Happy 101

Thanks Kathy!
Now it's my turn to follow the rules and share some great blogs with you.
I only have one person left to tag and that would be my friend Amy. I have no idea how to link to her blog.

Here are the rules:


Copy the award image into a post.


- List 10 things that make you happy.
- Tag 10 bloggers who brighten your day. They have already been tagged. (I don't read very many)
- Put in a link to their blogs. (Don't know how to do this)
- Notify the award receivers.

- Recipients should link back to the sender’s blog. Sorry Kathy, don't know how to do this, I'd ask my boys if they were available.

Here goes, 10 things that make me happy, in no particular order.

1. There is a pond at a nearby state park. You can only reach it by canoe, it is perfectly round, surrounded by trees and overgrown with water lilies. Usually there is a stork sitting in a tall tree. When I die I want to be cremated and have my ashes strewn there.

2. My calico cat who sits outside my office window every day and though once wild and untouchable now loves me enthusiastically. She helps me understand how God loves us and how His love changes us.

3. Color. Color makes me happy.

4. Really well prepared food. Food that has layers of flavor that build and complement each other.

5. Cooking. Don't always achieve #4 but that is always the goal.

6. Sweet toddlers.

7. Semi-precious stones. These tie in with my love of color. The book of Revelation talks about them quite frequently and Ezequiel 28:14 talks about walking among the fiery stones. Can't wait to see them! So...when I make jewelry it has a deeper significance.

8. My orchids, especially the phalaenopsis that Alan gave me years ago. I'm happy every time I see it's cheerful yellow blooms

9. Genuine changed lives in our church family

10. Friends and family who are helping me to (finally) feel that I belong.

Have I mentioned that I have some very interesting customers? A great many of them have become friends over the years. One of them is my wacky friend Karen, a professional photographer.
Today she came in for a car repair but her very first statement was: "I hate your facebook profile picture, I brought my camera". She then proceeded to set up this humongous camera on a tripod and posed me behind the counter. Now, I know that both Rita and Kim will be very shocked that I allowed myself to be photographed. I myself was shocked, but what can I say? She sure made me laugh!
Anyway, I thought I would share this with those who will appreciate it the best.

Calmer day

After a series of weird events including Alan's pants catching on fire and Daniel's car breaking down in Chicago at 1AM things are much calmer today. And so I feel ready to share something light-hearted.
I have some very interesting customers. One gentleman drives a truck and makes deliveries all over the country. He e-mailed a picture of a delivery of a luxury port-a-pottie. This is something I have never thought about, but evidently there is a whole different toilet system for celebrities.
Here he is delivering one to a ship:



And here a picture of what they look like inside:





Quite different from any port-a pottie I've ever visited!

Calling for prayer

I haven't posted in a long time, but now have a sense of urgency.
God has been teaching me lessons of surrender, of giving up what I think I need and trusting Him instead.
Satan has recognized this and I am under spiritual attack.
It is very strange how he and his minions know my weak points and every attack is tailored to beat me down. Satan has used even car repairs as a means to defeat me. (Not to mention family conflicts).
A little while ago I was writing a note to a friend, describing this attack and asking for her support in prayer. While I was writing I felt a blow to my head as if a blast of air had struck me and a wave of dizziness swept over me. This is very unusual and I'm not convinced it was entirely physical.
But on some level, (I hesitate to even say this), once the enemy is recognized, the battle can be exhilarating. GOD WILL PREVAIL. It is not really my battle, I just need to surrender to the One who already won this battle.

Colossians 2:15
And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

Pray for me today, that I may constantly return to the source of my victory. Pray for our family, that we may enjoy one another. Pray for our business which has a higher purpose than to just be profitable. Pray for our church body, there is much suffering and sadness among our little congregation.
Thank you for your prayers, I will receive strength because of your support.

We have only done our duty (it sounds like a joke but it's not)

In my weak and human moments I sometimes complain. (Yes, I really do). One wonders how anyone could possibly ask you to do one more thing, yet God just taught me something about self sacrifice.
I know that one shouldn't just randomly open one's Bible and expect to land on exactly the right teaching for the moment (usually if I try this I land on a genealogy). However yesterday this is what I read:

Luke 17:7-10 (New International Version)
7"Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'? 8Would he not rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'? 9Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 10So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'"

I totally get this, since our time on this earth is temporary, everything we do should be focused on eternity, and our duty here on earth is to sacrifice our time in order to serve our Lord.

So... Alan and I are in a time of transition. Our role in church is increasing, we will be more involved in training and mentoring leaders. We don't know what the future holds but yesterday we took a step of faith and signed a contract with a business broker to start the proceedings to sell the business. Admittedly, in light of the economy, this doesn't seem like the appropriate time, but we trust that God will show us the way.

There are so many uncertainties. We will still need income, Nic will need a career (currently he works for us, but he knows it would be difficult to work for someone else), also, we support several different ministries and don't want to cut those in any way.

(This is private news by the way, I feel that it's OK to write it here because only family reads my blog)

On to lighter news, the bathroom is almost finished and I love our walk in shower.

This picture is of the sink area. On Saturday, Alan showed the bathroom to his Mom. On Sunday she called an offered me a mirror. Evidently she thought that what is hanging on the wall behind the sink is a picture.

I bought this mirror at Pier1 with my free AC Delco money. Every time we sell an AC Delco part a percentage goes on a credit card which can only be spent in certain locations. Pier1 and Bath and Body works are two of my favorite places to spend free money. There are some perks that will certainly be missed if the business sells.

The cat... (Aka, Sweet Pea -because I found her in my garden, or Queen Latiffa -because she's big, black and beautiful, or Inspector Clouseau -Alan's name for her since she inspects everything)...enjoys the bathroom as well.

Soupy Saturday

On Friday Samantha, my efficient Girl Friday, mopped the office floor three times, I was teasing her about being OCD but we both agreed that at least we can tell when the floor is clean with all it's nice shiny white tiles.

Well, it rained all Friday night and Saturday this is what we found...

I really missed Samantha this Saturday!

Quotations

I just discovered G.K. Chesterton, his quotations really resonate with me, I also found his biography fascinating.
Here are a few quotations that tickled my fancy:

There is no such thing on earth as an uninteresting subject; the only thing that can exist is an uninterested person.

Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies because they become fashions.

I believe in getting into hot water; it keeps you clean.

If there were no God, there would be no Atheists.

It is not bigotry to be certain we are right; but it is bigotry to be unable to imagine how we might possibly have gone wrong.

The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because they are generally the same people.

And my favorite:

Poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese.