Jumbled Thoughts

Yesterday was my baby's 29th birthday, it seems like a lifetime ago she was born in Sri Lanka and yet the years have raced by. I spent most of the day today ironing for our upcoming trip to Sri Lanka, we leave a week from today for a month long visit to our old stompping grounds. There are so many details to attend to. Last week-end was very busy with a business conference in Portland. We stayed a couple of days with my Mom and her husband. While we were gone, the baby and her family moved into our house. They will be living here until their house is finished. The boys are very excited with their Moma's birthday present. She got a ten week old puppy named BEA. My joints have been aching a lot and I am hoping a change in my thyroid medication is the culprit for the pain I have been experiecing. Yesterday, I was thinking about how the school of the Holy Spirit is based upon voluntary attendance. The sweet Holy Spirit is always on duty ready to lead, guide, and direct each of us into all truth. I hope you all have a blessed week. I will try to keep writing on a regular basis during our upcoming trip. NONA

Wild Thoughts!

Today is a crazy day with lots of doctor appointments for Popa. It is also my birthday, I am not getting older just wiser. Ha! An old friend called, I have not talked to her since 1985. She remembered it was my birthday and decided it was time to reconnect. She wanted to thank me for being someone she could look up to when she was part of our college group. The good news is...she lives less than 25 miles from my home and we will be visiting sometime in April. She has to wait until April because today Popa and I booked our tickets for a return visit to Sri Lanka. I cannot think of a better birthday gift then to have finalized our thirty day visit with our Sri Lankan family. Tonight dear friends are making me a birhtday dinner, even delivering it to the house and sharing the meal with our local family. Popa spoke at Pastor Oscar's church last night and then came home and wept most of the night at the goodness of God. He said "I cannot believe how good it is to preach the word of God". I know I'm prejudice, but it was awesome and received so warmly by all those in attendance. We drove home really late last night so Popa could make it to the surgery center by 7:30 a.m. today and get a couple of epidural injectin before the upcoming trip. We visited the primary care doctor after that and Popa will go in this afternoon for a cranial fascia release massage. It has been a really full day already. I have been contemplating Baritmaeus in Luke 18 and how important it was for him to know what to ask Christ for, it seems quite obvious to us that a blind man needs his sight, but it was much more important for the blind man to recognize his own need of sight. How many of us are spiritual blind and do not even realize it? Dear Heavenly Father, help me to know what I need from you....give me insight into the right answer when you ask a question. Thanks for listening you faithful bloggers. The good news is that I will be taking my laptop to Sri Lanka and blogging faithfully about our adventures in faith. Blessing from the wiser Nona! Oh, I must be getting older, I do ramble on and on....

Last Thought of the Day

The one thing that is here to stay is change. I think Popa tells me that quite frequently. I was thinking tonight this is true and change is difficult in and off itself but it is almost impossible without your friends. Friends make almost anything bearable. So, to all of you who have helped Popa and I weather some difficult changes the past few years we thank you. Your friendship and committment to us has made the difficult days much more pleasant. We bless each one of you in the name of the Lord. Just one more thing, tomorrow and the day after will all have their degrees of change. Nona

Last Thought of the Day

Catching a Thought for the blog before....

My life is hectic again this week. I am heading to Portland to see my mom and then to visit with a couple of pastor friends. Popa and I will stop in Silverton to keep three little grandchildren for a couple of hours on the way up. Fun! I made several little gift bags this past week for an event at the Hilton this Wednesday, I will work the event with two others for three hours. I made 1200 bags to be exact and am not really sure what I did the rest of the week. My oldest two grandchildren spent the night with me on Friday night after a swim birthday party for grandchild #3....needless to say...I did not get much sleep and spent most of yesterday laying around catching up. I was thinking about my girls baby books this week and even about my own baby book. None of them are complete. The stories only partially recorded. I realized how awesome God truly is, HE faithful records all of our lives, there is nothing that remains hidden from HIM, no detail left out and yet HE as the ultimate Father continues to remain committed to bestowing HIS great love upon us. HE does not hold our past against us, HE does not keep track of our failures or short comings. I started down this road of thought because someone in my life made a comment about my own history and I was amazed at their inability to see me differently. The issue is mirrored by their own life and yet they remain totally unaware...isn't that always the way it is. We can behold the splinter in each others eye but miss the beam in our own. Popa preached a message about our being able to recognize in others what is so predominant in us because we are so familiar with the material. Anyway, thanks for listening you faithful readers, it is always very helpful for me to share my thoughts in writing. Take Heart, God forgives and forgets, unlike people who can sometimes forgive but rarely are able to forget. Thank you, Lord, that you love me and are committed to the end result of my life...totally committed to making me into your image. Help others to recognize your great grace at work in me. Be blessed as you traverse this week.

P.S. Daughter #1 you are a wonderful young woman and I treasure being your mother. I appreciate your heart and the honor you bestow upon me. Your children are blessed to be your offspring...you are teaching them honesty and how to communicate with others. May God grant you all the desires of your heart as you pursue him. Your husband is a great guy too. Love, Nona