Quick Takes - Take 5

1. I determined to have more fun this summer. For the most part, it is a good working plan. I haven't found as many things to laugh about this week though. A local family is reeling from the sudden and untimely loss of their husband and father. Complications from a fall and head injury led to his death yesterday. He was just a few years older than me and graduated with my brother. The whole community is shaken. I can't imagine what his wife and children are feeling. I can only lift their hurt in prayer.

2. I'm slipping the wrong direction on the scale this summer. WAY wrong! I exercise regularly, but I'm not seeing progress. I hate it that only a few summer clothes fit right now. So, these last two days I've had only juice, lots of water, fruit, no pop, only one cup of coffee-decaf. Can anyone say headache? Ok, I did have cake last night. I know, I know. But I invited my bible study ladies over Saturday night and I'm glad I tried this new recipe early. BooMama raved about Veronica's Caramel Buttermilk Cake. Mention caramel and I'm all over it. Even though it didn't turn out totally delici-oh-so, I'm determined to try again! It's caramel, I simply must.

3. I'm ticked. I'd say I'm buzzed, but you might think I've been tipping a few and that is sooo not me. The bees are back. Ugh! My porch piller is home bees-again. They were here when we moved in. Two times we have successfully had them gassed out or whatever the bug man does to send the varmints on their way. We haven't seen any for eight years or more. Now the very day I send out my invite for the party, I see them buzzing their ridicule. Where's the justice in the world?

4. I do have one funny for this week. If this has made its way to your inbox already, please make me feel good and laugh anyway. I thought this was hilarious. The pictues is a little blurry, but I hope you get the idea of this redneck fire alarm.

5. I'm really hungry. This juice thing better pay off, big time.

6. My daughter is gone this week with Esprit de Corp. A youth singing and drama group, a ministry of a local chruch. More than once this week people say in that tone-that sympathetic, I understand your lonely misery tone-how quiet it must be with her gone, you must miss her so. To which I reply, "I'm good, time flies while she is gone". Of course I think of her tons and pray lots, but God is getting me ready for when she is set free on the world. Progress.

7. My dear friend observed recently that I have high expectations for myself. Or maybe she said I was too hard on myself. Probably both. I've thought about that this week and wonder what is the right attitude? How do I live up to the potential God gave without driving myself and people around me insane? When is enough, enough?

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Quick Takes - Take 4

1. Sam, my newly acquired cat has been missing for nearly 24 hours now. Is it too soon an Ampurrrrr alert? I'm afraid he will not come back. Although he was obviously from someone home judging how tame he is, I want him to stay with us. I should feel bad I want to steal him for keeps.

2. I'm proud of my daughter. She really, really, I mean REALLY wanted to hang out with her favorite friends and eat her favorite food-Chinese (homemade no less), at one of her favorite places-Pastor Sam's house, but she did the right thing and went to her 4-H meeting instead. Way to go! I know that was a hard decision.

3. Do you ever wonder how God speaks? I do. I've been trying do decipher the meaning of a particular passage and how it relates to events in my life. Can it apply? God is talking about something completely different with people thousands of years ago and yet he is talking about the same things we face today. His truth ABSOLUTELY applies today! But I don't want to put my Linda spin on it. I want to get His message and I'm praying for understanding because I really don't want to get it wrong.

4. Shopping Caution!!!! Never, and I do mean NEVER, lean down to pick up something from the changing room floor and glance back into the mirror! My shock waves could have set off the security alarms. I may have had cottage cheese on the shopping list, but I didn't expect to find it on my backside in the ladies department!

5. The weather has been weird. Which is actually normal for our neck of the woods. We were terribly dry and missing every rain that came along, then had major storms, heavy rain and horrible hail four times in one week. Now it is staying cooler and wet when farmers want to get back out and replant crops destroyed by hail. Life on the plains isn't so plain after all. Reminds me of how big and awesomely powerful God is and how little I am.

6. My good friend is doing a great series of posts on connecting. You can read them at The Next Step. I've been thinking about how I can be better at making connections with people and I realize one stumbling block is that I'm not very good at small talk. I watch ladies around me happily chatting away about their favorite recipe, the goofy thing the kids did last night, any little thing and laughing and having fun together. Connecting. Not on a deep level, but it all starts there. The light, daily stuff that lets people get a glimpse of you and you get an idea of how they tick. I'm working on strategies to help me get better at this. Suggestions are welcome.

7. Back to #3. This situation is a biggy. The verse I'm going to apply today is: Cast all your cares on Him because He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7. Go ahead and borrow that verse for yourself if you are facing something big and scary. So many of us are. But God does care. He is there. He will see us through.

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Quick Takes - Take One

-=> 1 <=-

God keeps reminding that I need more patience and empathy. Recently there are situations when I seem to have less tolerance and I am wrong. I am typically patient and sympathetic to the point that I often embarrass my daughter with quickly shed tears. But it is wrong of me to put my desire to look forward and need to move ahead on others as their only right course. There were times in my life, when I couldn’t move on. I still needed love. There were times when problems so overwhelmed that I could not see beyond them. I still needed understanding. I'll work on this. I’m sure God will provide me the opportunity.

-=> 2 <=-

Is it taking stretching the dollar too far when I intentionally use less toilet paper? And no, I don’t count the squares.

-=> 3 <=-

Monday’s food journal. (The day after two huge Easter meals.)
Breakfast: Vanilla pudding cherry cake dessert from Easter.
Morning snack: Chocolate and a donut
Lunch: Carrot cake
Afternoon snack: Lots more chocolate
Dinner: Cake and punch
Evening snack: Salted peanuts and probably more chocolate.

-=> 4 <=-

God prepares. I know it, I’ve experienced it. I’ll post more on this soon.

-=> 5 <=-

I was deciding where to grab something to eat when I drove past KFC and they had a new sign. Kentucky Grilled Chicken. Sounded good. I pulled up to the drive thru order menu and asked for chicken only. I never get the sides; too loaded with calories. Please don’t hold #3 against me. The girl took my order and I pulled ahead. The drive through window opened, a teenage boy leaned out looked right at me and said, “Grilled breast”. That’s just WRONG.

-=> 6 <=-

I get very frustrated after sitting at a computer all day to come home and not be able to figure out how to do some tech thing. I just want to get it done and not waste time! I haven’t been on windows vista and mail very long and I can’t even find my problems in their help center. I just want someone to do it for me. Send me the geek squad.

-=> 7 <=-

I love LOST. The “island” is all about unfinished business from the past and how it affects each person. They have to face hard things about their past and reconcile them for today. I can see a lot of Christian applications. However, I don’t like it that now they have a guy who can communicate with the dead. It is really out there. I saw a reference to God on a blackboard in the last show. I mostly like LOST because it stretches my tiny little brain cells to figure out all the connections, because everything is connected. I like the challenge.

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