or Weed?

2010-11-10T03:52:00.000-08:00

Since I'm on a gardening kick, I thought we could talk about weeds. I hate weeds! They're so, so consistent!

Plan on it. Your other plants may not grow but weeds will! Why is that?

We have a concrete driveway. In the small cracks between, weeds grow up every year. Every year!

Although I hate those weeds, I marvel at their tenacity. There can't be more than a quarter of an inch of soil yet they manage to thrive.

Weeds are more a problem in my vegetable garden. If I try to pull them up when my vegetable plants are young, I may pull up the good plants as well.

Jesus talked about that. He said the devil plants "weeds" in churches. Outwardly they look the same as the "seed". But, when Jesus returns, he'll gather the seeds into his heavenly home. The weeds don't have such a fate to look forward to. They will spend eternity seperated from God. That thought should make us consider which we really are!

So glad I'm a genuine seed, Gloria

Pruning Time

2010-11-08T01:50:00.000-08:00

I don't claim to be a good gardener. You just have to see the four foot high weeds in my garden to know that!

It's getting close to pruning time for my trees and plants. I'm not wild about doing it but I know it's necessary.

When I prune them, they look pretty pathetic. Yet, I know that's not what they will always look like. Come spring they will blossom and fill my garden with a profusion of color and shade.

The Bible say God is a gardener. He cuts off branches that bear no fruit and he prunes every branch that does bear fruit.

If God thinks it's important, I guess I should be willing to allow him to prune my life, right?

Hoping I am willing to allow God to prune off anything in my life that keeps his beauty from showing, Gloria

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Household Utensils

2010-11-05T03:29:00.000-07:00

I went to a restaurant the other day. All over the walls were skillets, graters, washboards (yes, people really did use those to clean their clothes) and other kinds of household utensils. I wanted to stand up and applaud. That's exactly where I think all household utensils should be. Then we wouldn't have to use them! My husband, of course, thinks I might as well put ours on the wall since I so seldom use them!

I hate to admit it. Some of the gadgets I have really do help me do my housework in less time. At least that leaves me more time to do fun thing. I just don't want to get in the habit of of using them too often. I think I'm safe for now. They say it takes 21 days to develop a habit. I can't remember EVER using my household appliances 21 days in a row!

Can you think of any "tools" God has given you to make your Chrstian life easier? I'm not going to give you a list (I could). I want you to take time to think this through. Then, when you've listed all you can think of, stop and thank God for giving you these wonderful tools.

Thanking God for tools that help me in my Christian walk (and am hoping I use them more than my household ones!) Gloria

Lessons Learned From A Cat

2010-11-03T01:22:00.000-07:00

I'm not really a cat person (sorry all you cat lovers). Dogs are more to my liking. However, when our daughter was young, we had various cats living in our house.

I won't say any of them were pets. Pets let you snuggle when you want. They don't hiss at you when they don't want to be bothered. They don't snub their nose and walk out the door when you are pleading for them to come and sit in your lap.

While our cats were not nice warm fuzzies to snuggle with, they did show me a great picture of us and God.

God desires to spend time with us, love us, talk with us. What do we do? We snub him! We're not interested, are too busy, have more important things to do.

I may not be a cat person but I've surely learned some valuable lessons from them!

Hoping I'm not acting like our cats in regards to God, Gloria

My Brain: Absent or Pea Size?

2010-11-01T10:21:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard the phrase, "She's absent minded?" I had not thought much about the phrase until now. I have often had people say that about me.

It just dawned they were insulting me. They were saying I was absent a mind! While it may be true, I don't really appreciate people bringing it up! True, I sometimes do things that would make a person question I have a brain but, really, it's in there somewhere.

I've also heard the statement, "Pea brain." That's not a lot better than absent minded but they do, at least, acknowledge you HAVE a brain.

Maybe my brain is a pea brain. That could account for some of the things I do. Really now, what can you expect from a brain the size of a pea!

The Bible has numerous scriptures about the mind. One I love is Isaiah 26:3. It says, "You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you."

No, matter the size of our brain, it's important to concentrate on God. The result will be peace. That's something of great value in the world in which you and I live!

Using my mind (such as it is) to concentrate on God

Daily Treasures

2010-10-29T04:23:00.000-07:00

I'm losing weight! OK, I'm not at my goal weight yet. That will be about October of 2020 (2015, if I'm lucky!).

Is it my imagination or is it true that, the older you get, the harder it is to lose weight? Actually, the older I get, I find it harder to do most EVERYTHING!

You younger ones who read this, treasure that your knees don't creak when you bend over. And, yes, be thankful you don't tip over when you do that bending. It seems balance is another thing that is affected by getting older. Just take time to be thankful. Your day is coming!

Really, there is so much to be thankful for each day, no matter your age. The problem is we get so busy living that we forget to be thankful. We take each day for granted. It's really a treasure, you know. Open up that treasure today and thank God for what you find in it.

Thanking God for the treasure of another day, Gloria

Trusting and Clawing

2010-10-27T04:06:00.000-07:00

I haven't been out of my house since last Tuesday morning. Now, that may not seem like so long for some of you but, for me, I can't remember the time I stayed home that long! Of course, I really had no choice. I barely had the energy to walk from my bedroom to the bathroom. Do you get a hint of why I've been at home so long?

I caught some kind of virus, the worst I've had, as far back as I can remember. It debilitated me. I didn't even want to eat. OK, now you KNOW I was sick! Usually, even though I'm sick, I'm able to funnel down a few things. Not this time. It was different.

It is also taking me longer to recover (I REFUSE to believe that it's because I'm getting older!). But, with the help of my excellent physician (my husband) I'm clawing my way back up among the living again.

Sometimes life can bring things that are more difficult to recover from than others. They're not your everyday, run of the mill kind of difficulties. These drag you down, discourage you, make you feel like things will never be better. It's at times like this we need to trust our Great Physician (God) and believe he will get us through the rough time.We also need to keep clawing. We can't give up! We can't give in!

Praying that you and I will have strength to trust AND claw, Gloria

The Things You Can Learn From Making Jewelry!

2010-10-25T05:50:00.000-07:00

As some of you may know, I'm into making jewelry. I made a necklace a couple of weeks ago. I was pleased with how it turned out. My friend said she liked it (she's really nice!). I thought, "This one is a "keeper". It wasn't until I was looking into my magnifying mirror (that thing causes me such consternation) that I found a flaw. I had left a small bead out in one section!

I had not seen the flaw until I looked into the magnified mirror. I hate that mirror!

I've tried to put it out of my mind that the flaw is there. It will take so much time to totally restring the necklace. I know I need to do it but I just don't want to! Do you understand what I'm saying?

Who's going to know? It isn't likely anyone will inspect my necklace so closely that they will see the flaw. I'll just be sure and not let anyone use a magnifying glass when they look at it!

There is a problem, though. I have looked closely at the necklace. I know there is a flaw. It's marred. It needs to be remedied.

Sometimes we have things in our lives we know shouldn't be there. The Holy Spirit has acted as a magnifying glass and revealed them to us. But, it is so much easier to ignore them. No one else knows it's there. Why bother going to all the trouble to try and remove it from our lives?

Because WE know it's there (OK, God knows, too but he won't force us to change.) Sure, it will be trouble to "restring" that area of our life. But, it will be worth it. We won't have the nagging thoughts that the flaw is there!

Hoping I am willing to "restring" my life, Gloria

Back Among The Living, Barely

2010-10-22T07:19:00.000-07:00

Sorry I didn't post Wednesday. I was too busy throwing up and, well, let's not get too graphic here. I'll let you figure out what else was going on!

Is getting sick more often part of getting old? I hope not this kind of sick. I've had a little juice, two pieces of dry toast and 1/2 a scrambled egg since last Tuesday night. Not the way I want to lose weight. Now, sweet wife that I am, I've given it to my husband. I guess we'll just lie in the bed and moan together. Actually, I'm better today. No marathon's in my plans but I can at least get up and walk around the house and post this. That was not possible even yesterday.

I dealt with someone at church Sunday who was sick. I think I got this from that person. Since I was doing God's work by ministering to someone who needed prayer, why would God allow me to get sick? Wouldn't he protect
me from that?

God ways are not ours He knows what he's doing. I don't always understand it but I believe it. Because I believe that, it makes it easier to go through those times I don't understand. I'm not so perfect that I don't question his dealings in my life sometimes. But, when all else is swept away, I know without a doubt that God loves me and does only what is good for me. That can be some comfort when you have your head over the toilet throwing up your guts!

Thankful I can trust God, Gloria

Platforms

2010-10-18T05:14:00.000-07:00

I went to a new doctor this past week. I really wanted to put my best foot forward since I was meeting her for the first time. For you younger ones who have no idea what I just wrote, putting your best foot forward means (at least it's what I think it means) that I look and act my best.

I didn't want her to know the real me right away. You know, give her a little time to adjust to my weirdness.

I took my Bible to read, just in case I had to wait. As I checked in, I dropped it. As I was trying to retrieve the Bible, my glasses fell. As I scrambled to pick up the Bible and the glasses, the glasses case hit the carpet. All this happened before I even got to sit down!

I can imagine what those in the waiting room were thinking. Something like, "This lady is a real klutz!."

It didn't get any better. When I met the doctor, I tried to put everything on the chair in her office. I dropped the glasses, then the case. At least the Bible didn't go down! She was nice and tried to help me hide my embarrassment by saying the chairs were really slippery. Right! They could have been made of Velcro and I'm sure I would have still had the mishap.

Sometimes (in my life, it is quite often) life just doesn't go smoothly. All of us have difficult times. Some small difficulties. Some big ones. It doesn't matter the size of them. It does matter how we handle them. As a Christian, we have the wonderful opportunity to allow the Holy Spirit to control how we react to situations. In doing so, we live out the life of Christ before our family, our friends, our co-workers. That is not a small thing. It can be a powerful witness to what Christ can do in a life.

I'm NOT saying that how we live is our witness. When you witness, you speak. But, how we react to given situations will impact our sharing verbally. React to things in a God-like way and people will take notice. By doing that, we have created a platform for sharing why we handle life differently.

Praying we all handle difficulties in such a way that we create the right platform for sharing Jesus, Gloria

Weeds Aren't Good In My Garden Or My Life

2010-10-15T05:36:00.000-07:00

I'm looking out my window into the garden. A lot more weeds have grown up while I was on vacation. Actually, I was negligent all summer about doing the weeding. Some of the weeds are taller than my plants. That is not good.

It also makes me irritated that Adam and Eve caused all this when they blew it in the Garden of Eden. Just think. We could be living in a world where only lush plants grew and we wouldn't have to pull one weed. Now, wouldn't that be great!!

I have also considered if Eve hadn't blown it and it had come down to my era all perfect, I would probably have been the one to mess things up. So, I guess I should be glad it was her instead of me, right?

Weeding is not one of my fun things. Still, if I don't do it, the weeds are going to take over my garden entirely. I'll muster up my courage and get out there in a day or so. It's really worth the work when I see my beautiful garden when I look out my window.

Weeding out sin in my life is about like pulling weeds in my garden, a pain but it surely does make for a better me! More like Jesus. More pleasing to my heavenly Father. I guess that's good enough reasons to do it, don't you think?

Hoping to do two kinds of weeding, Gloria

The Saggy Baggy Elephant And Me

2010-10-13T04:15:00.000-07:00

Do you remember the children’s picture book, The Saggy Baggy Elephant? I only remember the title. Of course, I can imagine what the story is about.

It may be cute for an elephant to be saggy and baggy but it is definitely not cute when a woman is that way. I speak from experience!

I have bags under my eyes. I also sag. In fact, we don’t have time or space in this blog to tell you all the places I sag. And, really, do you think I would tell you anyway?

Now that I’m starting to lose weight, I fear there will be more sagging. What’s a person to do?

I want to be healthy. But, I don’t need any more sags than I already have. Such a dilemma!

I guess I’ll go ahead and try to lose weight. I may be saggy but I’ll feel better!

It’s not always easy doing the right thing. Sometimes choices are difficult. But, God honors and blesses us if we do the right thing, even though it may be difficult. Are you doing the right thing, even though it is difficult? I applaud you if you are. I’m sure God is applauding, too!

Realizing I should do the right thing, even though it may be difficult, Gloria

Amazing God!

2010-10-11T04:52:00.000-07:00

Now to my second story that occurred on Thursday.

You would think I could spread these ordeals out a little. But, I guess it's best to get them over with all at once so you can enjoy the other days. Knowing me, that's no guarantee the other days will be free of mishaps!

After I had retrieved my wallet from the store manager (See last post if this does not make sense.), I should have marched right to my car and gone home. Bold soul that I am, I continued my trek to find out what was in the other new store. I found nothing there but went to a third store that was adjacent to the store I had left my wallet in. Hey, you might as well check them all out at once. Even the older store might have something you really, really need!

Well, sure enough, they did. I had been looking for a toaster oven. THEY HAD A SALE ON TOASTER OVENS! My day was looking up!

I purchased the oven, being sure I placed my wallet back in my purse, and started to walk out of the store. For the SECOND time in the last hour, a person stopped me. She said, "I think that lady is trying to stop you." I turned to look. The cashier who had waited on me was running toward me.

My first thought was, "Maybe she's running me down because I forgot to pay for something" (With my brain, that is not an impossibility). It was then that I noticed she also had a big box in her hands. MY TOASTER OVEN! I had purchased it and then walked off without it! Who knows, if the lady hadn't run me down, it may have been at breakfast the next morning before I realized I had left it!
Once again, someone had come to my rescue. What a nice town!

God is always coming to my rescue. Mostly from myself.

He has rescued me out of deep troubles that I thought I could not survive. He has rescued me out of less difficult things (like toaster ovens and wallets).

Why would God, creator of the universe, bother to do that for a ding-a-ling woman in a small town in the desert? Because he loves me! I don't know about you but, that amazes me!

What an amazing God I serve, Gloria

Some Days It's Best To Just Stay In Bed

2010-10-08T04:50:00.000-07:00

I shouldn't have gone out of the house yesterday. In fact, I shouldn't have gotten out of bed! It would have been safer there and my day would definitely have been a lot less stressful.

It was a day of mishaps. I'll share one today, then one on Monday.

Two new stores have opened up in our area. Of course, I HAD to go check them out. I just happened to find something at the first one (You can always find something if you look long enough!). I made my purchases, took them to the car and set out for the next new store, which was adjacent to the one I had been in (Don't you just love convenience!).

As I was about you go in the store, two ladies, which I had seen in the first store (See, I'm not the only one in town who had to check out the new stores.) stopped me. One said, "Did you leave your wallet at the other store? It was red."

PANIC! My wallet! I looked inside my purse. No wallet! I tried not to knock the ladies down as I rushed toward the store, praying as I went.

As I approached the store, a man was walking toward me with a red wallet. He was a manager of the new store. He handed me my wallet. I wanted to throw my arms around him, weeping, and give him a big hug but I feared he might think the people in our town were just a bit TOO friendly so I refrained and simply said, "Thank you so much!"

With a pounding heart, I looked inside my wallet. All my grocery money was still there! We could eat the rest of the week!!

I thanked God for protecting me from myself. He has a tall order doing that! But, he is gracious and loves me. He deals with me kindly, far better than I deserve. I do so appreciate that! Don't you?

Thankful for a God who watches out for his children, Gloria

Self Control, A Sign of God Control

2010-10-06T04:19:00.000-07:00

My husband and I are doing the thing I hate most in all the world. No, it's not scrubbing the floors or cleaning out the refrigerator or plucking my eyebrows (No, my husband does not pluck his eyebrows!) although they are on my THINGS I HATE TO DO LIST. We are on a diet!

I wonder if the person who created the word diet purposely made the first three letters in the word read DIE? Personally, I think it was intentional. That's what it feels like when you're dieting!

I mentioned on Monday that we went to eat after church on Sunday night. Some friends went, too. Two of the men had the gall to buy ice cream cones! They didn't even bother to go in the corner of the restaurant to eat them. No, they licked those chocolate dipped ice cream cones, with sighs of delight I might add, RIGHT AT THE SAME TABLE WITH DIETING FRIENDS. It made me question if they were true friends!!! :D

Why are we dieting? Because we ate too much, of course. We knew when we ate more food than our bodies needed that gaining weight was inevitable. Like wading out into the ocean will get your feet wet. Or, walking on broken glass will get your feet cut. Or, eating too much will cause you to have to make room for two sets of clothes in your closet, your fat clothes and your skinny clothes (I have some skinny clothes I've been hanging on to for twenty years!). You know. Common sense type things.

So, we'll use some self control and not eat so much. We have hopes of seeing skinny bodies when we stand in front of the mirror. Hey, I'll settle for semi-skinny!

It takes self control to not eat too much and it takes self control to live the Christian life. As a Christian, we have an edge on both counts. The Bible says the fruit of the Spirit is self-control. So, self control is a sign we are living under the control of the Holy Spirit.

Hoping to live a self controlled life today, Gloria

A Spiritual Lesson Learned From Caffeine

2010-10-04T06:17:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I amaze myself. Not in a good way.

After church last night, we went to get something for dinner (you didn't think I was going to go home and cook at 8:30 did you?)

I got a drink. And a refill. Not good!

At 1:00 a.m. I finally fell asleep. Woke up at 2, 4, and 5:30. Needless to say, I am not running around the house singing, cleaning as I go (I doubt the last part would be done, even if I was in a good mood).

I have no one to blame but myself! Why did I think I could load up on caffeine, go home, pop into bed and fall asleep right away? Don't I know caffeine keeps me awake? Of course I do. I guess I thought it wouldn't happen this time. Dumb, don't you think?

Sometimes we do dumb things spiritually, too. We know what happens when we go against what God tells us to do. It always causes negative effects. But, still we do them. Maybe we think it won't happen this time. WRONG! Going against how God tells us to live always has negative effects, even greater than caffeine at bedtime!!

Hoping I'm smarter next time about doing dumb physical and spiritual things, Gloria

Inside Outside Which Side?

2010-09-29T16:43:00.000-07:00

Sorry I'm posting late again. We do not have hookups so I don't have electricity to keep my computer going. It went down last night.

I really think I could be a pioneer type woman. Clothes scrubbed by hand (I did that yesterday and thrown across a makeshift line (I did that, too) and food cooked outside (yep, I did that, too.

Of course, those pioneer women didn't look too good. But, nobody expected them to, right? I wonder if that would be the case this era. I doubt people today would tolerate baths once a week, no make up (UGH!), maybe even no deodorant (now that is where I would draw the line!).

Today's society, at least in America, tends to value you on how you look. That's really sad because I know some really beautiful people that don't look particularly good on the outside.

I wonder what our world would be like if we all spent more time taking care of the inside than we do the outside? I wonder what God would think about that idea? I think he might like it a lot!

Do a check. How much time have you spent on the inside compared to the time you've spent working on the outside?

Doing my own evaluation, Gloria

Polished

2010-09-27T18:29:00.000-07:00

Sorry I didn't get this posted until late. We have been on the road most of the day. That is not the fun part of vacation to me. I'm like a kid asking, "Are we there yet!.

I stopped by the rock shop again before I left the northern part of the state. I picked out a few more rocks and debated about picking some of the ones you have to break or polish to see what you have. I also looked at one of those rock tumblers where you put the ugly stones in and in a few days, out comes beautiful stones.

I didn't buy the tumbler but it gave me a great idea. Now all I have to do is figure out how I can do it. I'll make millions if I can figure this one out!

I want to invent a body tumbler. You enter in with all kinds of bumps, lumps and wrinkles. I shake you around for a few days and, lo and behold, in a few days you come out all smooth, polished and beautiful. Great idea right? If any of you have any suggestions, let me know. I'll let you have a percentage of the loot.

I doubt I'll be able to figure this machine out but I can keep trying, right?

I know I'll never be a totally polished Christian inside and out. But, I should be looking smoother as I let God put me in his "polishing machine". Not as many areas that aren't yielded to his polishing. At least, that's what I'm praying for!

Hoping this "rock" is beginning to show more of the beauty of Jesus, Gloria

Shining The Stones

2010-09-24T07:09:00.000-07:00

We visited more redwood groves yesterday and then I got to stop by a gem shop by the side of the road. I could have stayed there for hours! Of course, I had to consider my hubby so I only stayed one! But, I'm going back there today.

Since I make jewelry, it was wonderful trying to pick pieces that might make a nice necklace or earrings. Some of the stones were not polished. Looked pretty ugly and you would never guess the beauty that was under there. Some were already polished and ready for jewelry.

That reminded me of people in the church. Some are so covered with "junk" that you can't yet see what they might become. Others are polished and shine beautifully.

The problem with most churches is they want all the "rocks" to be beautiful. Not going to happen! We need to be patient with them and help smooth them and sand them until they shine for Jesus. Not throw them away!

Hoping I am willing to be patient with people and help shine them up for Jesus, Gloria

Finding Something To Praise God For

2010-09-22T06:48:00.000-07:00

It's still dark here in northern California but the traffic on the freeway near where we are camped is in a steady stream. Where are all these people going at this hour?!!

We have seen some beautiful scenery here. The redwood trees are so beautiful. I miss green so much (not too much green in the desert!).

Before I got out of bed, I praised God for this beautiful place. I wonder how he feels when he created a world for us to live in that is filled with beauty (yes, even in the desert) and we fail to thank him and praise him for what he has given us.

Why not look around and see what you can praise God for today. If you look, no matter where you are, I think you might come up with something. It may not be a location. It could be a person, a thing, even a memory. Why, you may find you will find LOTS of things to praise God for. I'm hoping you do!!

Praising God for all the beauty I see here (well, I will see when it gets light) and for you! Gloria

On The Road Again

2010-09-20T04:54:00.000-07:00

I am unable to get online all the time while we are on vacation so I may not be posting much the next couple of weeks.

I'm having a great time on vacation. Who wouldn't be if all you do is eat, sleep and read. I think I could get accustomed to this life style!

We're camped at Pismo Beach right now, headed farther north. It is beautiful here. God is evident as I look at the crashing waves as they come into shore and dissipate under my feet.

How can people see all this beauty and think it just "happened"?

Yet, I know many do. I have just finished reading a book called "Atheist Remix". A deep but interesting read. There are many elite who would love to see all us Christians eliminated so they can get on with living their lives without having to deal with us.

We need to be praying that God will give us boldness in sharing our faith so we can spread the truth. If we fail to do so, we may be shocked to see what America will look like in twenty years.

Praying we are faithful to spread the truth, Gloria