Changes

As there are seasons that we witness here in Western PA, there are also seasons of life. Each season has its unique purpose & beauty.

There is a season of change on the horizon for us. We are prayerful and patiently waiting upon the Lord. (I say patiently with some reservation.... depends on the day.)

Your prayers are appreciated.

Blessings Monday

Yesterday was a blessing.  You know… absence makes the heart grow fonder?  After not seeing my precious husband all last week, I was quite fond of him and so blessed to have him for an entire day yesterday.  Morning coffee… church… lunch & lounging… an afternoon shared with the Zombecks… dinner with games to follow.  Love the Wii!!!  Want one! … a sweet evening of snuggles & conversation.  It doesn’t get any better…

 

Thankful for the sweet blessing of my husband this morning. 

Selfless Sunday

One night last week, while Keith was working late, I spent some time teaching a friend how to download, locate, and email photos from her computer.  She do not have a lot of computer experience but is always wanting to learn.  She wanted to email a bunch of photos and was having trouble figuring out how to do so. 

 

So there you have it… something selfless. 

 

Have you done anything selfless this week?  Write a post and comment.  This isn’t to boast, but to simply be deliberate in being self-less. 

Tuesdays With Jen – My Memoirs

My cat Jimini was old when we moved to Kentucky.  He settled in well there, but as time went by, he deteriorated more and more.  We eventually had him put to sleep at the local vets office.  It was NOT a pleasant experience.  We took him home and buried him in the back yard.  We were broken hearted.

 

I was traveling back and forth from Lexington to Pittsburgh regularly.  Keith was home alone and although he had a couple friends there, he was missing my company and probably Jimini’s as well.  We wanted to get another cat so bad.  We were poor.  We just couldn’t afford it. 

 

One day, because we had NO money for entertainment but needed to get out of the house, we visited the humane society in Lexington.  I pointed out this adorable reserved gray kitty that I thought was pretty.  Keith was drawn to the obnoxious orange tabby that was screaming for attention.  We learned that adoption fees were $99 and that included spay/neuter and a vet check.  Disappointed that we had not $99 to spare, we went home.  We talked about the crazy orange kitty and decided to try to save some money to get him.  We named him Demetrius. 

Shortly thereafter, I was sharing the story with my Mom.  She was so touched that she transferred money to our bank account just so we could get this new pet.  Thanks Mom!!!  Keith absolutely could NOT wait.  He wanted to go back to the shelter NOW!!!  I was busy working, so I sent him on his own.  “What are you going to do if Demetrius is no longer there?” I asked.  “Come home without him and we’ll go back together to look for another some other day.” He replied.  So off he went.  About an hour later I got a call.  “Demetrius is gone.”  He said.  “Oh, sorry Honey.”  I sympathetically replied.  “But there’s this other one…” (silence)  “I knew it!” I said.  “Get whichever one you want.”  He was so excited!

A while later he appeared with a box.  When he opened it up, a shy gray kitty was hiding in it.  She was clingy and hid in the first secluded spot she could find.  We named her Crystal.  The funny thing is that she was the one I had wanted him to consider in the first place, except he didn’t know that.  He said when he took her out of her cage at the shelter, she clung to him.  He needed that.  She needed someone like Keith. 

She soon became well acclimated with our home.  She woke us up in the morning.  She bit the tops of my toes on the way from our bedroom to the kitchen because she was so anxious to be fed.  She scaled the back of our couch like a gecko.  She chased ping-pong balls like crazy.  If we threw one in the bathtub, she’d run after it and emerge with it in her mouth.  How she got her jaw open that wide I have no idea, but it didn’t stay put long before it would come shooting out and she’d chase it some more.  She’d sit at the window and chirp at the squirrels and birds.  She was cute and cuddly.  We love her.

To this day, she is Keith’s cat.  Yes, she loves me, but she L-O-V-E-S Keith.  I feed her.  I treat her.  I even sometimes give her little bits of ham.  (shhhh)  But still… Keith is her favorite. 

Blessings Monday

Good morning.  I love Mondays.  Why?  Because I like to remind myself and also share with you about how blessed we are.

This morning I am counting the blessing of significant friends.  There are many…  but just to name a few…

My husband whom I love.  Meeting him gave me the desire to improve upon my life in so many ways.  He loves me as I am and for who I am.  He is patient with me in all circumstances.  He works hard to provide for us and I appreciate it.  He is my darling and I adore him.  

My friend Rene’e.  She is one of the most generous persons I know.  We grew up close to each other and have family ties.  She also loves horses and farming.  She helped me get my pony home, something for which I shall be forever grateful. 

My sister, Amanda.  She’s a gem.  As far as siblings go, she’s the one that is closest to me.  She’s always been there for me.  I enjoy her company.  I admire her marriage because theirs is such that one would never question whether or not they adore one another. 

My friend Amy.  She’s my confidant.  She is genuine.  She loves the Lord and always keeps me grounded.  When I have significant life struggles, concerns, or celebrations… I share them with her and she walks along side of me in prayerful support.  She is sweet, patient, and kind.   

There are many more, but I could be typing all day trying to name them all.  If you are my friend… you know it and you know that I have a soft place in my heart for you.  I’m not meaning to leave anyone out, but these 4 individuals have made a very significant impact upon my life in recent years and I am so very grateful for their place in my life.  I AM SO BLESSED!!!!

Care to join the cause of sharing your blessings?  Head over to Down On The Farm and share.  

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful for the many provisions the Lord has bestowed upon us.  I am thankful for a full pantry and likewise much in our freezer.  I am thankful for our affordable home.  I am thankful for our cuddly kitties.  I am thankful for reliable transportation.  I am thankful that my husband and I are both gainfully employed.  I am thankful that my employer allows me to be somewhat flexible.  I am thankful to have a good boss.  I am thankful for generous friends, the ones who always look out for me and the things that make my heart glad.  I am thankful to have my horse and a place for her to stay.  I am thankful for the blizzard last weekend that was cause to spend the entire day with my Love.  I’m thankful for good health and a happy marriage.  There is just so so so much to be thankful for!

 

Want to share what you’re thankful for?  Write a post and then Link-up to Thankful Thursdays.

Wednesdays C.O.W. – Coupon of Wisdom

So I’ve been doing this Beth Moore study with my girlfriends at church.  We meet every Monday and I have to admit… it’s a good study.  It’s on the fruits of the spirit.  So the very first thing we learned has really stuck with me… so here’s a little advice…

 

In order to be filled with the Holy Spirit, we need to expel all the things that weigh our hearts down.  So in prayer we confess our sin and vow to repent.  We lay out the concerns that are heavy on our hearts.  When we have given it all up… then the Spirit can fill us.  Somehow when we free ourselves it allows the fruits of the Spirit to be expressed in us.  We experience love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. 

 

For the record, I think that self-control is the one that is of focus in my life lately.  I realize that I let petty things annoy me.  (i.e. it annoys me that my spouse doesn’t always put his dirty clothes in the basket.) If I’m mad or annoyed with my husband for something (usually something stupid) I find myself brewing over it.  Now I’m not the type of person to just spout off and degrade him.  I generally think long and hard before I open my mouth.  I’m sure that when it does surface is more nag than anger at that point.  This is where self-control comes in.  Since the focus on the study, I have spent much less time brewing over how to tell him how mad I am and a lot more time just letting God handle it.  I suppose that the Spirit gives me the patience to overlook these petty annoyances and to simply let them go.  It’s amazing!

 

So there you have it… a coupon of wisdom clipped from my studies of late.  Is there something wise that you have latched onto lately that you’d like to share?  Write a post or just leave a comment. 

Tuesdays With Jen – My Memoirs

The news this weekend compared our weekend winter wonderland to the Blizzard of 1993.  I remember that blizzard.  I was working at Giant Eagle in Cranberry when the snow began to fall and the public panic was initiated.  The store was CRAZY busy.  My friend, Dan, was to give me a ride home that night.  He was driving a little orange car, affectionately called “The Pumpkin.”  Aside from the memorable frenzy at work, the ride home was exciting.  We did a donut in The Pumpkin in the middle of route 8 south, near Porky’s if you are from around here.  I wasn’t expecting it.  I’m sure he did it on purpose.  The road was completely snow covered and there was little to no traffic… so conditions were prime for such fun.  It WAS fun!  Needless to say we made it home just fine and my friend became stranded at what was then my parent’s home.  We stoked the fire, played board games, ate pizza bread.  The next day we had to dig The Pumpkin out.  It was buried in snow!  We also built a snowman.  Somewhere I have pictures, but I don’t have a working scanner at the moment.  Sorry.

 

But what about the Blizzard of February 2010?  Why not write my remembrances now? 

We woke up Saturday morning, Feb 6, 2010 early.  Keith was scheduled to work and to pick up one of his employees on the way.  Guess what?  He couldn’t get out.  Yes we have 4x4, but when the snow is as high as the tires and heavy and untouched… ya, he wasn’t going anywhere.  So he called work and said he’d be late or not in at all.  A couple hours later he started shoveling.  (pictures posted already)  Thankful for his old Carhardt bib overalls from years gone by, he shoveled his heart out while I chipped away at laundry.  He worked for about 30 minutes at a time, breaking for hot coffee every now and then.   The truck was a little bit stuck from his attempt to get out.  As he was turning it around one of the front tires dropped over the hump into the yard, which is a hillside, and that was all she wrote.  After a couple hours of his shoveling, I joined the effort even though I’m still recovering from a shoulder injury.  I’ve lived in Western Pennsylvania pretty much all my life and I am pretty good at figuring out how to get un-stuck.  I admit, it’s way easier if you have a tractor nearby.  Oh well.  First, I insisted that we shovel around the truck VERY well.  Next, put some gravel behind the tires.  Finally, we cracked open one of the bags of sand that are in my car and lay it behind the tires for traction.  I figured it would be a good idea to have one person just push a wee bit on the front end to give it that umph up over the hump.  Guess what?  It worked like a dream.  I popped it into 4x4 low and at the same time I gave her a lil’ gas and Keith gave her a lil’ push and she backed right up.  Piece of cake?  Well… unless you consider all the shoveling. 

Proud of ourselves we returned to the house to warm up.  We realized that the neighbor was not going to shovel her portion of the driveway and the next house beside her is vacant… so we figured at best we would have to shovel from our house at least two houses down.  This seemed like a monumental task that we were not in a hurry to tackle.  Keith called his work again and reported that he was not going to make it at all.  About and hour later there was a knock at our door.  The neighbor several houses down was asking if we’d help shovel the driveway.  Of course we will!  Glad to have additional assistance, we both donned our winter attire and headed out to join the efforts.  This is a 50 year old man and one teenager that were already tackling the job.  The four of us shoveled the entire driveway.  There was one other lady that came out and helped as much as she could, but she didn’t look like she should be doing that kind of work.  We helped her shovel around her car and when she was done she let me borrow her ergonomically correct shovel.  Note to self:  buy at least 2 of those shovels for ourselves! 

So after we were all shoveled out, we had lunch.  I made a delicious hot ham & cheese on a bun for each of us.  Then we took a much needed winter nap.  The evening was enjoyed together… nothing extra special.  Just a little tv, computer, some fresh baked cookies, and snuggling.  It doesn’t get much better than that.  It was definitely a memorable blizzard.  I know my Handy-hubby does not so much enjoy the snow.  I don’t mind it so much.  I actually enjoy the idea of being snowed in at least once a year. 

Blessings Monday

We are so blessed…

- We have a few good neighbors that banned together to shovel our shared driveway.  Handy-hubby and I had shoveled our own area out and were taking a break when the neighbor came knocking.  We figured that we’d have to do the brunt of the work to get out because the next door neighbor parked on the street instead of in her garage, so she didn’t need to get out back there.  AND the next house is vacant, so we are sure that nobody is going to show to dig that place out.  We have to pass behind about six residences to get out.  I’m very thankful that there are a few good neighbors here.

- We’ve been blessed to have a new laptop computer.  I think I’ve mentioned this before.  It’s so nice to be able to take it anywhere in the house.  I’m grateful to be able to pick-up free wireless where we live.  It’s saving us a bundle.  I’m also blessed to be able to access my work computer from home.  I’m able to do some general catch up from home.  I can send documents to the work printer and when I get there the next work day, there will be a pile waiting to process.  Also, I can fax thru this connection too!  It’s wonderful!

- We are both gainfully employed.  My Handy-hubby is NOT liking his new job, but he’s sticking it out.  He’s got higher aspirations on the horizon, all the while knowing that the Lord has a plan for him in his current situation.  We are blessed to be employed, especially when the economy is what it is. 

- We are blessed to have reliable transportation.  We have a descent car that is fuel efficient and paid for!  We bought it expecting longevity and so far it’s been a good car.  It has more than 75000 miles on it, which is a lot for a 2006 model, but we expect to get a couple hundred thousand out of it.  Likewise, we are blessed to have the “Big Bird” 4x4 pick up truck.  This is something I pined for over the years.  Thanks to the economy, we were able to land a very good deal last year.  It’s pretty and also reliable.  Not exactly fuel efficient, but definitely worth having.  We hope it is a blessing to others as well.  After the blizzard this weekend, I’m wishing we had a snow plow… just think what a blessing that would be!  Maybe in the future???  We are blessed to have more than one vehicle, realizing that some families do not. 

 

If you are inclined to share some of your blessings, please visit Down On The Farm and leave a comment for Marci, our weekly host. 

Selfless Sunday

Ok – so I wanted to start this and then I completely fell off the wagon for a couple of weeks.  It’s not that I’ve been selfish, but I just lagged in posting things. 

 

So I’m staying in this Sunday… not venturing out for church or any other reason.  Our county has been declared a “state of emergency.”  That supposed to mean that you don’t go out unless you HAVE to. 

 

However…I think our work yesterday definitely counts for Selfless Sunday….

 

We (along with 2 other neighbors) shoveled out the entire driveway for the 6 or more homes who share the driveway.  We were beat, but still went back to help one of the neighbor ladies dig out her car and also the car of the neighbor guy who had been helping shovel but needed a break.  Seriously my heart wanted to shovel all day long, but my gimpy shoulder couldn’t.  Otherwise I might have kept on going.  It felt good to help those around us. 

 

I kept thinking all day long… wouldn’t it be grand to have a snow plow?  I would have spend the entire day plowing people out.  I don’t want it to make money… I just want to have fun and bless others.  Maybe someday????

 

Have you done anything selfless this week?  Write a post and comment.  This isn’t to boast, but to simply be deliberate in being self-less. 

There's just something sexy about a workin' man!
What can I say? I've always loved bib overalls.

It's been a very busy day of shoveling snow here. We are both beat and I'm thinking that I'm going to pay a price for abusing my gimpy shoulder today. Oh well... we can get out. Keith got to stay home with me today. I'm glad for that.

Blizzard - Feb 2010