Our House Today

It's been raining steadily all day...


There's a fire in the fireplace...


No Pudge brownies in the oven...



And a sleeping husband on the couch!

Perfection!!

Misery Loves Company!

We've had a new member at Weight Watchers since the first of the year. She is one of the most negative people I have been around. I don't think she's ever said anything positive in a meeting since she joined. I've just tried to ignore her, but today her negativity was directed at me.

Our leader, Carol, was talking about having healthy foods in the kitchen. She asked what we would feed her if she came over for breakfast. I described the shake I make for Les every morning (soy milk, banana, strawberries, Recoverite). When I finished, Negative Nancy said, "These women just do too much for their husbands." She then proceeded to go on and on about how ungrateful husbands and kids are if you do anything for them.

I sat in stunned silence. I have never thought that Les is ungrateful. He is the one going to work every morning, while I am blessed to stay at home. I don't make his breakfast because I have to, I do it because I love him and want him to be healthy for a long time.


On my way home, I realized that she must be a very miserable person. Her misery spews out and was directed at me today. But I am not joining her! If she's looking for a miserable companion, she needs to look elsewhere. I have a wonderful husband and a great marriage - I am NOT into male bashing! Or kid bashing or anybody bashing!!

I am now over my shock and only have pity for her (and her husband and kids!) I don't want to be filled with negativity and complaining.

The following quote is found TWICE in Mom's Bible:

"Not the greatness of our troubles but the littleness of our spirit makes us complain."

Jury Dismissed

Well the case that Les has been on had an unsatisfactory ending yesterday. The first witness for the prosecution had been on the stand since Tuesday afternoon when she blurted to the defendant, "I told you to take the Lie Detector Test, but you wouldn't!" The judge immediately stopped her, and called a 30 minute recess.

When the jury returned, they were told their services were no longer required and that was that! We're still trying to piece it all together, we don't know if the case is dismissed or if they have to start over. Les did say that the witness was becoming less and less credible as the questioning continued, so she was definitely not helping the prosecution.

It's Hard to Say Goodbye!

Victory Tabernacle is saying goodbye to a young couple this week. Bro. P.J. and Sis. Megan White are leaving us to go on the evangelistic field. I feel like these babies when I think about the hole they are leaving in our church, but I am also very excited to see what God has in store for them and the churches they go to.

Bro. P.J. and Sis. Megan,

You will be missed! Sis. White shared some funny stories about P.J. on Sunday night, and I thought I'd add just two:

P.J., you've always been girl savvy. You tried giving Les dating advice when you were about 10. In your wise way, you said, "There aren't any pretty girls in Fresno." And yes, we were dating at the time! But I won't hold it against you!!

You were a very fun part of the youth group and our youth class. I remember the Bible Quizzing trip to Portland, Oregon. We drove there when you were about 12. You were filled with lots of stories and questions, my favorite being, "Will we be in a different time zone when we get there?"

You have both been a blessing to our church. P.J. you were only two years old when your family came to Burbank, so you life has been here. Megan, you've been here just a short time, but we have enjoyed having you.

Go with God and your pastor's blessing and know that there are many people in Burbank who will miss you and be praying for you! We love you!!

In Plain Sight

When I arrived at my Weight Watchers meeting last Friday, a police car was parked in my normal spot and a member who attends an earlier meeting was talking to him. I found out later that her car had been broken in to and her purse was stolen. She had over $500 in gift cards that she had received on her recent birthday, along with her ID, credit cards, and a little cash. She was obviously shaken by this event.

When I left the meeting, the policeman was still there. I said to him, "Thanks for watching my car." We chatted a few minutes and his final words were, "don't leave your purse in your car." I agreed and went on my way.

While I don't think anyone has the right to steal, I do feel that this member gave them an easy opportunity. She left her purse in plain sight.


I've been thinking about this for several days and have come to the conclusion that there are some things in our lives that we don't need to leave in plain sight. I Peter 5:8 says, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:"

Here are some things I DO know:

God is omnipotent - Satan is not
God is omniscience - Satan is not
God is omnipresent - Satan is not

I do not believe Satan is a mind reader, but he has been at this a LONG time. He is the thief that "cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy" (John 10:10). He is looking for anything that we leave in plain sight that he can use against us. Satan recognizes the signs of struggle and is just waiting for the moment of weakness to strike.

So instead of leaving our purse on the seat for him to grab, we need to:

Speak faith, not doubt
Speak of victories, not defeats
Speak of forgiveness, not guilt
Speak of healing, not sickness
Speak of God's power, not Satan's tricks

Will this keep him from trying? Oh, no! But let's not make it easy on him!

Run for Haiti

This morning I participated in a virtual 4-mile run to benefit Haiti. I've never done anything like this before, but I knew it was a great cause and 4 miles isn't much of a run to me.

I headed out this morning, planning to do a 1/2 mile warm-up, then start my stop watch. What I wasn't planning on was my friend the wind showing up! I knew the hardest part of the run would be in the first 2 miles, so I decided I would warm-up for those 2 miles, then start my race. I told myself I would be happy if I ran the 4 miles in 34 minutes, that would be average of 8 1/2 minutes per mile. Here's how it went:

Mile 1 - 8:16
Mile 2 - 8:16
Mile 3 - 8:24
Mile 4 - 8:42 (last 3/4 of this mile was right into the wind!)

Total time - 33:38!! An 8:24 pace! I was really pushing it since my normal pace is about 9 1/2 minutes per mile! My heart rate average was 158 beats per minutes with a max of 167.


This picture was NOT taken this morning - I'm just really wishing the run had been by the ocean!

Jury Duty Continues

Les' one day of jury service has now gone to day four and he still isn't on the jury! They started with a panel of 70 and when they were dismissed yesterday Les was the only one who had not been called! He was sitting alone in the 56 seat audience box!!

He thinks the clerk is just afraid to try to pronounce our last name...

Updated at noon on Tuesday:

Les is now Juror #11. It took 73 prospective jurors to reach 12, then another 7 to seat the two alternates. The case is now suppose to go until next Tuesday.

To God be the Glory!

Saturday at 2:00 in Truth Tabernacle the building was packed with people who had come together for a purpose: To honor a great man of God - Elder Vaughn Morton - for 50 years of Ministry.

We were all on our feet, as the praise singers led in worship, when Elder Morton led the way to the platform. He was followed by more than a dozen great men of God. The lump in my throat grew until I could no longer sing and I let the tears flow. I am so blessed to have great men of God in my life!

Elder Morton was my pastor for nearly 19 years, including what Dr. James Dobson calls the "Critical Decade" - my late teens and early 20s. His thumbprint is on my life still. Many lessons are recalled on a frequent basis. It was a privilege to be among the great crowd who were there to honor him.

My life has been touched by many of the men who spoke on Saturday:

• Bro. Randy Keyes preached the Youth Camp when I received the Holy Ghost.
• Bro. Ron Garrett was my youth leader.
• Bro. Clifford Clark was the youth president in our district during my teens, he and his wife went on both mission trips that I went on.
• And of course, my own Pastor, Bro. Phil White, who was also youth president in our district, and has now been my pastor for nearly 19 years.

It really dawned on my how a great man of God attracts other great men, which in turn blesses the lives of the saints they pastor. I have to say, along with Elder Morton: "I owe so much to so many!"

The service was filled with so many wonderful memories. The church presented Elder Morton with a pocket knife (because "every man ought to have a pocket knife") that had belong to his pastor, Elder J.E. Rode. We laughed and cried at stories told by lifetime friends, with Elder Morton chiming in frequently through his ever present microphone.

After the service I got to visit with so many friends. Again, I am so blessed! I saw people I hadn't seen in a long time. I came home physically tired but so spiritually blessed.

Whirlwind

We are making another quick trip to Fresno today - after Les gets done with jury duty! He went in yesterday for his ONE day of service and got called on a panel. The jury wasn't chosen, so he had to go back today. I'm really hoping he gets out of there before 5:00.

The reason for our trip this time? The 50th Ministerial Anniversary of Elder Vaughn Morton! We wouldn't miss this for the world! The service is at 2:00 on Saturday, then it's back on the road so we can be home for a very busy Sunday!

It's pedal to metal and pray we don't get a ticket!

A "Swinging" Wedding

This picture, in my Valentine's Day post, started a little conversation:

Mary: Awwwwwwwww!!!! That is sooooo SWEET!!! Oh is that a swing set at the front of the church?!

Me: Those were four individual swings - my bridesmaids sat on them during the ceremony. The platform in the Fresno church is huge, so it was a great way to decorate. I always wanted an outdoor wedding, but of course wanted a church wedding, too, so we got both!

Mary: Oh that's COOL! I wanna see more pics with the swings- that sounds like FUN!!!

So Mary, here are a few more pictures. But first, the story behind the swings:

In the early days of our dating, Les and I attended the wedding of Denise Domingues and Tim Smith. Denise's bridesmaids sat on bar stools. I thought it was such a cool idea, having been a bridesmaid in tight new shoes enough times myself!

More than a year later, we were planning our own wedding. As I told Mary, I thought an outdoor wedding would be so cool, but I also wanted to be in my own church for this grand event. So we schemed and devised a plan to do both! Since the platform in the Fresno church is so big, the swings were a great way to cover the platform without a lot of expense. Les made the swings and I decorated them with the flowers you see. Les called it "Homemade Wedding Props R Us!"

The view of the platform from the balcony:


I think the swings groaned a little when we had the groomsmen sit in them, but they held up!




We'll be celebrating our 19th anniversary on May 25th and I still look at these pictures with lots of smiles - one of the best days of my life!

How Not to Impress A Girl

While Les and I were eating Monday night, a group of college students were seated across from us. It started with two guys and two girls. We knew it was not a double date because the girls were on one side of the table with the guys on the other.

We shamelessly eavesdropped as the two fellas tried to impress the girls. They droned on about traveling in Europe and their overall knowledge of the world, not once asking the girls any questions.

As the evening progressed, one of the girls left. Girl number two was very patient and was eventually joined by girl number three. All the while, the guys played "topper" trying to impress the girls with just how great they were. Then girls two and three left!

At this point, if the guys would have been wise, one of them would have moved to the other side of the table. But there they sat, side by side, eating their dinners. (The girls hadn't ordered anything.)

We really got a kick out of listening to them when all three girls came back. Did I mention one tried a fake European accent? Oh yes, the girls were supremely impressed!!

Valentine's 2010

How shall I describe our day yesterday? Wonderful? Delightful? Enjoyable? Well it was all the above, but most of all it was Mellow!! We had such a great time relaxing in Santa Barbara. The weather was ideal - I think the high was about 70, not a cloud in the sky, a little breeze. Perfection!

We started in Simi Valley, boarding the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner at 8:45, arriving in Santa Barbara shortly after 10:15.



Our first stop was breakfast! Eladio's is part of Harbor View Inn and sits on the corner of State and Cabrillo. You can see the Stearns Warf and of course the lovely Pacific Ocean. We dined outside.



Les had the Vanilla Dipped French Toast with eggs and bacon:


While I enjoyed Macadamia Nut Pancakes:


As you can see, Les really enjoyed his! My plate was just as clean!


This seagull decided to check out one of the empty tables. The funny thing was, the only thing it was after was the butter! Our waitress said they will often try to fly away with the butter containers. I can just see some unsuspecting tourist getting wacked in the head when the gull dropped the container!



After breakfast, we moseyed on over to the wharf for a while. We found a bench at the end of the wharf and sat people-watching and enjoying the boats, kayakers, and birds.



A few brave souls were even swimming! I KNOW the water was cold without even getting in it. This part of the Pacific is icy year round! I shivered just watching them.


But I was warm enough to enjoy wearing sandals!


I honestly don't know how long we sat on the wharf - time just stopped and we stopped with it. We eventually wandered down the bike path for a while, just enjoying the day and each other. We found the Carousel at Chase Palm Park and watched it for a while.

We then made our way up State Street. Stopping in many of the shops. The find of the day was Pascucci Restaurant, where we enjoyed an amazing dinner! Les had the Orvietta Ravioli - butternut squash, pumpkin and walnut filling with sage butter sauce. I couldn't decide, so I had the Ravioli Sampler - five different raviolis, from spicy to mild to sweet! We finished it off with Warm Toffee Brownie. Sorry, no picture of this meal, we were hungry and devoured it before I could think to take a picture!

With just a little time left, we made our way back to the train station. As we boarded the train, continuing to relax, we watched motorists on the 101 inching their way along. We were so glad to be on the train!




Now, before you're tempted with a spirit of jealousy, I know some of you are shoveling snow and still wearing gloves, coats, and boots, but you should actually feel sorry for me. I got sunburned!! I don't expect an ounce of sympathy and I'm sure some would even call me a redneck if you saw me today! Beautiful weather is the price we pay for earthquakes, wildfires, mud slides and the Governator!

It's a Beautiful Day in California!

We're almost to Santa Barbara! Isn't the ocean lovely?

Valentine's Day Date

Les has today off, so we're spending it together. Santa Barbara here we come! Our weather has been fabulous that past few days, so I anticipate lots of outdoor time. I'm sure I'll have a story and pictures tomorrow!

To My Valetine

Les,

There aren't enough words to tell you how much I love you! You're my best friend. There is no one I'd rather spend my days with.


Looking forward to our date tomorrow - wherever we go that's where the party's at!


Love you with ALL my heart!

Happy Birthday, Claire!

Today is our "sweetheart" niece's 12th birthday!


Claire, you are growing up too quickly! I loved watching you open gifts at Christmas - your delight over clothes, shoes and purses, instead of toys, was so fun to watch. I see lots of shopping trips together in our future! You're a wonderful big sister and quickly becoming a good cook like your mom!


Uncle Les and I love you very much! Hope your day is great! Only one more year until you're a teenager!!

Love and miss you tons! Aunt Kathy