Life is good

invasion of privacy is bad

Alll right. yeah yeah yeah
It's been a danged long time since I've written.

God is still God! and good. and awesome. and lovely.

Now that I have a new computer, it may be easier to write!

Thanks for checking. I'll be back.

Gritting My Teeth Over: Fat Little People with Wings all around me

I just saw The Fisher King for the first time. Interesting. There was room for some profound statements about friendship and Godship, but for some reason, either the statements were cut for sake of time or they were never included. Maybe that movie is mine to write.

what bothers me, now...
Is that I "hear" stuff.
First off, I am undeniably Christian. My love of God, Jesus and the blessed Holy Spirit is true. period. So, please don't say that I "hear" stuff because I belong to the devil, okay?
Monday morning, in the gray area between sleep and awake, I hear someone say, "He's Asian." and someone answered, "Well, regardless, he's the one."
I rolled out of bed wondering about the benefits of psychiatric meds.
Later at work, I learned of a young Asian man who turned on his classmates at Virginia Tech.
You know. It just makes a person wonder.

Gritting My Teeth Over: Cats, Again

One of these, hm, kittens who came to live in my home turned out to be a "designer".

Her name was "Josie" when I adopted her. She and her sister are equal halves of the Morse Code twins: Dot and Dash.

"Dot" is a gray tabby covered in spots. Spots are supposed to be rare in a tabby. Her mama was a Siamese/Abyssian mix. Her daddy was a great american alley cat. Dot looks just like an "Ocicat", a designer breed.

"Dash" is a gray tabby covered in, you guessed it, elongated spots or dashes.

It's a misnomer. Dot dashes several times a day, in no particular direction and for no particular purpose, except maybe to make me wonder what the heck she is doing. Dash wouldn't dart after a mouse if it ate all her tuna fish and bopped her in the nose on its way out of the house.

They were identical twins at six weeks, when I hired them to rid my remodel-prone house of rodents.

By the way, they own the house now.

Which reminds me of another designer. Jack Sherman Lloyd. Hang onto that name.

When he was maybe ten years old, he came over to my house because he didn't have a red vest for his cubscout patches. We probably used a scrap of red felt leftover from a Christmas tree skirt. We may not have even used a pattern. Vests don't exactly need patterns, just a few measurements. Jack used my sewing machine to sew four seams on his vest and then proudly wore the thing home.

I forgot about the incident for about 13 years. Saturday, Jack's mother passed on some news to me from Jack. "He's working as an intern for Oscar de laRenta!"

Woo! An internationally known designer! Way to go, Jack!

She continued, "He wanted you to know because you taught him to sew!"

I did? Oh! What did we sew? a cubscout vest?

Encourage kids with whatever you can. I thought I was giving him life survival skills. What did I know?

"So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word."

2 Thessalonians 2:15-17 , NIV

Gritting My Teeth Over: Rabbits get more mail than I do

I don't hate rabbits too much. I hate cats.

Rabbits live in my backyard, constantly working to mow the clover down to the correct height. I permit them a free run of the yard.

Keep mowing!

Yesterday, the rabbits took off with a piece of my mail. Well. They can't really be blamed. The wind blowed the letter to the backyard. The rain made it soft. The little missus was making a nest under a rotten tree stump.

I tugged on a clean corner of the paper, raised it to the light and tried my darndest to find the right spot on my bifocals. It was addressed as follows:

"To the Primary Resident of the Household"

Guess it was her mail anyway.

When something gets put in a hole in the ground, you expect it to stay there, don't you?

These disciples left the scene of Jesus' death and headed off to the village of Emmaus, only to be surprised by the same Jesus they had just watched being stuffed into a hole in a rock:

Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.

He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?"

They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?"

"What things?" he asked.

"About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see."

He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them.

When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"

They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, "It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon." Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.

Luke 24:13-35, NIV

Gritting My Teeth Over: Getting Older

I wore my good black suit pants to work backwards today.

Nobody noticed.

Gritting My Teeth Over: Morning Traffic

We have a sign similar to this one over Highway 30/167 in North Little Rock.

Now, some well-meaning Christian person put up this sign and is saying, "Jesus is over the highway," or, "Look! There's Jesus."

You and I know what is really happening. Drivers look up and ask that retorical question that begins with,

"Jesus!"

"This traffic is horrendous! Am I ever going to make it to work?"

Well today, this yay-hoo (The writer lives in Arkansas, USA. We have plenty of "yay-hoos".); This yay-hoo in a fancy pickup truck (most likely a cowgirl, determined by the curly long hair under the cowboy hat); This yay-hoo in a brand spanking new fancy pickup truck decides to pass me at an intersection. She guns it and takes off just in time to run at a pedestrian who is crossing the street. While I am holding onto my head screaming,

"Oh, GOD, NO!"

the pedestrian outruns the pickup truck.

And when she pulled away, do you know what I saw? Shoot no, I missed the license plate number.

I saw the Christian emblem glued to her bumper.

"JESUS!"

'Nuff said.

"Jacob took an oath in the name of the Fear of his father Isaac" Genesis 31:53, NIV.

Sometimes fear is a great motivator of people.

Gritting My Teeth Over: Cats, Again

I have a purebred Spitz for the right owner.

Beautiful dog. Gentle nature. Stayed at my house last night. Sister wants me to keep it.

Did you hear me say that I hate cats?

Every 15 minutes last night a cat tapped me somewhere on my person and said, "Mom, wake up. There's a dog in the other room."

I answered, "Yes, dear. Let sleeping dogs lie. She'll be gone in a day or two."

After 15 minutes of sleep another tap came, "Mom. Wake up. There is STILL a dog asleep in the other room."

The two cats took turns watching the dog sleep and tapping me for my attention.

You know the story in the Bible of the 10 virgins who kept watch and only five were ready? I hope I get some sleep before it becomes my hour to keep watch...

Matthew 25

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

"At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise.

The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps.

The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

"At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'

"Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.'

" 'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.'

"But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

"Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!'

"But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.'

"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

Gritting My Teeth Over: Being Angry at God

A cat fell out of the sky yesterday morning at 4:00 a.m.
.... Landed on me in my bed
....... Took off running as if nothing had really happened
...
I have yet to repair the ceiling fabric where she went through.
.
Did I mention that I have an undiagnosed illness?
.... Nausea starts an hour after waking; bout the same time the nose bleeds start
....... Take nausea to bed with me.
............ Sometimes I'm so tired that I have to eat a high-energy meal and drink a cup of coffee in order to wake up enough to fall asleep at night.
....
Doctors say it is a mental illness because, after all, who else looks up their symptoms on the Internet to find a disease that matches?
.

My work could not get done during normal business hours. So, I'm at work on Sunday, finishing up.

The problem is: if God were good, would I be sick?

If God were good, would cats fall out of the rafters on me in the wee hours when I so desparately need rest?

If God were good, wouldn't I have a house that is fully remodeled, not one that has exposed rafters, which a creative cat can find her way up to?

So, I'm driving to work this morning, pissed as all get out at God.

And the sky was blue.

I *know* who created that

The trees were my favorite color of ashen gray.

The wind was chilly and exhilarating.

You ever hear people speak of a lover whom they can never stay mad at?

That's the feeling.

I love Him. I'm just angry at something he hasn't done yet.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”- Joshua 1:9

You know God is present when

You feel like you were born yesterday.

And you like it!

He is the ancient of days and I am just a child of 52.

Gritting My Teeth Over: Being Too Sick to Write... Again

Same old same old.

Go. Play. See Russia.

Gritting My Teeth Over: Cats

Hi. My name is Anita and I hate cats.

Even the people who own cats are a little strange, right? Why two cats appeared in my home last fall is *cough* totally beyond me. I hate cats.

Josie and Simone are twin sisters, litter mates and best friends. Simone, the larger one constantly schemes on behalf of her smaller, and faster, sister.

Do not expect cats to come romping to the door to greet you after a rough day's work. Instead, expect to find that they have stepped on, and turned on, the control to your electric blanket and are upset that you have interrupted their nice warm nap.

They wake up at 3:00 a.m. to meow their report about the litter box being full and the food dish being empty. These are important things for humans to know in the dead of night. I hate cats.

Josie does not have the time to cover her messes in the litter box. Simone takes care of it all. Last night when the litter was fresh and new, Simone snuggled down on the mountain of sweet scented clay and refused to allow her sister entry to the box. But when Josie cried, the larger cat scooped a paw full of litter onto the floor and then Josie positioned herself over the litter on the floor and, OH, I hate cats.

I'm not real fond of some people, either. The Holy Spirit who dwells in my heart assures me that this one woman is my sister in Christ.

"You don't understand, Lord. She don't even try to cover up her messes. She is the biggest pain in my..."

You just don't know. Prosperity theology. If she doesn't deceive others to gain a better life, "God has not blessed me." There's no convincing her otherwise. She's my sister, a member of the body of Christ.

Okay. Well, maybe I don't hate THESE cats. Maybe I will clean the litter box one more time. Maybe I will buy sardines and let all three of us settle down for a snack in the evening.

Maybe I will be patient one more day with my sister in Christ, but Lord, I'll buy a second litter box for your cats. Will you please provide a better home for my sister?

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.

Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. Romans 12:3-5 (NIV).