Friday, October 11, 2013

A Busy Friday

This has been a busy day! I went to Independence at 6:30 this morning for a 7:00 hair appointment. Afterward I came back home to go to exercise class. Then back to my house to fix dinner. I made a rush trip to the market to buy some apples and made an apple brown betty for dessert. I also fixed some baked beans. We had hamburgers and french fries with them. Dinner was good...especially the apple brown betty.

I heard from Scott today. He is planning to come for Thanksgiving after all. Becky will pick him up at Kansas City airport and he will stay at Becky's. They will come over here for an overnight following the Thanksgiving dinner. I am so pleased about that. It has been at least two years since I've seen Scott.

I took a nap this afternoon. I did not sleep well last night at all. I was concerned about Scott not planning to come for Thanksgiving. I feel better now.

I took my nap and then went to town to the doctor's office. I wanted to see if my thyroid is still low. My thyroid med just quadrupled in cost. It had been $4.00 and now it's nearly $16.00. If I don't really need to take it, I want to stop.

This evening Bob came over and we had some more of the apple brown betty and the rest of the wine we bought in Branson last time. Then he went home to watch TV and I took my bath and put on my pjs.

I'm trying to stay up till 9:00. I took some Aleve this evening. I hurt my right arm at exercise class. It is better now that the Aleve has kicked in.

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Small Minister's Message

God Is With Us

Psalm 91 was a powerful assurance to the people of that day of God’s presence and protection. We find the poetic images of the psalm both tender and trustworthy. The writer suggests that God provides refuge for the faithful in the same way a mother bird provides safety and care for its fledglings. These ancient people were told that the protection of the Lord shielded the faithful from the evil that lurked in the night. And they considered themselves the only “faithful” people. In this scripture God was said to even offer refuge from the overwhelming heat of the noonday sun . God’s protection was made real to them…and also to us…through God’s never-ending presence.

The images mentioned in Psalm 91 invited them and continue to invite us to find comfort in God’s presence.

Understanding the nature of Psalm 91 requires careful examination. It is meant to provide a feeling of security and confidence in God for the faithful. It is important to note that confidence comes from the promise and assurance of God’s constant presence. This does not necessarily mean physical protection. Too many times we find challenges and trials in life and expect God to “fix them”. But we experience God’s care and protection in many ways. A too literal reading of the psalm diminishes and oversimplifies this central message. It could also challenge the faith of one who would take the promise of protection literally.

Theologians and thinkers down through the ages have imagined a god created in their own image. We too are sometimes guilty of this. Because of the limitations of our imaginations and experience, we have all imagined our god to be like a magician. That god of our imagination has disappointed us when we or our loved ones have suffered and that suffering is not alleviated by the all powerful and magical god we have thought to be reality.

But it is true that God is with us at all times…..even in the worst times of our lives.

It is important to note that God cannot protect us from the consequences of our own actions..or even those evil actions of others. We are the hands of God…and actually God’s helpers. That is why “community” is so important for us to achieve. We need one another. God uses each of us to minister to the needs of one another. But we have to be aware of God’s still small voice as we are led to do the ministry we are called to do.

And because God is always present with us, we too can find the strength and courage to overcome extreme difficulties. Somehow as we learn to trust in God’s unfailing presence, we experience liberation from fear and worries that are beyond our control. That has been my experience, and the experience of millions of others down through the ages. It can be each of our experience if we open ourselves to it.

God is with us at all times.

Thursday Meeting Myra

Today I will meet Myra for lunch in Bartlesville. Bob has Lions Club early and an eye appointment in Caney at 9:00. Next week we will all three go to Branson again before it gets too cold to enjoy it. I hope the weather is nice.

Juanita called me last evening to thank me for her birthday card. She received it two days early. I wasn't sure how long it would take to reach her the way the mail is anymore. She needs to see Dr. Holland in Bartlesville to have her ears washed out again. Her stepson is in South Carolina visiting family and she will need someone to take her. I told her to get the appointment and I would take her. She is turning 92 on Friday.

I made my first car payment today. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I can stretch my budget that far. I will have to cut back on clothing. I have plenty anyhow. I bought quite a lot last year while I was working.

Speaking of working...I contacted Aime at SER yesterday to see if I could get back on at the District Courthouse. She will send me a new application. She will have to put me on a list because she has used all her slots right now. And, unfortunately, I will not be able to go back to the District Court. When an opening comes up, if it comes up, it will have to be somewhere else. I do need the money though. Keith's gifts pay the car payment but I still have to come up with money for the insurance and taxes. And I would like to pay an extra $100 to get it paid off before 5 years.

I dread getting into my savings because there isn't that much. But I love my car. And it's very low mileage. It will be reliable transportation for the rest of my life. I drove the other Civic for eleven years. But it had 171,000 miles on it and I was uneasy about taking it too far out of town by myself.

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Wednesday Exercise Day

Today we will go to exercise class. We missed Monday because I had the appointment for my eye check up and Bob had tests for his new doctor. He will get his eyes examined tomorrow while I am in Bartlesville meeting Myra for lunch.

That's about all that's planned for today. We will have our warmed up goulash and Texas toast with salad for lunch.

I heard from both my boys yesterday by e-mail. They are both so attentive. They stay in touch.

I watched Frontline on PBS last evening. It was about the NFL and their attempt to cover up the proof of damage done to the brains of football players who get head injuries. It was disgusting and when they had to testify before congress about what they knew about it, they reminded me very much of the tobacco executives and their lies about the dangers of cigarette smoking.

Big business will do everything they can to save their business even at the expense of human life. After the legislation against the tobacco companies, they shifted their marketing to Asia. The NFL continues, even after 20 years of scientific research and proof, to deny knowing "for sure" if those head injuries really cause permanent damage....even after nearly 50 athletes' brains have been examined and 49 of them found to have the extensive damage that causes dementia. Horrific! And yet the American public continues to worship at the throne of violence.

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Tuesday Cake Day

This was the day we delivered the cakes to Independence's First Christian Church. Then we got our hair cut and ate out at Big Cheese. We get the mini pizza and a drink for $5.01. That's a bargain. I went by the driver's license bureau to get my new drivers license but they were full so we came back home to Coffeyville. I'll do that some other time when they aren't so busy.

After I got back home I took a short nap. Then I Christmas-wrapped a couple of shoe boxes for Bob and me. We will fill them for the Samaritan Child project at church. He will fill his for a boy and I will fill mine for a girl. We generally have several dozen to send in November.

Merrill is mowing right now. I had told Bob I wished he would, He must have read my mind.

I am sending off my first car payment today. It will reach them after I am paid tomorrow. I also checked into getting back into the SER program and going back to work. Aime is sending me another application and she says I will not be able to go back to the district courthouse and I will be on a waiting list too. So we will see how that all works out. I really will need to go back to work. I have been supplementing my income with my savings and at this rate it won't last long.

Tomorrow I will warm up the goulash for dinner/lunch. I also have some Texas toast that Bob bought and we will have a salad he brings and some fruit for dessert.

More later...

Monday, October 7, 2013

Eye Appointments

Bob and I both have eye appointments this morning over at Caney at 10:00 so we will not be attending the exercise class today. I will have my right eye examined carefully to see if there is any damage from the Clear Care incident. He thinks he needs new lenses and perhaps some prescription sunglasses.

I will try to get our dinner/lunch done before we leave at 9:30. We are having goulash. I already have the meat thawed. We will have some veggies and a salad with it. And I have some vanilla pudding for dessert.

I am baking some biscuits right now for my breakfast. I will eat one this morning and bag the others and refrigerate them for future days.

Christina, my oldest granddaughter, texted me yesterday for several hours and sent me photos of their new baby, Kylie. She also sent me one of their daughter, Mia, holding the baby. I am so happy for Christina and Kyle. She is 34 and will probably not have any more children.

Bob dropped by last evening and we watched the remaining quarter of a football game before watching 60 Minutes. After 60 minutes, he left. I took my bath then and watched some Big Bang Theory until 9:00 when I went to bed. I slept well again last night. My arms don't hurt enough to keep me awake at this point.

Tomorrow is my hair appointment. I will get the color and cut and Bob will go along for a haircut. We will probably eat at Big Cheese.

More later....

Bob's medical appointment turned out to take longer then he thought. He missed his appointment with Dr. Burch and I got him another. We had lunch at noon and he went home to nap. I lay down in the recliner here to try to nap but couldn't so I decided to work on my blog. I need to bake my cakes for tomorrow now.

Sunday, October 6, 2013

Sunday Elections at Church

Today we will have our elections at church just before the 11:00 service. One of our seventy will conduct them. Why..I don't know. We have always managed that ourselves. I doubt that I will be nominated for pastor but I would not accept a nomination anyhow. It is time for the younger generation to take over and the three of them seem to be doing just fine. We elect our pastors from the ministry of our church and they are self sustaining.

Yesterday before noon I had diarrhea. I spent most of the morning in the bathroom but went ahead and fixed lunch. I warned Bob but he felt it was just something I had developed and came on to lunch. I had a nap in the afternoon and a little more trouble with it but it cleared up before evening and I slept well....better then usual.

I e-mailed my daughter, Leslie, to tell her that I would not be coming to the wiener roast last night and the reason why and she called to check on me.

I felt well enough by early evening to vacuum my apartment and dust. I even washed the floors in the bathroom and kitchen. I had been putting off my cleaning for several days.

I had a text on my cell phone this morning that my granddaughter, Christina, is in labor. In fact, she may have had the baby by now. I haven't heard. It was due the 30th of September so she is a little late. This is October 6th. It is another girl and they planned to name her Kylie after Christina's husband Kyle.