The Saga of a Christmas Tea- I'm not Martha.....

So, I volunteered to host a table for our Church's annual Christmas tea a few weeks ago. I did it once before and have most of the stuff, I'm thinking. NO PROBLEM- IT'LL BE FUN!
Day before tea arrives- I've had no time to inventory what I had, the e-mailed list of stuff has grown, and neither my computer or the work's printer are working. Rush home Friday at 4:30 P., have to gather my stuff, go to scavenge at my mom's for other, and then to Church to be set up by 9:00 P.M.

"WHAT WAS I THINKING!!!!!"
I scribble out the list. I run out the door. I run back in for the list. I run out the door again

I run back around the house to get in again to get my keys.

Say Hi to Dad, give him a kiss, get lecture for over-commiting again.

Give mom a kiss and commence gathering missing items. A beautiful tablecloth was found!

Last years' candles are not gonna make the cut!

And with a loud crash- one broken candle holder less...
Not pictured was the beautiful tablecloth- rectangle shaped, didn't fit. 2 friends, seeing my exhaused frame, came to the rescue, pulling out the church's spare cloths!
Yeah, friends! I didn't cuss or cry, but very much felt like Ghetto-Martha when I realized that most other tables had CLOTH napkins with really cutesy napkin holders!

The Saga of a Christmas Tea- the Process

My dear friend, Stephanie, coming to the rescue on the verge of one of my meltdowns.

My mommy came! She is such an amazingly gracious and supporting person. I'm grateful to have her.

The Saga of a Christmas Tea- the Grand Finale

I'm not Martha, but, in the words of Babe the Pig's Master: "That'll do!"

The Saga of a Christmas Tea- the Bell Choir

The Bell Choir was a family from the Prince of Peace Church in Woodland Hills, I believe. It was incredibly beautiful, and the synchronization of the 3 and timing was awesome. How good was it? A room full of more than 100 ladies went virtually silent!

Happy Birthday, Justin!

What a wonderful Daddy you are! What a great husband and Son-In-Law, too! And a very fun guy.

I had a great time at your house for Thanksgiving, even though I got stabbed and we made you sick. Just kidding- I hope.
Love,
Mom

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving, All!
I am very grateful to have gotten through an amazingly busy season in my life, and feel like I can finally take a breather.
I don't know why I feel like that seeing that my schedule hasn't let up in the next couple of weeks. Yes, I do know. I went to a Cleansing Streams Retreat weekend and had God lift off several heavy burdens. I got clarity as to where I'm at a little more, and a sense of relief. It was in partnership with him, through a process of repenting, (from a range of issues, rejection,anger, resentment, etc.) and renouncing, to breaking, and then onto letting God fill me with the antidote. For example, the antidote for fear is love. It seems to be the antidote for hate as well. And patience. Hmmm, something to think about..... Love is the fulfillment of the law.
I found that I'd been rejecting myself- and finally realized that I can never be the gentle, soft-spoken, patient person that my mom is. I can, by the grace of God, become more gentle and patient. But I'm just not my mom. And that's okay.
The other exciting news is that I finally bought a memory card reader for my camera, as I'd lost the cord in moving!
So pictures are coming!!!!
I'm off again in a couple of days for my first out-of-state holiday. I'll go up with Sarah and Josh and kids and we'll descend on Justin and Rosie's little apt. for a delicious, baby-filled Turkey time!
Happy Thanksgiving, all!

Honoring marriage-Andy Says it all!

I have joined in a 40 days of prayer and my own fast (sugar) with Andy Cominsky and hundreds of thousands of others. This is the last post of his 40 Days of Devotion:


Honoring Marriage For the Good of All

Humbled by Victory
November 5, 2008 by andycomiskey

After a sleepless night, I can say with joy and relief: ‘gay marriage’ is no longer in CA.The people arose and went to the polls. They took back marriage from the Supreme Court and rightly defined it as one man pledged to one woman. For the sake of kids. For the good of all.

By a slim 4-point margin, the citizens of CA turned San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and an activist court on its ear. Now marriage as heterosexual is written in stone into the CA state constitution.

Thank you for your prayers. God roused His people to honor and defend what He loves.

The righteous in CA—both Christians and God-fearers—acted. And persevered. They endured vandalism—Prop. 8 signs and bumper-stickers were torn down throughout the campaign, political trickery—CA’s Attorney General deliberately worded Prop. 8 in a confusing and negative manner, and shame—opponents of Prop. 8 ridiculed those who honor marriage as racist, intolerant and hateful.

The good endured. The true image of God in humanity is honored. God is honored. “Just as there is a momentum to evil, so there is a momentum to repentance…”

And He is to be praised for hearing our prayers. I have cried out for this victory along with you since the Supreme Court decision last May. Yesterday, anxious in prayer, the Lord reminded me of this Word He gave me through my friend and associate Dean:

“Do not be anxious or discouraged because of this vast army. The battle is not yours, but Mine. Take up your positions, stand firm, and you will see the deliverance that I have given you. Do not fear or be discouraged, for I am with you.” (2Chron. 20: 16, 17)

He delivered CA from delusion, and the judgment it invites. He will have mercy! The people have acted justly and honored God’s image.

This is only the beginning. CA’s honoring of marriage must signal a further awakening of the church everywhere to arise in Christ, the true image, and live out what she preaches.

That means cherishing that image in one another, and making every effort to restore that image in its broken members.

That means taking the mercy of Jesus out beyond her walls to those bound by same-sex attraction. We have already given gays what they need: the clear witness of God’s intent for humanity in marriage. Now let’s love them into the Kingdom.

And we need to empower the nations who sooner than later will face the same decision that CA did concerning the true definition of marriage.

We must mobilize now to help them before sneaky courts or legislatures subject its citizens to ‘gay marriage.’

CA has spoken loudly to the world: Let the people decide how marriage will be defined. Thank God for democracy! By His grace, and through the power of truth tempered and channeled in prayer, let the people who honor God honor marriage everywhere.

Bless you dear friends for standing with us throughout these forty days. Together, we have honored marriage for the good of all.

“Delight yourself in the lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to Him; trust in Him, and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.” (PS 37:4-6)

On Gay Marraiges

I give thanks for Andy Cominsky, a brilliant and compassionate man whose heart is to seek wholeness and healing to homosexual and heterosexual alike.
His 40 day devotionals, which shed light on the issue and great direction on how to pray, is something I HIGHLY recommend. Anyone who knows and loves a gay person would do well to read, and see modeled through Andy how to love them in grace and truth.

His blog is at:
http://andycomiskey.wordpress.com/

Why pray?

We, as a people of God, sometimes make a faulty assumption. We decide that things are just what they are- and our call is to just accept them. But what does God ask us to do?

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then from heaven will I here, forgive them of their sins and heal their land."
2 Chronicles 3:14
To whom is this addressed? To God's people.
And what does He ask us to do? Humble selves, pray, seek Him, repent.
And if we do, then what could happen? He hears, He forgives, He heals.
Not just us- but our land.

Timothy 1:1 says, " Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made to all men; For Kings and all who are in authority, that we might live a quiet and peaceable life in all goodness and reverence..."
Things look bleak right now in the economic area.
What is our response to be?
Pray.
"..That Men ought always to pray and not to lose heart." Luke 18:1
In the last days Jesus tells us that men's hearts will grow faint, weak, cold, and even fail.
People can lose heart. In many different ways.
It strikes me as odd that Jesus, as He taught about the last day signs- the wars, desolations, famines, pestilences, etc,- that the response of many will be to hate each other, and the love of many will grow cold. ( Excerpts from Matthew 24)
It strikes me as odd because I would think that that would be the time when we'd really band together, love and help each other, and pray. But this doesn't seem to be an automatic response, not unless one has already developed that discipline.

I remembering reading that Jesus asked HIS disciples, will I find faith in the earth?

I had a good talk with my daughter the other day- hard, but good. She needed to let me know something, about her heart and the place, or non-place of politics in winning people to our loving God.
And I have been challenged by many to intercede for this very important election and time in our country's history
And I realized that I talk about, read, listen to, and worry about politics a whole lot more than I pray for it.
Is our response to our country's crisis to pray; or do we criticize, resent, become offended at, and even hate the political politician or activists with whom we disagree?

There's just no way out of this. We are commanded to pray for our enemies. We are told to pray for leaders, and to pray without ceasing.
And occupy. Let your light shine so that men might see your good works and glorify My Father..."
"Occupy until I come." Part of that is to occupy our places as citizens and vote. Part of it is to pray.

Jesus warned of perilous times. What will our response be to it all? Will He find faith on the earth?
I hope to say, "Yes, Lord. I'll answer your call, your command. Because you are good, and you do hear and you do move in the affairs of men when we invite you in. Because You can give us love when we have none, and restore hope in the midst of despair, and turn darkness into light." When we pray, He works!
Let Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done, on earth- in the USA, as it is in heaven.

So go to the dentist!

I am going to tell this story despite the fact that I've told it twice and it did little or nothing for those audiences. It's because it made me crack up with laughter in the middle of class!
First of all, it's not the one about the tooth fairy. That was last week, when one of my 7 year olds lost her tooth in the middle of class. Just for fun, when I found out she'd put the tooth under the pillow, I asked her what her tooth fairy looked like.
She thought a second, then said, "I don't know." Another pause, then added, "But she's rich!"
That was funny for sure.
But this- this is family humor. So I have to give family history. My mom's side gets the kind of hard of hearing where they think they hear, or partially hear, and fill in the blanks. Well, my Mom does. The funny thing to us is how badly off these guesses can be. Some make sense, like, "Mom, my feet are killing me." To which she replied, "Go to the dentist!"
Others, not so much. Like, "Guess who I saw last week? Ryan Stanley!"
"What, King Henry the Eighth?"
True stories.
So, today, when a little girl, who was crammed between her seat and the table told me that "My bum is stuck in the _____," I had every right to think that the last word was chair.
"Your bum is stuck in the chair? Well, move it!" seemed like the logical response.
But, after a puzzled look and a suppressed grin, she replied,
"NO, Mrs. Paulson, my BALL IS STUCK IN THE TREE."
I've officially become my mom!

Great End to Summer!

Summer is ending! The air outside is delightful still at 10:00 pm, cooling off the house. Boxes are still scattered here and there, but mostly the house is set up. Backyard is gorgeous, with pictures coming (as soon as I find where the camera cord was put.) And school is starting.
As great a summer as it was, it was my busiest ever, and for most of it I couldn't find my camera battery, so I'm just the opposite of my daughter Sarah's! (see potenttates@blogspot.com for views of some of our adventures)
It ended on a very high note, with a weekend- fully packed 3 days of the Catholic Charismatic Convention (now called Southern California Catholic Renewal)
I am blessed with a Mom with amazing simple faith and a huge, generous heart. A mom so unassuming that she blesses people all the time and speaks words of wisdom so naturally that she feels she's just stating the obvious. (Course, sometimes she does that, too.) She's like a goldmine; you just have to look around through the ordinary earth, and you'll see these sparkling precious treasures. Being in that Spirit-filled atmosphere with such a loving and open lady is, well, probably like being in heaven.
Thanks, Mom! I love you!

What, it's August already??

I can't believe it! Somehow, I thought all the hard work was behind me now that I moved and summer break had come. Well, yes and no. The work of packing and sifting through years of junk and the work of finding a rental, and the end-of-the-year-school work, with it's packing and sorting and sifting ended.
But UN-packing can be a bear. Especially for spacially-challenged people like me, who don't see obvious empty closets for unusual, but very workable items.
I lost a linen closet, really big broom closet and some cabinet space. It took my daughters to point out that I could use my extra dresser drawer for linens, and I hav e a perfect place in the hall, where I could have a closet put in. I have been very grateful for the girls- Sarah and Rosie, you are the best!!!! And having the grandkids around has been wonderful.
I still haven't found my camera's battery charger- or you'd have been assaulted with their adorable pictures!
On a sad note, I also lost my dog. Repeatedly. She would run away every time there wasn't a centry on the newly opened back gate. And she was more slippery than a greased pig. The last time she bolted was when I groggily opened the gate at 6AM because I suddenly heard the garbage trucks hit my area.
I called her, she came, almost, then darted off again. I thought she'd return as she had in the past, but not this time.
Stella. She was a "bad" dog, in that she wouldn't obey, and wasn't to be trusted around babies. But she was the most loving bad dog ever, to anybody.
She was lonely without her old croonie, Harry. And I was a bad owner- never home, never walking her.
Stella. Got her name because we had to yell so much to get her to respond, because she would frustrate us as she darted away with our dirty unmentionables in her mouth.! Or anything else not tied down
Stella. STELLA!!!!!!
It is late and I have so digressed, or have I?

Did I mention Central Air?

Ohmygosh!!!
I am so cool on this warm summer evening. and it happened so fast. Now, I know I'm gonna pay, but I now know why people do! I got home hot and tired at about 6:00 pm and walked into a very stuffy 91 degree house. Flipped a little, tiny switch and took some fruit salad to my Dad's. Came back about 1/2 hour later, and , WHA-LA!
Comfy climate! What the hey?
Well, I admit, I did take a shower and get my hair wet, but you get the point! It's even hard to not feel guilty.
I sit and type, while one machine does my clothes, another does my dishes, and another cools me.
I just got Direct TV after a few years of only rabbit ears and the 5-10 channels it could afford me.
I listened to some great music through it, (Dad also gave me his old TV, bigger and with great sound) while I made the salad. I've only had a small CD player for a few years as well. ( I hate making decisions about what type to buy- and was in my car more than home anyway.)

Not only that, but I finally broke down and bought myself a coffemaker that will auto-brew in the morning before I get up! Had one of those years before, and when this one broke, I went for it again.

And, last, but not least- this I've had for awhile, but being back in this house reminds me of the days when we didn't- AUTOMATIC SPRINKLERS! I forgot all the time we used to spend moving around the hose attached sprayer, and hand-held hosing the rough spots. It was never good enough.
OPULENCE, I TELL YOU ! How much of what I just listed are luxuries so many of us have and take for granted! We, in the USA are stinkin' rich.

OPULENCE is the word that comes to mind. Don't know if it's the right word, but feeling too OPULENTLY- LAZY to look it up! (Put THAT in your verbally-correct pipe and smoke it!!!)
Maybe I just moved from opulent to sassy!
But really, I do feel very, very BLESSED! I thank God for all that I have and for all who love and care about me so much!
And for my adorable, old-made-new home!

NEW HOUSE

FRONT:















BACK:


It'll take some work.

I've been watching this dove that's been camped out in front of my house for a couple of months. It seems to have been since I had the big tree out there cut down. It's been perched on the phone wire nearest to where the tree had been. Looking. Just looking at the spot where the tree had been. I don't know, maybe imagining the good times, the cover, the protection it had provided. And since I've heard that doves stay with their mates, maybe even for life, I wondered if it had lost it's mate. I wondered if it was male or female. It just sat there. Like it never wanted to leave. Like, as if it stayed near the place where it's mate had been, it would still be near him.
It was sort of sad when I thought of it like that. And it made me feel a bit guilty when I first thought of it. But then I got annoyed. It's gone already, find another tree! Or another mate. Maybe another life! ( I really don't think I thought all that about the bird- I'm just taking a little poetic license.)
Then I saw how reticent I was to pack up a cabinet. To empty a drawer. I've been waiting.
Not wanting to leave, just sitting here!
It's time for me to find another tree.
The realization of my own reluctance to move has helped me to see why I've not been able to get more excited about the gift of the new house I have!
My kids came a were so good to pack up 2 rooms now, and my attitude has been, at times, painfully indecisive about the dumbest things. Like where to put books in the new house. I really appreciate Josh and Sarah's patience with me.
And I'm making an effort now to spread those wings and get on board.
My spring theme seems to be to rise up and soar.
By the grace of God.

In My Backyard

The happiest thing I've found to do today is to sit in my backyard. The breeze is hitting the jasmine bush just right, wafting the soothing scent all over me. it's a killer beautiful day! I'm grateful for it. My trees have filled out in their fresh, spring-green leaved splendor. I love my private little park. I love the birds sweetly singing, and calling out to one another from tree to tree. And little white and orange butterflies are dancing over my lawn! I love God for having blessed me with so much.
It's my last birthday here, maybe, as Lucy would put it, "Fo-evor and evor."
But it feels healing, in that, instead of the sadness that I've felt for leaving so much behind, I have a gratitude for what I've had and now have.
It seems I've made a milestone in the grieving of my house and many memories. The ending stage of grief is supposed to be acceptance.
So, for my good old backyard, I accept and am ready to let it be a sanctuary for another soul in need of reprieve.

Happy Easter!

My Easter break flew by, although it felt so slow when it was happening because of the work I had to do, and of the play I had to fore go.
I kept giving myself those adult-talks,like, "you don't have to have a vacation right now. You had a couple of days with the kids, and you should be grateful for time off so that you can get this other stuff done. You do get summer off, you know."
I seemed to really need a lot of those talks. I seemed to be a little whiny and low on self motivation.
I got stuff done. To be honest, I feel a traitor to the name of my blog. Any thanks I gave during it seemed without any soul.
I did have a great time with the kids in Sea World. And it was so adorable seeing my grand babies watch their first movie in the theatre!
The other favorite thing was doing stuff with Sarah. It was great getting Easter stuff ready with her, and going with her, Josh and Lisa to lunch at Cafe Aroma's. A really nice time. It was a memory making little event walking around that little pond I've always wanted to stop at: Lake Fulmore, with Lucy, Jackie, and Sarah. That water is amazingly serene. Like a mirror, mountain blending into mountain, tree into tree. And even shafts of light touching at the water's surface, trying to trick you into thinking that both are real. Or are they?
I remember thinking, but held back, or maybe it came out, OH, THE GLORY!
Even baby Jack clapped his hands when he looked out on that view!
And having the kids with me for the Easter service, well, that's heaven!!
THANKS so much for coming down, Sarah and Josh!!!
That's funny...just blogging about the good stuff cheered me up!
What does it say, "...Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of GOOD report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy- meditate on these things." Philippians 4:8

Happy Easter!

Time to move

Isaiah chapter 43 says, "Don't consider the former things, leave the past behind, behold I am doing a new thing."
That passage, and the fact that I've been hearing about His opening up new doors for me, gave me the sense that it's time to move.
I got some prayer about moving at church. As they were praying, I pictured a sunset. And the light of the sunset struck me. I felt it was speaking to me of the giving up of the sunrise views that I see from my couch each morning through my French doors. It spoke to me of a new direction. It spoke to me of leaving the memories of this house behind, and looking forward.
And it spoke to me of David's sunset. His night had come, but not really. His light had merely moved out of my view, just as the sun does when it sets. I can't see the powerful "afterglow" that he now lives in, but the glowing remnant of that sunset in my mind made me to know that what he's in now is so much more beautiful!
"He makes all things beautiful in His time."

At any rate, I think it's time to move.
Is. 61:7
"Instead of your shame, you shall have double honor,
And instead of confusion, they shall rejoice in their portion."

Look Up

I'm reminded that I've not been posting much lately. Reflective of my extremely busy and tired state.
But I feel a need to share what has been breathed into my heart. For myself and hopefully for others,too.

So! The verse I "got" for this year is from Psalms 80. It is verse 3, 7, and 19.(anything good bears repeating)

"Restore us, O God;
Cause your face to shine,
And we shall be saved."

It is in meditation that the power of the message comes. This was a verse that just jumped out at me, caught my attention, before I realized why. I just KNEW, as one knows when God has spoken a truth to one's heart.

To me, it was an exciting "us" verse, which spoke to me of myself and my family.
And, I think, corporately to the Body of Christ.
But something I felt God was saying was that His face IS shining on us,but we are only transformed by it when we look up. When we take time to "fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith." It is there that we find our salvation. Not only our eternal salvation, but the saving grace of a changed life.
It's time to change our focus, from the negative circumstances to the beauty, radiant love of our Eternal God.

All this will pass. How will I live in it today depends largely on my focus.
Look Up!

Happy Groundhog Day!!!!

What is today? That famous day: Groundhog day!
I have been so behind in posting, and so uninspired. I think, mostly because of having been sick and then with sick little ones. I very much enjoyed being with them, and felt like I wasn't much help because I just hung out with them and enjoyed them so much. But Sarah insisted otherwise.
But all who have little ones know how hard it is to get around to doing lot of other stuff, like blogging! My hat goes off to you faithful ones.
Anyway, in getting over my own sickness and watching way too much TV, I feel I have nothing inspiring to say.
So, In celebration of the big, afore-mentioned day, I will tell you a story.
It happened at my old school, Panorama Baptist Elementary. The Bible teacher asked the class who remembered what Good Friday was about. One very astute little one raise her hand. (it was a Kinder or 1st grade class) She said, "I know!!" Okay, can you tell the class? She rose, and with the voice of authority, stated, "It was the day that Jesus died on the cross!"
"Very Good!" the teacher replied, but the little one wasn't done.
"Yes and on the 3rd day He rose up again! But," she added, confidently, "If He sees His shadow, He goes back down again."
Supposedly true story....