We don't always have to understand!

Another fine day ... I was awakened early this morning to the sound of birds singing outside my window.  I lay in bed listening to their musical sounds.  What a wonderful way to start my morning.


I decided to park myself out on the settee in the lanai to finish reading the book of Judges in the Bible.  You know, I've been reading the Bible for a long time now and I am always a little taken back by Chapters 17-21.  The people were building their own idols, had their own ideas of worship, and hired their own personal priests for their phony religions.  Besides idolatry, immorality was at such a low that rape and vicious behavior scarcely caused an eye to blink.  What man gives his wife over to be raped and murdered then seek vengeance resulting in the near extinction of the Tribe of Benjamin?  I don't get that at all.

The lesson I took away from Judges was that people left to do what seems right in their own eyes end up doing what is wrong in God's eyes.  I thought about our own country and how morally bankrupt we have become.  We are a feel-good society filled with new age ideas that we don't have to be accountable to anyone.  My Daily Walk Bible says, "People don't lack strength, they lack will."  "Whatever is easiest," we cry out!  It's tough being a Christian and making ourselves more Christ-like.  We have a tendency to pick another Christian and, guess what?  People are human and they fail.  Look at all the pastors who have fallen from grace and have let us down.  It's better to know the real deal!!!

One of my favorite classes in college was Philosophy.  It was one I took in the summer and got an A+!  I've always been a thinker and admire great minds.  I have always enjoyed the study of personal beliefs, how to live or how to deal with a situation.  Over a span of many years, I have met people from all walks of life and am moved by their stories.  Yes, we ALL have a story.  When I was a teenager, I kept a diary ... I wish I had it now but I probably couldn't read it because I wrote it in code.  I look back though and laugh at how immature my thinking was.  A crush was love ... NOT!  A crush is simply that, a crush.  I did experience love though that was very real and I am so grateful for that relationship.  Ah, the innocence of the purity of love itself. 

Today, we went to the Farmer's Market and then on to the Sunken Gardens.  There's two things I especially like to do ... taste new foods and garden so I was in pig heaven!  There were so many people at the market who had their dogs with them...big dogs, little dogs, and every size in between.  It was fun to gaze upon all the fresh fruit and novelty stands.  It sort of reminded me of Trade Days back home in Texas only on a smaller scale.  I sat down down for a time and just watched the people. Fascinating!

I could have spent hours in the Sunken Gardens ... there was beauty at each turn of the path ... plants, flowers, Koi, ponds, Japanese gardens, flamingos, birds ... I wish I had room to post all the beautiful photos I took.   Katrina and Bianca had so much fun running up and down the path and playing make believe.  Oh to have the spirit and imagination that they have!  At one point, I almost cried ... there was such beauty all around me.  The lush ponds made me want to have one even more in the backyard of the little casa.  I got some wonderful ideas about laying out a plan for the backyard using little grass and mostly plants, trees and flowers.

Before we left the gardens, we had to take a photo of our trip there.  Bianca and Katrina were too short to look through the circle so Tim decided to "lend his back".  He was thinking that we would just take the upper part.  It was more fun to capture his heroics on film!
The girls toured the children's museum before we left and Jane and I had the opportunity to head for Starbucks for an iced coffee.  Yum!

A Mother/Daughter Chat

My time here is growing short ... my goodness, the days have gone by way too quickly.  Each day I have been here has been more precious than the day before.  It will be tough boarding the plane on Monday but I will look forward to my next visit.  I picked up a bunch of brochures today in hopes of convincing my husband, Michael, to join me in a trip back here before the end of the year!  There are so many fun things to do.

Tonight, Jane and I began a repair/semi-refinishing job on Madison's furniture.  It really wasn't as difficult as we first thought but definitely time consuming.  I've never refinished furniture before so it was a new endeavor.  Tomorrow we will sand lightly and put on a second coat of stain.  Monday the polyurethane will go on.  I think I will try this furniture refinishing thing again soon!  Kinda fun!



Katrina, Bianca, Tim, Jane at the Sunken Gardens

It has been so wonderful being an active part of my daughter's family.  My energy level has topped the charts.  I am able to go on a 2 mile walk with ease.  I'm not too keen on walking by myself so having someone to chat with makes the time and miles fly by.  It's also been so enjoyable to have so many unique areas to explore.  It's been such a long time since we've seen each other and every day has been too wonderful to express in words!
 


Katrina 7 & Madison 14

 Having a 14 year old granddaughter has it's challenges.  Times are so different now compared to when I was 14.  It's a shame that children aren't born with instruction manuals!  All we can do is the best we can to love and guide them, seeking God's guidance.  I am grateful for this special young lady and wouldn't trade a minute of our time together for anything!  Princess Katrina is a live wire ... always chatting, always learning...  I haven't had so many hugs in a long while.  I love it!!!  Go Katrina!  This grandma is already missing her precious granddaughters!

We don't always need to understand, do we?  To follow the Lord, Jesus, we need faith that he is the almighty.  To parent and be a grandparent, we need to do the best we can then leave the rest to God.  One thing for sure, he loves our families even more than we do.  Many years ago, when I attended Alanon, our facilitator gave me this poem.  I think about it often!

BROKEN   DREAMS
As children bring
their broken toys
With tears for us to mend,
I brought my broken dreams
to God
Because He was my Friend.
But then instead
of leaving Him
in peace to work alone,
I hung around
and tried to help
With ways that
that were my own.
At last I snatched them back
and cried,
"How can You be so slow?"
"My child," He said,
"What could I do?
You never did let go."
Author Unknown

Since I have a tendancy to be a control freak, these words offered such wisdom.  Maybe you can relate...  So often, I've had to let go and allow my heavenly father to draw me close ... As I sign off tonight, I leave you with a song that has been going through my mind as I have been writing... 

Always remember that you are loved and prayed for ... each day is such a blessing.  Until we meet again in word and spirit ... feel the freedom that comes from letting go and letting God have his way!!