Addendum to the Spring Break Post

The last post I wrote was on March 19, 2010 where I shared that my number three son and I had a bet going. It was spring break and we were suppose to go that whole week letting him enjoy the whole week, therefore, getting a break from worrying about me; this is because I was grieving so hard about selling my home of 39 years where I raised all four of my sons. Over the years, the house had many problems, especially in the basement. I have had to get something major done pretty much every five years, meanwhile in between the five years, there were many other things that needed to be done; therefore, I decided to sale my home. After it sold, I found a nice condo; shortly before I moved in I guess reality hit me and I had a complete melt down and lost 15 pounds in the process I guess it didn't occur to me that I would take it so hard. Anyway, we both lost the bet. I saw his name on my caller ID and when I called him back, He denied calling me. I have a new phone and sometimes the names of people who call will show back up in a few days or so. This happened twice and a few days after that, he called and said that he was not going to let anyone tell him when he could call his mother;that he would call anytime he wanted to. You know I got a big kick out of that. Hee hee

IT'S SPRING BREAK

Sometimes when I wake up in the moring, before I get out of bed and say my prayer and devotion, I think of something that will make me start to laugh. Usually it is something that one of my grandkids have done, but this time it was my number three son. I have sort of a bet going on with him. He's on Spring break from work and because number two son and his family are out of town and the other two brothers live out of town; he feels a responsibility to make sure I'm not lonely; he has been calling twice a day and showing up over here or taking me some where. The funny part of it is he tried to arrange for me to go out of town, either to Texas or Minnesota, but because of the expenses and last minute planning, it didn't work out. The reason he wants me to go on a vacation so he can have a vacation from worrying about me; therefore, I told him to take the rest of this week (Spring Break) to do what he wants to do; after all he has his own life. Just act as though I left town. We took a bet to see if he could do it without contacting me and that I could do it without needing to call him and without being co-dependent. Yesterday when I got home from my activities and errands, I checked my caller ID and saw his number on it, but when I called him he immediately said "are you missing me or something?" I said "no" I saw your number on my caller ID; and asked if he called and he said "no." I asked him if he missed me and he denied it. I have a new phone and sometimes it will bring up calls that came in perhaps a week or so ago. I will let you all in on the results as soon as they are in. :-) This is halarious.

QUESTION!

I have a grandson who is two and he is such a cutie pie; in fact, sometimes I call him that. He loves for me to come and visit because I play with him. (Did I say "play")? Yes I did. We play a game that he calls "Bonk-a-lonk. That is when we push his little cars and trucks forward and they hit something, we say "BONK"! Sometimes we chase each other around their pool table with two large plastic vehicles and run into each other and again it's "BONK!" I love to make up games to play with him and he loves for me to come and visit (opps I mean "play") with him.

Sometimes we play with his plastic animals from a farm and a Noah's Ark toy that he has. I move them around and make the noises for them. He always makes sure he hides the lion because I think he is kind of scared of him; so when I come to visit and we decide to play with the animals, he will say, "alt oh, where did the lion go?" Since I know where he hides the lion, I bring it out and ask if he wants it, but he says no and so grandma has to put it back in it's hiding place. Sometimes when he comes to visit grandma, he will just out of the blue say "alt oh, where did the lion go?" and then I repeat it; now it has become a part of our playing routine.

Now I have a question: "Alt oh, where did the summer go?"

What Is Wrong With Me?

Over the past couple of weeks, I have been feeling angry and it has taken almost nothing to set me off. I think it began with my trip home from Minnesota a couple of weeks ago. June 18th was the 14th anniversary of my mother's tragic death in a truck trailer accident. I just kept thinking about her and many thoughts about that horrible day came to my mind. Shortly before I left for Minnesota, my brother-in-law passed away from a horrible accident that just suddenly happened, and before that, an old friend passed away; preceding that, an old childhood friend. However, after a bit, I felt I was handling all of this pretty well, then Michael Jackson passed away. Since then there has been a great deal of publicity about Michael.

Michael Jackson has been an entertainer for all of my adult life and the young lives of my sons. I have kept up with him pretty much throughout the years, but I guess I never expected someone as popular as he to just pass away out of the blue. Granted, I was shocked like the rest of his fans.

I hadn't been in touch with the secular part of entertainment for quite a few years because I have been concentrating mostly on my walk with God, attending church and just trying to follow Him the best I could. My thoughts and a great deal of my conversations have revolved around the Lord and my family. But in the past week or so, I have been experiencing a great deal of depression and feeling despondent.

I am surprised about how much of the Michael Jackson publicity I have been reading and watching on television. It is just unbelievable that he would pass on in the prime of his life. Yesterday, while watching the memorial,I came to the conclusion that I am actually grieving Michael's death; just thinking about how sad his life was and how that now he is gone; he is so much in the limelight. Somehow I wish he could see how people all over the world are grieving, listening to his music, watching films of him on television, spending a great deal of money on his music and other items pertaining to him and trying to remember him. It seems as though people are almost worshipping him and referring to him an "idol," which I do not agree with. Even though I don't look upon people or man made objects as "idols" I am still very sad about Michael's life and death. I guess even though I never met him except for on television; it almost seems as though he was family because my sons always listened to his music, we have watched him on television over the years and have read about him in the newspapers. I felt so bad for him during the bad publicity and never believed that he molested any children. Even though people said he was "weird," I believe that some things in his childhood or even his adult life caused those problems in him.

Yesterday as I watched the coverage of his memorial I began to think deep, wondering how people would act if Jesus would all of a sudden appear on earth as he did many years ago. I would like to think there would be a much bigger crowd of people and excitement all over the world. I imagined that I would be even more excited to see Him and would be rushing and trying to push my way through just to touch Him or talk to Him. Even though I admit that I loved Michael Jackson, no one can compare to what I feel for my Lord and Savior, JESUS CHRIST! I pray that Michael accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior and that he will meet the REAL KING -- KING JESUS!

STOP REFERRING TO HIM AS "JACKO!"

It is cruel to continue to refer to Michael as Jacko. Let his memory be as it should: a great star with lots and lots of talent. His name is Michael Jackson; not Jacko.

Goodbye Michael

I am deeply saddened at the sudden death of Michael Jackson. While I thank the Media for showing positive things about his life; I'm sorry they feel the need to over emphasize the negative. I am so sick of watching the them play and replay Michael dangling his baby over the ledge out the window. GIVE US A BREAK!!! They really need to let Michael rest in peace. He was a great singer/performer, so why not show us some films when he received music awards time after time after time and the overwhelmingly happy look on his face as he received them and the reactions of the other famous people in the audience as they clapped for him. I believe there were extinuating circumstances that led him to do some of the things he did that were disturbing to the public. I really wish he could see the outpouring of sadness his many, many, many fans have shown since his sudden death. I hope the media will leave his children alone and not make their lives miserable like they did Michaels. I never did believe he was guilty of the crimes in which he was accused. I believe those two accusations against him were the beginning of what eventually caused his death. I always liked him and am very sorry he is gone. May he rest in peace and find solice in the Lord.

A Lesson Learned

Each morning when the Lord awakens me for another day; I think of Him first. I have always thought of Him as being number 1; even though I don’t always put Him first. Today I had a long conversation with a church member and as I listened to her conversation, that is when I realized how really important it is to “put God first!”

My plan for the day was to just take it easy and to watch a movie. My thoughts were on whether or not to go ahead with the movie or get into the “Word.” Since my morning usually begins with prayer and a Bible Scripture or something like that; and although I didn’t read the Bible this morning, I felt it to be okay to go ahead and watch the movie. You know the Lord really works in mysterious ways because while I was watching the movie; I began to get a spiritual message.

The movie I chose was “Marley and Me,” a secular movie that, as far as I know, was not really meant to give us a spiritual message. I don’t know how many of you have seen this picture but I’m glad the Lord allowed me to. During the beginning of the movie; a man gives his wife a puppy for her birthday. Throughout this movie, the puppy was very frisky, playful, reckless, practically destroying everything in sight. At one point, the wife began to have children and became difficult to live with; arguing and complaining about things. She even got so upset with the dog, she told her husband to take it away. He was pretty attached to “Marley” and just took him to his best friend’s house for the night. While there, his friend tried to persuade him to leave his wife but was unable to because no matter what, the man was willing to stay put in spite of all the problems. When he returned home the wife inquired about Marley; the husband told her where he had taken the dog and upon realizing she was wrong apologized and admitted that Marley belonged with them.

Here we have a wife who is at her wits end; a dog that has become “the worse dog in the world,” according to his owner, and a best friend who is trying to get him to leave his wife. All throughout this movie, I kept saying “I’d get rid of that dog,” meaning I wouldn’t put up with things that dog was doing.

I won’t go into anymore of the story in case you have not seen it yet, but; the owner talked about how a dog has unconditional love no matter what. What I got from the movie was no matter how bad the situation; the wife, kids, dog, husband, etc. or what ever went wrong; they stayed together no matter what. No situation is perfect, marriage, jobs, friends, kids, relationships, church, etc., it could benefit you to stick it out, however, there are always extenuating circumstances that make it impossible to stick it out, but if it is His will, the Lord, it will work out if you ask Him.