James chapter 5 in the New Testament in the Bible reminds us that if we have questions about the Gospel (or anything else, really) we can pray and ask God for the answer. He will give us the answers are seeking, if we simply ask.
James 1:5 (KJV) – If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
Do you believe God hears and answers prayers? Have you ever tested Him?
Joe and I were lying awake this morning talking about life as we like to do these days. He said living with me has been like living life at an amusement park.
“What?! How so?”
He said sometimes you go and have so much fun you can hardly stand it. Sometimes, you are at the park with thousands of people and you feel all alone. Sometimes you are there with thousands of people and you feel like you are caught up in all of the fun and excitement right along with them.
At times it feels like being on a giant roller coaster and your stomach is in knots with every twist and turn. One minute you are on the highest high the next minute you are at the lowest low. Just when you feel like you are getting used to the ride, it comes a screeching halt.
It feels at times like you are playing all the right games and all you can do is win. You are walking around as proud as a peacock with your arms full of prizes. Then there are times you feel like you can’t win for losing, no matter how hard you try.
Sometimes, the food is so good it leaves you wanting more and other times all you want to do is find the nearest McDonalds, Wendy’s or Taco Bell.
When the temperature feels just right, you could linger for hours, but when it is too hot or too rainy and cold, you can’t make your way out fast enough.
But, no matter the weather, environment, or the mood. We are always walking through it all…. hand-in-hand… together. Awww….
Isn’t that sweet?! Like ice cream melting in the hot sun and dripping down the cone all over your brand new shoes. Haha!
with my Dad. That is not possible, so I just marinate in the memories.
Two years before Dad died, which was last January, he got Covid 19. It robbed him of his ability to smell and taste everything except tomatoes for the rest of his life. He was not in the best of health for the last several years before his passing. Mom was good to care for him for most of those years. He was mostly homebound except for the mornings he would wake up and say he wanted to drive himself and Mom over to McDonald’s for a McGriddle. He could not really taste them, but said they felt good in his mouth. He was always a breakfast guy. I suppose I am like him in that way. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day.
Anyway…
Since Dad was mostly homebound, so was Mom. She did not get to travel like she would have liked. She did not get to eat out or go shopping much. She was home with Dad. That is just how she was and how their marriage worked. He was home, so she was home. Now that Dad is gone, she can explore more opportunities to go places. She says “yes” a lot more now.
In the last year, Mom has eaten out a few more times than ever before. She has gone to lunch with friends. She goes to her sister’s house once a month for a scripture study meeting. She went to San Diego with my sister in the spring. She is in the process of getting her passport and is planning to go on a cruise with us this year. I can hardly wait to experience that with her! As sad as we are about Dad’s passing, we are equally excited to share some of Mom’s “first-time” experiences.
In the meantime, tonight, my husband and I, my sister, her husband, their daughter, and my brother are going to take mom to Longhorn Steakhouse for dinner for her first time. She is going to love the creamy cheesy smothered chicken breast, mashed potatoes and strawberry salad.
I am grateful for the gift we have been given of this time with Mom and opportunities to explore some of the experiences with her that this life has to offer.
What are your biggest challenges?
Apparently, one of my biggest challenges is remembering to take pictures with my family on the holidays. It is regretful. Next year, there will be no photo that will pop up in my memories on my phone from a year ago. No photo memory of today – January 1, 2025.
The morning started with Joe washing 20 big beautiful baker-sized Idaho Potatoes, wrapping them in foil, and placing them in the electric roaster oven while I showered and get ready for the day.
He readied the 14-lb prime rib, gathered all the seasonings and other fixings, and placed the three pies we made yesterday (blueberry, cherry, and mincemeat) into the back of our pickup.
We drove around the block to my sister’s house, where we arrived at about 11AM. Joe seasoned the prime rib and had it in the 500-degree oven by 11:30AM. Ten minutes later, he turned the oven down to 325⁰ and it was perfectly done to medium rare at 2:45PM.
While the meat and potatoes cooked, six of us played Farkle. Have you ever played? It is a fun dice game for two players or more. I had never played until last week. Joe and I like playing it together in the evenings.
At one point, I noticed our teenage grandchildren were gathered at one end of the table with their phones in their hands, mostly lost in their own worlds, but every once in awhile sharing with each other a funny video they saw or some other new discovery. At the other end of the table, the adults were visiting with one another. I wondered to myself what the grandchildren had ever taken time to learn about my mom, their great grandmother.
My first question to them was if they knew where she was born. I was a little surprised so many of them knew the answer. Then I asked what year she was born and how old she was when she and my dad were married. I asked if they knew where. Did they know how many siblings my parents each had and could they name them all. It was impressive to me that they knew so much. We then asked about my husband’s family and pulled out some photos we had of them.
We had a great day filled with fun, laughter, reminiscing, and good food. My dad started this tradition of prime rib with the family on New Years Day. We missed him for sure. But today’s time spent with family was a great start to the new year.
I am watching Boise State play Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl.
Would someone please let the announcers know that there is no “z” in Boise? 😉
What makes you feel nostalgic?
Memories of time spent with family or friends, looking through old photographs, and reminiscing with my mom.
We have survived most of the “firsts” of the first year of my dad’s passing. This was the first Christmas without him. It was definitely noticeable. And different. And a little empty. But, we survived and made the best of it. We are grateful Mom is still here and doing her best to figure out her new life without Dad. She is doing a great job of adjusting in her own very quiet way. We are grateful for her loving example.
One of our Christmas traditions is for the adults to exchange gifts in the following way. They bring a gift to the Christmas Day family gathering. This is not just any gift! It is a gift that they spend at least…at the very least…10 minutes shopping for on Christmas Eve Day! Haha! Actually, that is not a “rule” but for some of the last-minute gift givers, that is just how they roll. Others in the family usually take a bit more time thinking of just the perfect gift that they feel anyone would be happy to receive.
Over the years these gifts have ranged from pots and pans, to towels or blankets, or even simply a box of chocolates with maybe a $20 or $50-dollar bill attached to the top. Some years the gifts have been flashlights or batteries in a case (never can be too prepared) or even a bubbly desktop waterfall. We never assign a “theme” for the types of gifts to purchase. The only “rule” is that the gift needs to be wrapped in foil with no fancy bows on top.
Along with the tinfoil gift, the adults bring an amount of money that is placed in a non-see-through envelope. The amounts of money have ranged over the years from 20 dollars to 100 dollars. The usual amount is $50. When the family arrives on Christmas morning, one of the first things they do after removing their coats and hats is head for the envelopes to offload the money they are carrying around in their pocket or purse. They carefully place their tinfoil gift under the Christmas tree with the others. It is fun to see the silver tinfoil become a colorful reflection of the lights on the tree.
Everyone is all a buzz with comments of how good the egg bake smells and the young people have a look of impatience, hoping the prayer of thanks for the food is said quickly, so they can fill their plates with egg bake, English muffins, and fruit. Orange juice is most often the drink of choice. It is fun to have all 21 family members, adults and children, surrounding the several smaller tables pushed together to make one long table. The happy sound of eating and laughter warms my heart as I look around the table, taking in the sights and sounds of our yearly Christmas brunch.
Soon after, the dishes are cleared from the tables, which are pushed to the side of the room to make room for our circle of chairs. The gifts are pulled out from under the tree and handed out to the children whose smiles could not be brighter! It is a joyous occasion to watch as the children (teens included) open their gifts and the younger ones exclaim in delight at the new toys and games they have received. The teens were excited to see their tickets to the movie theater and a little money for popcorn, treats, and drinks, from Grandma and Grandpa. I thought they might go to the movies that afternoon, but they opted to stay and play games with us adults instead.
Fourteen adults and one highschooler participated in our tinfoil gift exchange this year. Paper was torn into 14 small pieces and each was numbered individually from 1 to 14 and placed in a small bowl. The gifts were placed in the center of the circle where we could eye the perfect one we hoped would still be available to choose when our number came up. This year my number was 6 which I picked from the bowl as my niece took it around the room from adult to adult so each could choose a number, which would dictate the order in which we could choose a gift from the pile. My husband picked number 9. We had a brief banter about which of us was really holding number 9 and which one was holding number 6. Mine was definitely number 6! *wink wink*
When it was my turn to choose an envelope and then a gift from the middle of the room, I chose a puffy envelope and an oblong gift, which rattled a little when I picked it up. Two of our granddaughters looked at each other and laughed as I carried it back to my chair. Looking at my granddaughters, I shook it gently and said it sounds like wooden pieces. They both looked at each other and laughed. Our oldest granddaughter is 23 and the other one who was laughing with her is her sister who is 17 and a senior in high school. She decided it was time to join the adult gift exchange this year since she is a senior.
Well, the only other gifts I remember seeing after I opened my gift was that there were a few gift cards to grocery stores…and, truly, I do not remember a single other gift! Mine was the best gift I have ever, ever EVER received! (OK, maybe not EVER, but it is definitely a favorite!) When I opened my gift, my granddaughters started to laugh out loud. It took me a minute to figure out what it was. And, when I figured it out, I couldn’t believe it! It was a BIDET attachment for the toilet. I was so excited! It might sound silly, but I have always wanted a Bidet and wondered why Americans are taking so long to implement such an amazing invention.
My husband installed the Bidet for me yesterday. My only question about it is…WHY did we not purchase one of these a LONG TIME AGO?! Our grandchildren thought they were being funny, but in the end it truly was one of the best gifts they could have gotten…at least for me! Well, I guess, I do have one more question: Where is the WARM water attachment? That will be the next item on our list of things to purchase in the near future. Bidets are nice, but I would guess, WARM water Bidets are even nicer.
Happy New Year’s Eve!!
My husband had a nerve stimulator placed in his back about six years ago. The battery in the stimulator he chose is not rechargeable, so the battery died. Today, he had surgery to replace the battery pack over the back side of his hip. The hope was that the doctor could just disconnect the battery pack from the leads going up his back near his spinal column and reconnect the new battery to those existing leads.
No such luck. The doctor had to open an incision in his back to remove the old leads and place the new ones, to which the new battery could connect. Joe asked the doctor to just put a zipper in his back to make a replacement of the battery and leads easier in six years when it needs to be done again. Dr. P thought that was a good idea, but his sewing skills must not be advanced enough for that because I do not see a zipper in his back.
Now we wait and hope that no infection develops. *Fingers crossed*
What positive events have taken place in your life over the past year?
It is not easy to find much positive in my life this past year. My dad died in January. He was the glue that held our family together.
In March, my husband had his 8th knee surgery and spent two months in a rehabilitation facility three hours from our house. I worked every week and drove three hours each way to visit him on the weekends.
At about this same time, I started questioning my faith and made some choices I am not proud of. I learned a lot about myself and my husband. Thankfully, we fell together instead of apart. He has been a great support and has shown nothing but unconditional love for me. The one positive event that took place this year, I suppose, is when my husband pulled me off of the path I was headed down, one that would have brought me sadness and misery.
In May, I quit taking meds that were making me feel numb. I wanted to feel again. Oh boy! Did I ever start feeling! Depressed, anxious, and angry… definitely not healthy. We started weekly couples counseling and added individual counseling in late summer/early fall.
In July, my coworker made sure my boss knew I was struggling to keep up with work. (She threw me under the bus.) I was moved to a location in the back area of desks where admin assistants and others sit to do their work. It was a nice big partitioned desk area with a lot of room to spread out and organize my work station. It was quiet with few distractions. But, it was away from the department I work for, which brought its own challenges.
In August, my husband had a 9th knee surgery. He spent three more weeks at the rehabilitation facility. He came home after that and started outpatient PT twice a week. Adding those to the counseling appointments means he is going to appointments almost daily.
September and October are a blur. By November, it was a wonder I was functioning at all, let alone functioning normally. Two new meds did not work out. They made things worse, in fact. I just had to hang in there until the 18th of November when we would head out for vacation to San Diego for 10 days of R&R.
Two weeks before we were to leave, my quiet place at work became a nightmare when a new girl was moved into the desk area next to mine. The built-in cabinet wall partition did not go to the ceiling. The new girl loved her strong-smelling flowery Gain detergent, which wafted over the wall into my area, taunting me and my allergies daily. Allergy medication did not help…. Talking to her about the problem did not help…. Talking to Administration did not help…. I had to move back to the department where I worked at a very small desk, which barely fits two small monitors, a keyboard, and a phone. At least I could breathe, and in a couple of days, I would be leaving for vacation anyway.
It wasn’t to be, however. I got a kidney infection. I have never had a kidney infection. It was not fun! We had to cancel our trip, but at least I had two weeks off work so I could stay home to heal.
I spent quality time with my mom and family leading up to Thanksgiving. We enjoyed a big Thanksgiving meal together with all of our family. I made the meal, so my husband and I did not hang around long at my sister’s house after the meal was over since he was not feeling well and I was tired out from all the food prep the day before and baking the day of. It was the first Thanksgiving without my dad. It was noticeably different without his presence.
I have been an emotional wreck. Anxiety and anger became my new daily companions during the week. Depression accompanied us on the weekends. I definitely felt like it would be ok if it were my time to die. I even pleaded with Heavenly Father to take me home. I had no suicidal plans. I just wanted it to be my time.
It has been 10 days since I started a med that has evened out my pendulum-sized mood swings. I finally feel like myself again. It is not perfect, but way, way, way better. I feel happy and I love life again! I even prayed and thanked God for not taking me home when I asked. I told Him I would stay as long as he would allow me to stay here. I feel like I have more to do, more life to live, and experience, in a good way!
I have learned that if you are struggling with something, just have faith, hang in there long enough, and it will get better! I am grateful for modern medicine, a loving husband and family, and a job that pays the bills and keeps our heads above water most of the time.
I love November! Halloween, probably my least favorite holiday, is over. It is a beautiful time of year with the lovely colors of the changed leaves against the background of an often bubblegum pink and blue sky as the sun sets in the west.
It is a wonderful time of year to reflect on all of the things, experiences, and people we have to be thankful for. The stores start filling up with Thanksgiving decor, and with Christmas fast approaching, the shelves begin to fill with Christmas trees, stocking, ornaments, dishes, and more. The cinnamon smell of pine cones permiates the air when walking through the entrance at several of the local markets and big box stores.
It is time to break out the sweaters and jackets when spending time outdoors. Indoors, the fireplace is lit and steaming hot chocolate in a large mug topped with marshmallows, warms my hands as I wrap my fingers as far around the mug as possible.
There is a chill in the air, but there is no snow on the ground in Idaho yet. So, my husband and I thought it would be a great weekend to deliver for Uber Eats and DoorDash. Actually, on Friday evening, we delivered for Amazon…in a small college town about a half-hour north of us. It was a relatively small order of 21 packages. It took a total of three hours, including drive time there and back.
Yesterday and today, we drove for Uber Eats and DoorDash, depending on how busy either one was. It was so much fun! We enjoy delivering because it gives us time to talk.
Also, my husband sees some crazy things sometimes when he is sitting in the car waiting for me while I go into the various restaurants to pick up the orders. Today, the craziest thing he has ever seen happened.
We stopped at Big Bear Diner this morning to pick up a breakfast order for someone who ordered through DoorDash. The brown bag with skinny handles was a very convenient way for the store to package up the order for us gig drivers.
When I arrived back at my car with the bag in hand, my husband said, “You are not going to believe what just happened!” He said he was watching out his passenger side window at the busy four lane street the parking lot was next to. He said it was very busy and there were cars that were stopped at the stoplight. There was a white car with a middle-aged woman driver who wanted to make a right turn from the right turn lane. However, the line of cars was so long that they were stopped back far enough that she could not get past them to access the right turn lane.
She took matters into her own hands. With visible frustration on her face, she pulled her car up on the sidewalk and passed all of the cars until she could finally reach the open turn lane where she dropped back down off of the sidewalk! Good thing there were no pedestrians walking on that stretch of the sidewalk at that moment!
I’m so thankful no one got hurt. Next time, my husband will be ready with the video recorder on his phone. He said he was so astonished at this woman’s actions that he could hardly think of what to do except watch in disbelief that she was driving on the sidewalk.
Ahhhh… November. What a crazy, beautiful, wonderful time of year.
Name the most expensive personal item you’ve ever purchased (not your home or car).
Our first desktop home computer that my husband built was the first most expensive item we ever purchased together. I was so impressed by his ability to “build” a computer. And I was equally impressed by the cost. *GULP* Over $5000 back in 1990.
Now we carry these little computers around in our hands. I am amazed again and again what our phones contain. Encyclopedias, maps, endless music, telephones, address books, cameras, video cameras, endless games, family history, scriptures, hymns, etc. It is nearly unbelievable! What would our great grandparents think?
I voted. If you live in America and are voting age, you probably voted. The majority spoke. I read a blog that said President Trump has an approval rating below 50%. As of what date? Said whom? Is it possible to win the popular vote and the electoral vote but have an approval rating below 50%? Does it even matter?
There are reports that President Trump is going to round up people and put them in camps, that he is like Hitler and going to start killing people, etc. What sense does that make? Were you alive when he was the president of the United States just four short (or long) years ago? Did he round up people and put them in camps? Did he kill people? NO. The news makes it sound like he is coming after all of us.
Here are 15 major accomplishments from Donald Trump’s first term as President of the United States (2017-2021):
1. **Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (2017)**: Enacted the largest tax reform in decades, reducing corporate taxes and individual rates to stimulate economic growth.
2. **Judicial Appointments**: Nominated three Supreme Court justices (Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett) and numerous federal judges, reshaping the judiciary for years to come.
3. **Deregulation Efforts**: Implemented policies to reduce federal regulations, particularly in the energy, finance, and environmental sectors, promoting economic growth.
4. **Criminal Justice Reform**: Signed the First Step Act, which aimed at reforming sentencing laws and improving rehabilitation programs for federal prisoners.
5. **Middle East Peace Agreements**: Facilitated the Abraham Accords, normalizing relations between Israel and several Arab nations, changing dynamics in Middle Eastern geopolitics.
6. **Trade Agreements**: Renegotiated NAFTA, resulting in the USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement), aimed at better terms for American workers.
7. **Veterans Affairs Reform**: Improved access to healthcare for veterans and expanded the Veterans Choice Program, allowing more flexibility in seeking medical care.
8. **Job Growth and Unemployment Rates**: Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the administration highlighted significant job growth and historically low unemployment rates before 2020.
9. **COVID-19 Response**: Operation Warp Speed accelerated the development and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, contributing to a rapid vaccine rollout.
10. **Strengthening the Military**: Increased defense spending to bolster the U.S. military, focusing on modernization and readiness.
11. **Energy Independence**: Promoted policies that led to increased oil and gas production in the U.S., making the country a net exporter of energy.
12. **School Choice Initiatives**: Advocated for and supported policies promoting school choice and funding for charter schools and private education.
13. **Foreign Aid and Assistance**: Reduced foreign aid to countries seen as not supporting U.S. interests and reassessed military commitments abroad.
14. **Environmental Policy Changes**: Rolled back numerous environmental regulations, including exiting the Paris Agreement to prioritize economic growth.
15. **National Security Strategy**: Implemented strategies focusing on countering terrorism, addressing China’s influence, and enhancing cybersecurity measures.
These accomplishments reflect a range of policies across various sectors, reflecting Trump’s administration’s priorities during his presidency. And, these are only a few of his major accomplishments.
Did at least one of these accomplishments impact your life in a positive way? Please don’t fear a second term of a hard-working, country-loving president.
Here is a list of 20 Core Primises he has made for his second term. Can you get behind any of them? Maybe one or two? Or five or ten?
He puts America and Americans FIRST. If you are on Social Security, he wants to stop taxing your check. If you work overtime, he wants to stop taxing that. He also wants to stop taxing tips. Less taxes means more money for us… to save or spend as we see fit.
It seems that if people could or would get over their prejudiced opinion of Trump and take a look at his policies, they will see that most of them will benefit the people in our country – the hard working people, the seniors, the immigrants who came here legally, women, and children, etc.
Not everyone is going to see eye to eye with President Trump on all of his policies. But, I venture to guess that most of his policies, including foreign policies, will benefit every one of us to some degree.
Just wait and see…. It’s all gonna be alright.
ChatterLei 