The Moon Moments

The first thing I saw when I walked out the door for my morning walk was a bright moon with an almost golden aura around it.  It was beautiful.  A little farther along, the sun started to rise.  And oh, what a sunrise.  Big, bold strokes of color - bright orange and yellow, deep pink and purple, vibrant blue... it was awesome!!  I looked back over at the moon.  The aura was still there, and there were also subtle, pastel purple stripes around it - broad and soft at the edges.  Such a difference between the two.  It made me think about how I've found God in my life lately.
Morgan had a major turning point in his career this week.  He's been working very hard for it, but the timing was a big surprise.  Definitely a huge blessing and an obvious God moment - big and bold like the sunrise this morning.  But I kept thinking about the moon.  And I thought through the past few days and realized another small place I had found God.  I was in the doctor's office - the last place I wanted to be in this hectic week - and a few of the nurses were wearing Santa hats.  I was stressed and rushed, and those Santa hats made me stop and smile.  I'm smiling now as I think about it.  I realized the thing I miss most about writing this blog was how it made me stop and find those small moments - the "moon" moments.  Don't get me wrong, I love the big stuff.  The grand sunrises that take your breath away, the sudden unexpected miracles in our lives that just can't be missed or mistaken for anything other than God's grace.  But I need to go back to that daily exercise of finding God in the routine.  In the everyday humdrum life that really makes up the bulk of most of our lives.  Whether I write about it or not, I'm going to strive to look for it daily again.  So where did I find God today?  In the subtle beauty of the golden aura around the moon, or that gorgeous, amazing sunrise?  Tough choice, but I think for today, I'm going for the moon.

The Laundry Chute

When I was born, we lived in an apartment on Linden Avenue in Arbutus, Maryland, but shortly after that we moved to a row home on Council Street, also in Arbutus.  (At that time, they were row homes, now they're called townhomes which I guess sounds more respectable, but either way, they were houses in a row!)  We moved again when I was about 4 1/2, so most of my memories of that house come from pictures, but there are a few things that stand out as true memories.  One was the laundry chute.  I remember being fascinated with it!  It was a three-story house, and you could drop things in the laundry chute from the top floor, and it ended up in the basement where the washer was.  To my young mind, there were few things more exciting than that!  One time I remember standing in the hallway and looking towards the bedroom at the front of the house.  The sunlight was pouring in and filtering through to the slightly darkened hallway.  I wanted so badly to find something to drop in there!  I can't remember if I did on that occasion, but I have a recollection of doing it at some point and racing down the stairs to watch it come out at the bottom.  Of course, I never made it, but I don't think it stopped me from trying.  The laundry chute... what a fun memory!

The other thing I truly remember is standing at the gate of the big field next to our house and wanting to follow my brother, Wayne.  He and my brother, Bentley, were much older than me (13 years, and 11 years respectively), and I idolized him.  I loved both of my brothers, but Wayne always paid special attention to me as a child.  Our house was at the end of the row and right next to the fields that were part of the junior high school.  They would walk to school and games and such, and I remember one time in particular wanting so badly to follow Wayne.  There was a big bar-type gate that was really just meant to keep cars out, but I knew I wasn't allowed to cross it.  I can see the grass and the sky and emptiness before me - no Wayne.  So I must have stood there until he was out of sight.  I clearly remember the longing.

There were other fun things about that house and neighborhood.  There was the strawberry man who walked the street calling out, "Strawbears!!" ( He never added the "ry" for some reason.)  And getting our picture taken on a pony, also from a man who walked the streets drumming up business.  Do you remember that stuff from your childhood?  Those kinds of things are long gone.  But the laundry chute and wanting to follow my brother are the memories that planted themselves in my young mind.  It's funny because most of my memories of that house are in black and white due to the photographs we have.  But I remember the yellow sunlight of the bedroom next to the laundry chute, and the green grass and blue sky as I watched my brother.  It's amazing what God has done for us.  He gave us colors that can provide so vivid a recollection that you can actually experience the feeling all over again.  His wonders never cease, and I find Him not only in my daily life in the present, but I see Him there in all my memories.

Everlasting

Jeff and I have been watching "The Bible" series on The History Channel.  I know a lot of the stories, but seeing them brought to life is very powerful.  The thing that has struck us most is the violence.  Reading it is one thing, seeing it enacted takes it to a whole other level.  By the time Jesus comes on the scene, you just want Him to use His power to wipe out all of the violence - all of the bad people. 
In church today, we read the passion with different people reading the parts, and the congregation together reading the part of the crowd.  When it gets to the part where Pilate wants to let Jesus go, and the crowd is shouting "Crucify Him!",  I wanted to cry.  The voices of our congregation all together saying "Crucify Him!" was bad enough, but I was also imagining a huge crowd shouting it out.  How badly they needed Jesus, and they didn't even know it.  How badly our violent world needed Him (and we still do.)  So even though Jesus could have called on the power of God to wipe out that violence, He did something far greater and far more lasting.  He used His love.  He used His love to reach the world and touch millions of hearts.  And here we are 2,000 years later, and we still feel it.  We still cry for Him, and we still celebrate His ultimate gift to us.  I believe when He said, "He who believes in me shall never die", He was talking about love.  Our love for Him, and our love for each other.  That's our promise of eternity.  Who among us hasn't lost someone they cared for?  And though they're gone, our love for them lives on - everlasting.  Just like Jesus promised, and in my mind, proof of heaven.  God is with us, God is in us, now and forevermore.  Amen.

Abundance

In church today, Father Tom spoke of abundance.  How when we give, even if we feel we have little to spare, it makes what we do have feel abundant.  In his words, "...if all we see is scarcity then we cannot see with the divine vision of abundance."  It reminded me of the time after my divorce when money was so tight.  I was making barely above minimum wage at the time, and even with child support, we were stretched very thin.  But somehow, we never felt deprived.  Yes, there were things we wanted that we couldn't afford, but they were just things.  And at the end of the day, we were happy.  We still did pretty much everything we wanted - just in a less expensive way.  Pizza on Friday night was frozen pizza; vacation was paid for with money from tax returns, and it was a long weekend instead of a week; we bought all of our clothes and household needs from Kmart, and for a special treat I would let the kids pick out a candy bar or a pack of gum at the checkout.
Things got better money-wise.  I got a better paying job, and eventually I met Jeff and our two salaries combined eased the financial strain immensely.  But honestly, when I look back at those days, what I remember is being happy.  The money situation just wasn't a factor in that.  After the kids were grown, I asked them how they felt about it.  They both said they never felt deprived.  They felt they had a great childhood.  We had plenty to eat, a roof over our heads, a yearly vacation, and we always found something fun, but cheap, to do on the weekends.  Great times!  And abundance.  It dawned on me with Father Tom's words that we never dwelled on the scarcity of what we had.  We saw abundance.  God was with us always.  And in those lean times, He showed Himself so clearly to us.  We gave to each other - in the fun and laughter we shared, in the love for each other, in the warmth and security of our home.  And in that giving we found abundance.  There is no scarcity when you have love, and God is love.  Indeed, His blessings were - and still are - abundant.

Faith

While in Greece for the first time (the trip after the ship when I was three), I met my cousin, Rita.  (In Greek, we pronounce it with a sharp "t" sound, not with the "d" sound, like Reeda.)  I absolutely adored her though I can't exactly remember why.  I just know I wanted to be with her all the time.  I have a distinct memory of her holding my hand and walking through Athens, but that's all I remember.  She made such an impact on me that when my parents told me there was another baby coming, I just knew it was a girl and her name would be Rita.  Apparently, it became kind of a game for people to ask me if I thought it would be a boy or a girl.  I never wavered.  I had no doubt.  And looking back, I see it was my first act of faith.  Faith in something I couldn't see.  And guess what?  When the baby was born, and my aunt who was watching me said, "Your mom had the baby, and it's a girl!"  I said very  matter-of-factly, "I know, and her name is Rita."  My parents said they didn't have much choice with the name because I was adamant, so it was lucky that they liked it, too!

I can still remember the feeling of love and adoration I had for my cousin though I've only seen her twice since then; the last time being over 30 years ago.  And I can still remember my feeling of absolute faith.  I wish I still had that, but I think that only comes along with the innocence of a child.  As an adult, we have too much experience with loss, betrayal, and just everyday life to have that unswerving type of faith.  But it's something to strive for.  God was there with my young self, showing me what faith feels like in it's truest form.  I give thanks to Him for that.  What a blessing.

On The Ship

I've been having a lot of health issues lately.  Nothing serious; just annoying stuff.  But it seems I no sooner get over one thing then another problem crops up.  It's been this way for the past few years, and it got me thinking about my life before - when my health was better.  That in turn got me thinking how blessed I've been in my life.  I've had my share of problems with health, family, etc., but God has always been with me.  So I decided I wanted to write about that.  I wanted to go back as far as I could remember and write where I found God in my life.  As I started to picture memories in my mind, I started seeing God almost as a physical presence.  It reminded me of that scene in "The Sixth Sense" where the boy's mom starts looking through his childhood pictures and sees a mysterious light in every one.  Except this is no mystery.  I have no doubt God has been with me all along.

My first real memory is from when I was three years old.  My dad is Greek, and we were traveling to Greece on a transatlantic ocean liner to visit family.  I was on the deck of the ship, spinning around and around because I loved to watch my dress fly out around me.  The sun was shining brightly, and I could feel the warmth on my skin.  And looking back on that moment, I see God with me.  I see Him in the sun pouring His light down over me, drenching me like a fall of golden water.  All I can see with my eyes are my dress, my little arms flinging out as I twirled, and the light so blindingly bright I couldn't see more than a few feet around me.  But the security I felt, the freedom to dance and spin - that was God.  He was shining down on me before I even understood what it meant to look for Him.  I found Him there in the light and the warmth twirling on the deck of a ship in the middle of the ocean.

Glowing Daffodils

 One side of our yard doesn't get much sunlight, so not a whole lot grows there.  But sometimes our daffodils bloom.  I say "sometimes" because last year they didn't bloom.  The leaves were there but no flowers.  I had worried they wouldn't be back, so I was very excited to see the first bloom this year.  There are just a few scattered here and there.  We didn't plant them; we inherited them with the house so it's always a surprise to see where one is going to pop up.  As I said, we don't get much sun where they're planted, so the sight awaiting me after my walk this morning was extra special. As I came within sight of the yard, the flowers were glowing from the early morning sun.  One in particular was lit up as bright as the sun itself.  Those few little blooms shining in the sparse brown landscape were so beautiful to me that I laughed out loud!  We don't fertilize the ground, we don't water, and yet there they are.  It's amazing to me how they keep coming back, seemingly against all odds.  Another lesson to be learned from God's natural world.  I found Him today in those gorgeous glowing daffodils shining bright as the sun.

My Calling

This is from Steven Charleston:

I walk on, no matter how easy or difficult the path before me. I walk on in good weather and bad, under a beautiful sky, beneath a dark moon, I walk on when the road seems to pull me forward to discover what is around the next corner, or even when I need to stop for rest before I can take another step. I walk on without knowing when my journey will end, embracing the journey itself as gift, it is my life and calling. I walk on in peace, in wonder, in endless thanks that you walk with me, 
and that together we walk in faith, the road that leads us home.

 Up until I started my blog last year, I repeatedly asked God what I should be doing with my life and the gifts He had given me.  What was my calling?  I was happy with my life but had the nagging feeling I should be doing more.  Then I started my blog.  I wasn't sure that it was my calling, but I was too busy with it to worry about it.  When I finished my year of daily posting in January, it was somewhat of a relief.  I still looked for God in my day but didn't feel the pressure of verbalizing it in any coherent way.  It was back to just me and Him.  I also had lost the nagging feeling of needing to do more and that was such a blessing.  The daily writing had somehow shown me that what I had - and what I did - in my life was enough.  Then at the concert to dedicate our new church piano this past Sunday, Father Tom spoke of using our gifts.  And again, I asked the question of God - is there something else I should be doing?  I think He answered me in Steven Charleston's post on Facebook today.  I read his posts every day.  He's poetic and insightful, and I always enjoy his writing.  But this one felt like it was written just for me.  You know how that happens sometimes?  When it seems a writer has seen into your mind - your soul?  I think God used him to deliver this message to me so I can put my mind at ease.  I am truly happy with my life.  Happy to do all I can for my family and to volunteer when I can for my church.  And I finally realize that that's enough.  That "the journey itself" is a gift.  It's "my life and calling".  I use the gifts God gave me every day just by living my life the best way I know how.  That's my calling.  Yes.  God found me and blessed me today through the words of Steven Charleston.    

Early Morning Sun

Today is the last day of my daily blog.  I had set out to write here every day for a year, and somehow, by the grace of God, I managed to do it.  Some days were easy, and some days were a struggle, but the struggle usually wasn't with finding God in my day, it was in finding the words to write about it.  I think my favorite part of this whole venture was hearing where other people found God.  Because of this blog, it opened the door for them to tell me about it, and I felt so very blessed when they did.  I'm not sure yet how I'll continue.  I may not write at all for a while, but I plan to write when the spirit moves me, whenever that happens to be.  The invitation is open to anyone reading this to write here whenever they want to.  You can do it on this blog (though it makes you go through a few hoops), or you can write on the facebook page Finding God .  I'd love to hear your thoughts.  My next project is praying in color.  Pat W. mentioned it in one of our meetings a few months ago, and since then the thought has never left me.  When something keeps nagging at me, I take it as a sign from God that I need to do something about it.  I ordered some supplies a week or so ago, and coincidentally (or not?), they arrived today.  So my new project to communicate with God has started on exactly the day that my old one ended.  I find God in that.
As far as today, my last daily post, I found God in the beautiful scene over the sound this morning.  We had to drive to Virginia Beach today, and as we crossed the bridge, I looked back and saw the sun radiating through a bank of clouds.  It cast a golden beam across the water and shot rays across the sky in a way that can only be described as heavenly.  It was so beautiful it was dangerous as I kept looking over my shoulder to admire it while trying to stay in my lane on the bridge!  Such beauty is truly a gift from God, and I found Him as I crossed a bridge in more ways than one in the gorgeous early morning sun.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I know I write about food a lot, but I can't help it, I love food!  The fact that we can get so much enjoyment out of what at it's core is fuel for our bodies is truly a gift.  Now I'll admit that chocolate chip cookies aren't necessarily high quality body fuel, but I think I could live on them very happily if I had to.  It's taken me three years to finally come up with a good gluten and dairy free chocolate chip cookie recipe.  My favorite "regular" chocolate chip cookie is the Toll House cookie recipe, and I just could not seem to duplicate it.  The flavor would be good, but not the texture, or vice versa.  And then when I got both of those right, the cookie only stayed soft and chewy for the first day.  By the second day, it would crumble when you bit into it.  I tried everything I could think of, and then I stumbled across a recipe that used instant vanilla pudding in the mix.  I thought, "Why not? I've tried everything else".  The first try was close, but not quite there.  A few more tweaks and I had it!  I'm as close to the original Toll House cookie as I'm ever going to get.  And oh my goodness, what a treat!  It was the perfect day for baking - cold, overcast, and blustery.  When I bit into that warm cookie with the melty chocolate chips... mmmmmm.  Heaven.  I found God today in the perfect gluten and dairy free chocolate chip cookie.

Bacon

Does anything smell as good as bacon frying?  I actually "fry" mine in the oven to avoid all the mess, but it still makes the whole house smell like bacon.  I cooked some today for a recipe I'm making tomorrow, and when I walked outside for a minute and came back in it was like bacon just smacked me in the face.  It's supposed to be for tomorrow, but I just had to eat a piece.  The funny this is though, for me, as good as it tastes, it actually smells better.  I feel the same way about coffee; like the drink, love the smell.  And it seems like you can smell bacon a mile away.  So many times when I'm walking in the neighborhood, I'll smell bacon cooking somewhere.  It's like a siren "scent" drifting through the air calling anyone with a nose to come and eat it.  It's been a while since I've had any though, so this afternoon, I enjoyed eating it as much as smelling it.  Crispy, salty, yummy!  Today, I found God in the tantalizing smell of bacon frying.

Perfect Timing

I had some errands to run this morning, and all that went fine.  But when I got home I was hit with an excruciating headache.  I tried taking a walk thinking the fresh air would help, but it didn't.  I tried drinking some hot tea hoping it would relax me and quiet the pain, but that didn't work either.  Finally, I just gave up and laid down on the couch with my arm over my eyes.  And guess what?  I got some relief.  As soon as I got up, the pain came back, and I realized I needed to dim the light.  Even though it's overcast outside, the light was still bothering me.  So I closed the curtains, sat down, and rested my head on the couch.  Finally, finally, the headache was fading.  As I sat there with my eyes closed, I thought about where I could find God in a day mostly filled with that awful headache.  And I realized that it was in the timing again.  My afternoon was free of anything pressing that needed to be done.  Jeff and Marlayna are both at work so everything is quiet.  There are leftovers in the frig so I don't have to worry about dinner.  The only thing that helped my head was a darkened house, quiet, and time to rest.  God gave me those conditions this afternoon.  I found Him today in the perfect timing that allowed me relief from my pounding head.

Cartoon Mushrooms

I was walking out to the mailbox when a spot of something red caught my eye.  As I got closer I was thinking "trash?", "candy?", but no, it was mushrooms!  Red mushrooms with white indented spots; they almost looked like something had been eating them.  I couldn't believe it.  I've seen some crazy-looking mushrooms in the yard, but nothing quite like this.  They looked like something out of a cartoon!  In fact, when I showed them to Marlayna the first thing she said was, "That's a Mario mushroom!" - as in the Mario Brothers video game.  (I've never seen it so I wouldn't know.)  They looked so fake that I turned one of them over to be sure they were real.  God's natural world never ceases to amaze me whether it's through unimaginable beauty or something so strange as to almost be comical, like those crazy red and white mushrooms.  I found Him today in another of His amazing natural wonders - funny little cartoon mushrooms.

Mystical Fog

There was a heavy fog in the area both yesterday and today up until mid-day.  Jeff and I drove out to look at the ocean because we love watching it in the fog.  It was beautiful... mystical.  The water was smooth with long, curling waves.  Watching them roll out of the fog was mesmerizing.  The horizon could only be imagined as it was totally engulfed in the gray mist.  But I could also imagine an invisible hand out there, pushing the waves forward, and making them appear out of nowhere like a magic trick.  We stood there entranced, breathing in the cool misty air.  It was quite an experience, and I found God there today draped around me like the gossamer veil of fog over the ocean.

Lynn's Almond Danish

Ever since we moved here over five years ago, my neighbor, Lynn, has brought over one of her homemade almond danish for Christmas.  The first time I tried it I thought I'd died and gone to heaven - it was amazing!  But since I developed my food sensitivities, I haven't been able to eat it.  Well just before this last Christmas, Lynn called and said she wanted to know how to make her recipe gluten and dairy free.  Sweeter words have never been said...  She said along with me she had a few other people in her life with food sensitivities, and she wanted to be able to bake for us.  Needless to say, I was thrilled and more than happy to share what I know.  It took a while for her to gather ingredients, etc., but today she brought over her first effort.  Oh. My. Goodness!!  Again, died and in heaven.  Now I have to admit the texture isn't quite the same, but it's still awesome.  And the flavor was perfect.  She still wants to try and get the texture closer to the original so she plans to experiment some more, and guess who gets to sample the experiments?  Oh yes, yours truly, and very happily I must say.  Today, I found God in being able to delve once again into Lynn's incredible almond danish.

Old Songs

I keep some cd's in my car that are random mixes of songs that I like.  They have vague names like "Summer '08 mix" so I can never remember what's on them.  I was driving around doing some chores today so I picked one out and popped it in.  The first song was an old one by The Bee Gees (pre-Saturday Night Fever Bee Gees!), then the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac... music from my high school days.  I had the window down because it was in the low 60's today, and with that old music playing and the breeze blowing in, I had flashes of my younger, more carefree days.  It felt really good to remember those times.  I'm not one to glorify my youth, and I truly wouldn't change where I am in my life for any other time, but I do miss the lack of responsibility!  That part was pretty awesome, and I didn't even realize it at the time.  What's that old saying?  "Youth is wasted on the young."  So true.  Those old songs stirred up that carefree feeling, and it was fun to enjoy the memories for a little while.  Especially from the vantage point of being older without all the angst of youth!  Today, I found God in the first notes of an old BeeGees song.

(Okay, so I was only five when they did this song, but I still listened to it in high school!)

"To Love Somebody" by The Bee Gees

Sky on Fire

The sky looked like it was on fire this morning.  It started out with the slightest touch of pink tinging the clouds, but then soon deepened into a blazing, almost red color.  I first saw it  kind of low on the horizon just peeking through some trees, and for a second I thought someone had hung some type of banner until I realized it was the sunrise.  I can only imagine what it looked like from the beach this morning. Here are some of the pictures I took.  They're in order so you can see the color deepen and then start to recede.  I was in awe... I found God there in that fiery sunrise.

Squirrel Comedy

When I took my walk this morning, I was thinking that it felt like spring.  Apparently, the squirrels agreed with me.  Before Marlayna left for work this morning, she sat to talk with me for a few minutes, and as we chatted, we noticed a commotion outside.  There were four squirrels chasing each other around. We have jasmine vines covering the fence behind our pool, and two of them were running up and down the railings.  One would disappear within the vines for a few seconds, then pop out and run.  They looked like they were playing hide-and-seek!  The other two were racing up and down and back and forth across the fountain that is now off for the winter.  It was like watching kids on a jungle gym.  While these four creatures were getting their cardio workout, a fifth chubby little guy was just sitting on the upper deck railing munching on a nut.  He had his back to their antics, seemingly bored with the crazy squirrelly games they were playing.  It was his total lack of interest in what his buddies were up to that made the whole thing so funny.  I found God today watching the squirrel comedy put on by my furry little friends.

Gold-tipped Clouds

When I opened my curtains this morning, the view took my breath away.  The sun was just rising, and the sky was filled with clouds that looked as if they were tipped in gold.  I ran for my camera, but by the time I got outside there were fewer clouds and the color was fading.  It amazes me how quickly the sky changes.  I'm always disappointed when I miss a shot, I think it'll never be that way again.  But then I guess that's part of the glory of nature - the constant change, the fleeting beauty.  Though it's not actually fleeting, just changing.  Because there's always another sunrise, or sunset, or cloud-filled sky that takes my breath away - truly a gift from God.  I found Him today in the glorious sky that greeted me on my first look out the window.

This is the picture I took this morning.  Not quite as awesome as the shot I missed, but still beautiful, don't you think?

The Suspenders

I found God in a roundabout way today.  Jeff has been pretty down since his cat died, and today was the first day since then that he's had to go back to Maryland.  When he left this morning, he was trying to put on a brave face, but I could see he was not doing too great.  He usually calls me when he gets to the first Wawa which is always his first stop for gas and snacks.   I was expecting him to sound down, so I was very surprised that he had such an upbeat tone to his voice.  He said "You're not going to believe what I was just talking to someone about."  An older woman at the Wawa told him how much she liked his suspenders!  Of all things to brighten his mood.  I had gotten them for him for Christmas after he mentioned how much he liked them.  It's amazing how positive feedback from strangers can make you feel so good.  You expect it more from family and friends, so when it comes unsolicited like that, it gives you such a boost.  They continued to chat about a few other things and the whole experience left him in a happier mood.  That in turn made me very happy.  God works in mysterious ways, and I believe that this morning He was in that Wawa helping my husband feel better.  So today I ended up finding God in a stranger's comment about Jeff's suspenders.

Scent of Chicken Soup

Everyone in the family has been at least mildly sick over the past few weeks.  We're all mostly better, but I decided a good dose of chicken soup was just what we needed.  So today, before we left for church, I got the soup started in the crockpot.  As often happens, when I leave the house for some reason, I forget that I've got the crockpot going till I get home.  When I opened the door to come in the house, the soul-warming scent of chicken soup just swept over me.  Oh my goodness!  I was ready to dig in right then.  But no, I'm waiting for dinner, and reveling in the smell of the soup.  It's cold, rainy, and overcast, a perfect day for homemade chicken noodle soup, and I can't wait to eat it!  I found God today in that first amazing whiff of yummy chicken soup when I walked in the door from church.

Cold, Fresh Air

I wasn't feeling too well today, so I was glad we celebrated my birthday yesterday.  Still, I wanted to try to walk this morning because I thought the fresh air would make me feel better, and I was right.  It was in the mid-30's so we bundled up, but as soon as we walked out and the cold air hit me in the face, I felt cleansed.  It took a while to get around the block because I was moving pretty slow, but I was still so glad I made the effort.  Breathing deeply of that brisk, fresh air gave me a boost both mentally and physically.  I spent the rest of the day feeling pretty yucky, but even now the memory of cold air in my face refreshes me.  What a blessing from God!  I found Him today in the cold, fresh air of early morning.

Fresh, Hot Rolls

My birthday is tomorrow, but we wanted to go to the Barnes & Noble in Chesapeake, and a restaurant in Virginia Beach, so we decided to go today so it would be a little less crowded.  Jeff had researched and found a restaurant with a gluten-free menu as a surprise for me.  So after browsing the bookstore, we headed to the restaurant for lunch.  He had told me at this point where we were going, and I knew to expect a gluten-free menu, but there was one thing I still did not expect - rolls!  Oh my goodness!  The waitress brought regular rolls to the table for Jeff and Marlayna, and then said the gluten-free rolls were in the oven and would be out soon.  I almost fell on the floor.  I've gotten so used to watching everyone else at the table enjoy bread that I really don't think about it anymore.  A few minutes later she brought out piping hot rolls and they were really good!  I doubt they compared with the regular ones at the table, but I don't care.  Just being offered them made me feel special and normal at the same time.  She even brought olive oil for dipping since I can't have the butter.  We had an awesome day - fun at the bookstore, good conversation on the drive, lots of joking around, and good food at lunch.  But the highlight for me was my excitement over those fresh, hot rolls.  Today, I found God in the simple joy of eating bread in a restaurant just like everyone else.

Green Light From God

We said goodbye to Jeff's cat Calvin today.  He had been sick for quite a while, but took a sudden turn for the worse in the past couple of days.  Needless to say, it was very difficult; sad and emotional.  Even though we knew it was coming, the end was hard.  So as I drove to the vet, I was wondering where I would find God in this day.  We strongly suspected but didn't know for sure till we got there if this would be the end.  I was going over this in my mind as I drove, wondering if we were making the right decision to put him down.  I had just finished a prayer and was approaching a stoplight that in my memory has always been straightforward red or green.  I had to make a right turn and when I looked up, there was a green arrow pointing to the right.  Obviously, that green arrow has always been there, but I can honestly say I've never seen it before, and the timing...  I believe it was God giving me the go-ahead.  Saying, "Yes, you're making the right decision; it's going to be okay.  Calvin is in My hands now."  It may seem like a strange sign, but it was very comforting to me.  There were still many tears shed as we said goodbye, and I know there are many more to come, but there's also a peace.  A peace that I found in a green light from God, and that is where I found Him today.

Emails from Barbara

I got an email from Barbara T. today, and it made me so happy.  We don't communicate often, but from time to time she'll send an email about something she thinks I would like or be interested in.  It warms my heart to know she's thought of me and taken the time to write to me.  In her email today, one of the things she mentioned was being inspired by my blog, but I'm inspired by her.  Her warmth just spills out of her and onto those around her.  You can't help but feel it, and I'm blessed to be touched by it.  We sent a few emails back and forth this morning, and they were the highlight of my day.  Today, I found God in the thoughtfulness and warmth so evident in the messages my dear friend, Barbara sent to me.

Regular Life

We always take down our Christmas decorations on New Year's Day.  While it's a little sad to see them put away for another year, it's nice to get the house - and our lives - back to normal.  I really enjoy the holidays with all of the special events, the get-togethers, and especially the food!  But once January 1st hits, I relish getting back to my routine.  It's comforting, and feels quiet compared to the "loudness" of the holiday whirlwind.  So today, once everything was put away, we sat and relaxed with a cup of tea and watched the rain fall.  I felt the comfort of our "regular" life settle around me like a cozy blanket.  I snuggled into it, and found God there wrapped in the blanket with me.