Families Are A Gift From God!

It seems like lately I have been realizing how fast life zooms by, and then it's gone. Not that I am obsessed by my mortality, but that we each have so many days layed out before us on earth and should be reminded of that once in a while.

I am so blessed to have the family God has given me, and I recognize that they are a gift. Since I work with so many families during the week I get to see the people that appreciate their loved ones and those who struggle with the "difficult" family members.

We all have them in our families, those who are easy to love and those who are not. I have come to a place in my life that I allow certain people to be close to me. Some individuals bring laughter, and some need me to make them laugh and smile. The ones that I don't allow close to me are the ones that bring harm, strife and confusion in to my "happy place".

There is one person in particular, I was forced to remove them from my "circle of friends". This person hurts everyone in her path, maybe not deliberately but always brings strife when she is around. Not everyone see it for what it is, but with God in our lives we don't have to live that that. It's like a hurricane passing through, nothing is left the same. Everything in it's path has been effected in some way. The Lord says live in peace, and sometimes you have to separate yourself from those that cause harm.

I know we all say and do things that hurt those around us, but if it is our pattern in life to hurt, manipulate at cause trouble; we have a problem!

Then there are others that bring joy to our lives. One of those special people is my son, Zack. He prefers to be called that; but to me he is and will always be Zechariah or Zechar as his cousin Melody use to call him.

He brings so much joy to my life, it is amazing how we spend so much time raising our kids to behave and make right choices. We spend hours trying to teach them to do right, and when they are teens we try to figure out where we went wrong. But then hope comes as they reach their 20's and 30's and they realize that you are not crazy and you might know something :).

That is where I find myself with my son, he may still think I am a little strange. We have that in common:), but we have a healthy relationship. I enjoy our talks on the phone, and love when he brings his family over. I absolutely LOVE my grandchildren and our times cooking and playing together. My only wish is that I had more time to spend with them. Then there is the glue that holds his family together, Bonnie. She is an incredible woman and Mother, she loves her family and always puts them first.

So my point is, I am blessed to have the family I have, and I thank God for the son I have. Many of my friends tell me how they are constantly fighting with their kids. I'm not saying we always agree, but we do try to respect one another's differences.
So I said all that to say; God has been good to me!

Live Right...It's Time

I've been listening to my Bible on CD while I am stuck in traffic. :) At the rate the traffic moves on the 605 freeway I should be able to go through the Bible in a year, LOL. I listened to Genesis and Exodus so far, I am amazed how stupid we are as people. The Israelites wandered in the desert. Pharaoh hardened his heart and refused to do what God asked. Joseph's brothers were horrible to him, but fortunately it was all for their good in the end.What amazes me the most is how we make the same mistakes over and over expecting different results.

This morning I heard this guy on the radio talking about the book of Revelation. He talked about those in the Church that will be ready when Christ returns, and those who will be sleeping. I want to be ready, I don't want to be found unprepared when the Lord returns.

I know many in this world believe there are many way to God. I am not one of them, Christ is the door to the Father. There is no other way to get through, why is it so hard for us to grasp? When we drive thru a restaurant we don't argue "I'm not going this way". We just believe that as we follow that little path around the building our food will be handed to us through the window. There is no doubt in our mind, or question that it's a mistake or someone is trying to trick us. It's a simple truth, God loved us and sent His Son as an act of love to bring us back into a relationship with Him.

I remember in the 70's we used the line "Marantha, Come Lord Jesus, Come"... We were looking for His return. Now, we don't take seriously the signs of the age. He will return and I want to be found as a Good and Faithful Servant. It would be my worst nightmare to be found in sin and shame on the day of His return. I want to have a crown of righteousness to lay at His feet, but if I walk as those who don't know Him, what will I have to offer Him?

Eternity will be much sweeter if I walk and follow after Christ with my whole heart. I know we don't trust in our works, and I am not talking about that. I am talking about the condition of my heart. Selah

Samuel's Hands

How cute is this... Samuel drew his hands and all the little lines and fingernails. So adorable, it looks like he drew his head. That is one artist boy!
My little love bug!

Love

This morning Manny said, "someone sent you an email", so I went to the computer and found this sweet valentine on the screen. Like I said, to love and be loved is the greatest gift on earth!

My Sweet Valentine

Valentine's Day is tomorrow, and everyone is out and about searching for the perfect gift for their sweetheart. Well, I've got news for them. The perfect gift is to love and be loved, the gifts are just icing on the cake.

Manny is the love of my life, and everyday we spend several hours on the freeway together commuting to work. We do this so we can own a home. It's not always easy having such a long day, but at the end of each day, we have each other.

We love one another unconditionally, respect each others differences, and trust each other with our lives. I know Manny would lay his life down for me in a second, so I don't need to be reassured by flowers, cards and jewelry of his love for me.(however, the chocolate...) LOL

I see so many marriages struggle because of unreal expectations. So... in my simple life, this is my thought; to love and be loved is the greatest gift on earth. I heard that saying when I was young, and now I experience it in my life with Manny.

I am so blessed to live, love and laugh!

Memories Make Life Special

As I have been going through old pictures I found some of Brad and the boys, these pictures were taken at my Mom's house. Brad was having a blast with Samuel and Benjamin in the go cart out in the field. We have so many fond memories of playing out in the yard at Grandma's house. It is nice to know even when we are gone, the memories linger. So.... another reminder to live, love and laugh!

Grandma Goldie's Yellow Bowl

Okay, so some may look at it and say it looks like an old yellow bowl, or "vintage" in some cases. But not the Johnson kids, we see it as an heirloom. Grandma Goldie made homemade noodles, bread, rolls and cookies in that bowl. It could be considered as the "coveted" bowl. LOL (actually it sounds like a joke but some would consider writing their name on a piece of masking tape and putting it on the bottom to ensure they would receive it) :)
Not me, I just took it out of my Mom's kitchen cupboard and said "Mom, I'm taking this bowl home", she said okay. :)

So since it is of soooo much value, I try to make sure to use it with the boys. Benjamin and Samuel love to cook, so we use it to make cookies and birthday cakes when they come over. William is still a little young to get the idea, he just enjoys the benefit of getting to eat the yummy desserts. :)

I was looking through some old pictures and found one of Ben making brownies. It's fun to look at pictures from throughout the years and see the yellow bowl in them. I hope the tradition will continue with the next generation of kids and Grandkids. So here are some pictures of brownies in process, first you need the mix, butter and eggs, stir well and bake. Great job Ben!

Let it Snow...Let it Snow!

Well, it's Wednesday morning. I'm sitting here with my cup of coffee waiting for the Cajon Pass to clear up from the snow storm last night. Funny, Southern California and I can't get to work because of the icy roads. We are so spoiled here, I'm sure the people in D.C. could drive safely through the pass. However, it is true that "Californian's" think they can drive 80 in the snow and not hit anything. Go figure. So I've learned it's better to go in a little late than sit on the freeway looking at the cars that have wrapped around each other. :)

Do You Believe In God?

What can I say, except each day is a gift from God. I went to see my surgeon, and he decided not do do surgery. He told me the mass was MUCH smaller and we could just keep an eye on it. He said it was the size of a quarter and now it's the size of a dime. He gave the reason to be because they took such a large "chunk" out during the biopsy. However, he forgot to mention how it had already shrunk before the biopsy. :) I know that God has used this situation to get my attention, and he has. I need to thank Him daily for my health and for each day I wake up being able to live a healthy and normal life. The next visit I have with my surgeon I will have a question for him. Do you believe in God? I believe this may have been a divine intervention for him as well as myself. For we are all mortal beings and one day will meet our maker. After all, he is just a practicing physician and God is the Great Physician...

My next question is; what's next? What will God do next to get my attention to seek after Him and trust Him... Just a thought.... So... don't forget what is important, live life, love your family and don't take it for granted, and always take time to find the best snow cone factory...