Yuck. I hate respiratory issues. My disdain for all things respiratory puzzles most when I tell them that I have worked in a Level 1 trauma center. yep. I did. Loved it. Fast paced, on your feet, running. The respiratory stuff, however, was never my favorite thing to contend with. Cannot tell you why - just isn't. Heaven knows, as a Mommy, I have wiped my share of booger noses. Even before that, in the babysitting trenches, LOTS of drippy noses. Yuck. As if the issues with my poor broken body weren't enough, I now have pneumonia (pr. new moan ee yah - sort of like NYUKE LEE IR not NOOK YOU LAR - just threw that in)!
We have been surrounded by dirt since we moved to The Mission and when you're already in overwhelm, the lawn is the LAST thing on the priority list. Till the dirt makes you ill and ya gotta get grass. So the Bear Hub, the oldest Man Cub and my Big Bro moved some composed cow poopie and added it to the back yard. The rather big back yard and lo, and behold, THAT dirt has nasty ickies in it. The bacterial, cause-pneumonia-kind. Now, I have NEW MOAN EE YAH! Coughing, blowing, coughing, wheezing, chest-crushing, blah blah blah. HOWEVER - I have great docs and I KNOW I'm gonna get better. I keep sayin' I'm far too busy to be sick. I am, really. What I am reminded of, however, is that God is still God. Our needs are met and I have an amazing husband, parents and friends. Soup, tea, "frozen sock therapy," antibiotics, cough medicine and popsicles. All designed to help me get well. I am thankful, as well, that God has surrounded me with a peace, in spite of this illness, that He is working things for my good and all I have to truly do is rely on Him. and I am. Respiratory things don't gross HIM out. Boy, that makes me feel better.
Love you (cough cough) with HIS love, For HIS glory! A2
Friday, April 27, 2012
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHHH!!!
I HATE scorpions. hate 'em. First sighting. Laundry room. Monday, April 23, 2012. Time to call the bug ladies. DIE EVIL SCORPIONS, DIE!!!!
nuff said.
nuff said.
Forgiving Even When They're Not Sorry
Oh, dear ones - that there could only be ONE hurdle in my life to jump. Alas, there are MANY and forgiveness is the hardest. Forgiving when the one who has hurt me isn't sorry. I had the blessing of reading the Five Love Languages of Apology http://garychapman.org/5ll-apology.htm and not only did this anointed writing teach me HOW to apologize, to truly be repentant but it taught me why "sorry" is NOT what I want to hear when my heart has been hurt, when angry words have been hurled my direction and when the sting of a bully's words resonate in my heart and mind many, many years later.
When I recall the abuse, the attack, the threat at knife point, the suicide note filled with anger and vitriole at me and my dad left by my son's father. I WANT SOMEONE TO TELL ME THEY ARE SORRY - THAT THEY DIDN'T REALIZE THE HURT, THE PAIN, THE WOUND!!!!! But I know that it is not coming. And the hot tears run down my face again as if the wound had just occurred and the sting is still the same.
Years ago I clipped an article from the late Irma Bombeck. Man, could that lady write!! She could make you laugh and cry in three sentences. I think I read everything by her I could get my hands on yet, one article is still floating around here that I am sure is yellowed with age. It is actually on paper! It is entitled "Children Put Their Faith in Apologies." It's true. They do. And WE TEACH THEM TO. I have taught my man-cubs, "Say you're sorry!" "Apologize!" and it was never sufficient for them, after the age of, oh, TWO, to simply mutter the word "sowwy." I wanted the man-cubs to understand that they had wronged another. That there needed to be an acknowledgment. A repentance. And forgiveness. IMMEDIATE forgiveness. Why can we do this with our kids but no one else? Because we birthed them and hence we KNOW how bent they are??? In the case of at least one of my cubs I KNOW THIS to be gospel. Poor boys, they come by their imperfections SO honestly. I gave them to them and I have NO choice but to forgive. They ARE, after all, mine.
My prayer, for me and for you is that we can truly forgive God's children even when they're not sorry. I pray that we can ask God, as Ezekiel did, to take hearts of stone and turn them to hearts of flesh. I am NOT good at this. Pray for me??? I'll be praying for me, too. And you. With His Love - For His glory. A2
When I recall the abuse, the attack, the threat at knife point, the suicide note filled with anger and vitriole at me and my dad left by my son's father. I WANT SOMEONE TO TELL ME THEY ARE SORRY - THAT THEY DIDN'T REALIZE THE HURT, THE PAIN, THE WOUND!!!!! But I know that it is not coming. And the hot tears run down my face again as if the wound had just occurred and the sting is still the same.
Years ago I clipped an article from the late Irma Bombeck. Man, could that lady write!! She could make you laugh and cry in three sentences. I think I read everything by her I could get my hands on yet, one article is still floating around here that I am sure is yellowed with age. It is actually on paper! It is entitled "Children Put Their Faith in Apologies." It's true. They do. And WE TEACH THEM TO. I have taught my man-cubs, "Say you're sorry!" "Apologize!" and it was never sufficient for them, after the age of, oh, TWO, to simply mutter the word "sowwy." I wanted the man-cubs to understand that they had wronged another. That there needed to be an acknowledgment. A repentance. And forgiveness. IMMEDIATE forgiveness. Why can we do this with our kids but no one else? Because we birthed them and hence we KNOW how bent they are??? In the case of at least one of my cubs I KNOW THIS to be gospel. Poor boys, they come by their imperfections SO honestly. I gave them to them and I have NO choice but to forgive. They ARE, after all, mine.
My prayer, for me and for you is that we can truly forgive God's children even when they're not sorry. I pray that we can ask God, as Ezekiel did, to take hearts of stone and turn them to hearts of flesh. I am NOT good at this. Pray for me??? I'll be praying for me, too. And you. With His Love - For His glory. A2
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Storms
It's early April and this is not typically storm season here in the Valley of the big fire ball in the Sky HOWEVER, we're in for one. Yeah, it's blowing and breezy and the sky is beautiful. Storm? Really? The weather activities outside do NOT compel ME to want to run off to an office or cloister myself inside a mall working for panties (gotta remember the face time with the Princesses, tho - makes it all worth it).
When we are Princesses in Training, we hear the word "storm" and immediately think of lightening, thunder, rain, maybe the loss of electricity. Hmmmm . . . are the storms of life really that different? The tears that we shed during life's tribulations - heaven knows I have cried enough of 'em to have watered SEVERAL lawns. I'm young - compared to some but I have lived long enough to know that storms and tribulations and loss and death and grief and pain, well, it's gonna happen. It's the quid-pro-quo of living. While I am no theologian, I believe the Word of God and the Almighty has promised that we will have trials and suffering BUT we will NOT be destroyed (2 Corinthians 4, starting with verse 7).
I can assure you that NONE of the heartache that God has allowed to come to pass in my life has wrought my destruction. Oh, no, pretty princesses. Not at all. Anything and everything has been for MY good. For HIS glory. Don't really understand it all but I KNOW it works. Some of my princess besties have gone through things that I have not and they can say the same of me. But wherever we are on the journey, we are not alone. We have a Savior who, when the burden just seems to heavy says "Come unto ME all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." Our sweet Savior then goes on to say to us that when our burdens are too heavy we can have HIS. Not only does He offer this (as if that wasn't enough) but we are then blessed with other Princesses to come alongside of us and travel with us, through whatever we're going through.
Storms - tear stuff up, leave big messes in their wake, do damage that has to be repaired. But each one leaves in its wake a stronger faith, strengthened relationships and the absolute certainty that even when we do know the purpose, we're gonna be okay. Jesus promised that and because HE did, I claim it for you 'n me.
Whatever we're going through today - whatever is blowin' up stuff in your life - lash your heart to the King of Kings, Then call me and we'll get the other princesses together and have princess time before the throne. Then we'll have lunch. Storms make me hungry!!! Love you, with His love! A2
When we are Princesses in Training, we hear the word "storm" and immediately think of lightening, thunder, rain, maybe the loss of electricity. Hmmmm . . . are the storms of life really that different? The tears that we shed during life's tribulations - heaven knows I have cried enough of 'em to have watered SEVERAL lawns. I'm young - compared to some but I have lived long enough to know that storms and tribulations and loss and death and grief and pain, well, it's gonna happen. It's the quid-pro-quo of living. While I am no theologian, I believe the Word of God and the Almighty has promised that we will have trials and suffering BUT we will NOT be destroyed (2 Corinthians 4, starting with verse 7).
I can assure you that NONE of the heartache that God has allowed to come to pass in my life has wrought my destruction. Oh, no, pretty princesses. Not at all. Anything and everything has been for MY good. For HIS glory. Don't really understand it all but I KNOW it works. Some of my princess besties have gone through things that I have not and they can say the same of me. But wherever we are on the journey, we are not alone. We have a Savior who, when the burden just seems to heavy says "Come unto ME all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." Our sweet Savior then goes on to say to us that when our burdens are too heavy we can have HIS. Not only does He offer this (as if that wasn't enough) but we are then blessed with other Princesses to come alongside of us and travel with us, through whatever we're going through.
Storms - tear stuff up, leave big messes in their wake, do damage that has to be repaired. But each one leaves in its wake a stronger faith, strengthened relationships and the absolute certainty that even when we do know the purpose, we're gonna be okay. Jesus promised that and because HE did, I claim it for you 'n me.
Whatever we're going through today - whatever is blowin' up stuff in your life - lash your heart to the King of Kings, Then call me and we'll get the other princesses together and have princess time before the throne. Then we'll have lunch. Storms make me hungry!!! Love you, with His love! A2
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
WELCOME!!!
This "work of art" has been a long time coming. A REALLY long time. I am, as the title says, a daughter, wife, mother and friend. But the greatest purpose in my life is to be a Daughter of the Almighty King, aka "Princess." I am amazed at those "reality" shows that attempt to portray what "real" women do. Lemme tell ya dear ones - I have NEVER seen one of THOSE precious princesses pick up poopies from a not-yet-house-trained foster puppy and quickly scrub the carpeting while dinner is cooking on the stove with yet ANOTHER load of towels in the dryer. All this while battling a chronic illness and being the wife of My Own Personal Police Officer ("MOPOPO"), aka Googly Bear. We recently moved within four miles of my precious parents ("The Rents") and the nest may never be empty but we don't care. Life is tough, God is faithful. We ladies are HIS princesses and we are called to a royal, abundant life. In spite of the many "hats" we wear, we are adorned with a crown by the King. Join me on the journey that will someday take us Home to the Kingdom and allow me to encourage and be encouraged by you in the day-to-day of being daughter, mother, wife, friend and Princess. Yours, On the Journey, For His Glory, For Our Good - A Squared
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