Time In Reverse

It was May 25th - now over a month ago. I woke up just as light was beginning to break. I look over at my alarm clock I have had 10+ years: it says 10:10. Um, nooo - it's not light enough to be 10:10am (& the boss hasn't called lookin' for me), and it's not dark enough to be 10:10pm. I look over at my "IHome" the boys got me for Christmas, which: a) I haven't figured out how to set, b) is still on daylight savings, so, c) I have to add an hour to it so it's correct. Confusion & no caffeine, ugh.

I then grab my cell phone and at last determine it is 5:40am. After finally waking up a bit more, I realize this long time trusty alarm clock is goin' backwards. Yes backwards - and it has been doing it since then. That day I took it to work to show off. Here's a video:

Sometime in the night it started going backwards. It now sits in my den, doing exactly that. I took another video a little later just to prove it was actually keeping time, backwards. 

Someone asked me if I tried to fix it. Uh NO!   "I" have a clock that goes in reverse - 

do you??

Red Head

I have really enjoyed getting to know the different birds that frequent my deck. I have two feeders that I fill with sunflower seeds that attract a variety of feathered fowl. I was surprised to see this BEAUTIFUL wood-pecker at one of the feeders. I didn't know they ate anything other than bugs they find in a tree! This wood-pecker makes all my other birds (even cardinals - more on them later!) look so small.

As I began observing him/her, I noticed he (for ease of conversation) would sit up in the crux of a tree nearby, crack & eat his seed. Then, he would fly back to the feeder for another. Then one day, I noticed two of them in that tree; they make a beautiful pair! I wish I had a picture of the two.

I've decided "he" is Randolph - just looks like a "Randoph". (How funny is it that "he" is probably a "she").  Unlike my cardinals, can't tell the difference between the gal & the fellow.  And, yes, more on the cardinals, later. 

"My"...

I think it's funny that I refer to the creatures that frequent my deck as "my": "my" squirrel, cardinals, etc. Not sure why that is... I'll work on figuring that out. Meanwhile, here is one of them I'm most proud to share - my white-tail squirrel. I think they are kinda rare.  I have named him Ike - he just looks like an "Ike".

And here is Ike, sitting in the tub I mentioned before - the tub the other squirrel (one hanging out on the pole) had figured out how to open. It had a locking latch (you know the kind, from Walmart) - the latch is there in the right corner, bottom of the tub - it's blue. It tickles me that this squirrel (wonder why I don't have a name for him?) had figured out how to use his paws to pull down the latch and open that tub!  Here is Ike enjoying a free-for-all ;-)

Squirrels

The squirrels on my deck are way too smart... This is the same squirrel who figured out how to open a latched tub, yes, which was full of birdseed! There is now a baby squirrel who has been taught, by "somebody" to do the same. They also hang from the top by their hind feet and dig into the booty.

A "Disciple" Class

My whole life, I think I always knew there was a “big” picture. I’ve always been told & believed, that The Creator made a beginning; things didn’t quite go as He planned and then one day, things would “end”.  I’ve always believed that God, my heavenly Father, was running the show; i.e. the universe.  I was always told that God loved me – and for the most part I have believed it (but not always felt it) – that he cared about each hair on my head, my hopes, my needs, even my wants.  I also believed that our all-powerful, omniscient God, loves each and every single human in this way. But it’s right there where my human brain gets fried.  It reminds me of a line from Monty Python & the Holy Grail: “… oh Lord, you are SOO huge… you are SOO verrrrry big…”.  Sometimes that is all I can say.  I do believe our God IS so big, so powerful, so all knowing – as well as SO loving. But, honestly, my human brain has a tough time comprehending God. I have always heard that to better understand God, His character, His way of doing and His will & purpose for me, I need to read and understand the Bible better.  I had always suspected the New Testament had something to do with the Old Testament, but maybe I needed better understanding.

I have begun and been in several Bible studies over the years. Some I worked the lessons & readings, some I didn’t. Some I completed the course, some I didn’t. I also tend to be selfish with my time – something I’m working on. So when I was invited to participate in a Disciple series last August, I was torn – what a commitment; and Sunday’s in the fall are usually so busy.  My sister (also the leader), who invited me actually told me God told her to invite me, so the more I thought & prayed about it, I felt God nudging me to commit. And He nudged; if I commit – I had better do my lessons because, let’s just say I have a personal relationship with the leader! Then I heard Him nudge further – this will be one class you will complete and you know it!  My spiritual growth has been enhanced in this class and I treasure the new friendships I have made. After all the reading, studying, and listening, I now have a list of things I know to be certain about God:

-          I now am ever more certain that an all-powerful, Holy & loving God created His people and wanted relationship and fellowship with them.

-          There is an enemy, and it’s bound & determined purpose was/is to cause man to fall and ruin God’s perfect plan.

-          But this God; being full of love, grace & forgiveness, came after His people, His children. He set about to guide and to love them; even to the point of letting them suffer because of their choices. But He never quit, He never left them.

-          This God had a new plan – all along – even as His chosen people disobeyed, wandered in deserts, learning many hard lessons. He had servants & messengers tell the people of the “new plan”; to bring God’s children back into relationship with Him – the Messiah was the “new plan”.

-          I now am certain that the Old Testament and the New Testament do indeed tell the greatest story ever told. And I now am certain I play a part in the story. I am one of God’s chosen, one of His precious children; and He chases after me in deserts and lets me suffer consequences of my choices. He wants a personal relationship and fellowship with me just like all of the souls in the Bible.

I also now have a better understanding of how important it is that if I accept the fact that I am one of His, and if I accept the “new plan” – what His Son did for me on the cross – then I am to show my love and thankfulness to God by serving others, loving others, and forgiving others. I am to be in community with fellow believers; serving my community of faith. I am to fully learn how to receive all the good gifts God has for me in this life, while being as much like Jesus as possible – to show the living Word in me.  I am to strive each day to do these things and grow in fellowship with God. I am to diligently pray for those in my community of faith and to show God’s all-powerful love, grace and forgiveness to all other people – for to be His Disciple to those around me, I now know, was His perfect plan to begin with.

Chubby Chihuahua

Why the stray, chubby Chihuahua ended up here… I met the young owner this evening who has had to give up her little friend “Binky”. Let me back up a bit:

Two weeks ago, I was out getting a bite to eat with some friends from work, on July 3rd. When I returned home, my son tells me a very chubby Chihuahua just “showed up” on our front porch. My three sons situated the little dog in our laundry room with water and food. After working all day I was not in the mood to see any stray animal that had now come to my home, uninvited. The next morning, I slept in, ate breakfast and then headed to the mall to work my 5 hour shift which was to pay time & a half because of the Independence Day Holiday. Dragging myself home again that afternoon, I decided to see what the boys were talking about.

Downstairs in my laundry room was a chubby Chihuahua who growled at me when I tried to pull him out of his hiding place. After sniffing me a bit, he quickly became the friendliest little dog I have ever seen (except for my Shitzu, Madie, of course). Over the next few days I made several phone calls to local vets & the Humane Society, letting everyone know about the little friend we had, whose real owner I was certain was missing him terribly. No one seemed to be missing the “Little Man”; this, his new given name, by me. With the Humane Society not being an option for this elder doggie, I struggled with what to do about our visitor. I had been saving my pennies just to be able to afford Madie’s annual shots, so taking on another vet bill just was not realistic. One solid week later I received a phone call from my vet saying that the owner had come forward looking for her “chubby Chihuahua”. The gals at my vet (coincidentally Chubby Chihuahua’s vet too!!) had actually stumbled upon my info through 2 other vet offices (for some reason they hadn’t made note of my original call to them!). Evidently, the owner had been visiting her mother in the neighborhood on the other side of ours, about 2 blocks away. The night before the 4^th, Little “Binky” Man (we learned Binky was his given name) got out and didn’t come back – we now know where he went!! Even though an attachment to our Little Man had been formed by us all (or "Carlos" as the boys called him), I knew he was better off with his real “mom”.   The next morning I put him in the car and we headed to the vet. But things had changed – health problems for the owner had developed to the point that she would have to give up this Chubby Chihuahua. Frustrated at the prospect of being stuck with a vet bill I couldn’t afford, I insisted this “owner” pay for his over-due shots (ironically past due the same amount as Madie) and I then I would “consider” keeping him. But then they proceeded to tell me this young woman had had 2 seizures and broken both shoulders – had surgery for one and was facing another surgery for the other. Sympathetic, but still frustrated I took the doggie home to our house.

Another week goes by. Today I get a phone call – in a kind and sincere voice, Binky’s real owner asks if she could come by and visit “Binky” just to say “Hi” to him. This very  evening, a young woman and her mother came into my living room and were overjoyed to see that “Binky” was safe and sound and in a good home. We began to talk, discussing how the whole story unfolded. I said, “…so I understand you live in Oak Hills?…” and the mom answers, “yes, the 2nd house on the right”. I say, oh then you must know the family who recently lost a son. She immediately replies, “yes, that was us” as her eyes turn down at the floor. The daughter/owner also says, “yes that was my brother”. Oh my, yes, Angel & Sandra Robertson sat in my living room, right in front of me and I was speechless. What do I say to these women who have been through such a horrible tragedy? What do I say to Sandra, the mother whose son is gone, having committed suicide in her own yard? As she sat there telling me what a blessing it was that Binky found my home and how thankful she is that he is being taking care of, I struggled for words to say with tears filling my eyes. “Your family has been in my prayers for months now… my prayer group too… I can’t imagine what you have been through”. Nervously, I tried changing the subject as my oldest son walked in the room to mention he went to school with Alan Robertson - I began talking about my son's car accident months earlier, the ages of my sons, being a single mom, working 2 jobs. Sandra says, “wow, you are a strong woman”. WHAT?? I quickly said, “oh no, YOU are the strong woman and you will continue to be in my prayers”.

Now I know why a stray, chubby Chihuahua showed up at my house and will always be a constant reminder of how God puts us ALL in each other’s lives, to encourage, learn from and pray for. God showed me that providing a loving home for Binky was my role in comforting & loving this family who was hurting so deeply.  The Robertson ladies are now my friends and I am honored to care for & provide a home for their “Little Man”, Binky.

An “aha” moment! Several weeks go by and Angel comes for another visit with Binky. We got to reminiscing on the story again of how he "somehow" made it safely to our house and had quickly become a beloved part of the family. Angel pauses and reflects, "yes, I was talking with my mom the other day and realized something: if God had & has a plan for Binky, surely he has a plan for me". I, again, stood there with tears in my eyes; feeling the warmth that only real joy can bring: the kind of joy that only comes from being in His, Holy and undeniable will.

Praise the ONE who loves us all and provides even the small blessings of a home for a broken family’s little friend.

Update: Binky has brought so much joy to our home with his happy personality, funny quirks and general presence.  Everyone who visits wants to take him home with them ;-)

Why This Blog

I started this Blog in order to have a place to share my "stories".  My stories aren't Pulitzer Prize worthy, nor are they an attempt to preach or brag.  Things happen in my life and sometimes I am overwhelmed with the need to write about the events. I also have fallen in love with my deck, flowers, tomato & basil plants and all the wildlife that inhabit my backyard.  My "profile" picture - is my little girl Madie ;-)  I have raised 3 boys, so to get a girl, I had to go four-legged! She is a 4yr. old Shih tzu.  If you are reading here today I ask God to Bless you and urge you to be a Blessing to someone else today!