Good nearly afternoon! I’ve had to reset my internet several times today – it’s moving as slowly as I am! It’s a beautiful day here, with a light, cool breeze coming through the window. The sun is shining, the new leaves on the trees are a brilliant green and I can see that the grass is catching up with me again, even though it was just mowed last weekend. Geesh! I have to admit that sitting and watching out the window while I sip my coffee isn’t exactly a hardship. How are things where you are?
I want to wish my parents a very Happy 54th Anniversary! I love you both so much! In this day and age when people seem to view marriage as disposable, you are both an inspiration. Thank you for being my parents and for showing me that through good times and bad, fighting for your marriage is always a good thing.
Verse of the Day
May 2, 2018
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us — whatever we ask — we know that we have what we asked of him.
Thoughts on the Verse of the Day
Confidence before God. That’s sort of an oxymoron if you meditate upon it. Yet through the presence of Jesus at the Father’s right hand and the intercession of the Holy Spirit, we can have confidence and come boldly before the Creator of the universe and know that he not only hears us, but also cares for us. Wow, what an audience! Oh, and one final thing, he also ACTS on what we ask.
Food for Thought
If you want someone to like you, gossiping around the neighborhood and to their co-workers about how they don’t like you IS NOT GOING TO HELP! Seriously, get a life. If someone doesn’t like you, don’t push it. Find someone else who does. And shhhhh! Stop gossiping like an old hen!
Baby Day – ooooooh babies! What is NOT to celebrate about BABIES? The funny thing about this particular celebration today . . . nobody said WHY they set it up. . . beyond that they must have loved babies of course. Logically we know that today is a day to get some baby time if we can, and to appreciate the miracle of birth and life. Parents – especially new parents – can celebrate this day by spending some extra time with their little one, keeping in mind that this time is so fleeting, so take advantage of it while you can.
Brothers and Sisters Day – Do you have sisters and brothers? Today is a day to cherish your siblings, no matter whether they are near or far, whether or not you feel close to them. Anyone who has had brothers and sisters growing up know that we love them so much . . . we may not like them all of the time . . . but we love them always. My brother and I lead completely different lives, we don’t talk very often and we don’t truly have all that much in common – except blood ties of course – but doggone it, we do love each other and when we do have time together, even if it is short, it’s always accompanied by a hug and positive feelings. My brother knows if he needs a kidney he can come to me, and I hope I can say the same about him for me!
Great American Grump Out – I had to laugh about this one. We all know grumps, right? We have AT LEAST ONE in our lives that popped into our heads the moment we saw the name of this celebration. If you say you don’t know any grumps . . . well, does that mean the grump is you? Today there should be no whining, frowning, complaining, frustration, or rolling of the eyes (this one may KILL the teenagers) for 24 full hours! It isn’t easy to stay clear of all of the situations that may cause us to be grumpy – assuming of course that we aren’t grumpy by nature – and short tempered. Quite honestly, today is less about the people who are grumpy as it is about the poor folks who have to DEAL with the grumpy people. It’s depressing to be around people who are short-tempered, snappy, negative and morose! If you work with a grumpy person then you may find yourself dreading heading to work, and exhausted emotionally when you get done. There are some fun ways to combat the grumpies . . . go to the park and be a kid again for a little while and play on the swings! Skip as you make your way back to your car . . . you can’t be grumpy while skipping! Get an ice cream cone with sprinkles on top. Seriously, can you imagine being grumpy while eating sprinkles? I can’t! And please, if nothing else, smile. I know, those smile muscles may be rusty, but work one up . . . it’s good for your face, it’s good for everyone around you, but it’s especially good for your spirit.
International Space Day – Looking at the skies has been fascinating to people since the beginning of time, and today being International Space Day, is another opportunity for us to show that fascination by studying the night sky. In 2001, former astronaut and Senator John Glenn expanded Space Day to International Space Day – after all – everyone, everywhere shares the same stars. It was originally started to get America’s youth interested in math and science, and in many Science Centers, schools, observatories, or other educational places, there will be demonstrations, celebrations and special programs to teach about our universe. Tonight, if you are able and the stars are out, go outside and look through a telescope and view the night sky. If you don’t have a telescope, maybe just go out and look at the stars. It is always beautiful and it is always fascinating. If it IS rainy, maybe you could watch a documentary about space – there’s some incredible footage out there to be enjoyed. * This is an image of a Nebula – amazing, isn’t it? To me it looks like God is watching us . . . well He is . . . but this looks like a giant cosmic eye!
Life Insurance Day – The sale of life insurance started sometime in the late 1760s with the creation of the Corporation for Relief of Poor and Distressed Widows and Children Presbyterian Ministers in 1759. Episcopalian priests started a similar relief fund in 1769, and it started what would be more than 2 dozen life insurance companies from 1787 to 1837. Less than 6 of them survived. Life insurance can be a good thing. It can pay of bills for surviving family members after a loved one passes away, can help with children’s college education, keep a family business running, or even an income for a family to live for awhile. Personally, I have an issue with some life insurance policies. My father paid for their life insurance for all of his adult life. The day he turned 65 (or thereabouts) they canceled it, out of the blue, without warning. All of that money, and for what? Nothing. If something happens to him, my mother is pretty much up a financial creek. Be careful about which policy you get and look at the fine print for what happens when you get towards retirement age.
National Day to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy – There are so many different views on this one, with the bottom line of teen pregnancy being something to prevent being the only common theme. I was a teen mother, and my pregnancy was unplanned. I was raised to believe, and still do that abstinence is the only true way to prevent unplanned pregnancy, and give a teen the chance to prepare for adult life at a more sedate speed. Many people are proponents of handing out condoms, providing birth control pills or shots and other contraception, and still others are pushing women to get abortions when an unplanned pregnancy. Yes (insert sarcasm here), murdering an unplanned baby is a great way to combat what started as a surprise. This is a child, a human being, a life ordained by God. The time to say no was BEFORE sex. I can say that as an adult with a beautiful daughter who has been a blessing, even if she was a surprise to me and her father – and yes, we did use birth control. We used two different types at the same time. They didn’t work. Again, abstinence is the only sure fire way to prevent it, and if pregnancy happens anyway, please just gather your loved ones around and start planning. If you truly do not feel you can be a parent right now, look into giving your baby up for adoption to a family who cannot conceive. It’s the gift of life, something to be cherished.
National (Deaf) Interpreter Day – Today we honor American Sign Language Interpreters, as they are a blessing to so many people! I have the privilege of having a dear friend who has been an ASL interpreter for students in schools and know that she has made education more accessible for these children, and I’m sure been privy to many conversations that, as a mother, she wishes she weren’t! That’s a different conversation though. Each job that interpreters do are very different from each other, allowing them to see new things themselves every single day! It is a field of work that attracts a certain type of individual who has a deep love of communication, people who strongly support both the deaf and hearing communities in which they work each day. I know that my friend has been such a blessing to so many people throughout her career, and that the work she has done will carry those students forward into their adult lives richer and more complete than they would have been without her. M, you are an inspiration. Without you, those kids would have had a much more limited world.
This Day in History –
1885 – Good Housekeeping Magazine first hits the newsstands.
1939 – Lou Gehrig plays in his 2,130th game, a baseball record that will last for 57 years until Cal Ripken come along.
Food Celebration of the Day –
National Truffle Day – Named for the little rare mushrooms they can sometimes resemble, truffles are a sweet delight that can be filled with anything you imagine. When I started making the switch to eating low carb I thought that delicious treats like this were a thing of the past, but that just isn’t so. Bloggers like Carolyn Ketchum have opened the door to sweet treats for low-carbers, diabetics and people who just choose not to each sugar in a way that we couldn’t imagine – at least most of us couldn’t. Here is one example of a low-carb truffle on her blog, All Day I Dream About Food. There are PLENTY more there if you want something different. Give it a try! You have plenty to gain by reducing sugar in your diet.
Well, after doing battle with a hit and miss internet connection today, I finally have this finished! Time to move on to other projects! God bless you and I’ll see you tomorrow.
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