New Year

Tomorrow will be a new year. Tonight I go to a murder mystery theater with friends. I expect to have a good time. New years seem to give you an opportunity to make new and better choices. But you have the capability to do that all the time. Like my Weight Watchers thing. I can lose weight if I choose. I can stay in my Bible more if I choose. It's hard, this discipline. The word diet actually comes from the words "day by day." That's what it is: a day by day struggle. To be joyful, to be hard on yourself physically,to be hard on yourself spiritually so you don't get spiritually fat and lazy. Lucky for me, I'm a Christian. I have God's help. Not so easy if you aren't. Not so easy even if you do. Just saying.

Christmas Spirit

I'm beginning to get the Christmas spirit. OK, maybe just a little. It's fun to buy presents, no matter how cheap and bags from the dollar store. A lady in line behind me gave me her Mary Kay card. Do I look like I need more layers of makeup? Maybe. Anyway, I'm about done shopping. That's a big relief. I told the grandkids not as big a Christmas this year, last year was the Wii, so I'm done. I'm also retired now.
God has really been blessing me financially. I attribute it to tithing on the gross, something I never thought to do before. Cool! Just got an extra check today, out of nowhere. Love it!
My problem was, I slipped a little in my faith last week, worrying about money. Then I regrouped and trusted Him. He is so faithful!
Going to the jail on Christmas, then to a movie. It'll be OK. It's not about me anyway; it's about Jesus' birthday. What do I do for Him? As Pastor Matt says, introduce Him to somebody.

I Love Jail

I really do. Not that I want to be incarcerated. Far from it! But the Bible study was so good today! We couldn't get in at first because they were fixing the electrical system that controlled the doors. Got to talk to 3 inmates from another section while I was waiting. Denise said Satan was trying to prevent her from going today, glad she came. She really laid out the Word! We did 1 John 5 about keeping God's commandments. She had each lady say what area was giving her trouble in trying to stay righteous. Then we had them write down prayer requests. The new believer is having trouble with people getting on her nerves, not a surprise! The time went by so fast, they had to kick us out to give the ladies lunch.
Then we had lunch in the staff cafeteria, paid by Denise. Very good food. The cook says she only makes what she would eat herself. The Golden Rule if I ever heard it.
Tonight I go to dinner at 3n1 for volunteers. Too much food for somebody on Weight Watchers! But it's all good.

Danny's Birthday

It was a rainy Wednesday morning in Guilderland, N.Y. I was having severe labor pains so we got in the car after Jerry put out the trash, almost went through a few red lights. 24 hours later it was snowing. At 5:51 a.m. on Thursday, I gave birth to a golden baby (jaundice). He was a joy for the next 36 years of his life. There were some speedbumps along the way, but nobody's perfect, even the golden boy.
Today I celebrated his birthday by bringing food to the Union Mission warehouse and helping to pack food and toys for needy families, something he would have engaged in himself, had he lived.
I love the fact that even though he was an only child for 9 years until we adopted Sherri and he was very smart and gifted, he gained the gift of loving people unconditionally in Louisville, Kentucky. It was that lesson of love and acceptance without judgment, that Jesus taught him finally. It's easy to think you're better than others and be impatient with their faults if you are so favored by God with good looks, strength and intelligence. Living with Sherri taught him patience and endurance, acceptance. But the lesson wasn't complete until years later, in Kentucky. That's basically all God wants is for us to love each other the way He loves us.
So Happy Birthday, Danny, in Heaven.