Saturday and Breakfast Out

This morning I will pick up Bob at 7:00 and we will eat breakfast at Eggberts again.  Then I will come home and vacuum the apartment before I leave for Gay's in Chanute. The arm is a lot better and even the thumb is better. I will try to vacuum with my left hand. I hope I'm not speaking too soon.

I did not sleep well last night at all. I had too much on my mind. I have so much to do before we leave on Monday morning for our trip to Florida. I will probably do most of my packing this afternoon after I get home from Chanute.  I speak at church tomorrow and afterward we will have a basket dinner to celebrate the birthday of one of our members so I will bake a meatloaf for that dinner. I got my cake baked Thursday for Tuesday's church dinner in Independence. After I iced it, Bob took it home to freeze. He will be taking the cakes to Independence next week on Tuesday.   Both Leslie and I will be gone. After the dinner, and we clean up the kitchen, I will come home and do the newsletters. Then at 7:00, I have the Living the Questions group at Marilyn L's home. I will be picking up Gary at 6:40 for that.  Sometime the next morning...probably pretty early, we will leave for Florida.

I got up sometime after 3:30 this morning. I was just tossing and turning. I have fed Missy and she is waiting here patiently for 6:30. It will be a short trip outside this time since I am picking up Bob at 7:00.  Maybe I can take her back outside for awhile after I get home from breakfast.

I got up and wrote an e-mail "letter to the editor" and dressed and did my makeup. I also watched the weather and fed Missy. I heard from Ginger, my daughter-in-law, last night that they had no damage to their place. That's wonderful! They just moved into their new home in July.

More later...

After breakfast, I vacuumed the apartment and after that I left for Chanute. I found Gay and Tony well but Gay was awfully stressed out. Her mom, who lives with them, is 98 and failing fast. Gay needed some friendship support. I got there about 11:00 and stayed until 4:00. I hope I was able to do her some good.

I got home about 5:00 and soon after Bob came over to watch the news. He left at 7:00 or shortly before. I took my bath and watched TV with Missy in my lap. She had been alone all day. I am too tired to pack. I will make my meatloaf for the basket dinner at church tomorrow in the morning. Then after I finish the newsletter in the afternoon, I will pack. I still have Living the Questions group tomorrow evening and will need to pick up Gary for that at 6:40. It will be a huge day.

Friday and Exercises

I will go on to exercises this morning and just be careful of my right shoulder. I slept fairly well. I took some Aleve and slept better then I would have.

I have baked my cake and it is cooling now. I will ice it after it cools. Scott has called and I can't get my blog going while I am listening to him on the phone. He is funny.

Bob is going to pick me up for exercises. 

I'll get back to this later.

Well, I went on to exercise class and  did pretty well. I have been taking Aleve to rid myself of the pain. If I don't overdo it, it may reduce the inflammation and my arm and thumb may return to normal.

After the class we went to Utopia for cinnamon rolls. I came home and fixed lunch and after we ate, Bob went home and I went up to get my blood pressure pills. This time they were ready.

Now I've wrapped the gift for the kids house warming and done a load of laundry. That's about all I'm going to do for today. Tomorrow I will go to breakfast with Bob and then on to Chanute to see Gay.

More later...

I went out to church this afternoon and ran off the bulletin and copied off some of the church school material for the class on Sunday. Two things less to do at the last minute. 

I read the paper and finally Bob came and we watched the news and an old Big Bank Theory show. 
Finally, I took my bath and went to bed.

Thursday and Ministerial Alliance Meeting

I slept fitfully last night. My shoulder ached terribly. This morning it is better. But I'm not going to clean after all this morning. That would just aggravate it. I may do the kitchen and bathroom floors. But vacuuming is out.

I took Missy out for an hour. She wandered off over to Marilyn's carport and I had to go get her and carry her back. She growled and hissed all the way. Darn cat! She knows better. Soon we came in. I was tired of sitting out there. I will do very little this morning. This afternoon, after lunch and the meeting, I will go to Bartlesville and buy some new underwear and a card or two and maybe a housewarming gift if I can find anything they don't already have.  I don't have a clue about their colors so it will have to be personal.

More later... I'd better got busy if I'm going to get those floors done.

I got both floors done and the arm still feels fine. I will not try to vacuum though. I am too right handed to manage. I often try to use my left hand but it just doesn't work as well.  I sure miss my self propelled vacuum sweeper. It was only thirty years old. I don't know why it didn't last longer. :)

More even later....

I got back from Bartlesville about 4:15. I went by the pharmacy to pick up my prescription and the doctor had not called them back. I turned it in at 9:00 in the morning before I even left town. Now I will have to go back tomorrow and  hope he did finally call them. I only have two blood pressure pills left. I don't have a lot of faith in doctors anymore. My long time doctor in Dewey, Oklahoma spoiled me with more personal attention. They don't do that much anymore.  I have had several bad experiences with the latest of my doctors.

For some reason, my right arm seems better. It has ached for six weeks or more. It seems better yesterday and today.

The hurricane will hit Florida tonight. My son lives in Yulee and he said so far there is only a lot of wind and rain...nothing serious.

I went to bed at 9:00.

Wednesday and Another Busy Day

This will be another very busy day and I did not sleep all that well last night. My right arm hurt and so did my right thumb. I am just falling apart. If those two aches and pains would clear up, I would be fine. I have exercises this morning and afterward will fix my lemon bars for game day. Then I will make the hamburgers and french fries for lunch. I plan to have pudding for dessert. Then at 1:00, I will go to game day until 3:00. After that I will come home and rest...hopefully.

I think I will cancel my second hair appointment this afternoon. It is at 8:30 in the morning and tomorrow will be another huge day. I have ministerial alliance at noon and then I need to go to Bartlesville in the afternoon to buy some underwear and some cards that Leslie asked me to pick up for Ginger and Scott. I really don't think I need to spend the money for my hair when I just had it done yesterday. Maybe I can have it done in Florida next week. Or I can just wash it myself.

Oh well.....it's getting light outside and Missy is being very patient waiting to go outside after it gets daylight.  We have both had our breakfasts and I have had my coffee...I just need to fix my Chai and take her out. I will miss the little critter next week. She sleeps on my legs at night. She is a lot of company. Bob will come over and clean up her litter box twice a day and feed and water her.  He may stay here in the evening and watch my TV. It's bigger then his and has that great Bose sound system.

More later...

This is the back of my son. This was taken by his son. Another great day in Florida.



I don't know why he took this from the back. :)

I did attend game day this afternoon and took my lemon bars.   I had a good time but by the time I got home my rotator cuff was aching terribly.  Bob came over to read the papers and watch the news and I took another Aleve and it like to never kicked in. He left at 6:30 or so and I went to bed shortly before 9:00..

Tuesday and Hair Day

Today Bob and I will go to Independence to get my hair done and I need to get some makeup base and mascara too. The only Merle Norman business in the area is up there and I have worn only Merle Norman makeup since I was 27. If they ever close, I don't know what I will do for makeup.

We will eat lunch at Great China while we are there. I need to go to Bartlesville sometime this week to get some underwear before my trip to Florida with Leslie and John next weekend.

While I am gone, Bob will come over to feed and water Missy and clean out her litter box. I dread the trip. It will take two days and we will stay overnight in Alabama  before going on to Florida. But I am glad we are driving because flying is an ordeal for me anymore. I have had some horrendous flight experiences in the past.

I am curious to see if the new sink plumbing will leak since they had to completely re-plumb it. I dread that experience too. Bob, the plumber, said not to use it at all last evening. He wanted the cement to set.

Missy is patiently waiting here beside me for her breakfast and so I will finish this later...

We went outside for a couple of hours. Missy loves being outside!

I did my best to clean the carpet in the front seat of the car. It looks much better now.

I got my hair done in Independence and bought my powder base and mascara after Cathy finished my hair. 

We had our lunch at Great China but first we went to Walmart for a few things. I washed my car and vacuumed it out...especially the trunk. I had cleaned that sink while it was still in the trunk so there was a small mess left in there. 

This is the pool at my son's home and they will be taking the fence down after the inspection. They have yet in put the finish on the bottom.

 
 Bob, the plumber, is coming back this afternoon to tighten a few areas. I ran the dishwasher this morning and the plumbing did leak a little.

More later...He and his nephew came about 2:00 and tightened the fitting and stopped the leak. he also accidentally had switched the hoses so the hot water was on the right. He also changed that back to the correct sides.

After that, I mailed off another book I sold on Amazon, bought stamps and a mix for lemon bars for tomorrow afternoon's game day at the senior center. I am spending money like I had some. :)

Thursday I will need to pay my rent. That morning I am having my hair done again. In the afternoon, after Ministerial Alliance lunch, I will go to Bartlesville and get some more underwear. I can use some extra because of this trip. I want to pick up a card for Scott and Ginger for a housewarming gift I am also buying them.

Bob came by about 5:00 and stayed until 6:00 or shortly after. After he left I took my bath and put my PJs on. Missy is lying here at my feet while I blog. There's nothing worth watching on TV tonight. I'll go to bed in about an hour.  Tomorrow is exercise day and also game day. I am fixing hamburgers and french fries for lunch. We have some Coke too.

Monday and Exercises

I guess I will go to exercises today even though I am looking for a call from the plumber and also one from Betty. I have the cast iron white sink Cyndi retrieved for me in the trunk of my car. Bob and I went to the house on Willow to get it Saturday morning. It weighed a ton and we were just barely able to get it into the trunk of my car. The plumber will have to get it out. It will take two of them...I am sure. I am going to bite the bullet and have the avicoto green sink removed from my kitchen and this white one installed in it's place. I dread the cost but I know Betty would not pay for it.

Betty is supposed to come some time today too and try to remove and replace the broken window in the storm door on the east side of the apartment. I have three chipped windows too over there but they have not finished breaking. The mower did the damage racing around to mow with his large mower. Betty has replaced him with a more careful man to do our mowing.

I expect Betty to want to raise our rents here again. Property taxes are going up 22% when you count state, county and city taxes.  If she does that, I will have to move again. I am at my absolute utmost ability to stay within my budget.

The Blue Cross/ Blue Shield Medicare Supplement  has not been taken out of my account yet this morning. I have checked twice and the money is still in there. They take it out each month on the 28th. The 28th was yesterday..on Sunday. I assumed they would take it out today.  This month I don't get my social security until the 14th since that is the second Wednesday of the month.  Half the month will be gone and most of my bills due so I will have to borrow from my savings again. That is so aggravating! They should pay me when they used to pay Bob...on the 3rd...since I am receiving his social security now. But there's no arguing with the government.

More later...

Well, they did take out the Blue Cross/Blue Shield premium after all. That's good. At least I know what I will have to borrow from my savings to pay my rent now.

More even later...

The plumber came at 2:00 to put in the sink Cyndi gave me. It's white and a cast iron sink. I gave the old green one to the plumbers and they can sell it for the iron in it. Betty, the landlady, also came and  took the broken window from the east side storm door to have it replaced.  I don't know what the plumber will charge me for his two hours of work. It was a big job but now the kitchen looks a lot better. His company will send me a bill.  

The pool...another step closer to being finished!





Bob came over at 5:00 and later we walked over to Brahm's, a block away,  to get an ice cream cone.  He went home at 7:00 and I took my bath and sat with Missy in the recliner until bedtime at 9:00.

Sermon: Sunday September 4th revised

Discipleship Comes First

September 4^th, 2016

Luke 14:25–33

"Lord, let me go and bury my father first." —Matthew 8:21

Jesus would not allow a potential disciple to first bury his father. Many Scripture scholars have commented  that this man's father evidently had not even yet  died, and also we have been taught that anyone who wishes to be Jesus' disciple must  renounce all hispossessions, including a potential  inheritance.  Elsewhere, Jesus said that if anyone comes to him without  hating his father and mother, that person cannot  be his disciple,  Hate is a strong word. In the language of Jesus' time,  there were no words to express the concept of loving  more and loving less. The only words in that language were  to love or to not love, that is, hate. For a disciple,  Jesus said, loving God comes first. All other relationships  by comparison then seem to be hateful.  That doesn’t sound like God to me.  God calls us each to be disciples to learn and then to  teach others Jesus’ message.  We have been taught  there is no turning back. Following as a disciple of Jesus  comes first. So what does it mean to be a disciple since  Jesus did not actually found a church?   It means recalling what he taught and doing the same.  Feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, in other words,  Matthew 25 lays it out for us.

We are told to make disciples of others by our example, but there seems to be a discipleship deficit in many of our churches. And it isn’t just for lack of resources. 

So, what is it? Church leaders are asking questions like, “What should we do?” and “How should we do it?” They want to know the best ways to turn this discipleship deficit into the kind of robust discipleship that will matter along the way. But often they are thinking of making church members. 

But is that what Jesus taught? And is that what the earliest disciples actually did? 

I am going to suggest something different. 

I suggest Jesus taught us to serve one another. To take care of the poor and to clothe the naked and visit the sick, feed the hungry….to even give those that are thirsty something to drink..in other words…take care of one another.   

  

We think God doesn’t need anyone to do anything for God, or for anyone else. We think God is quite capable of doing everything that needs to be done all by Godself. 

Except…we actually are the hands of God. God is Spirit. And God’s Spirit constantly attempts to persuade us into service. 

But first we have to respond to God’s Holy Spirit.  

God is fulfilling God’s promise to us to always be with us and to give us the Holy Spirit, and God wants us to join in the work in order that we can be shaped us into our best person and to help others reach their full potential as well. 

Paul explained that when we become new creations in Christ, we are drafted into service. We go out on God’s behalf and offer reconciliation to the people in our lives who are hurting. We don’t replace God, but we do join God in the grand plan of developing the kingdom of God. And after all…the Kingdom of God was the basic message of Jesus. 

On multiple occasions Jesus challenged the faith development of his disciples. As they followed him, he instructed them. There was much he did on his own. But as time went on, he expected them to step out in faith and believe and respond with more consistency. He expected them to step out and offer service to those who were in need with greater confidence. 

Something happened in the days following the crucifixion that transformed the disciples from uncertain followers to heralds of the Jesus message, evidently willing to die for their convictions. While we will never know the details of how the Jesus of their daily lives became the Christ presence of their future, the gospel accounts are testimony to people’s hunger to know more of what was expected of them.   

Whatever happened in the days following the crucifixion, the followers of Jesus were propelled into a new way of living and relating to this Galilean peasant they had been following. They were compelled to re-evaluate their Jewish heritage in ways that accounted for their experience of Jesus, …both in his temporal life and as a spiritual presence in the present.   

With only the gospel accounts as our guide, we, too, are left to re-evaluate our heritage in ways that account for the clearly non-historical resurrection stories and our experiences of a spiritual presence we call the Christ.

And how so we do that? In Jesus’s day, he challenged his disciples to make great sacrifices. Jesus believed the world as we know it…. and he knew it…. was about to end. He believed in the end times and he believed they were upon his disciples. So they needed to make great sacrifices to change the world of his day into the Kingdom of God. He believed the time was short and that the end time was right upon them. We now know that did not happen. Two thousand years have passed and we are still awaiting the end time. So what is expected of us now? 

We have the same challenges facing us that Jesus found in his world. We still have hungry homeless people. We still have people who are in need of clothing. We still have sick people. And most of all, we still have lonely people. 

And we are still challenged to work for God’s kingdom to become a reality. But we need to be a part of the solution. We are God’s hands. 

We are the hands of God and because we need to be developed into the best person we can be and help others to realize their potential and help build the best community possible. Wherever we are. 

He commissioned his disciples to go out, show compassion, offer healing and teach others to do the same. When they failed, he called them out for not faithfully becoming who they were called to be.

Discipleship is not just a solo effort—though it takes personal action and engagement. Discipleship is a group sport—best done in community! And our church is driven by the concept of community! 

And so what do we as disciples have to offer? Is it personal salvation? Not really. Many other churches will offer personal salvation to persons if that is what they feel they need. But what most people really need is to feel needed and to feel a part of a wonderful fellowship. What we have to offer is “Community”…that is why the name was chosen. We, as a church are attempting to help God build his kingdom on earth…peacefully…not like the Romans…using war and force.. but by actually caring about others as Jesus so often illustrated. This is the message Jesus spent his life declaring. 

As I have mentioned before, the earliest congregations drew people because they were a caring group who took care of the sick instead of leaving them to die beside the road. They made each person a part of a congregation that cared for one another.  They established “Community”. 

God has given various gifts to the Church. Each person has something to offer and offering that is part of their personal growth and discipleship. Paul was constantly telling the early believers that the health of the whole body is impacted by how each one uses their God-given gifts.

There are no Lone Ranger Christians. (And even the Lone Ranger had Tonto.) We are responsible for and to each other. It has been said that the gift God gave you is not for you. Instead, it is to be shared with others.

When we truly believe that our actions will impact the lives of others, it will change the way we live and it may change the way they live.  We are responsible before God to be involved in discipleship—ours and others. Our individual gifts bring even greater responsibility.

Jesus commissioned his disciples to go out and make disciples, teaching them about caring for one another…no holds barred…no one as an untouchable…and making them all a part of the community. That's personal and communal. Discipleship is a personal profession of faith by the individual. And finally, it is a community experience. 

We are responsible to be involved in our discipleship and to make disciples of the work and mission of Jesus wherever we go. And unfortunately, that requires us to set priorities. As a community of disciples, we need to be active in the church community and also in our own communities. That's a part of how discipleship works. And it should also come first in our lives.

Sunday and A Busy Day

I will fix my coffeecake today to take to the church school class. Missy is patiently waiting for her breakfast and the opportunity to go outside on the carport. That will be awhile...at least until I get the coffeecake in the oven and we are both fed. I slept well again last night and got up shortly before 5:00.

After church, several of us will go over to Cherryvale to "Just Us" for lunch. Phyllis may go. Bob and I will pick her up for church. She has hurt her right foot and is wearing a "boot" on it to immobilize it. It is swollen and sore but she is ready to get out of the house and is going to let us pick her up for church school and church this morning.

This afternoon I will do my congregation newsletters and get those in the mail for tomorrow.

Next week I will need to get some makeup base and mascara to take to Florida when we leave. I also need to get some additional underwear. So hopefully I will get the makeup stuff at Independence on Tuesday and the underwear in Bartlesville one day this week. I made up a list of things I will need to take with me when we leave.

More later...

The coffeecake is out of the oven and cooling before I ice it. Missy and I have been out on the carport for an hour and amazingly, she was ready to come back in.  She was fine...just lay on her mat and watched the birds and the squirrel. I watered my flowerpots in front.

My chipped storm door in the back finally just broke yesterday afternoon when I closed the door to latch it. Betty is going to come over Monday and try to replace it with one she already has. We'll see how that goes.

I called the plumber yesterday and left a message on their machine to call me on Monday. I will pay to have the white sink put in and get rid of that olive green one. They are both cast iron.  I know Betty would never pay the bill.  She would just say I need to be satisfied with the olive green one.

Betty is not one to pay any "unnecessary" bills.

I found this on my son's facebook page.

Pretty true, isn't it?

 


More even later..