If anyone is still checking my blog to see if I might have a new post...Hello to you.
I've sat down to write several times in past months and just get too overwhelmed by what to say. It's not that there haven't been significant events happening in my life. It's just that I question the value of writing them for public viewing. They all seem so personal and not interesting. I guess one way to approach that is to simply write about how those events have affected me...thus keeping with the name of my blogspot, "Change Is Good". In some of those things I'm still wondering what is good about them so thats why I get overwhelmed.
The last time I wrote, It was after Lauree and I took our adventure to Oregon. That remains a highlight of 2008. Other highlights were a trip to Nashville to see Jeff in a show he wrote called "Vienna Waits". Included in that trip was an amazing gift to me from my Heavenly Father. Let's see...there was a very relaxing Fall camping trip to Mayfield Lake. The next events pretty much tainted what was left of the year as we lost Len's dad to Leukemia in Nov. and the near loss of my Grammy in December. There were certainly good things mixed in, like some great snow days/nights.
I guess I can catch you up to date on some of that stuff if you're interested. Maybe I'll do some thought gathering and jot a bit tomorrow.
Thanks for not giving up on me Kaylee. I still really do believe in my heart that...
"Change Is Good"
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Girls Adventure Weekend
August 2nd & 3rd, 2008 will go down in my memory as one of the best weekends ever! Lauree and I took off on Saturday afternoon for an overnight adventure. I say adventure for several reasons.
Preface;
Okay, Our adventure was two fold. First to stay in Portland with our urbanized friend Bailee/fake sister to Lauree. Bailee's very small but comfy studio apt. happens to be very near "the pearl" for those of you who know Portland. Loved our time with her.
Second, and the ultimate destination for the trip, was the Green Villa Barn in Independance, OR., to attend the wedding of our very special friend Jenny Miser (aka, MY Jenny). Wild horses would not have kept Lauree and I from this event. Worship schedule at church however, would and did keep Len from attending. That key factor would become the "inspiration" of our Girls Adventure Weekend.
It is important to your understanding of why I refer to our trip as an "adventure".
1st and formost it is this; I "don't do" driving. What I mean by that is, large city traffic is not my friend. I am directionally challenged and I only navigate by "go straight", "turn left/right", "stop up there", landmarks are my friend, ie; Left at the AM/PM ect...no N-S-E-W for me. Does NOT help in the least. I can find stuff on maps but don't do so well translating to driving directions.
Fortunately...my daughter, bless her brain, has very good instincts for directions.
She pulled me out of a few tight spots and saved me from a meltdown. LOL! seriously!
So the driving was one part of the adventure.
We spent Saturday evening shopping. We had fun checking out lots of stuff, bought a couple of things and then I got overcome with the urge to cut my hair! "So do you want to get our hair done?", I ask. "Seriously?", she replies. Two minutes later we were sitting in Master Cuts, me getting shaped up and Lauree having hers highlighted and layered! It was so fun to be spontaneous like that. And we don't look half bad either. :) Bailee was shocked at our "adventurous" move and we were glad to have her affirmation.
We enjoyed a restful night of sleep on her futon and got up for church together. She drove us in my car (i dodged the drive) to Imago Dea (sp), where we really loved their ministry. Good teaching and musical worship.
Then it was out to breakfast and a bit more "window shopping" in her neighborhood. I'm proud to say that niether Pottery Barn or Williams-Sonoma got any of my money (yet). Sure did get some good ideas for our interior makeover though.
So...the real adventure begins when we lost track of time relaxing and chatting back at Bailee's place. I was planning to leave for Independance (very near Salem) by 3 o'clock to be on time for the 5 o'clock wedding. None of us had a clue how long the drive itself would be, but i thought a couple of hours was good planning. Well it would have been if we hadn't left her place at 3:40! And then we still would have been fine if we could have found the enterance to I-5 South and there wasn't a detour at the sign we needed that took us down to a railroad crossing with the
l o n g e s t and slowest train I have seriously EVER waited for. As the line of cars got longer and longer behind us (it was 90 degrees by the way) people started backing up and turning around. It was real weird spot but we decided to go for it too. I'm glad we did, but we still couldn't find another way to the exit we needed. As Lauree's genious direction oriented brain kicked in, she said let's try this...so thanks to her, we finally made it to the freeway. I only went too fast a few times ;).
Well, we got to the wedding late, but we did get get to witness their vows and had a great time at the reception.
Our Jenny Girl was a beautiful bride and Chad a very sweet and handsome groom. I love him a lot and am so blessed by their lives of dedication to the Lord. I know they will enjoy a long and happy life together. And I know we'll stay in touch as friends. Here is a picture of Lauree and I with Jenny and another of "my girls", Katie Keith.
By the time we left the Reception it was about 8 o'clock and we had a very long drive ahead of us. But this time it was Lauree's turn at the wheel. She drove all the way home without a hitch or any signs of intimidation from the big trucks that own the road at night. In fact, it was an eye opening experience to see her in a new role as "driver". It gave us both a lot of confidence in how she handles herself in a long distance situation. After all, she is going to be heading out on her own in one more year. I'm very proud of her confidence and the way she handled different situations.
So...as an overview of my weeked, I see that I have gained more confidence in my own driving, I made fun memories with my daughter and with friends, I let go of a piece of my past that was very hard but good to give up, I witnessed my daughter grow up a little more...and I liked it all. My heart is full.
Change Is Good.
Isaiah 43:18-19
"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!
Preface;
Okay, Our adventure was two fold. First to stay in Portland with our urbanized friend Bailee/fake sister to Lauree. Bailee's very small but comfy studio apt. happens to be very near "the pearl" for those of you who know Portland. Loved our time with her.
Second, and the ultimate destination for the trip, was the Green Villa Barn in Independance, OR., to attend the wedding of our very special friend Jenny Miser (aka, MY Jenny). Wild horses would not have kept Lauree and I from this event. Worship schedule at church however, would and did keep Len from attending. That key factor would become the "inspiration" of our Girls Adventure Weekend.
It is important to your understanding of why I refer to our trip as an "adventure".
1st and formost it is this; I "don't do" driving. What I mean by that is, large city traffic is not my friend. I am directionally challenged and I only navigate by "go straight", "turn left/right", "stop up there", landmarks are my friend, ie; Left at the AM/PM ect...no N-S-E-W for me. Does NOT help in the least. I can find stuff on maps but don't do so well translating to driving directions.
Fortunately...my daughter, bless her brain, has very good instincts for directions.
She pulled me out of a few tight spots and saved me from a meltdown. LOL! seriously!
So the driving was one part of the adventure.
We spent Saturday evening shopping. We had fun checking out lots of stuff, bought a couple of things and then I got overcome with the urge to cut my hair! "So do you want to get our hair done?", I ask. "Seriously?", she replies. Two minutes later we were sitting in Master Cuts, me getting shaped up and Lauree having hers highlighted and layered! It was so fun to be spontaneous like that. And we don't look half bad either. :) Bailee was shocked at our "adventurous" move and we were glad to have her affirmation.
We enjoyed a restful night of sleep on her futon and got up for church together. She drove us in my car (i dodged the drive) to Imago Dea (sp), where we really loved their ministry. Good teaching and musical worship.
Then it was out to breakfast and a bit more "window shopping" in her neighborhood. I'm proud to say that niether Pottery Barn or Williams-Sonoma got any of my money (yet). Sure did get some good ideas for our interior makeover though.
So...the real adventure begins when we lost track of time relaxing and chatting back at Bailee's place. I was planning to leave for Independance (very near Salem) by 3 o'clock to be on time for the 5 o'clock wedding. None of us had a clue how long the drive itself would be, but i thought a couple of hours was good planning. Well it would have been if we hadn't left her place at 3:40! And then we still would have been fine if we could have found the enterance to I-5 South and there wasn't a detour at the sign we needed that took us down to a railroad crossing with the
l o n g e s t and slowest train I have seriously EVER waited for. As the line of cars got longer and longer behind us (it was 90 degrees by the way) people started backing up and turning around. It was real weird spot but we decided to go for it too. I'm glad we did, but we still couldn't find another way to the exit we needed. As Lauree's genious direction oriented brain kicked in, she said let's try this...so thanks to her, we finally made it to the freeway. I only went too fast a few times ;).
Well, we got to the wedding late, but we did get get to witness their vows and had a great time at the reception.
Our Jenny Girl was a beautiful bride and Chad a very sweet and handsome groom. I love him a lot and am so blessed by their lives of dedication to the Lord. I know they will enjoy a long and happy life together. And I know we'll stay in touch as friends. Here is a picture of Lauree and I with Jenny and another of "my girls", Katie Keith.
By the time we left the Reception it was about 8 o'clock and we had a very long drive ahead of us. But this time it was Lauree's turn at the wheel. She drove all the way home without a hitch or any signs of intimidation from the big trucks that own the road at night. In fact, it was an eye opening experience to see her in a new role as "driver". It gave us both a lot of confidence in how she handles herself in a long distance situation. After all, she is going to be heading out on her own in one more year. I'm very proud of her confidence and the way she handled different situations.
So...as an overview of my weeked, I see that I have gained more confidence in my own driving, I made fun memories with my daughter and with friends, I let go of a piece of my past that was very hard but good to give up, I witnessed my daughter grow up a little more...and I liked it all. My heart is full.
Change Is Good.
Isaiah 43:18-19
"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Vacation
..."A period of time devoted to pleasure, rest, or relaxation...".
And that's just what it was. There is not even much to tell about. It was just plain "down time".
We had to postpone our departure and lose two days of our vacation because, well, sometimes things just come up. So...we pulled out of our driveway Saturday night (after attending a wedding), at about 7:30 pm...Let the drive begin! Oroville here we come!
We get as far as Fife and decide we'd better put some food in our stomachs before everything closes. Where did we eat before Wendy's came along?
Good to go, we set our sites on getting over Sno. Pass and into E. WA. The original plan was to grab some sleep somewhere along the way but, "hard core drivin' guy" decided to gut it out. I of course, being the ever faithful traveling companion, nodded off throughout the journey only to wake up when the music caught my attention or "hard core drivin' guy" got a little too close to the shoulder and that horrid grooved pavement noise startled the bejeebers out of me.
It was a beautiful night, no traffic, bright moon and great CD's blasting with Jackson Brown, Emmylou Harris, John Mayer...the list is endless. I must say it was one of the most pain free drives we've ever made across the mountains. I think due in part, because we did NOT have "man's best friend" along with us this time.
We arrived in Oroville at around 3:45 a.m.(I told you he was hard core), pulled into a little community park that had RV parking, got in the trailer and slept for about 3 hrs., in lue of disturbing the whole campground by opening the gate & pulling in at such a rediculous time of morning. After our "nap", we then drove the whole 1/2 mile to the St. Pk. where we were greeted at our campsite by 3 ducks who expected breakfast to be served before we set up camp.
Lake Osoyoos St. Pk. would be our home away from home for the next 5 days. The park is not too big, is surrounded by water and you can always count on the sunshine to bask in.
We like to drive around the area looking for the perfect property to buy and then design a small little house on the lake. We usually find some lots for sale, but haven't hit the multi million dollor jackpot it would take to buy the land. It's good to have a dream or two...
This year's camping trip was diffrent than past years. Since we were totally on our own. At first we were bummed. No Lauree and no family pet. It was empty nest practice. But then when we got to thinking about it, it didn't take long to figure out that we would get more relaxing done without the girl and the dog. 1 frustrated 17 yr. old girl vacationing with her parents under duress + no cell service/no texting + no friend for company + one barking, panting overheated & shedding yellow lab = NOT A RELAXING TIME for anyone.
Our time alone gave us freedoms we don't usually get on a typical vacation. We talked, prayed, read, heard from the Lord...only to prove once again,
that...
Change is good.
Psalm 62:5 Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Just Wondering...
Will someone remind me why I said, "change is good".
"Do not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time I will reap a harvest if I do not give up."
Galatians 6:9
sigh...okay, so that's why...Thank you Lord.
Change Is Good~
"Do not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time I will reap a harvest if I do not give up."
Galatians 6:9
sigh...okay, so that's why...Thank you Lord.
Change Is Good~
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Some People Never Change
I have a friend in my life who never seems to change. That's a "good" thing. My friend has adapted to many "new" normals in the last several years. And in the face of adversity or uncertainty, she has never stopped being a faithful, thoughtful, creative, sacrificial, generous, spontaneous, fun loving (I could go on) kind of friend. Tonight I was the recipient of her "deliciously" spontaneous/generous/creative friendship.
Yay, for Sailor Jacks!
Thank you Mary for remaining steadfast in your friendships, for never changing. I can always count on you to bring a smile and a good word into my life. Now I even have a new favorite recipe! Kiss the cook!
Change is good...but sometimes it's good not to.
Psalm 112:7... [her] heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
Yay, for Sailor Jacks!
Thank you Mary for remaining steadfast in your friendships, for never changing. I can always count on you to bring a smile and a good word into my life. Now I even have a new favorite recipe! Kiss the cook!
Change is good...but sometimes it's good not to.
Psalm 112:7... [her] heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
Monday, June 2, 2008
I Can Do That
Today, in an effort to find some words of encouragement for a friend, I stumbled upon something that seemed timely for me as well.
"Often work, family responsibilities, and leisure activities so consume every moment that we become overly exhausted, and we miss our quiet time. Make a commitment to change your schedule". ~ Sheila Cragg
"Make a commitment to change your schedule". I can do that.
"Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord; O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. O Isreal (Jaynee), put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. He himself will redeem Isreal (me) from all their(my) sins.
Psalm 130 (a song of ascents)
Change is good.
"Often work, family responsibilities, and leisure activities so consume every moment that we become overly exhausted, and we miss our quiet time. Make a commitment to change your schedule". ~ Sheila Cragg
"Make a commitment to change your schedule". I can do that.
"Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord; O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. O Isreal (Jaynee), put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. He himself will redeem Isreal (me) from all their(my) sins.
Psalm 130 (a song of ascents)
Change is good.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Self
It's been another intense week as my dad was back in the hospital for three days. Although this time was not a heart related issue. Things seem to be under control and he's doing fine at home again.
As I take a more active role in my parents lives, I seem to be more and more aware of my self. Honestly, I'd just rather not have some of those things revealed. Some not so "Christ like" attitudes come bubbling to the surface and sometimes they leap right out of my mouth, just like when I was a teenager! That is an era of life I DO NOT wish to repeat! Do you know what I'm saying? Really! How ugly those days were. Oh Man! How in the world did I ever get away with talking to my mother the way I did? um um um...There was not an ounce of "Honor thy father and thy mother" in my heart back then. Thank God for unconditional love!
I thought that I had "grown up". Well, I'm here to tell ya'll, that no matter how many birthdays we have, "self" never seems to grow up! This week I found myself acting just like a little child in deep need of a nap!
Well Praise God for reminding me, that is why we have a Savior. "Come to me all you who are weary and heavily burdened and I will give rest to your soul...". Think of that! I mean REALLY think of that. He gives rest to my soul. To YOUR SOUL! To me, that is the "peace that passes all understanding". God himself, actively guarding my heart and mind in Christ Jesus, so that I don't need to be restless and unsettled. Take a deep breath and really ingest that truth.
Situations/relationships/ministries that I am called to may remain stormy for a time, but even in the midst of that storm, when my Savior whispers in my ear, 'peace, be still', my very soul finds rest.
Thank you Heavenly Father for being the perfect parent. You take me into your arms and hold me firmly but gently until I finally s i g h, and release my self into your keeping. And thank you Jesus for being the perfect child, who even unto death and denial of your self, remained faithful to your calling and obedient to your father. I want to be more like you.
Change is good.
Matthew 11:28 ; Phil. 4:27
As I take a more active role in my parents lives, I seem to be more and more aware of my self. Honestly, I'd just rather not have some of those things revealed. Some not so "Christ like" attitudes come bubbling to the surface and sometimes they leap right out of my mouth, just like when I was a teenager! That is an era of life I DO NOT wish to repeat! Do you know what I'm saying? Really! How ugly those days were. Oh Man! How in the world did I ever get away with talking to my mother the way I did? um um um...There was not an ounce of "Honor thy father and thy mother" in my heart back then. Thank God for unconditional love!
I thought that I had "grown up". Well, I'm here to tell ya'll, that no matter how many birthdays we have, "self" never seems to grow up! This week I found myself acting just like a little child in deep need of a nap!
Well Praise God for reminding me, that is why we have a Savior. "Come to me all you who are weary and heavily burdened and I will give rest to your soul...". Think of that! I mean REALLY think of that. He gives rest to my soul. To YOUR SOUL! To me, that is the "peace that passes all understanding". God himself, actively guarding my heart and mind in Christ Jesus, so that I don't need to be restless and unsettled. Take a deep breath and really ingest that truth.
Situations/relationships/ministries that I am called to may remain stormy for a time, but even in the midst of that storm, when my Savior whispers in my ear, 'peace, be still', my very soul finds rest.
Thank you Heavenly Father for being the perfect parent. You take me into your arms and hold me firmly but gently until I finally s i g h, and release my self into your keeping. And thank you Jesus for being the perfect child, who even unto death and denial of your self, remained faithful to your calling and obedient to your father. I want to be more like you.
Change is good.
Matthew 11:28 ; Phil. 4:27
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
