So Much to Talk About Friends

I thought this was a good prayer, it's from this site. Father, please help me to know how to use those moments of power that you give me in my life. I want to use those opportunities redemptively and not selfishly. I cannot help but be humbled at Jesus' restraint in the face of such a sham religious leader. May I have such wisdom and restraint when it is your will and may I be passionate and bold, just as Jesus was in cleansing the Temple, when that response is necessary. Please help me know the best way to honor you. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. It hits the nail on the head. The past week I've felt a little like Rocky Balboa in some very small ways...Bam, bam, bam. I come up for air and bam, another hit. Nothing huge but sometimes I'm not quite sure how to respond or if to respond at all. I've thought about going on Facebook to fellowship with my old true-blue sweet xanga friends, but what I've been observing in the past week with my girls' facebooks...and the way people behave and judge falsely really has me questioning the wisdom in doing that. No biggy, I'm too blessed to become upset over the small stuff, I just get a bit ruffled at times, and I notice things, I'm perhaps disappointed? The kind of thing where I want to put my head in my plate in front of guests and boo hoo over something said at a dinner table. It's tough being a mom or hostess at times. It's not for sissies. Like Mrs. Dunwoody says in her book.... A hostess swims as gracefully as possible skimming the top of the water much like a swan as her feet are paddling like mad under the water. Prayers going forth are those feet paddling I assure you. Boy Howdy. Oh man....I feel like a groom's mom at times, just wear beige and shut up...But in my case I wear black and shut up. (I look horrible in beige and black compliments my complexion) It's not too terribly bad shutting up when we can talk with God. I have complete confidence in that. I told my husband that: * I think every man should have to labor and give birth to a baby naturally. * Every young man should have to raise virtuous daughters of his own in this culture. Why?  Because they would know how lonely it can be for both daughters and parents alike and how so many young dunder heads don't appreciate what they should in a godly young lady. ................... Great week for Christmas, things were a little more simple this year but it was nice. I still need to go visit my dad. Had a great time with my mil too at her home. We have quite a few bridges we cross together on and I think that's great. I also appreciate that mil and my mom have a sweet friendship. I get a kick out of seeing them talk. My nephew Billy was there and I loved talking with him, he just returned from Israel with Leonard Ravenhill's son, David Ravenhill. One of the best memories of last week was going into USO town last Thursday with my handsome husband. We finally found a quaint little restaurant playing old fashioned Christmas music and had a nice warm baked potato with the fixings and off to the town square we went....USO Town really does look like something from the Wonderful Life set. We went to the feed store and it was fantastic, this place was old, such neat stuff in there, toys and everything. We went into the Hallmark store, one of the best and largest I've ever seen. Hubs tells me... "If you see a little something you would like, let me know and I'll get it for you." I really thought that was sweet. This particular Hallmark store is closing down, the owner is retiring. So sad. What do you know? I look to the first shelf and I see a winterie, grey, black plaid tartan scarf with hints of burgundy in it...I smiled to myself and thanked the good Lord. You see, when I was at this Hallmark store with Mar. a month or two ago I had seen these scarves and admired them and often thought of these scarves. Here was the lonely grey scarf I had thought about waiting for me. The Lord has ways of showing His faithfulness and love. A sweet overcast Christmasy day with hubs. I got a kick out of the bathroom at the Hallmark store, the owner must be a kindrd spirit. Toilet is clean as a whistle but stuff everywhere, little humorous sayings taped to the wall. Hilarious...So German, I do have German in me indeed, one-half to be exact, mixed up gal I am. You must know I spent the first nineteen years of my life trying to explain to people what the two dots over the Ü in my maiden name was and in some cases, that no it was not a smilie face on my gym suit. ...To get to that funny little bathroom at the old Hallmark store, I had to tromp through the stockroom amidst an old rounded Admiral refrigerator...That thing had probably been there since the 40s. This is hubs back in his college years. A cutie indeed. I don't have a clue why the bottom came out grey. Oh life is an adventure indeed. I love life and it's a wonderful place here in the country. Yesterday Mar. and I went to the store and going down ranch road we see Mr. B's jeep pulling out of his country house....The entire road is probably saturated with his land...No joke. His grandchildren were waving hands and arms out of the jeep like the children in the trees of The Sound of Music. I'm thinking they were going to the what I call: The One Hundred Acre Woods. They fish there. Winnie the Pooh lives there I am convinced, it is totally beautiful. Joycie and I decide that one of the kids is probably the one who sang at the Vatican. Yes, Mr. B has lots of stories indeed, true ones. Cracks us up. I tell Joycie that we shouldn't get too close on the road to the jeep as the hands and arms are flying out of the jeep window because for one thing Mr B will think we're trailing him.  Joycie says: "Neah, he won't recognize us" I tell Joycie: "Are you kidding? We are in Dad's car!" My hubby drives a primary-red Dick Tracey car, as if the driver of the jeep wouldn't see us behind him! At the store I see they don't have real grits, just instant. One of the young managers asks if I need help? Why yes...There are some things I do need. Could you please order vegetarian cheese? He looks at me good naturedly with a smile and asks, "What's that?" I smile even bigger and big eyed - I blankly tell him. "Fake. Cheese. In other words, cheese made from soy or rice etc." He was kind and seemed accommodating, very pleasant. I later see him telling the older manager something as they spied me and Joycie in the checkout line. They were smiling both looking at us. I smile back letting them know, I see you. They look away, I'm sure they are wondering which burb boat we came from. I had told the young manager when he told me the bigger stores have the veggie cheeses etc.: "I'm doing the smalltown thing and this is where I want to shop, not any other place in another town at a bigger store. : ) I want to shop here." And to my defense, they used to have all of those goodies ten years ago before the order list for the store became computerized. In the produce department Joycie spied a vet. We love WWII vets or any vet. We made a big fuss over the darling little man and clapped for him. He was so darn cute, he salutes to us. We knew he was a vet because his hat had his designation on it. Marines! On the way home, I was feeling like Rocky Balboa before the final blows and we listened to one of the songs from To Kill a Mockingbird by Elmer Bernstein, the piece, Boo Who. Seriously, that is what it's called and it is totally beautiful, one of the most heartwarming, comforting melodies ever. Then we listened to Jars of Clay, You Made Me..Who am I.... Jars does very introspective Christian music and I was quite introspective yesterday. This evening I was out with the four doglets walking the property with a big red jacket on. Oh my goodness, it was totally gorgeous out. Pools of sunlight were flowing down in golden circles through the grey sky falling in golden circles upon the green grass, the leaves in the trees, pitter-pattered through the breeze. I walk as if a magnet draws me to the gate facing Mr. B's land next door. Yes, that man has land everywhere I tell you. What comes out of the trees? The Lundy's truck. It was mud coated, guys in the truck and one in the back of it. I suspect they would have gone to one of the all too close hunting stands. Boooooooooo. I hate that. The nerve. For one thing it's too close to our land and my girls run on the property and we know nothing about these guys. Disconcerting I tell you. I stand and stare at them and what do ya know? They slowly come to a stop and back up near the turnip patch and go the other way. Life in the country at the Forest Cathedral. Never a dull moment I tell you. Love, ~Amelia ...Flowing like a swan, feet paddling like mad under the water, but peacefully praying... I know the Judge personally. : ) He's my Father.