The Avengers and Ice Cream Sundaes

Yesterday was ice cold. We are going through a deep freeze and it is nothing that you want to have to go out in. I knew early yesterday morning that I would not be leaving my house. Thank God for the Avengers!! I must say that that is my new favorite movie. It has been on the FX channel almost daily for the past week and I must have seen it 5 times. Plus before hand I had recorded it and watched that more than few times. Not sure why I like it so much. The movie itself is so exciting. Every so often a movie comes along that is like this for me. The latest Star Trek with Benedict Cumberbatch as Khan is the same for me. I'm a true Science Fiction fan. I grew up with Star Trek and would also watch every show about extra terrestrials and outerspace.

Christopher and I like to watch Full House. Recently we watched one where Uncle Jesse bribes Michele with an ice cream Sundae in order to find out what kind of party Rebecca is planning that she wants him to attend. (It's a baby shower by the way.) Anyway, when Uncle Jesse is giving her the sundae and describing it to her, Chris and I looked at each other and said we want one of those! Next day I went to the store and bought, ice cream, carmel and hot fudge toppings, (I made my own peanut butter topping), whipped cream, sprinkles and marashino cherries. We were going to have it on Valentine's Day but Chris was at his friends house. So last night I put everything out and we all had a sundae. It was so delicious!! Just as we had imagined it would be. Of course, I had to point out how much this all would have cost if we went to Friendlies. I always say stuff like that. (But it is true...) Anyway it was a fun time just sitting around the table talking and enjoying our sundaes. Simple things... :)

It has been so long since I posted anything. Not that anything is that dramatically new.

One thing that is fairly new is the new addition to our family. Our pug puppie Howie. His full registered name is Howard Mordecai Bizzarro and it's like having my first grandchild. What a sweet, loving, affectionate pup!! He can be a handful when he's full of energy but even that is fun.

I definitely could be one of those excentric dog ladies. Not now, I'm much to young, but when I'm older. :)

Every morning I've been reading "Five Meaningful Minutes a Day" by Charles Swindoll. It's such an encouragement to me with my daily walk with the Lord. Much like Joyce Meyer, he shares a lot of practical insight and application into God's word. I can read the Bible and understand it, with the help of the Holy Spirit, but if I don't know how to apply it in my everyday life it doesn't really do much for the benefit of others. One thing I've come to realize is that if your waiting to "feel" like doing what God wants, you'll be waiting a long time. That's not to say you won't have good days where things will be easy but for the most part God's will usually requires sacrifice. Even those things that I enjoy doing for the Lord I struggle with laziness, procratination, selfish ambition, recognition, etc. My heart's prayer is that I have a pure heart before God. He knows how I struggle, especially being an introvert. There are times I fail more than I succeed but I know that God is with me and loves me more than I can ever realize in this fleshly body. A verse that I've taken to heart lately is Philippians 1:6:

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

We are not alone. God is with us moment by moment, molding us into His image. My desire is to be more like Christ and God's promise is that He will give me all the desires of my heart. What a wonderful God we serve!!

Sadness

There is no other word to describe what has happened. People may want to use this time to debate different social issues but this is not that time. All those beautiful babies gone. Not gone really, but in the arms of our ever loving and everlasting Savior. Yet...gone from the arms of their mommies and daddies. Oh, how we need to remember that life is like a vapor...here...and then in a moment gone. Those sweet babies will never know all the wonderful things that they would have brought to all those that love them. They will also know no suffering. Dear Lord, Your ways are too high for us...who can understand them. We yield to your sovereignty and trust who you are. You are the God of ALL comfort. Comfort those who are in their greatest hour of need. We yield to You and in that we find rest.

See God in Everything and Everyone

I read this saying this morning and was thinking about what it meant to me and just wanted to share. What it means to me is that God sees the heart of each and every person. I only see the outward...what is visible to my eyes. My eyes...that are skewed by my own hurts, imperfections, misconceptions and prejudices. God calls me to see beyond that. To see the hurting, apathetic, forlorn, careworn, discouraged, unloved, misunderstood, rejected heart within. That heart that may act out in sometimes unappealing and offensive ways. To desire, by God's leading and strength, to reach in and connect with that person and have the courage to disregard the crusty outer shell and to touch the true person within, who only God sees. Seeing God in each situation means to me that God is in the waiting. Whether it's waiting for a spouse, a job, a change of situation within your own life, even waiting behind that slow driver that is making you crazy. God has His control over every situation and He requires us to yield to His timing; trust His wisdom and trust His sovereignty. We are responsible to maintain a close walk with our Savior and Lord, Jesus, and to seek Him with all our heart. To listen for His voice as He leads us down life's path. As we rest in Him, He will work all things out for our good and bless us who seek Him. This is His everlasting promise to us. :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today we are going over to my Mom and Dad's house for Thanksgiving. My neice, Karen, is here so it's an extra special day. She has been here for a week and she is such a wonderful, fun, intelligent woman. It's been great spending time with her and catching up with everything going on in her life.

This Thanksgiving is also extra special because we are all together. My Mom was sick with pnemonia earlier this year and was in the hospital for 15 days. I am happy to say that she is fully recovered and I am so thankful to God that everyone is healthy and happy.

This year, as usual, I am in charge of the peas and carrots caserole. Irene is making a cheesecake, turnips and corn pudding. My Mom is making the turkey and all the rest of the trimmings. Yesterday we went to our annual excursion to Delicious Orchards to get a pumpkin pie. Of course, we had to get a lot of other goodies too (who can resist). :)

Traditions are so important. I know from talking to my kids that they love going to their Mommom and Poppop's for Thanksgiving and Christmas and wouldn't want it any other way. Every year that we can still do this is such a blessing. Despite all the crazy, unexpected things that happen in life it's comforting to know that there are still some consistencies that see you through life. Enjoy each moment for what it is. Take the good, let go of the bad and have a thankful heart to God that His promise is always that it will all work together for good.

Summer 2011

Since Christopher has summer vacation, I've been trying to have some kind of activity going on every day. It may be the library, Swim Club, Chuckie Cheese's, something so get us out of the house and occupied for a few hours. So far I've been somewhat successful. I think maybe two days out of the summer we have done absolutely nothing and that was because it was either SO hot or Chris was fighting a stuffy nose. Christopher has a DS now and I believe that if allowed he would only want to stay home and play it. He does stop on his own and draw pictures or watch a TV show and I have to blame my own laziness for not focusing on his summer reading. I just bought a nice new basket to put his summer reading books in for easy access and we still have not picked up a book. Which reminds me that he has a free ticket to Great Adventure for his school reading program and we'll have to go there in the next two weeks. There...another thing to do.

So far this summer we have:

Gone to the park
Mall
Mommom and Poppop's
Yankee game
Swim Club
Aunt Kim's house
Aunt Michele's house
Camping in PA
Vacation Bible School
Ocean Grove
Birthday Party
Chuckie Cheese's
Family Time Live...then night swimming (FUN!)

We still have to go to:

Runaway Rapids
Allaire Park
Point Pleasant
Gread Adventure

And I'm sure some other things I can't think of at the moment.

Sarah was in the Color Guard last year but has decided not to join this year. At first I was a bit skeptical about her decision but she says that she much prefers to be involved with plays. She going to be in the "Showcase" this fall and Color Guard would make her schedule insane. She is 17 this August and I feel that she has the right to make her own decisions about her activities. It was so cold going to watch her at the football games last year that, as much as I didn't mind going and watching her, I won't miss freezing waiting for half time.

Happenings

I never know what to put in the "title" of my blog post. Unless it's something very specific I usually write about a lot of things that are going on at the moment. First I wanted to write that I saw two really great movies yesterday; "Salt" and "Young Victoria". I like "Salt" for obvious reasons. Action; the action scenes were fantastic. "Young Victoria" was such a beautiful love story. I actually cried. I can't remember the last time I cried over a love story. It was very touching. When you watch a movie like that it makes you long for that again in your own life. Now at 50 I look at "young people" and envy that aspect of their lives. Starting out on a road together where you are so naive about life's problems and yet you're bound together by such an intense love and attraction for each other. It's like you can conquer the world!

Louis and I went to Brookdale on Monday to register for his classes. I was anxious to get it done because he wanted to have no classes starting at 8:00 and he wanted two days free to work for his Uncle Matt. So in we went and spoke with this wonderful counselor. She wasn't overly friendly...that didn't make her wonderful. She was helpful...to the point...direct...honest...and she knew what she was doing. As we sat there and she worked with Louis to select his classes, I was praying silently that God would direct them. Louis still isn't sure what he wants to "do" when he's through with school and I told him the other day that this is a heavy hitter prayer that he should commit to praying for. I think ALL prayers are big but in a way..career...spouse...big changes and committments, need a TIME of prayer and not just a once prayed for situation. That's just me. I need to apply this in my own life too. I have a decision I'm struggling with now that I need to really get down on my knees and pray for and maybe even fast for and I find myself procrastinating. Anyway, praise God that his schedule is in place and all is well with him. :)

I have this theory that when my palm itches that money is coming my way. I know this is silly but I say it all the time to my family. If I'm scratching my palm, which rarely happens by the way, I'll comment on it and say money is coming. Two days ago we were at Christopher's friend's birthday party and my palm started itching me. I thought to myself I wonder if I'm going to be getting some money in the near future and by how it was itching it would be a BIG sum. It stopped and I didn't think any more about it. Yesterday, Nick calls me and says that an investment he made five years ago with Rhodia is coming due and that the money should be in the bank today....it was....$3,300!! Can you believe it! I don't know what I'm more excited about the money or the fact that my palm was itching me and, BOOM, there the money is. God it so good!!!

I was watching Joyce Meyer the other day. She is absolutely one of my favorite speakers. She said some things that really got me thinking about my wrong behaviors. I tend to wake up and my first thoughts are so negative. I'm not sure why except that I've been carrying around a lot of burden the past few years and I believe it has affected my outlook on life. Like a "what's the point" kind of attitude. Anyway, she said when you wake up in the morning...praise God...even if you don't feel it. Acknowledge His blessings and say "even though I have some hard things I'm going through today, thank You that You are with me to help me." I never looked at it like that before. It was nice waking up this morning and applying that. I even cleaned up my kitchen and prayed for Louis, who was walking out the door for work. I'm still in counseling and I do try to focus on the "baby steps" of progress. I'd rather be making baby steps than completely standing still. I think God feels the same way. :)