God's Word for Today

Monday, March 30, 2009

Welcome to the world and my heart!

This post has been six months in the making.

I have been pondering many things about the hows and the why’s of life.

Several weeks ago in a post I quoted a verse from a song by John Lennon Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans. from the song "Beautiful Boy"

This verse really does summarise how things go sometimes.

As a mother you envision certain things in the life of your children, the "other plans" you have for them are your hopes and dreams for their future. Well during all that “other plans” life has happened and now I am envisioning things in the life of my grandchild.



Yes, I have written it down so it must be true.

I am now a grandmother.

My granddaughter entered the world less than two weeks ago. I will honestly share with you I did not know what to expect as I approached this new part of my life nor did I know what to expect about this new part of my son’s life as well.

Let’s just say the expression “making it up as I go along” has become a new favorite of mine.

Well she came to visit for few hours the other day as my son and girlfriend were in the process of moving to a new apartment.

For the very first time I had free an uninterrupted access to my granddaughter.

I got to hold her, rock her, feed her, change her, smell her little head, touch her little cheek, listen to her little breathing and watch her learn who I am.

I am learning who I am in a new way!

I am her grandma.

She has tiny little hands, sweet little feet and chubby little cheeks that you just want to kiss on.

Oh and if ya'll were wondering why her little left arm is bundled up like a hockey player, well her mom had gestational diabetes during her pregnancy and consequently the baby weighed 10 pounds 13 ounces (thats 3 ounces short of being 11 pounds) and she was 22 inches long (almost two full feet of baby).

Sometimes during the birth process especially with very large babies, and trust me she is a huge baby, well to make long an slightly traumatic (and yes I was in the delivery room!) story short, she got stuck and they had to be less than gentle in getting her into this world.

Her precious little arm was broken in the process. They have consulted with a pediatric orthopedic specialist and the splint is probably going to come off on the first of next moth. There should be no long lasting effects as it was a clean break and thankfully she will remember none of it.

So something new has come into my life.

As with all things I will continue to seek God’s direction as I set off down this new path of grandmotherhood.

Ya'll she is to sweet, and she looks just like her daddy did when he was a baby.

Welcome to the world, and my heart, my sweet precious granddaughter!

Blessings

Robin A.K.A Grandma

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Look! Look! Look!


We have a new addition. Maybe forever, maybe only temporary. We are giving the dog ownership a try. A dear friend’s daughter had to let go of this precious little one and my DD has been promised a dog for a while so when this opportunity came along we thought we would give it a try.

He is 6 month old and from what my friend tells me he is a dachshund beagle mix. He had a restless night last night I am sure due to the unfamiliar surroundings, but after he tuckered himself out exploring his new surroundings he finely settled down around 1:30 am. He is house trained and goes to the door when he wants to go outside. We did have a few little accidents last night, due to the unfamiliar surroundings. He is in desperate need of bath as he is a bit aromatic but that will be taken care of in short order later this morning. We will have to have him neutered soon, that is if my DD decide that his is a responsibility that she is up for. The wonderful thing is that there is another friend of the family who as expressed an interest if this situation does not work out. So far the DD seems to be stepping up to the plate, but it has not even been a full 24 hours yet.

OK all you dog people, it has been almost twenty years since I had a dog in my home, and I found the experience a bit disconcerting seeing a small animal running around my house last night. So I have a few concerns that have been bouncing around in my brain. Not wanting to traumatize the little thing I am wondering if changing his name will cause some bizarre doggie psychosis. Is it ok to use people shampoo on dogs? I don’t want any psycho dog skin disorders either. We have to make a trip to the pet store as his collar is too small and we need a few doggie things as well.

Please pray that the transition for all of us will be a smooth one.

Oh and I forgot to mention what my favorite thing about this little one is.

He has a tiny little white tuft of hair at the end of his tail.

Blessings

Robin

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Wordless Wednesday - My Easter Cactus'

MT 28:5 The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: `He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."














Blessings
Robin


Monday, March 23, 2009

My Garden: Then and Now

Come with me on a trip down memory lane for a short two minute video. After viewing it you will have a greater understanding of my yearning and my desire to improve the view from my back door.





It seems like such a daunting task. After three years of terrible drought conditions and many many water restrictions I have decided to throw caution to the wind and take a leap of faith that we will have a season of wonderful rain showers to help my fledgling garden take root.

I have only scratched the surface on transforming the barren wasteland that is my backyard.

It must begin somewhere and the first shovel full of dirt has been turned over and the process has begun.

Several weekends ago I set out to get my veggie garden ready. I have always wanted a raised garden bed and I decided that since I was starting from scratch it seemed only logical to take the necessary steps, and selfishly I just couldn't take it any longer. I just wanted it, I felt like a toddler stomping her little feet screaming "Garden Nooooooooow! Garden Nooooooooow!"

I have grown so tired of having no desire to even open my back door or look out my windows.

Now I am fuelled with the new seeds of anticipation as I begin to make the plans for my new garden.


So.......here I go!


Sunday, March 8, 2009


My sweet hubby took time away from his first NASCAR race of the season to help me out.


He got out the old tiller and broke up the ground for me.

This is the beginning of my future veggie garden!


A weekend of rain about sent me over the edge as I was chomping at the bit to get out in the back yard to finish but as all gardeners know patience is the key. Things in the garden evolve on a schedule that has little to do with my eager anticipation.

Friday March 20th, 2009

The ground has been broken up and I have raked out all the dead grass and large stones.

After two hours of shoveling......a really big pile of dirt and a good cardio workout this is the end result.


As I was shoveling I began to ponder on all the movies I have seen. "Gone with the Wind" comes to mind. The scene where Scarlett shoots the Yankee deserter and then drags his dead body out to the garden to bury him but not before searching his pocket for loose change. As I was shoveling those heavy mounds of dirt from one place to another I began to have a healthy respect for grave diggers. They make it look so easy in the movies.

But then we did not get to see Miss Scarlet actually welding her shovel. But I digress.

Back to my huge pile of dirt. All the dirt I shovel out will have to be shoveled right back in again once the weed barrier is securely in place.

It seems a bit counterproductive to haul all that dirt out only to shovel it back again , however having struggle for years with the endless weeding in my old veggie patch, I have vivid memories of wishing I had taken the extra effort from the beginning. And given the fact that this veggie patch is about half the size of my previous garden it seems like a small price to pay to cut back on the weeds a bit. I know the weeds will not be completely eliminated but in my book every little bit helps.

Ready for the weed barrier to go down.

Saturday, March 21: The first full day of Spring.
The next day I again require my sweet hubbies help.

Now let me just draw you a picture. I find it so interesting in the differences between the male brain and the female brain. There were thing about the construction of my veggie garden that I seriously never considered. I would have simply laid down the pavers around the perimeter and gone on about my merry way.

The DH, well one day when I'm hanging out with Jesus he will explain to me exactly why men and women are so different, he took great painstaking effort to ensure that each paver was plumb and level. We measured from corner to corer (multiple times), we set up a guide string with a tiny level suspended from it to ensure that it was true to the horizon. I am sure that this contraption has an engineering term, however I will affectionately call it a "string thingy". After much setting and resetting, ground tamping, re-leveling, hammering and pounding the DH was finally satisfied.

I have learned after some 26 years of marriage that it is simply easier to stand back with my mouth shut. I also have learned that having it done right is much more important than having it done now. But this attention to detail and this desire to ensure that it gets done properly is one of the reason I love my hubby. Over the years we have been married his ability to fix, assemble and maintain have been a true blessing.


It is plumb and level (quite possible earthquake proof), but not exactly as the corner to corner dimension are off by one inch. I kindly and gently remind my DH that nature is an imperfect thing and that it will be all right. However, I do have to make a run to the nearest home improvement store to purchase additional pavers as I lack 10 or so to complete the top row. I have some large stepping stones filling in the gaps for now. However I am not going to let this deter me from getting the garden planted. The non-uniformity may be keeping the DH up at night but I am happy as a clam with the end results.


Bless his heart he even grabbed a second shovel and helped me chuck all that dirt right back in.

I got me a keeper ladies!


In go the amendments, top soil, mushroom compost, nature's helper and moo-nure.

I love their slogan by the way "We are number 1 in the number 2 business!"



So here it is!

My raised veggie bed! In a few weeks when the danger of frost is past it will be filled with tomato plants, zucchini, cucumbers, green beans.....



Blessings Farmer Robin

Monday, March 16, 2009

Multiple Choice Pop Quiz

Will I be: 
1.out of pocket
to be out of control; way off base. usually deserving of a good slapping or a full-blown butt- kicking.

or 
2.out of pocket 
To leave your designated area or be out of range.
or
3.out of pocket 
Paid from personal funds. 

It is amazing what you can find on the Internet, who knew that "Out of Pocket" has such a wide variety of meanings. 

Sadly there are time when I am out of control and in need of a good hard slap or possibly a butt-kicking ( I will say that I took some editorial liberties and chose a different albeit not as colorful substitution in definition 1.) 

Also there are many more time when I find myself paying (and paying and paying) for many things out of my own pocket as well.

But the correct answer is #2. 

I will be out of pocket for the next few days. I hope to be able to check in periodically, however as John Lennon once wrote:

Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.
John Lennon"Beautiful Boy"
English singer & songwriter (1940 - 1980)

Blessings
Robin

Friday, March 13, 2009

A psychological disorder relating to skid resistant socks?

The other day as I was doing laundry (my favorite thing to do...NOT!) and as I was putting my socks away something caught my eye.

One of these.

I proceeded to dig though my sock drawer and low and behold I came up with not one but

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

and then the latest pair which brings the grand total to seven...

Six pairs of fuzzy hospital socks with the rubber skid resistant treads on the bottom and one pair of something called an anti-embolism stocking. This pair of socks has an unusual opening at the bottom that exposes the pad of your foot.

What’s up with that I am wondering?

I thought to myself ‘Why do I keep them?’

I think in all the years and all the various medical procedures that have been preformed upon my person I have never once worn them outside of the hospital setting.

I have a vague memory of being extremely desperate once during an especially cold spell. My sock drawer was woefully empty due to the fact that all my really nice warm fuzzy socks were in the wash. I think I may have actually worn a pair only to discover the uncomfortable feeling that the attractive rubber treads made against the pad of my foot inside of my shoe.

So here is the question I have to ask myself.

Why do I keep them?

Is it because they hold some sentimental value?

Do I really want to remember with fond reminiscence the times I have had surgery or some other necessary medical procedure?

Is it laziness? That one is probably the closest to being the truth.

Or could it possibly be the fact that for each pair of skid resistant fuzzy socks that accumulates in my sock drawer also represents a sizable dent in our medical budget. The hospital may have only paid a buck and half for each pair wholesale but I feel certain that they felt justified in charging me an inflated price of $37.50 for each stylish pair.

My answer, practically speaking, as to why I have not thrown them away is simply due to the fact that I abhor waste. The thought of tossing a perfectly good pair of socks in the trash goes against my better judgment. Let us totally set aside the fact that I will never wear them ever, unless there really is global warming and I find myslef in another ice age, I’ll be protected against an unnecessary fall on slippery glacier.

However as I pulled them out of the drawer and saw just how many I had accumulated over the years I was a bit taken a back.

Visions of those talk shows where they profile women with hoarding issues come to mind. I can see the piles of debris as they pan through the hallways stacked with overflowing Rubbermaid bins full of dry cleaning hangers, Burger King ketchup packets and stacks and stacks of skid resistant socks.

Is there a physiological disorder relating to skid resistant socks?

Am I alone in this shameful recognition?

So what do you do with them?

Toss them?

Keep them?

Wear them?

Make sock monkeys?

Hi my name is Robin and I have a psychological sock disorder!

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Oh the joys of dental work

PR 16:31 Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life.

Well my grey hair is discreetly camouflaged and my heavenly crown is waiting on me but for now my new crown, on my tooth that is, is causing me some discomfort.

My dentist is wonderful and the most unpleasant part about the entire procedure was the squeamish feeling that pulsed through me every time I heard the shrill high pitched sound of the drill. The interesting sounds of the various apparatus employed to suck out the saliva and other debris, well lets just say there were sounds coming out of my mouth that were less than flattering and more characteristic of Saturday morning cartoons.

My tongue is thick, I sound like Mushmouth from Fat Albert, my lips are numb and tingling and I am drinking out of the side of my mouth and I am getting hungry and I know that it is too soon to try to eat anything.

whine, whine, whine........

Bwessingssss
Woobin

Sunday, March 8, 2009

I bit the bullet...Update

I am glad to report that the hubby did in fact notice the hair and commented that he really liked it. 

I can also report that as we were eating breakfast this morning my DD noticed the top of the hair color box ( I pulled the box out of the trash and tore the top flap off the box so I could tuck it into my wallet because I know I will forget what color I bought when it is time to buy more) sitting on the table and asked me "So mom when are you going to color your hair?"


Friday, March 6, 2009

I bit the bullet

Well I finally had had enough of the gray!

What would we do with out good friends. Thank you skoots1mom for taking her morning to come over and be my hair dresser.

She got rid of my gray, that is she and Clairol Natural Instincts #14 - Tweed - Light Ash Brown



It was like a mini spa day, why is it that it never feels as good when you brush your own hair as it does when someone else does it?????


I'll let you all know if the hubby notices.......

I figured the least I could do was feed her well for her effort, so after we finished we lunched on a nice big salad.

Gotta love great gal pals, good conversation, no more gray and a big plate of salad.



So here it is......
THE BEFORE
Look at all that lovely gray (yikes!!!!)



THE AFTER......
What did ya'll do today????
Blessings
Robin

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Friendship...a little giggle!!!!!

We all get them, the endless string of email's.... forward this to 10 of your friends and something wonderful will happen to you in the next 30 minutes or don't break this email chain or the world will come to and end and it will be your fault. Sometimes I read them and sometimes I hit the old delete button. 

Well this one made me laugh and I wanted to share it will all my blogging friends.

Feel free to share this with all your girlfriends!!!!!!!

******

Well, here is a series of promises that actually speak of True Friendship.

You WON'T see cutesy little smiley faces on this 

Just the stone cold truth  of our great friendship.


1. When you are sad, I will jump on the person who made you sad like a spider monkey jacked up on Mountain Dew!!! 

2. When you are blue, I will try to dislodge whatever is choking you. 

3. When you smile, I will know you are plotting something that I must be involved in. 

4. When you're scared, we will high tail it out of here. 

5. When you are worried, I will tell you horrible stories about how much worse  it could be until you  quit whining, ya big baby!!!!

7.  When you are sick, Stay away from me until you are well again. I don’t want whatever you have! 

6. When you are confused, I will use little words. 

8. When you fall, I'll pick you up and dust you off-- After I laugh my rear off!! 

9. This is my oath...I pledge it to the end. 'Why?' you may ask;  -- because you are my FRIEND!

***********************
Friendship is like peeing your pants, everyone can see it, but only YOU  can feel the true warmth.


Monday, March 2, 2009

I am home...


Imagine having your meals to this view everyday!



There are times when we all need to get away. The women of our church have a retreat each year, the setting changes from time to time but the purpose remains the same. This year we traveled to the Georgia Baptist Conference Center in Toccoa Georgia

          For me the expectation of retreat is at times even sweeter that the actual experience, if that is possible. The idea of getting away from the busyness of life, getting away for the “whirr” of living with cell phones, laptops, email, electronic gizmo’s, remote control’s, meal planning, calendar checking, bill paying, grocery list making, orthodontist appointments, orchestra concerts, laundry and part time jobs. All of these things are part of life, some of them are necessary, some are instruments intended to make our lives easier yet at time they also overwhelm.

          The moment I pull into the parking lot of the retreat center, before even as I pull out of my driveways the sense of moving away from the ordinary and closer to an experience with God is enticing. This weekend was filled with wonderful fellowship, reconnecting with friends that I do not get to spend much time with but also it was an opportunity to grow even closer with my accountability sisters as well. 

I packed my make up but never once used it, wore my sweats and didn’t care, enjoyed the food, but any meal that I don’t have to cook is a blessing, yielded my hair over to the dampness and let the curls loose, talked into the night, laughed, wept, sang, listened, shared and praised the Lord.

          For me this weekend was about a reexamination of where I am in my walk with the Lord. It was also an opportunity to simply stand back and bask in how great my God is. I get such a charge in watching how God works in the lives of those who love Him. With each speaker that got up something new was revealed. God is so amazing in how He fine tunes His message to meet each individual. There is no mass marketing where the Lord is concerned. He is so interested in the details of each of our lives that He has the ability to reach each person in a completely new way. God never disappoints, and He fulfilled this expectation in a big way.

          We arrived in Toccoa, along with the rain and it was our faithful companion for nearly the entire weekend. We huddle together under umbrellas as we traveled from the chapel to our small groups. We watched the rain fall upon the lake as we gathered for our meals and we stepped over puddles, shook our umbrellas and accepted the showers for what they were, a much needed watering during a time of severe drought. 

During one of our sessions I had a front row seat to watch a thirsty squirrel joyfully jumping from branch to branch in a tree out side. I watched his quick little movements as he bent his head down to lick up the abundance of droplets. He would drink his fill and move on to another branch heavy with more. With each leap the glistening drops that were delicately balanced at the end of the dormant and leafless branches were shaken loose like a tiny little rain forest. 

The camellias were in full bloom. Their branches were heavy with the rain, their deep green leathery leaves were such a contrast against the velvety red of their petals. The flowers took on a silvery iridescent sheen from the near constant rain, they were beautiful. The poor daffodils were bent nearly to the ground and the forsythia was the only bright spot in all the wet gloominess.

Yet with all the cold rain there was a stark beauty to our surroundings. I know that the rain is a necessary component for the rebirth of spring that is just around the corner.

          The theme for this weekend was “and you shall be my witness” from Acts 1:8. We heard about how we can be missionaries in the home, with our neighbors and our family. We learned about witnessing to those in our community and even mission opportunities across the world. 

One of the things that struck me was the reality that we all, and I am pointing the finger right back at myself in a major way, have a huge stumbling block when we think about witnessing or sharing our faith. When I first became a Christian, I can remember having a major panic attack if I thought I was going to be placed in a situation where I was possibly going to be asked to pray out loud or heaven forbid tell someone how I felt about Jesus. I have to thank my sweet Heavenly Father for His patience as He has gently moved me along. It has been at times a long and painful process and I have to admit that there are still many areas in my spiritual growth that are in need of a bit of heavenly tilling.

          What stuck with me was a new visual I received about witnessing. Someone defined what being a witness means, not in the sense of being a witness for Christ but in more basic terms. Being a witness is when you tell someone what you have personally seen or experienced. This for me takes the pressure off of this somewhat daunting task. I have to think to myself…when was the last time I was afraid to tell someone one about an experience I had or something I saw. I had no trouble sharing with all of you about the day I went off on that poor woman in the Zaxby’s (click here if you want to read about this unfortunate incident) so why do I hesitate to share with those I love or even those I come in contact with about my life and how Jesus works in it. I can’t possible get it wrong because it is my life, I was there, and I experienced it. Well this placed things in a different perspective for me.

          At this point in my life I feel like God is moving me in a direction of contemplation, He is placing things and individuals upon my heart that require a lot of prayer and even more trust in Him. He has not asked be to board a plane to Honduras or to serve at the local homeless shelter but He has placed people in my life who do not know the Lord, or who know the Lord but are not ready to yield their life back to Him. This is my mission field.

          As I am writing this I am letting this sink in a bit. It is not that this is a new idea or foreign concept, it is more of a confirmation that I need to continue to do what I am doing. I have always had a very strong conviction that your life needs to reflect the relationship you have with Christ. My philosophy resembles a quote I once heard "Preach the gospel always, If necessary use words."  by St. Francis of Assisi. I am so not a saint but I truly with all my heart believe in this concept, so that is what I am going to continue to do.

          I am sure that as the days unfold God will undoubtedly reveal different “new” things He wants me to see about my time on the mountain, He always does.

          I am glad to be back, but not.

I wait with great expectation for the seeds of the lessons we learned to bear fruit.

I came home to a beautiful sprinkeling of snow!

and

I look forward to next years retreat with even greater expectations.

 

Blessings

Robin  

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Ya'll it's snowing!!!!

I got home from retreat this afternoon and guess what?????????




(edit: apologies if the video is not loading properly, it keeps cutting out! I will try to reload it tomorrow, bummer!!!)

(If you want to see a good video of the snow go over to skoots1mom
you can see the snow really good in her video)

Blessings
Robin

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