Sunday, October 26, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
What a week
This week brought many adventures and little time to blog. I went on a scavenger hunt on Friday with my friend Mellisa and her family. It was put on by her church The Place. What a great time. It helped to remind me to have fun. Just because we are Christians we do not have to always be somber God has given us this gift of life and we need to live it!
He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.
Job 8:21
While we were scaveging we met alot of great people and had the opportunity to share the love of God. Mellisa is a warrior and she prayed for a young girl who really helped us out. Her husband even gave us his sock off his FOOT!!
I really enjoyed myself even when we were singing Head, shoulders, knees and toes in the middle of Brick House Pizza. Which by the way makes the best pizza in North Port!.
Thanks for the invite Missy I had a blast!
He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.
Job 8:21
While we were scaveging we met alot of great people and had the opportunity to share the love of God. Mellisa is a warrior and she prayed for a young girl who really helped us out. Her husband even gave us his sock off his FOOT!!
I really enjoyed myself even when we were singing Head, shoulders, knees and toes in the middle of Brick House Pizza. Which by the way makes the best pizza in North Port!.
Thanks for the invite Missy I had a blast!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Another weigh-in
Okay I got weighed today. Only 1 pound. Better than nothin. Today was a busy day. I scrubbed the tile floors on my hands and knees. Oh what fun!! Good exercise though. Hopefully walking tomorrow.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Peace
Well let me start by saying that yesterday I called Prometric, which is the company that grades the CNA classes, to get my scores and found out that they can only let you know through snail mail! In a society of instant messaging, e-mail and fax machines this companies policy is snail mail so I have no news about that.
On another subject......
Everyone I know is going through some kind of turmoil. Maybe it is the kids or the finances always something.
I recieved this little exerpt today from the Joel Olsteen website and I thought it was powerful and it has a message of hope. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.
Peace, Be Still
Today's Scripture
“Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm” (Mark 4:39 NKJ).
Today's Word from Joel and Victoria
What do you do when the storms of life seem to be raging against you? One time Jesus was with His disciples in a boat out on the water when they encountered a great storm. The disciples were very afraid, but Jesus on the other hand, was fast asleep. When the disciples woke Him up to see if He could help them, Jesus got up and simply spoke to the storm, “Peace! Be still.” And the seas were calm again.
When difficult times come, you don’t have to be overwhelmed by the waves of worry or fear. Just as Jesus stood up and spoke to the storm, you have power in your words, too. As a believer, the Bible tells us that the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in you. That means God’s miracle-working power is on the inside of you. He’s given you His authority to declare peace over your home, over your mind, and over your family. Remember, no matter what storms may come against you, the Greater One lives on the inside of you, and He’ll empower you to live in victory in every area of your life!
I just thought this was great!
On another subject......
Everyone I know is going through some kind of turmoil. Maybe it is the kids or the finances always something.
I recieved this little exerpt today from the Joel Olsteen website and I thought it was powerful and it has a message of hope. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.
Peace, Be Still
Today's Scripture
“Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm” (Mark 4:39 NKJ).
Today's Word from Joel and Victoria
What do you do when the storms of life seem to be raging against you? One time Jesus was with His disciples in a boat out on the water when they encountered a great storm. The disciples were very afraid, but Jesus on the other hand, was fast asleep. When the disciples woke Him up to see if He could help them, Jesus got up and simply spoke to the storm, “Peace! Be still.” And the seas were calm again.
When difficult times come, you don’t have to be overwhelmed by the waves of worry or fear. Just as Jesus stood up and spoke to the storm, you have power in your words, too. As a believer, the Bible tells us that the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in you. That means God’s miracle-working power is on the inside of you. He’s given you His authority to declare peace over your home, over your mind, and over your family. Remember, no matter what storms may come against you, the Greater One lives on the inside of you, and He’ll empower you to live in victory in every area of your life!
I just thought this was great!
Saturday, October 11, 2008
God and Spaghetti
Today we had a free spaghetti dinner at the church. It was part of our outreach program and it was happening at the same time as the free bread ministry so there was lots there for people in the community today. It seems that the more we give to the community the more we recieve. Today was a very special day. A woman came in and she was visibly stressed and seemed very preocupied. She had 2 small children with her. I had seen her several times before and she was outgoing and freindly today she was obviously troubled. I started a conversation with her asking her how she was. I found out that she was having trouble with her oldest son he was 13, disrespectful and her heart was breaking. After talking to her for a while it was clear that she needed prayer. So one of the intercessors prayed with her and talked with her for a while she left looking less troubled and more hopeful. That is one of the gifts we get from God, hope. The hope for healing and better things to come. Some times all a person needs is to feel that somebody cares. A smile can even have an effect on what kind of a day a person is going to have. We see people all the time and we have no idea what they are going through what kind of burdens they bare. We as Christians need to make sure we are doing all we can for the kingdom of God. And kindess matters. Kindness ALWAYS matters. Many people show up every week for the free bread that we are blessed to recieve and share. And every week I am blessed by them. I have met some wonderful people and I am so blessed to be allowed to serve God and his children this way. In todays society when financial problems are so prevelant we have to find ways to help each other. Every week we get donations of clothing from the very people we serve with free bread and clothing. They recieve and they give. They share their lives with us the trouble and the blessings. They allow us to pray with them. To cry with them and to laugh with them. I sometimes imagine that this is kind of what heaven will be like. We will all worship and share together. Age, race, height, weight, eye color none of it will matter. We will not be separated by anything we will just be His children interested in nothing more than worshipping the Father. There is the hope. The hope of peace, love and understanding. Pastor said that our lives are like a camping trip and we are roughing it but we know that when the trip is over we will be going home. Home to comfort. But as with camping there will be some fun and there will be some days when your tent gets rained out and you are uncomfortable but know that this is just a visit someday we will be going home. I live to serve the Father in any capacity that he decides he wants me. I know I am not perfect but I know he is working in me. I pray to be a kind person I pray that I cause no harm to anyone. That He will give me a heart of love so unbelievers will see His love in me and will want His love in them. Like the song says " Shine let them wonder what you got let them wish that they were not on the outside looking in" I know that someday I will go see him face to face what a glorious thing to look forward to. But in the meantime I will enjoy this adventure he has me on. And I will tell anyone that will listen about my wonderful Father who loves them and wants them to come home to comfort when the time comes for their camping trip to end. In the meantime I intend to just be one of the happy campers.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Today...
Today I took the Florida State CNA test again. I was a CNA for a long time and let my certification go when I went to PGT. So I am going to try to do it again. At least I will have work. I will get the results on Monday.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Weigh in again
This weigh in went much better! I lost 8.4 pounds!! I am sooo excited! Going for a walk now. Will blog more later.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Joshua Creek
It was a clear, sunny afternoon the first time I happened to come across Joshua Creek cemetery. I was driving down County Rd 760 in Arcadia which in itself is a beautiful drive. I was taken in by the beautiful drive itself. 760 is a narrow winding road. In some areas the trees have grown across the road making a natural tunnel where just small streams of sunlight filter through. It is a very rural area where stately looking farmhouses decorate the scenery. As I was driving along enjoying the sights I came to a curve in the road and to my left I saw the cemetery. I slowed down as I drove by and was taken aback by the beauty of it. After I passed the cemetery I was still in awe and I felt drawn to it in a strange way. I turned my car around and went back. I just had to get a closer look.
The first thing I noticed about this cemetery was there was no big fence surrounding it or a big gate to enter. There was one very narrow paved road going through it. The roadway was only wide enough for one vehicle to enter. There were about three other roadways or paths that you could drive on but they were not paved and there was nothing but obvious tire marks that would even lead you to believe it was a safe place to drive. I pulled over and parked my car at the entrance area of the cemetery. I had decided that this was probably a trip I would want to make on foot. I did not want to miss a thing I wanted to take in all the beauty and history that surrounded me. I did take note that I was the only person visiting the cemetery at the time.
I took a long look around and noticed that every grave was marked in one way or another. The most popular way to decorate it seemed was with plastic flowers of all colors. Then there were the small garden statues. Everything from turtles to angels decorated the graves. The first grave that I walked up to was just a mound of dirt raised up in the ground. It was being protected by a statue of three white dogs. One of the dogs appeared to be the mother of the pack. She was holding an old tin lantern in her mouth as if to light the way for her fallen owner who was now buried deep beneath the earth. Her two little pups seemed to look on as if wondering who their mother was waiting for. There was a small broken cement name plate in the ground with the name D. Holmes. It seemed that D had passed away in the 1940’s. Along with the dogs was a plastic flower pot filled with purple plastic flowers that were placed in dirt of course. As if someone was thinking that if you put the dead flowers in dirt they may come to life. Beside the pot were 2 American flags, the kind that they glue to a stick so you can wave them at the parade on the fourth of July. A few feet away from D’s grave a child was buried. The stone is so old that even after 2 rubbings all I can come up with is that the child passed in the early 1900’s at about 2 years old. There are 4 small scarecrows attached to sticks adorning the grave as if to scare away anything that may seek to harm the child. I think the child might have also enjoyed the ocean as there is an old white, weather worn conch shell on top of the grave. Perhaps someone placed it there so the sound of the ocean through the shell may lull the child to sleep. To the left of this child is a little girl named Claudette. Claudette was born 9/13/1917 and passed on 1/7/1919 there are dainty blue plastic flowers adorning her little grave. A few feet down the path is the grave of Alice Mabel who passed in 1939. She is buried beside her husband and her 2 children. The graves are protected by a wrought iron fence which is now rusted and falling apart. The gate is held on by one hinge and creaks when it is opened. These graves are not adorned with the popular plastic flowers but instead by houseplants and shaped concrete molds. Not far from where Alice is resting is the grave site of John Henry who was a Private in the Florida Mounted Volunteer army during the Indian wars. John Henry passed away in 1822. His grave is also adorned with the little flags on a stick and a couple of ceramic angels. Not far from him is Rick G Sr. or Uncle Rick as his loving family called him. There is a life size image of him adorning his 6 foot tall headstone made of granite. Uncle Rick passed on in 2002. The likeness of him so closely resembles that of Desi Arnez that I would not have been surprised if he had just looked at me and said “honey I’m home.” There are far too many for me to mention in one small essay. But I felt like I knew the people just by looking at the grave sites. They are so well cared for and surrounded by personal items just for them. These people were loved and will not be forgotten.
The cemetery has many old oak trees growing in it. All of them are full of Spanish moss and they provide a nice cover for the area. The area outside of the cemetery may be hot and humid but when you enter the cemetery the shade provided by the trees makes the temperature drop noticeably. They also give an atmosphere of peace and serenity. These big old trees are so much a part of the cemetery that I wonder if their big roots don’t reach out and surround the tenants of the cemetery in an eternal hug.
I did some research and found out that this cemetery dates back to the civil war era. There are rumors that there are also some Indians buried here although no on has officially confirmed or denied this allegation. I have been to many odd cemeteries. As a child I lived in New England and I spent many days at my grandparent house. Behind their house was an old cemetery which had an old dilapidated mausoleum in it. We children would take turns seeing who could spend the most time in there. In Exeter R.I. I visited an old cemetery that was famous for having witches buried there. I visit the graves of witches and suspected vampires in Boston. But I have to say of all the cemeteries I have visited in my search for truth about ghost, vampires and life after death I have never been to a place where you could feel the history behind the graves like you can at Joshua Creek. If you ever get the chance to visit there first take in the sights and the history that surrounds you then stand very still and close your eyes. I am sure that you will hear the giggles of children long since gone and smell the horses that the soldiers of the past rode through there. Perhaps you will feel the long soft hair of an Indian on your cheek as he speeds pass you in search of his next meal.
The first thing I noticed about this cemetery was there was no big fence surrounding it or a big gate to enter. There was one very narrow paved road going through it. The roadway was only wide enough for one vehicle to enter. There were about three other roadways or paths that you could drive on but they were not paved and there was nothing but obvious tire marks that would even lead you to believe it was a safe place to drive. I pulled over and parked my car at the entrance area of the cemetery. I had decided that this was probably a trip I would want to make on foot. I did not want to miss a thing I wanted to take in all the beauty and history that surrounded me. I did take note that I was the only person visiting the cemetery at the time.
I took a long look around and noticed that every grave was marked in one way or another. The most popular way to decorate it seemed was with plastic flowers of all colors. Then there were the small garden statues. Everything from turtles to angels decorated the graves. The first grave that I walked up to was just a mound of dirt raised up in the ground. It was being protected by a statue of three white dogs. One of the dogs appeared to be the mother of the pack. She was holding an old tin lantern in her mouth as if to light the way for her fallen owner who was now buried deep beneath the earth. Her two little pups seemed to look on as if wondering who their mother was waiting for. There was a small broken cement name plate in the ground with the name D. Holmes. It seemed that D had passed away in the 1940’s. Along with the dogs was a plastic flower pot filled with purple plastic flowers that were placed in dirt of course. As if someone was thinking that if you put the dead flowers in dirt they may come to life. Beside the pot were 2 American flags, the kind that they glue to a stick so you can wave them at the parade on the fourth of July. A few feet away from D’s grave a child was buried. The stone is so old that even after 2 rubbings all I can come up with is that the child passed in the early 1900’s at about 2 years old. There are 4 small scarecrows attached to sticks adorning the grave as if to scare away anything that may seek to harm the child. I think the child might have also enjoyed the ocean as there is an old white, weather worn conch shell on top of the grave. Perhaps someone placed it there so the sound of the ocean through the shell may lull the child to sleep. To the left of this child is a little girl named Claudette. Claudette was born 9/13/1917 and passed on 1/7/1919 there are dainty blue plastic flowers adorning her little grave. A few feet down the path is the grave of Alice Mabel who passed in 1939. She is buried beside her husband and her 2 children. The graves are protected by a wrought iron fence which is now rusted and falling apart. The gate is held on by one hinge and creaks when it is opened. These graves are not adorned with the popular plastic flowers but instead by houseplants and shaped concrete molds. Not far from where Alice is resting is the grave site of John Henry who was a Private in the Florida Mounted Volunteer army during the Indian wars. John Henry passed away in 1822. His grave is also adorned with the little flags on a stick and a couple of ceramic angels. Not far from him is Rick G Sr. or Uncle Rick as his loving family called him. There is a life size image of him adorning his 6 foot tall headstone made of granite. Uncle Rick passed on in 2002. The likeness of him so closely resembles that of Desi Arnez that I would not have been surprised if he had just looked at me and said “honey I’m home.” There are far too many for me to mention in one small essay. But I felt like I knew the people just by looking at the grave sites. They are so well cared for and surrounded by personal items just for them. These people were loved and will not be forgotten.
The cemetery has many old oak trees growing in it. All of them are full of Spanish moss and they provide a nice cover for the area. The area outside of the cemetery may be hot and humid but when you enter the cemetery the shade provided by the trees makes the temperature drop noticeably. They also give an atmosphere of peace and serenity. These big old trees are so much a part of the cemetery that I wonder if their big roots don’t reach out and surround the tenants of the cemetery in an eternal hug.
I did some research and found out that this cemetery dates back to the civil war era. There are rumors that there are also some Indians buried here although no on has officially confirmed or denied this allegation. I have been to many odd cemeteries. As a child I lived in New England and I spent many days at my grandparent house. Behind their house was an old cemetery which had an old dilapidated mausoleum in it. We children would take turns seeing who could spend the most time in there. In Exeter R.I. I visited an old cemetery that was famous for having witches buried there. I visit the graves of witches and suspected vampires in Boston. But I have to say of all the cemeteries I have visited in my search for truth about ghost, vampires and life after death I have never been to a place where you could feel the history behind the graves like you can at Joshua Creek. If you ever get the chance to visit there first take in the sights and the history that surrounds you then stand very still and close your eyes. I am sure that you will hear the giggles of children long since gone and smell the horses that the soldiers of the past rode through there. Perhaps you will feel the long soft hair of an Indian on your cheek as he speeds pass you in search of his next meal.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Everything is an adventure...
Sometimes I feel as though I am living the life of Indiana Jones here in little North Port, Florida. Every day is full of adventure. I went for a walk with my sister the other night. We decided to take the walkway on Sumter Blvd. It is a really pretty walk complete with wooden bridges and gazebos. We walked and talked and really just had a great time right up to the end of our walk. We were coming upon the wettest part of the walk. It seems that if there is rain it comes right up to the sidewalk. We were stopped by a couple that I used to work with and got into a nice conversation just catching up. As we were preparing to leave we noticed a good size crawfish on the sidewalk. Being the big thinker that I am I thought it would be fun to bring it home and terrorize the mother and nana with it. So I picked it up like you would a lobster, right behind the claws. Thinking that there is noway that this little thing could be any kind of a threat to me. I eat things bigger than him. When we got to the car I poured out what was left of my afternoons Dunkin Donuts coffee and put him in the cup. Proud of my catch like a cat with a mouse I headed home. Upon entering the house I took hold of the little lobster wanna be and shook it in my moms face taking much delight in her screams of surprise and fear. What a meanie I am!! Hahaha. Then I headed down the hall to the Nanas room where she was sitting in her house robe preparing to go to bed. " look what I found Nana" I exclaimed as I held it up and inch from her nose . "What is it" she mused. Wanting her to get a good look I held my hand out stretched and placed it in my palm. That is when it went for revenge. With it's little claw it got me in the skin right between the thumb and the for finger. OUCH!! they pinch good. I did not want to pull its little claw off so I tried to give it a little tug. It held on like a pitbull with a T-bone. So I ran into the kitchen and held it under the water like I thought that it would loose its breath and let go! They are water creatures. By this time my hand was really hurting I could not believe it. So I said to my sister please pull the claw open and get it off!! " oh yeah so it can get me with its other claw! I don't think so!" the same sister who swears she would help me bury bodies ( that is a figure of speech we have no need to bury bodies) will not help me with a little crawfish. So I painstakingly had to slowly pry it off. Then I promptly threw it in the front yard.
Stupid crawfish.. silly me.
Stupid crawfish.. silly me.
And the winner is............................
The doughnut. Yes the doughnut won and taught me a lesson on arrogance and humility. I was weighed in today and gained 2.4 pounds. After loosing the 2.8 pounds last week it seems that I must have decided that I could conquer the effect of the doughnut. So as I stood on the scale looking at my weight gain my nemesis, the doughnut, laughed and stretched out on my thigh! Now the doughnut did not do this on it's own. But after eating the sweet confection my body craved more and I arrogantly thought that I could win this battle just by sheer will. I did not walk harder or swim the day after the doughnut incident no... I ate more sweet things thinking I could somehow just get away without any weight gain simply by paying my weight watcher dues. Silly me. Yes this journey is going to be tough and many doughnuts and other sweet confections will do their best to thwart my success at becoming more healthy but in the end I will win. I will pray for strength and strength will be given to me and I will defeat the doughnut. I am anxious to start the next leg of my journey.
Stupid doughnut.
Stupid doughnut.
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