Can't think of a good title so - Thinking it is!

Thinking or Rambling?

I am not really sure...

Today would have been Ron's dad, Pete Workentin's 93rd birthday...he died over 33 years ago.  Happy Birthday Pete...I wish I would have had more time to get to know you better.  I can only imagine you were a good man, a good husband and father...how do I know ~ because my sweet hubby Ron, is one of the most kindest men I have ever met.  He loves me more than anyone else here on earth and is one of the best Dad's I have ever been blessed to know.  Thank you Pete (and Anna) for raising such a fine young man who is my husband.  I wish you could have known your grandson's and now their wives and children...your love of family has definitely been passed down to our children and I believe is being passed on to your grandchildren.  I don't have many memories of time spent with you but my favorite is when we came home on emergency leave, Jamie was 15 months old.  We were all sitting in the living room upstairs and Jamie started to climb up on the coffee table and I went and got him down and told him "no, you can't climb on the furniture."  You promptly replied, "this is my house and my grandson can climb anywhere he wants" and then you helped him to get back on the table and you both smiled so brightly.  Thank you for loving Jamie as only a Grandpa could do!!

Changing topics...Yesterday my friend, Norma posted on Facebook

Here is my response which was written off the cuff:

How I read this Norma Jones is that we are to Love GOD always and foremost. Then we are to love our neighbors (all other people than ourselves) as we love ourselves. First off, I think many people are not happy with themselves so it is pretty naturalto be critical of others. IF we truly loved others as God loves them and wants us to love others and ourselves we would STOP being critical of others. For myself, I know that when I am feeling good about myself: physically, emotionally, spiritually I am WAY LESS critical of others. I struggle with how people can say they are Christians, and out of one side of their mouth they say they LOVE all people and then out the other side they say mean, hurtful, critical things about someone's looks, attitude, comments...I don't have to agree with everything someone says or posts on Facebook...I can keep my mouth shut if what is going to come out is being critical. Just because I have an opinion does not make it right or even something I need to be saying out loud. For me, I think about when my kids would do something I totally disagreed of or didn't approve of...it doesn't mean I LIKE their behavior or actions...it does mean that I LOVE them...just like God loves the sinner and hates the sin. I do believe people need to think before they speak and go back to "if you don't have anything nice to say, then keep your mouth shut."

and I have been thinking about these verses since and realize speaking kindly is the only way to go.  Another friend, Kelly, wrote about being kind...we can always be kind.

These two references remind me that that is how I want to be.  I don't want to be critical of others and I don't want to be mean or unkind.  Thank you ladies for sharing from your heart and giving me an opportunity to share from mine.

So I am putting this out there...IF you hear me being critical of someone or saying something unkind,  call me on it.  I am reminded about an email I sent to my friend Dee a couple of weeks ago about asking how do you tell someone something that is obvious...she replied "you don't!"  thank you Dee for helping me to remember to be kind in words and deeds.  

Which leads me to asking...what do you think Mark 12:28-33 is saying?  I really would love to hear your thoughts and ideas.  Along with ways on how we can love our neighbors the way the Lord would have us to love?  I am asking because I want to find ways to love one another, outside the box.  I know I can take a meal when someone is sick, send a card when someone loses a loved one, send a note of encouragement...but what other ways can we love our neighbors.  And in turn love ourselves the way the Lord loves us?

Segway...to loving ourselves

I did 45 minutes on the bike this morning, burned 522 calories, traveling 10.25 miles!!! And already drank one bottle of water...yesterday I drank two, my goal is three a day...sure hope I reach it today.

And I want to share 

(sorry can't figure out how to turn them)

Our sweet granddaughter, Opal with Santa this Christmas.

Isn't she a doll?

And thanks to Suzanne for scanning these pictures that I thought I had lost

Brandon, age 5 and Jamie, age 8

And Danalyn for sharing this one of the boys.  

Now look at our grands

can't you see the resemblance to their daddies when they were little?

Time to get to crossing things off my To Do List.

Have a great New Years Eve 2013

and

Happy New Year 2014

A New Day Dawning

I don't know about y'all but sometimes I have to start over many times...yesterday while fighting a headache I decided I needed to get my butt organized...some of you may find that amazing that I think I need to get organized...I am usually an organize freak...but the last month, maybe two or three months if I am totally honest with myself...I have been slacking...the last few weeks on exercising, the last month on making healthy food choices, the last couple of months on keeping my house clean...oh it looks clean and I am not ashamed if anyone sees my house...things are picked up, but you know the deep cleaning, the dusting and vacuuming...the stuff that is easy to overlook so yesterday was my day to regroup.

I began with setting the alarm on the phone....

...5:45 a.m. ~ Monday ~ Saturday's...get up to exercise

...8:00 a.m. ~ Sunday mornings...get up and go to church

And then I did my Weekly To Do List

On my list for today, 12/30/13

Daily Quiet Time ~ what a great time in the Word this morning, more on that later in the post 

Weigh In _____

6:00 a.m. 45 minutes on Bike, rode 10.12 miles, burned 516 calories

Blog - BVC

Encourage someone

Drink Bottles of water X¨¨

Breakfast

Dinner: Creamy Turkey Soup

Watch Liberty

List food/exercise on My Fitness Pal

Fasting Blood Sugar ~ was 80 so that is good!

I am a LIST Maker - it helps me to stay accountable so I am off to a good start this morning.

There are some things on my list that is the same each day ~ 

that will help me with consistency.

Some days have lots of things listed and some days not so many

And then at the bottom of my Weekly To Do Lists

I also listed all the TASKS that need to be completed...

...I have so many craft projects that I have started or committed to that have been pushed aside and the biggest reason is how I have let Facebook and Solitaire suck up my time.  I get easily distracted and lose my focus...today is Day 1 of beiing better disciplined with my time.  Facebook is hard...I go on there to write the Facebook Post for Branson View Campground and then I might see a comment from a friend or a message or someone is on chat and the next thing I know two or three hours have gone by and nothing that I needed to have done is completed.  We have five Admins on our page (me, Ron, Kimberly, Jw, and Virginia)  maybe we need to start a rotating schedule...hint, hint, hint.  I have a similar list of Things To Do each day for me, Ron and the Workampers at Branson View Campground.  Now I just have to stick to it.

And once again the Lord met me right where I am today...He is good like that!!!

Beginning with

and really I am having trouble...trouble staying on task, following through with my commitments, cooking healthy, making healthy food choices, drinking way too much soda pop and not enough water so this verse reminded me to Seek God each and every morning and not just for the big things like the awfullizing thoughts that I was dealing with yesterday BUT with the little things as well...choosing a bottle of water over a bottle of soda pop.

And remembering to Be Still, Be Quiet so that I can hear God when He speaks to me.  Keep my eyes and ears open, be on the lookout to see what God would have me to learn and do each day, how I can serve Him, encourage others and most of all be aware of Him in my life.

And it continued with

and

and

Don't forget God will give me the strength to deal with and do what I need to do each day, I need to be the one seeking after the Lord, He will not chase me down nor beat me up side the head...He isn't like that and to remember that the things I have are ALL HIS and I need to not be Selfish but to serve Him with Open Hands and not hold on so tight to things like blankets or people.

And then I turned to

and was reminded HE died for me, HE gave his life so I might live

and then I wrote this

"Lord help me to remember that all I have is because of You ~ help me to open my hands and let go of what I grasp and try to hold onto ~ like the blankets, help me not to mention them again to anyone, help me to let them go ~ you gave your all...my letting go of a couple of blankets is nothing compared to what you gave for me!! Amen and amen!!!

And then just to give me one reassurance that He will never leave me, that He is always with me

and

Isn't God grand...

He will never leave me ~ Satan likes to try to isolate me and make me think I am alone in this world BUT that just ain't so!!!

Thinking on this all day today!!!