Faith Can Move Mountains

July 28, 2013

I have a bunch of sleepy dogren laying here and there about the cottage.  Kennedy has discovered a blanket in the closet and has decided to claim it as his personal space.  I went in a little bit ago to check on him and he was sawing logs.  He was laying on his back with his feet up in the air.  His tongue was hanging out and he looked like road kill.  Where was my camera when I needed it??!!

I was thinking today about the roads I have taken, the zigs and zags, the highways and byways, the mistakes and triumphs all culminating here in Central Texas 2013.  I was thinking about how very grateful I am to have arrived here safely with a sound mind and positive outlook.  I was thinking about how blessed I have been to have received the spiritual gifts of Faith, Wisdom, and Mercy.  How do I know I have these gifts?  If you're a member of a church, often times they will give spiritual gifts tests so that they know where you would be best suited to serve.  I took one back in the 1990's and then again not too long ago.  Nothing had changed.  You can also look on the Internet ~~ there are spiritual gifts tests you can take for free.

When I am using my gifts, I am filled with a confident joy.  My blog allows me to share my faith, wisdom, and encouragement to those who have walked down paths similar to mine.  Faith is my core; it is my cornerstone.  I live boldly for my Lord and am not afraid to speak up and tell others about my experience and hope.  Jesus said that even a small amount of faith could move mountains (Matthew 17:20; 21:21).  Some years ago, my husband and I attended Elevate Life Church.  They sang the song about faith moving mountains ... I've never forgotten it and will find myself chanting it over and over.  At the time, I thought those folks were downright crazy jumping up and down and waving their arms and hands in the air.  Now?  I'd be one of those crazy nuts on fire for the Lord!!  Listen to the video then tell me if you aren't whistling the chorus as you go through your day!

"Faith, I can move the mountain

I can do all things through Christ, I know

Faith, standing and believing

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"

I want to encourage others to have confidence in God.  He is sovereign and He is good.  You can trust the Lord Jesus because he ALWAYS tells the truth.  Expect a miracle ... I did, I have, and I've seen the power of the mighty God at work.  I've seen him take situations that were unsolvable and supernaturally turn them around.  Yep, I have.

"Listen to advice and accept discipline,

and at the end you will be counted among the wise.

Many are the plans in a person's heart,

but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails."

~Proverbs 19:20-21

All Christians are called to be merciful because God has been merciful to us.  I have developed patience and compassion towards my fellowman.  In the 1980's I became a Stephen's Minister and that has become a way of life ever since.  I have asked the Lord to put me on the front lines and he has.  I have asked him to use me and he has.  I simply care enough to listen and come alongside people who are suffering and walk with them until the Lord allows their burden to be lifted.

It's time to wake my sleeping beauties up and get them outside for some fresh air.  It's a beautiful day filled with adventures just waiting to happen!

Always remember you are loved and prayed for ... each and every day!!

Miss Dottie

PS  God can move mountains but don't be surprised if he hands you a shovel!! ~ Author Unknown

Ouch!

July 21, 2013

Dear Readers,

Lucky me.  I got a nasty migraine this afternoon and have been laying down with my eyes shut.  B-o-r-i-n-g!  Ate some toast, drank a Coke, and am going to try blogity blog for awhile.  We'll see how working on a bright screen goes.  This may be the shortest blog ever.

My little Harmony is honking like a goose again today.  This Pom Mom gets really nervous when I can feel the wheezing and rattling in her chest.  Guess we will be up early to go get her another breathing treatment.  She had a good day yesterday so I was hoping that her meds were kicking in.  How can such a pretty little lady with such spunk and fire be so sick?!  I am grateful for Dr. Young and his team for the thoroughness they are giving Harmony in diagnosing her health issues.

The Sensational Six got  me up a little after 6 this morning.  They are so funny ... they ran out the door of the cottage stopping to pee and poop and race to the back door of the little casa.  I am loping along behind them, trying to pry my eyes open, and hoping that the coffee pot is going.  Sadie, Toby, and Harmony are the most vocal ... "Bark, bark ... bring on the chow!"  Ruffles is doing her spins, Kennedy is politely sitting by the refrigerator door, and Zeke is suspiciously wrinkling his nose in the air (his food has to be fixed just so or he won't eat).   Bowls of kibble and Complete are doled out and the sound of slurp, slurp begins.  I laugh!  They love breakfast time!!  I've been adding some Complete to their kibble and their coats are getting so shiny.  I bathed Kennedy and Zeke yesterday morning.  They glisten in the sunlight!

We've had this wonderful break from the Texas summer heat ~~ no complaints here!  It had almost been a week since the last rain shower so I had to pull out the hoses and do some watering this morning.  It was time to clip out dead branches and plant the shrubs I got at Cleburne yesterday (75% off at Lowe's ~~ Yay!).  I got this wonderful shrub that smells like almonds and vanilla.  After I planted it, I sat down beside it, savoring the aroma misting about me.  The mosquitoes weren't too bad this morning. Another BIG YAY!  By noon I had finished and was ready to jump in the tub to soak my sore muscles and aching bones.  Maybe the sun brought on the migraine?

When I get a migraine, it's tough to think straight.  I start thinking about one thing then all of a sudden I am off down a different path.  I want to keep my eyes closed but, as I said, that's pretty boring when I am not tired.  I was getting shots for the migraines but got to a point where I felt I didn't need them (nor did I like being stuck in the head 10-16 times).  Hopefully, this monster will quiet down with a good night's sleep.

As Christians, we go through periods of time when it's tough to think straight.  I know I need to "act" but I am unable to do anything so I just shut my eyes and hope for the best.  I am grateful for the Holy Spirit who intercedes on my behalf on those days of fogginess and pain.  If you've experienced chronic pain, you know exactly what I am talking about.

 "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans."~~Romans 8:26

Tonight, I will lay my head on the pillow, feel my therapy dog, Kennedy, close to me and I will allow myself to drift off into a place of serenity and joy.  It helps me to talk to Kennedy and stroke his fur.  Somehow, I just know tomorrow's going to be a better day!

Always remember you are loved and prayed for ... YA YOU!!

Miss Dottie

PS  "I could never say in the morning, "I have a headache and cannot do thus and so.'  Headache or no headache, thus and so had to be done." ~Eleanor Roosevelt  Eleanor, I think you had the right idea; however, for tonight, thus and so is going to wait!


   
  

My Imperfect Loves - My Family - Part VIII

July 16, 2013

Dear Readers,

I am writing you from the swamps of Central Texas.  We have had several days of rain and our yard is smooshy and ankle deep in water.  I'm not complaining, just sayin'!  Michael wanted to turn on the heat to take the cool dampness out of the air.  Heat??  In Texas in July?

When I started blogging, I decided to blog about family.  We are all born into one and we go out (hopefully) being a part of one.  In between times there's a whole lot of stuff that goes on, some good, some not so good, and some downright ugly (which we usually are embarrassed about or deny is even going on).

Is there such a thing as a perfect family?  I guess so, in story books.  I have found that looks can be deceiving and comparisons unfair.  There is no such thing as a perfect family ~~ every family experiences challenges, trials, and character defects.  All families will have struggles, failures, and secrets.  My family has been and is no different.  For some reason, this blog on my imperfect loves, is the most difficult to write.  It's already gone through many revisions and has sat on my computer for days now (when I publish it, it will be 7/27).

Marriage:
Carl Pederson & Margaret Torguson

In 2011, I made a trip back to my hometown of Glenwood, Minnesota.  I spent some time with my brother and family, attended my Aunt Helen's Celebration of Life Service, met up with some high school friends, and spent some time at the local historical society researching my paternal heritage.  I must say, I left feeling really proud to have been a part of such a wonderful God-loving family.  My Norwegian family was industrious, intelligent, stubborn, kind, giving, and loving.  I was amazed at the detail I found about my father's family from newspaper articles, handwritten notes, and items on display.  I also know that they experienced the Great Depression, illness, cancer, births, deaths, loss of finances, and men marching off to war.  Maybe it's because I was old enough to remember certain instances but I know the family struggled with some of the same things that trouble families today.

The house my grandfather built is on the grounds of the historical society as well as a school my aunt taught school in.  I stood at the door of the room where my grandmother was born.  How about that??  I had read a story about my grandmother's youngest siblings (twins) being born and I could shut my eyes and imagine the story being played out.  I felt such love for the characters ... especially for my great grandfather, Knut.

Next Summer, I hope to go back and research my maternal heritage.  I've been able to do some research on the Internet but there's nothing like hands on digging!  Today I did some instant messaging with my cousin's son who agreed to give me a tour of the family farm.  I can feel my camera heating up!!  Today, I shut my eyes and I could walk through my grandmother's old farmhouse room by room remembering every nook and cranny.  I could see my cousin, Sandy, and I sitting at the top of the stairs putting on my grandmother's old high top dress shoes and giggling about how funny they looked.  One thing about Facebook ~~ it's like having my own family reunion!  I love it!!

Carl Pederson
Helen, Lorna, Ernest

It's so easy to fantasize about my heritage and make it something that it wasn't.  It's way too easy to idolize what was really imperfectly fractured.  Unless I can put my arms around the whole truth, I am left to fill in the blanks and I don't want to do that.  I've wanted to know about real people as they led their day to day lives.  Because Christ died for the sinner, that sinner must be pretty important.  These people are family ~ my family.

I was not born into the wrong family.  My parents were hand selected and my days were ordained by my creator.  I was an imperfect person in an imperfect family ... one that I love very much.  In my own struggles to find peace and wholeness, I have had to forgive those that aren't here to explain themselves.  I still have huge blanks where I have no memory yet, I can be sitting quietly and all of a sudden I will get a glimpse of an event.  The Lord has been gracious enough to allow me to uncover my demons one layer at a time.  He's also been quite diligent in letting me know who my angels were as well.

Know something important?  No matter what, I am choosing to love my unique family.  I am choosing to be open, honest, and filled with the love of God following the principles he has revealed through scripture.

"Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." ~~Philippians 4:8 (underlining mine)

Today, I can say with all honesty that my children know that I am their greatest advocate and that they can communicate openly without shame with me concerning their deepest concerns, needs, and thoughts.  I have a love for them that transcends their imperfect nature (and mine!).  I've made so many mistakes in life and I've also done some mighty good things.  Family-For Better or Worse?  I believe that with all my heart.  We're in this life together!!

I hope that my blogs on my imperfect loves has touched your heart.  When all is said and done, these folks on your family tree contributed to who you are past, present, and future.  If there's something you don't like, then take it upon yourself to be the first generation to make a change for the better.

There is a perfect love that makes it possible for me to have evolved into the woman I am today ... the love of my Lord.  He has been my perfect father and friend.  It is he who I learn from and it is he who I worship as almighty.  I am part of the family of believers!  What I learned from him a long time ago was that He doesn't make junk ... He makes gems!!

Always remember that you are loved and prayed for ... each and every day.

Miss Dottie

PS  "What can you do to promote world peace?  Go home and love your family." ~Mother Teresa

My Imperfect Loves - MOI! ~ Part VII of VIII

Galatians 2:20:  I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God. who loved me and gave himself for me.

July 15, 2013

Miss Dottie: Age 50
 Before gray hair! 

Dear Readers,

I can hardly believe Summer 2013 in Central Texas. Here we are, mid July, and it's 68 degrees. I was out early yesterday morning tending to my neglected center garden wearing a long sleeved shirt. The cool breeze felt sooo good and revived me from my lack of sleep (up til 2am!). My precious dogren don't sleep in so I was up at 6:30. (Yawn) It starting sprinkling rain mid morning and now has rained for over 24 hours ~ I love it and my gardens are loving it!

Miss Dottie
65th Birthday
Crown of Gray Hair!

Not too long ago on Facebook, one of my friends posted the question (which went something like this): Can we love others without loving ourselves? I've been thinking about that a lot since then. When I first read it, my immediate answer (based on my own experience) was, "Heck yes!" From the time I was able to relate to others, I loved them and empathized with them. To have a friend meant REALLY loving that friend. To love family meant REALLY loving family. Since I grew up thinking everything was my fault, it was easy to put oth
ers before me. The problem with this selflessness was that I didn't take care of me and my inner self-esteem plummeted with each passing year. On the outside, I was confident and successful, on the inside I was dying, a closet depressed person hoping that someone would love me as an imperfect person.

Miss Dottie: Age 64
Shining through the haze!

I was one of those people that if I had committed suicide people would have been shocked because so few people knew how very sad I was in the most innermost parts of my mind and heart. The tapes that ran were so covered up, I wasn't aware except for my puzzling behavior of allowing certain people to abuse my personal boundaries. When I spoke up and said, "No!", I was chastised and then would creep back into my shell thinking it wasn't okay to protect myself. It took many years of therapists scratching their heads and my continual search to find the core of my pain. My journey wasn't for the faint of heart.  I wanted truth!!

"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

~John 8:32

Granddaughter Madison Belle
Daughter in Heart Angie
Miss Dottie: Age 66

As the days have gone by and the deeper I have meditated about this question, I realized that until I began to love myself, the love I had for others albeit honorable and true was missing something. MOI! I was loving others instead of myself. Today, I love with a fullness I never dreamed was possible simply because God showed me that I am worthy. My old tapes held me captive and my heart was in chains. Get the picture?  Then, picture chains broken and me running free!! Woo Wee!!!!

THE GOOD NEWS!

Zephaniah 3:17: The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

Miss Dottie: Summer 2013

Out of my pain was birthed an inner joy that transcends all understanding. I am able to feel the gamut of emotions and express my opinions freely. I live without secrets and it feels so good. Just writing about my freedom, gives me the goosies!! I am able to give and love without expectations or fear. The love that I've always felt for others has gotten so much bigger and fuller.

There are times when life gets the best of me and I feel so ... sad.  There are times when life gets the best of me and I feel so ... angry. There are times when life throws me a curve ball and I get so ... frustrated. Know what all this makes me? It makes me a normal imperfect human being. It also helps me to realize that I need to look at the big picture of my life and how God has used my flops and fumbles to grow and to embrace others as they join me on the road of life.

Romans 8:31 says that we are more than conquerors, "...If God is for us, who can be against us?"  I keep that verse next to my heart.

You see, Christians who have the love of Jesus in their hearts aren't condemning miserable judgemental people.  We are imperfect souls sharing the love of Christ with others.  We love ourselves as Christ loved us giving up his life that we would live eternally.  We keep our slates clean.  I am one of many lighting my candle in a dark world.

This evening, I would invite you to turn off all the lights in your room then light a candle. Think of how Christ loves you knowing that there are countless intercessors praying for you ~ people you may not know and never meet. Think of how much more you can love others by loving yourself. Most of all, remember how much I love you as my Readers, praying for you each and every day!

Miss Dottie

PS "Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." ~Martin Luther King Jr., A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches 

My Imperfect Loves ~~ Harmony ~~ Part VI of VIII

"A righteous man regards the life of his animal." ~~Proverbs 12:10

July 14, 2013

Dear Readers,

What can I say about waking up in the morning with Harmony Jane movin' and a groovin' to the tune of it's time for breakfast!  She's an absolute delight ~ better than a Krispy Kreme donut!!

Having Harmony sleep with me has been a way of bonding with her and for her to feel safe.  I don't need an alarm clock ~ Kennedy lets me know when it's 6:15am and gets Harmony revved up.  Harmony gets me going and I stumble (literally with all the dog beds on the floor!) out of bed and head out the door so that they all can water my plants!

When I first saw Ruffles photo on the Recycled Poms page of new arrivals, she really caught my eye and I inquired about her.  I was hoping that she might be that special Pom to complete our family.  I got a response back but not one that I expected.  Ruffles was part of a bonded pair that came out of Arkansas and they were to be adopted together.  Rats!  Her little sister, Harmony, was cute but six dogs?  Five was stretching it for us.

Laura (Zeke & Kennedy's foster mom) encouraged me to take a look at the girls and offered to bring them to us.  Recycled Poms allowed us some time to see how the girls adjusted to us and how we adjusted to them (they even agreed to think about separating the girls). We had five dogs of five different breeds with five different needs plus Michael and I needed to be able to bond with the dog as well.  I say dog because we only wanted one more dog.

Oh me oh my ... when Laura brought the girls in I thought I'd died and gone to heaven.  They were the cutest little balls of fur I'd seen.  I had originally thought that we could select one and send the other back with Laura.  Nope!  We liked them both for different reasons.  Each was imperfectly perfect!  By the end of the day, we knew we were hooked and there was no way, we would ever separate these special ladies.

Harmony is our dog with sass and class. If you look at the breed standard, Harmony is right on the money.  She is AKC registered, a 5.9 pound beauty.  I can just imagine how cute her puppies were.  She's definitely a Type A dog. She grumbles, moans, and groans claiming her space, toys, and food.  We talk to her and she grumbles back.  We laugh and she really gets into high gear as Queen of the Pack! In all her perfectness, Harmony (like Ruffles) wasn't treated very well and her legs and front paws show signs of having been kept for long periods of time in a small cage.  Most of her teeth have been pulled.  Luckily for Harmony, her alpha personality carried her through the tough times.  She doesn't have a shy bone in her body.

Harmony is the perfect cover girl.  She sees me get the camera out and immediately stops and poses.  I'm not kidding.  She is a camera hog!!

The girls don't really play with each other or the other dogs but I've noticed that when the pack runs to try catch a squirrel, they are beginning to follow. They were puzzled at first about toys preferring to nest with them.  As a puppy mill girl, Harmony missed out on a lot of things that a normal pet would be exposed to. Every day, her curiosity is piqued by something new. Michael calls Harmony Sugar Bear.  In so many ways, she is so sweet like sugar.  At other times she is a ferocious little queen with an "off with their heads" attitude.

My imperfect loves: Sadie, Toby, Kennedy, Zeke, Ruffles, and Harmony.  How could I ever choose one over the other.  They are so different; yet, they are loving and gentle creatures sent to us to love, cherish, and protect from further harm.   Yes they are all imperfect; they are also perfect as we all fit together as a glove.

Always remember I am praying for you, my Readers.  I take a peek at my audience which now spans across the globe and pray for your specific countries as well.  It's a great day ... share the love!!

Miss Dottie

PS  Life is about sniffing, tasting, and testing new waters in a safe place where I can stretch my legs and am not locked up in a little cage. If you've ever been kept captive physically, emotionally, or spiritually then experienced freedom, you know what I mean. ~~Harmony Jane

My Imperfect Loves - Ruffles - Part V of VIII

July 12, 2013

Dear Readers,

It's a glorious Friday morning in Central Texas.  The sun is out and it just feels so good to be alive.

I live in two places, the little casa and my cottage sharing space with my husband and six dogs. There's never a dull moment even in the times when everyone is napping and the only sound is my fingers tapping on my keyboard.

Last night I was taking a glance at the news and looked over to see what the little ones were doing (they can be pretty quiet while removing my shoes from the closet and pulling towels off the tub!).  I laughed out loud, there was Ruffles laying in her snuggle bed surrounded by a pile of toys.  She looked up at me in a way that only Ruffles can do as if to say, "I have the most toys tonight, I win!"

You have to understand the importance of this.  Ruffles is our shy baby.  She's the only one that is still so afraid so much of the time.  She comes, oh so close, her fluffy tail waving like a banner in the breeze, her body spinning and her little paws doing a shuffle dance ... then, just as we reach for her, off she goes retreating to a corner or her bed.  Each day, we coax her to come to us and in the few times that she does, we praise her and hold her until she wants down.  For her to gather toys on her own and to defend her nest is a big step!

Ruffles was a puppy mill bitch.  She's AKC registered with a pedigree ~ a tiny (5.7 pounds soaking wet!) Pomeranian that birthed many a litter for her breeder.  She's ball of red fur and smart as a whip.  Perfect, right?  Yes, Ruffles is a perfect little money-maker whose life (judging from her physical issues) was spent in a tiny space (deformed front legs) with little care given to her teeth (at 6, most have been pulled).  Because her bottom front teeth are missing, the two larger teeth stick out kind of like a boar.  She was born perfect and, in my eyes, she is perfect now.

There are good breeders and there are the not so good breeders.  As I have become more educated about the numbers of dogs that are abused and subjected to all sorts of cruelties, I cringe.  Behind me, a few doors down, a new puppy has arrived (gone is the yappy dog that barked all day and night) - it looks like a Pit Bull mix, a cute little fella.  He's tied to a clothesline in the morning and fed by a couple of kids.  He wants to play ~ they say, "Shut up, get down, dumb dog."  He doesn't bark much, but I wonder what he's thinking ~ I wonder what he will become; will he disappear too?`

Love used to hurt!

I wonder too what Ruffles is thinking when she waves that big Pom tail in the air. She wants to be close but her past holds her back.  Was she hurt when she came close to a human?  When you think about it, are we much different?  We want to be close to other humans ... to feel their touch and love.  We come so close then just as our "loved one" reaches for us, we bolt retreating to a place of safety.  We gather our toys and nest where we are safe.  If we are lucky, we keep trying and, in the end, the fear of rejection is less than the need for love and acceptance.

In time, Ruffles will come around; we make progress every day.  I am wooing her, feeding her, and brushing her beautiful red fur.  I tell her how beautiful she is and call her my little love bug.  She makes my heart absolutely sing with joy as I watch her become all that she was created to be.

All creatures great and small ... I am wooing Ruffles as Christ has wooed me.  I stood beneath his wings while growing stronger (Isaiah 40:31).  I still feel afraid when I think someone is going to hurt me; yet, I know, that if God is for me, then there is NOTHING that man can do to me (Romans 8:31).

Please know you are loved and prayed for ... YA YOU!!

Miss Dottie

PS  "Be thou comforted, little dog.  Thou too in Resurrection shall have a little golden tail." ~Martin Luther  Somehow, I think Martin Luther was right ~ Kennedy will have the tail that was butchered and all the little rescues will be glorified with golden tails wagging proudly.  Can't you just picture it??

1946

July 10, 2013

Dear Readers,

1946, the year I was born.   You might say the world was a different place then and you would be right.  I used to listen to my mother talk about her youth leading up to her engagement to my dad, their wedding, and my birth.  I can remember back to when I was a tiny child ... possibly back to my infancy.  Since I could not talk, my visions are of me in my crib and in my high chair that collapsed into something that resembled a play car.  I am able to walk through the house where I grew up and tell you about the rooms, colors, and furniture.  I can tell you about looking out of my bedroom window and watching the teenagers enjoy a burger at Cliff's Cafe! I could hardly wait until I could go to dances at school!  I could tell you about visits to my mother's and father's sisters and brothers ... Aunt Blanche sure could make some mighty good homemade lemonade!  Aunt Helen served strawberry shortcake.  

When I think about my childhood years, I think of life as very simple.  There were no computers; libraries were important places and books were widely read.  In 1946, the top selling movie was Song of the South.  I guess it wouldn't be considered politically correct today and the theatres would be bombarded with protesters.  Then?  Imagine the packed seats, the laughter, the excitement of the big screen.  The popcorn sold at the theater was as good as it smelled.  We used to peek at who was sitting in the back rows, necking and giggle.  It was sort of a rite of passage way back then. 

Over the years, I grew taller, older, smarter, and challenge after challenge wiser.  With each passing year, possessions got misplaced, memories faded, friends parted ways.  I married at 19, had my first daughter at 20, my second daughter at 22, and my son at 29.  Divorce, relationships tested, continual cross country moving, and the trials of being a single mom were almost more than I could bear.  My careers were built on a strong work ethic handed down from my parents and grandparents ... success followed.  The years rolled on by ... my first grandchild was born when I was 49.  My circle of friends?  I have been blessed by the greatest group of friends from birth to today.  That's what counts in life, isn't it?  Family and friends?

The 1940s was a special decade. World War II ended, affecting people world-wide. The post war world found women continuing to work outside the home and having more of a say-so in family life.  The American Dream of owning a home became possible and automobiles lined our driveways.  The novel Nineteen Eighty-Four was published, picturing a totalitarian Big Brother regime controlling its citizens.  I read 1984, thinking, "No way..."  Hmmm

Do you remember the movie that was all the rage when you were 15? Oh my gosh, for me it was Blue Hawaii. I still remember the songs playing on the radio when I were 15? Maybe it was She Wore Blue Velvet by Bobby Vinton. Were you in love when you were? Who were you in love with, do you remember?

In 1946, a long time ago, the song Oh! What It Seemed to Be by Frankie Carle topped the US charts.

It was just a neighborhood dance
That's all that it was

But, oh, what it seemed to be

It was like a masquerade ball

With costumes and all

'Cause you were at the dance with me

  

Ah yes, if you were raised in Glenwood, Minnesota you heard music like that coming from the Lakeside Ballroom.  I cut my teeth on records from the Big Band Era and love that music today.  I love walking through antique stores that are playing the old records from the 40's and 50's.  Takes me back to a time of musical memories.

Did you know Laura and George W. Bush, Cher, Ted Bundy, and Donald Trump were all born in 1946?  Everyone an individual.  Everyone special (yes, I know you're thinking, Ted Bundy? Yep, he was a 'gulp' unique individual that shocked the world).  Everyone taking a different path through life.  The Baby Boomers were known as the trail blazers ~ rebels redefining traditional values.  I stayed true to the  Christian values I was taught growing up. I walked on the edge at times but when my toes felt the ground moving beneath me to the point of having less and less to stand on, I ran back to my roots, my values, my Lord.

It's 2013.  The world is a different place.  Gone are the days of Christmas concerts and children being released from school to go to Bible Study at a local church.  Gone is the definition of being a "lady" and a "gentleman."  Half dressed teenagers roam the malls, sex is simply sex because it feels good, and our government officials are ... well, let's just say they've forgotten what our country was founded upon.  Many lie, cheat, and steal and are bought by public opinion.  The country is divided not by slavery but by abortion and same sex marriage.  I doubt if many have ever read the Bible and consider it to be quite outdated.

Many of my life's travelers have already passed on making me realize how fragile life really is.  So much of life is being revealed day by day ... things I didn't even think about in my 40's and 50's.  I never really understood my mother until I walked in her shoes when I developed degenerative disk disease, arthritis, and Fibromyalgia.  I wish I'd been more patient and loving with her.  She was a lonely lady trying to cope with her own demons of yesterday.

Generations are born and generations pass away.  The family doctor knew only too well that he could deliver a baby in the morning and pronounce another patient dead in the afternoon.  Life?  It is so fleeting.

Always remember you are loved and prayed for ... yes, each and every day!

Miss Dottie

PS  "I remember the 1940's as a time when we were united in a way known only to that generation.  We belonged to a common cause-the war." ~Gene Tierney  That was true.  The nation was united for a common good and a common cause.  The births surrounding my generation were affected by the war as well ~ fathers and mothers wounded emotionally and physically by the battles of war ~ family dynamics turned upside down by women who had found new freedom in earning a paycheck ~ children who were indulged by their parents who wanted their children to have more than they did (our grandparents and parents lived through the depression era).  That being said, I hope we did them proud.

Hallelujah (Alelujah)

July 8, 2013

Dear Readers,

My furry kids were up and at 'em early this morning.  Now they're conked out for morning naps and I'm wide awake.  Going to be a hot day in Texas so decided I would use my energy this morning to clean the cottage.  Actually, it's not a chore, it's a blessing twice over ~ first of all, that I have the cottage at all and second that I am able to get down on my hands and knees today to do the cleaning!

I was scrubbing the floor and all of a sudden I had this overwhelming urge to sing and listen to the song Hallelujah.  I grabbed my computer and pulled it up on UTube.  I knew I wanted to listen to my favorite group Il Divo and it wasn't long and I was watching and listening with tears rolling down my face.

Hallelujah ~ Leonard Cohen

I've heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?
It goes like this
The fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty in the moonlight overthrew you
She tied you to a kitchen chair
She broke your throne, and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Baby I have been here before
I know this room, I've walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew you.
I've seen your flag on the marble arch
Love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

There was a time when you let me know

What's really going on below

But now you never show it to me, do you?

And remember when I moved in you

The holy dove was moving too

And every breath we drew was Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Maybe there's a God above

But all I've ever learned from love

Was how to shoot at someone who outdrew you

It's not a cry you can hear at night

It's not somebody who has seen the light

It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

You say I took the name in vain

I don't even know the name

But if I did, well, really, what's it to you?

There's a blaze of light in every word

It doesn't matter what you heard

The holy or the broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
 

I did my best, it wasn't much
I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch
I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you
And even though it all went wrong
I'll stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah

The reason I am sharing this with you is because for some reason this song is part of who I am.  "It doesn't matter what you heard the holy or the broken Hallelujah."  Do you know what Hallelujah means?  It means, God be praised.

In our lives we experience sin and brokenness; we experience joy and revelation.  In all of our humanness, God be praised!  There was a time when I was so broken that I thought the possibility of putting me together was impossible.  I was no good, a failure, a horrible mother and a worse wife, a miserable piece of crap.  Well, that really wasn't true but that's what ran through my mind.  When I could say, God be praised for who I am in Christ, I knew I was worthy to my creator and I could move forward in joy and confidence.

I thought when I understood the why of my brokenness, I would be okay.  Part of that was true but then again, did it really matter?  I am wonderfully made, a woman strong, a survivor.  My scars, scrapes, and journey has made me accessible to those like me who want to escape from the cesspool of abuse.  Hallelujah!

Today is a day of celebration and worship.

"I did my best, it wasn't much
I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch
I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you
And even though it all went wrong
I'll stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah"

Always remember you are loved and prayed for ... Hallelujah!

Miss Dottie

No PS, I've said what I needed to say.  God bless you this day!