Just Three Words

  I have a favorite segment on ABC news. "Just Three Words".  I love the way people can take only 3 words to say so much. Three words. Wow the power that we can wield with just 3 words. 

I Love You

I Hate You

I Forgive You

I Miss You

Jesus Loves Me

Together We Can

Never Give Up

Believe in Yourself

I Am Enough

It's Worth It  ...   

Such power in just three little words. Word that can encourage and uplift, or wound and destroy. 

I love words. I love to say them. Ask anyone; I love to talk talk talk. Sometimes I catch myself just talking away and really saying nothing. I would prefer my words be fewer and really mean something. I want my words to Encourage and uplift. I want my words to be meaningful and give hope. 

If you could say just 3 words today. What would they be? 

Hot Hot Hot

Oh my goodness it's Hot again today. A heat wave has enveloped a good portion of the country. Our friends in Ky. will see actual temps hovering between 106 and 107. We, thankfully, here in MI will be about 94.

Time to take a few precautions:
  Stay Hydrated: drink lots of water and other fluids.
  Stay out of the sun: if you don't have to be out in the Sun, don't be. Save yard work and such for the early morning and late evening hours.
  Make sure to monitor your kids outside play time: kids love the summer, water, and their outside play time. Little ones especially may not realize it's time to go in to cool off.
  Sunscreen for everyone even Mom and Dad
  Pets need to come inside when there are heat advisories. If you can't bring your pet inside, make sure they have lots of shade, Plenty of fresh cold water, a great idea is a pool if they like water. cools them off quickly.
  Make sure to put out several bowls of fresh cold water for other critters especially if it's been dry. all our animal friends need a little help in this kind of heat.
  Check on your elderly neighbors: Sometimes we don't realize that our Senior friends may not be able to install air conditioners, fans, etc. They may not be able to open their windows. Do a Neighbor check especially in hot weather and make sure everyone is cool and feeling great.
 
The great thing about this kind of weather is that it never lasts to long. Especially here in Michigan.
Stay cool...

Make The Promise...

I just wanted to remind all my wonderful female friends and family to Make The Promise. Promise me you will get your annual checkup. You know the one I'm talking about. The one we all find reasons to put off. I have had a few reasons. (Well I thought they were reasons) 

It's been 2 years since my last one. I promised the girls I would make the appt. and "get-R-done".  I called my gyno to find he had moved his practice to another part of the state over a year ago. Oh goodie, I get to find a new Dr. NOT... I inquired about the Dr. that was in the practice with him. I was told he was amazing so I scheduled my appt. 

Ok we talked. Did the exam, scheduled the appropriate tests. And then he mentioned the H word. The bad yucky H word. Hysterectomy. I just about fainted. He explained a few of reasons I needed to start thinking about it. 

The following week I got my mams gramed, and had the other U-Ultrasound. I got the results this week. All clear and good. I questioned the nurse about the number on the ultrasound, 14, I was sure that the 2nd D&C was at a number of 20. Whew, missed that one, then I thought I probably need to see what the Dr. had to say about it. 

They made an appt. for me today. I went in and Dr. L spent about 30 minutes explaining my results and why it's time for the Big H. He explained the whole procedure and what he would do, etc. to me. I know a couple of times during the appt. I wasn't quite getting it all, but I got the gist of it. I have another issue that Dr. L wants addressed first. So I'll be having another test with another specialist and they will confer. 

Ultimately I'll be having a Hysterectomy sometime later this year. Sometime between August company and the end of Sept. I need to be healed and in shape to tackle Thanksgiving, Christmas shopping, and Christmas. I don't like the thought of more surgery, but I love the idea of being done with this mess. 

I want you to make a promise to me. I want you to make your annual exam appt. If you have been good and done them all (that's mammograms too). YAY... you get a huge gold star. If you have been putting it off. Call today and make your appt. You may not need all the tests I did. Your Doctor will know what you need to have done for your age. Make me the promise. Take care of yourself. See your Doctor, get your tests. 

I love you, and I want you around for many wonderful healthy years.  

Thankful For Photo Memories...

This is a photo of our grandkids from 2003 isn't it grand. 

 from Left to right

Matt now 15, Tim 17, Marisa 18, Jon 19, and Bryan 22. 

I love photos. I have thousands of them. I got my first camera at 10 and have been taking photos ever since. I'm not good at it like my cousin or my niece. I have to take about 50 pictures before I will happen on one that is good. I forget about stuff like background and I get confused about where the sun should be.. behind the subjects, in front of them, etc. So some of my pictures are crummy to say the least. I still love them. I love the faces and the things I accidentally find in them. 

  I love these. The kids are so light and playful. so Happy. So innocent and they were best buddies. 

I could sit forever looking at these photos. I can look at it and hear the laughter, feel the sun, and my heart fills with love and my soul soars. Photos help me remember so much. I noticed again, looking at other photo in this album, how Jon would suck on his middle three fingers, and how Tim would fall asleep before present opening almost every Christmas until he was older. 

The kids would love to cut up for the camera. I could always get some good pictures of them if I let them do a few funny photos. LOL 

The Blue spruce is still the picture tree. I try to have us all gather when we're together in front of it. Some of us are usually missing these days. Miles separate us. There are fewer and fewer time when we are ALL together in the same place, but I continue to take those irritating photos. LOL now I woo them with the words. " the sooner I get the pictures I want, the sooner I'll put the camera away".  

I'm so thankful today for photos and the memories they hold. The memories they trigger. The moments in time they capture. God knew how important they would be for my heart and my soul.  

Get out a few old photos today.. look through them and see what you can find to be thankful for.... 

Jobs, Aren't They Great....

Today I am thankful for the job Ken had at A.C. Spark Plug. He hired on in 1965 after high school. He had moved up to Michigan and in with his dad. He put in 3 applications at 3 different plants in town. A.C. called him first. He had to go in for a physical. They asked when he could start work. He told them as soon as they wanted him. They told him to report at 2pm for 2nd shift. For 31 and a half years he walked those aisles and worked. 

Ken retired in 1996. I got the chance to go into work with him for his retirement party. GM had just offered some great incentives for those who could, to retire. He took it, as did many others.

As I was going through photos I'm scanning for the kids, I came on his pictures from that time. It was great going through them with him. I posted some of them on my fb acct. and others on the "Remembering AC Spark Plug fb page.. https://www.facebook.com/groups/118885218140666/

Today I am thankful for the Job God gave Ken there. Thanks to the Union and many workers who came before him, Ken was able to make a good living and had access to many benefits. I know we could probably have a really great debate about the Union pro and con. I know one thing, The Union fought for the rights and benefits we enjoyed. God Blessed us with the job and the Union.

Today I am thankful for that job and the Pension we receive.

God's Unending Chain Of Grace....

Today I was reminded again of God's Grace, His Awesome and Amazing Grace. I wandered into the Worship center. I seem to be doing this a lot lately, wandering. You know that feeling, not really there, not really grounded, not really going in a direction, just kind of wandering. I'm not sure I'm going in circles. I know that feeling. No I think just wandering would sum it up pretty well. 

I wasn't expecting anything special. How sad, I had again gotten to a point where I didn't expect to hear anything special from God. The same old same old. Wow, just writing that made me cringe. Not expecting to hear from God. Nothing I'm proud to confess, but the truth. 

What I received this morning was a big dose of God's Unending Grace. It hit me as soon as I stood to hear the Scripture read.  Psalm 103: verses 1-5.. 

Psalm 103

¹ Praise the Lord, my soul; 
    all my inmost being, praise his holy name. 
² Praise the Lord, my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits—
³ who forgives all your sins 
    and heals all your diseases,
⁴ who redeems your life from the pit
    and crowns you with love and compassion, 
⁵ who satisfies your desires with good things
    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Wow that hit me like a ton of bricks. I had forgotten. It's easy to do. Why is it so easy to forget All His Benefits. As I sat there; all those benefits listed flung themselves at me. I remembered, I could have hit my knees right there with the weight of all His benefits. The countless Prayers He has answered, The Peace He had given me in times of crisis, The Comfort in times of overwhelming grief. The millions of times He has pronounced to me "Forgiven". The healings, The salvation, The lifting of myself from to many pits to mention.. And all the Blessings of Love, Compassion, and satisfying not only my needs but my wants too. 

How easily we forget. I think for me it's because I don't keep a steady attitude of gratitude. Oh don't get me wrong. I am thankful, but I don't think about it every day. If you ask me I can tell you.. but I don't  "On Purpose" think about it every day. 

A few years ago. I made a point of keeping a gratitude journal.. Every day I had to list 5 things I was thankful to God for. It made me focus on that day and what I was thankful for. Some days it took me a while to come up with 5 things. God's Grace is extended to us Every Day. Are we thankful every day? 

Have you forgotten His benefits. I'm committing to think of what I am thankful for. I'm going to list them here. I'll try to focus on one thing. cause frankly I'm sure it will get pretty boring to read. Even for me. LOL

I hope you will comment and tell me what you are thankful for. Maybe we can do this together. Think about all that God has done for us. Maybe today you don't feel God's unending chain of Grace. Maybe you don't feel like He has done much for you lately. Maybe you feel like He has been totally absent from your day to day life. If you feel like that, or if you feel like me, Like you are wandering aimlessly through your days. Join me. Keep your own Grateful - Thankful - Thank you God list. 

Today These are my five... from the verses above.. 

Today I am Thankful Lord: 

1. That you Forgive ALL, not just some, but you Forgive ALL my sins. 

2. That you Heal me. Thank you for the Dr.'s you have used and for your Touch of Healing. You have healed not only my physical body, but wounds to my heart and my soul.. Thank you.. 

3. That you have Redeemed My life from the pit. Thank you Jesus that you saw my lost-ness and loved me enough to pay the price for my Salvation

4. That You surround me with your Loving Kindness and Mercy. Lord you are so Kind and tender and merciful even when I don't deserve it. 

5. That you satisfy my desires with Good Things. Lord Thank you that you give me dreams and desires and that it Pleases You to give me the desires of my heart. Thank you also that I don't always get what I think I want or need. 

OK, your Turn.....