This past week . . .

Don't you just love this picture? I needed a purple hydrangea fix today to combat the heat and brown dirt in Phoenix. :0(

I lost track of time and stopped posting! Father's Day was very low key due to Ronda, our daughter-in-law, being ill with strep throat. So, we have had strep in the house, but praise God, no one else caught it and she is much better. We had a couple of days where some of us didn't feel great, but we are all good at this point.

We celebrated Father's Day with the kids here, ate steaks and sat under the fan and a/c.

Its the beginning of my third week at the gym - another praise. I started weight training, as well as cardio. My muscles are yelling rude words at me. :0)

Sad news yesterday - one of our friends died unexpectedly. He was 30 and we have known him since he was in jr. high. We watched as he brought his girlfriend to the youth group at our house, smiled as they fell in love and celebrated when they were married nearly 8 years ago. Derek will be missed. He was a talented poet, winning many awards in his short lifetime. He was devoted to his wife Katina. The Lord called him home long before we were ready to let him go. One day we'll understand why those younger than us sometimes die first. This side of heaven, I don't think we can grasp it.

Blessed be the name of the Lord,

In His love He gives and takes away

He loves us passionately.

5:00 a.m. and walking

I finally made it! I 'intentionally' rolled out of bed and made it to the gym before work! What a battle that was but I feel much better for having made it. So, there is day one and now the real battle starts for day 2, etc.

I bet I'm asleep in the recliner as soon as I sit down. LOL

Freedom . . .

I am seldom at Luke AFB during the day, but on my way to Luke today, the F-16s were doing touch and goes . . . well, I think that's what they are called. They take off, fly, barely touch down and go again. . . it was amazing to watch them as I drove on Northern Ave. At the stop light at Litchfield, one flew right over the cars in front of me. I LOVE the sound of jets and to see them fly. Its the sight and sound of freedom and I never get tired of it.

Lord, protect our military, where ever they are serving, as they guard our precious freedom.

My Day Off . . .

I'm counting my blessings as I was able to schedule three dr. appts. today - yes, unbelieveable, but true!

The day started with a 7:15 a.m. dr. appt. - followed by a trip to Wildflower Bakery for a latte and muffin (since I had to fast overnight).

Then from the 101 and I-17 out to Luke AFB. Don had the paperwork ready for me to renew my military ID card at Luke. The sign said to be prepared to wait 2 - 3 hours to renew an ID card due to a manning shortage. I was in and out in 30 minutes :0)

Autobody Solutions took my car right away to give me an estimate to fix the trunk and bumper since someone "bumped" into my car Sunday :0(

I had time to run to Target, Costco and Penneys (looking for a birthday gift for someone sparkly who will be reading this).

Home for an hour, off to 2nd appt., the 99 cent store and the last appt of the day. That dr. was running an hour late, so I caught up on the news and took a nap. . . LOL

I love productive days! Thank you Lord for making the most of my time today.

Tagged . . . twice!

OK, so I wasn't quite fast enough when Monica tagged me and Julie K tagged me the second time.

I (verb)

I am:content, most of the time

I think: random thoughts

I know: I am loved and valued by God

I want: to walk in the surf along a shoreline with amazing scenery

I have: freedom in Christ; much more freedom than women in other parts

of the world

I wish: my parents knew the Lord

I hate: my inconsistency / lack of being intentional

I miss: England in the Spring and Fall

I fear: something happening to my sons

I feel: tired after a long day at work

I hear: one of my cats purring and the birds singing outside

I smell: coffee

I search: for answers in the Word

I wonder: who my next daughter-in-law will be

I regret: not being able to see my birth father before he died

I ache: miserably this week due to fibro

I care: about doing things right

I always: love cooking for friends

I am not: an American by birth, but I am SO thankful to live here

I believe: in the power of grace

I dance: poorly

I sing: really well in the car

I cry: at chick flicks and tv commercials

I don't always: dry the dishes

I fight: when backed into a corner or to defend my boys

I write: because Monica encouraged me

I win: when I obey the Lord

I lose:when I try to control and "fix" things; when I don't renew my mind with scripture

I never: take my freedom for granted

I confuse: my thoughts and words . . .its an age thing :-)

I listen: to wise teachers (Pastor Todd, John Piper, Beth Moore)

I can usually be found: 3rd or 4th row, center, at church....LOL

I am afraid of: snakes, big spiders, bats, you know, creatures who don't

"sit" or "stay"where they are supposed to . . . ugh

I need: to surrender completely to the Lord

I am happy about: having girlfriends who love the Lord and want to grow

spiritually

I'm tagging Barbara and anyone else who hasn't been tagged.

Excerpt from When I Lay My Isaac Down

"I had much to learn about heart sacrifices. As defined by the dictionary, a sacrifice is "an act of offering to a deity something precious, something offered in sacrifice; it's surrender of something for the sake of something else, something given up." True heart sacrifices involve:

- identifying something precious to us (our Isaac)
- letting go of our control over the situation, event, or the person as an act of worship
- embracing God's love in the process of the release
- resting in the outcome, even if in this lifetime we are not allowed to understand the reason behind the need for the sacrifice and the pain involved.

A heart sacrifice is not a formula that can be mastered. It is a decision that is intrinsically tied to the personal relationship between us and our God. It is born out of a trust that is developed in spending time communicating with an Abba Father who loves us more than we love our Isaac.

The high value of our Isaac is what makes the sacrifice so demanding, because we don't know ahead of time if we'll get our Isaac back. Something it took me a while to understand is that God has never forced me to make a heart sacrifice. He has never demanded my allegiance or made me "give up" an Isaac just to play with my emotions. He has always allowed the choice to be mine. And that is precisely why the decision is so difficult. He lets me decide if I will make laying my Isaac on the altar an act of worship, where I lift up my heart in total trust in Him and release my grip on the object of my sacrifice.

Some are thrust on you:
- terminal illness
- struggling with infertility
- death of a loved one
- loss of a job or a ministry position
- an accident that results in a major life-change
- a financial reversal
- a child who has turned his or her back on what you have taught him or her
- a desire to marry, with no life partner in sight
- an unwanted move to another home or to a different city

Some involve personal choices:
- letting go of personal expectations of myself or someone else
- giving up a cherished dream for a greater good
- recovering from an addiction
- relinquishing our control over a child who is becoming an adult
- giving up my 'right' to be in charge of my own life
- surrending my ideal life for the reality of what I actually have
- forgiving a person who betrayed my trust
- embracing God's love when He doesn't rescue my hurting child
- longing for a more ideal spouse, but staying in a difficult marriage
- believing that God's promises are true when I am in a personal hell"

http://www.carolkent.org/index.html

A couple of these really made me stop typing - we all have Isaacs. Praise God that we have the opportunity to offer them as true "heart sacrifices" to Him - to the God of the Universe who loves us SO much more than we could ever love our "Isaacs."

I am challenged to change my thinking and especially my heart when I read through the list and chapter 2 of the book. If you read the book, I'd love to hear (read) your thoughts.

Oooops

Yep, ooops. You should never stand next to the trash can at 4:30 a.m. and then open a pack of supplements! I lost one in the trash - so much for eye/hand coordination before coffee. Now, if there was just paper in the trash, I might have dug for the pill, but I had just dumped the coffee grounds in there. Oh well. All was not lost, there are plenty more supplements to take during the day.

Nope, I didn't get up at 4:00 a.m. to walk - I hit the snooze button 5 times. Sigh. On the positive side, I have made really good food choices for two days, even avoiding all the sugar at Bible study Tuesday night.

Today the light dawned that I really don't have to take these supplements at 4:30 a.m.! Only 30 minutes before breakfast and I don't eat until about 7:00 when I'm at work.

Blog Chicks

For my new blog chick friends . . . LOL

An Intentional Life

Although to most people I can seem incredibly organized and capable, which I have to be at work, but the past year and a half I feel as if I'm drifting or just reacting to what is happening around me, especially with my health. Its time to take charge and become intentional.

Here's the dictionary take on intentional:

Done or said on purpose: deliberate, intended, purposeful, voluntary, willful, witting. purpose/purposelessness.
Planned, weighed, or estimated in advance: calculated, considered, deliberate, premeditated.

Opposite of intentional: accidental, unintentional, unplanned

I've been watching a DVD series by John Piper, Don't Waste Your Life . . . Its thought provoking and convicting at the same time. I want to be intentional in my living for Christ.

Its a journey . . . and I think my first step has to be exercise since my health seems to be the area I am least intentional in. Agh! I know! I'm reading some of your blogs and you are getting organized - you go girls!!!

My plan tonight is to be purposeful in reading about my new health supplements and deliberate in getting up and walking in the morning before work. That's really early . . .I'll let you know what happens. :0)

I know there is a web site, www.anintentionallife.com - haven't explored it yet, partly b/c my personality would be to want to do everything on that site! Has anyone checked that site out?