Celebrating!



I can’t believe it is almost time to celebrate Christ’s birth! This year has flown by with so many life changing events.
Yesterday started the season of Advent. I downloaded a great ‘day by day’ from Fresno Pacific University which includes verses along with reflection writings.

“The word Advent means "coming" or "arrival." The focus of the entire season is the celebration of the birth of Jesus the Christ in his First Advent, and the anticipation of the return of Christ the King in his Second Advent. Thus, Advent is far more than simply marking a 2,000 year old event in history. It is celebrating a truth about God, the revelation of God in Christ whereby all of creation might be reconciled to God. That is a process in which we now participate, and the consummation of which we anticipate. Scripture reading for Advent will reflect this emphasis on the Second Advent, including themes of accountability for faithfulness at His coming, judgment on sin, and the hope of eternal life. In this double focus on past and future, Advent also symbolizes the spiritual journey of individuals and a congregation, as they affirm that Christ has come, that He is present in the world today, and that He will come again in power. That acknowledgment provides a basis for Kingdom ethics, for holy living arising from a profound sense that we live "between the times" and are called to be faithful stewards of what is entrusted to us as God’s people. So, as the church celebrates God’s inbreaking into history in the Incarnation, and anticipates a future consummation to that history for which "all creation is groaning awaiting its redemption," it also confesses its own responsibility as a people commissioned to "love the Lord your God with all your heart" and to "love your neighbor as yourself.” [Dennis Bratcher]

I hope you are as blessed as I am during this season of Advent!

Ouch



I had a wonderful time visiting my Dad and Jeanine in the greater Portland, OR area. It was very rewarding to watch my Dad heal physically during the 5 days I was there. What a scare for all of us! He is such an experienced driver that there were no other casualties – kudos to Dad :-)


The picture above is one of the truck a couple of days after the accident. My Dad came out of the accident with no broken bones -- only bruising, lacerations and swelling along with soreness.

The Lord is good! I cannot praise Him enough for all of the miracles and blessings He gives to each of us every day.

White and sleek

My new vehicle ~ yes, I bit the bullet.  I am ready for winter!  It is a smooth, quiet ride and handles well in dry and rainy weather.  As an AWD, I am sure it will do wonders in the snow.

Thanks for all the advice.  It was taken, reviewed and some was used and some was not.  I think that is how it usually goes.

My goal is to not have to purchase another vehicle for many years  :-)



New Ride?

I have been contemplating [for about a year] getting a different vehicle.

I traded in my CR-V in 2010 for a Honda Civic Hybrid.  Mostly, this was to shed another piece of my past marriage and to help me heal.  I have to say that the car is sporty and gets amazing gas mileage!  However, it is extremely low to the ground which makes driving in the winter snows difficult.

I had mentioned my contemplation to various family members and my dad had a great suggestion which I would like to pass along to the masses ~ rent a vehicle for a week or so to really make sure it is the one you want.  You will save money and headache in the long run, especially if you find you aren't as enamored of the car as you thought you were.

Sage advise from a thought-filled man!

FREEDOM

Yesterday was my 3 year Freedom Anniversary!  I want to thank everyone for the support and love they have shown me during my time of adjusting to freedom from the bondages of abuse.

The Lord has carried me through and I praise His name each day in thanksgiving :-)

This is short but I wanted to share my joy in freedom!

Autumn is here



Autumn has arrived. I have begun some ‘preparations’ for the cooler weather.


• Outside faucets drained and covered
• Window air-conditioner removed and stored
• Hoses in shed

I still need to do some raking. I have no trees in my yard; however, the neighbors’ trees haven’t lost all their leaves yet. I can wait 

I have put out my “fall” decorations in the house. I have a couple of pillows and some Partylite leaf tealight holders to place on shelves.

My house is not situated in the “line of fire” for trick-or-treaters, so I don’t put any decorations outside.

I love pumpkin and all of the yummies it can be made into. I just found this recipe for Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Bread that I am anxious to try – I can just imagine the smell that will fill my little home.

Update on the newlyweds for those interested: doing well. Both busy with each working two jobs and my daughter in her last year at GU. I used to see her in the evenings at home and that was about it; now since she doesn’t live at home we try to connect at church service on Sundays.

Keeping On



Hmmm, it has been a few weeks since I “logged in” to my blog.

After the wedding, I got back to doing my evening walking workouts with Leslie Sansone’s DVDs. In Home Walking is a great idea for those that are uncomfortable exercising in public – whether that is on the sidewalks or in gyms. It also incorporates resistance training for the upper body – yahoo!

I am pleased to report that I have been told by multiple people that they can see a difference. I also tried on a top the other day that was a bit small. It fits great!

I am getting ready to add a morning routine for an added ‘boost of burning’ :-)

I have decided to take Sundays off as a day of rest – at least from a specific workout, because I am definitely busy on Sundays with church-oriented activities.

I get these awesome daily devotional e-mails from Heartlight. Here is one from the other day:

         Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)

What a wonderful reminder that our Lord cares for us always!

Blessings :-)