Death

Yesterday was a tough day. Frank, my friend's husband, passed away. Thank you for your prayers. A friend-of-a-friend committed suicide.

Where, O death is your victory? Where, O death is your sting? ...Be thanks to God! He gives us the victory (over death) through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corin. 15:55)

Living With Godly Integrity

• reputation is what you think of me;
• character is who I am when no one is around;
• integrity is when my reputation and character match.
  

A woman with integrity acts the same without regard to circumstances. She walks the walk and talks the talk consistently. A godly woman knows that her integrity comes from submitting her life to God.

See how my enemies have increased and how fiercely they hate me! Guard my life and rescue me; let me knot be put to shame, for I take refuge in You. May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in You. ~ Psalms 25:19-21

A woman who does not establish her character in God's wisdom is double-minded and therefore, unstable, unpredictable and untrustworthy in her actions. She lacks godly integrity.

If any of you lacks wisdom, (she) should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to (her). But when (she) asks, (she) must believe and not doubt, because (she) who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That (woman) should not think (she) will receive anything from the Lord, (she) is a double-minded (woman) unstable in all (she) does. ~ James 1:5-7

A woman of godly integrity believes and does not doubt the wisdom that God has bestowed upon her through His Word and the Holy Spirit. Her character, her actions, her reputation are in step with His wisdom without regard to the ways of the world. She is in complete synchronicity with the Almighty.

Urgent Prayer Request

For all you prayer warriors, fervent prayer for Frank to completely recover from nearly drowning. Also please keep his family in your prayers as they go through this difficult time. Thank you.

Time Marches On But Summer Will Never Cease

It's just the end of July and people are already bemoaning the end of summer, but it's still in full bloom! Not only is summer not officially over until September 20th, the warm weather continues into mid-October or later - well, at least where I live. Carpe diem!

As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease. (Genesis 8:22)

Not My Words

I'm stalled. Writer's block. My brain is barricaded. Words are trapped. Quoting Proverbs always works; His words are much more worthy than mine.

Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. ~ 16:24

The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts. ~ 18:8

The tongue has the power of life and death ~ 18:21

You Can Make a Difference

International Justice Mission at the San Francisco Benefit Dinner

Thursday, November 5, 2009 6:30 p.m. Fairmont San Francisco — Grand Ballroom

$100 per person (tax-deductible portion $25)* Business Attire. Learn more and RSVP: IJM.org/benefits.

For more information about hosting a table and inviting friends and colleagues, contact events@ijm.org or 703.740.9923

(FYI - I posted this announcement independently with no prompting from IJM. I believe that everyone of us can take an active stand to end slavery and oppression. Join me! If you can't attend then make a contribution.)

Road Rage, Patience and Time

There is a particular road in Fremont that I have been driving twice a week which gets me to and from the place I have to be and the freeway that takes me home. People are insane when they drive that road. They jockey position back and forth, in and out, just so they can get on the freeway ahead of the rest of us ~ only to sit still on that overcrowded freeway once they get there.

patience is better than pride (Ecc 7:8))

I drive a small car and I pray that all the big trucks and cars see me. Of course, even if they did, it most likely would not stop them from cutting in front of me. Just this week a car behind me got hit. The noise was loud when the two vehicles collided. I looked into my rear view mirror with horror realizing just how close that accident had been to involving me. It reminded me how we never know when our time may end and just how precious our days are.

Show me, O Lord, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. (Psalm 39:4)

Can I Get Naked?

"Am I willing to reduce myself down to simply 'me'? Am I determined enough to strip myself of all that my friends think of me, and all that I think of myself? Am I willing and determined to hand over my simple naked self to God?" ~ (Oswald Chambers)

Why are the simple questions sometimes the hardest to answer?

God's Reputation

Has is ever occurred to you that God has a reputation to maintain?

So now the Sovereign LORD says: I will end the captivity of my people; I will have mercy on Israel, for I am jealous for my holy reputation! (Ezek 39:25)

Think about what is at stake for God if He doesn’t act 100% of the time true to His reputation (character). What is at stake for you?

"If we really believed that God meant what He said, just imagine what we would be like! Do I really dare to let God be to me all that He says He will be?" (Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His HIghest).

Have We?

Billy Graham's Prayer for Our Nation

'Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done.

We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.

We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.

We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.

We have killed our unborn and called it choice.

We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.

We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem.

We have abused power and called it politics.

We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition.

We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.

We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.

Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Amen!'

Have we? You decide. God already has.

(as emailed to me from a friend)

Morphing, Changing But Still Me

My husband has his marching orders. The deck has been designed, the water line layout determined, the position of a water feature decided ~ and thus, his work begins. I design, he builds. We make a great team.

Over the weekend while I was riffling through some boxes, I came across an unexpected but delightful find ~ photos of my first front yard design 10 years ago. To tell you the truth, it was a little shocking because the yard had morphed and grown over the years into a slightly different configuration.

That often happens when I come across old photos ~ the pleasantly delightful but shocking part. Sometimes those feelings are directed towards me when I see how much I have changed over the years. I look at myself in the mirror today and don't think I look all that different until I come across photos of me in my younger adult years. Pre-digital photos don't lie ~ well, at least not as easily as digital ~ so I peer at those photos and wonder over the woman I used to be.

(Your) hair is sprinkled with gray, but (you do) not notice. Yet I (your God) will remember the covenant I made with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you. (Hsa 7:9, Ezekial 16:60)

Determining the Sex of Trees

My husband joined Facebook. It's a brave new world.

Speaking of brave new worlds, we are ready to continue the reconstruction of our front yard. The demolition is done. the new wall is in, the dirt has been settling for a week, and we chose a tree. Yes, a tree.

You didn't think I was going to go treeless just because I had to remove a monster of a tree that destroyed my driveway and ripped up my yard? No, I just couldn't bear the thought of a treeless front yard. It seems almost a sacrilege to have a house with no tree. I can't think of any house, or other building for that matter, other than something designed by Frank Loyd Wright, that can go treeless ~ and even Frank would balk at that idea. So, yes, a tree.

By the time this little guy grows up I will most likely be dead, or at least very old. Our last tree was 35 years old and could have lived longer but was totally inappropriate for the site. We chose one that we hope is more compatible. And yes, it's a boy tree.

How do we know? Because it's not just any 'ole Chinese Pistache ~ it's a Keith Davey Chinese Pistache. You see, girl CPs produce blooms and seed pods. Boy CPs do not, which means we get the beauty without the mess. Unfortunately, if you pick a young tree from the nursery without knowing its sex, you have to wait until it turns 6 years old to find out because that's when the girls enter puberty. I am not making this stuff up.

A Keith Davey CP is a boy because it's grafted onto boy stock, not grown from seedling. That pretty much guarantees its sex. Of course, the plant guy told me that almost 95% of all CP's being sold these days are boys since most have been grafted, but who wants to take a chance on that pesky 5%? Yikes, I wonder if that how the Chinese felt back in the day when boy babies were honored and girl babies were killed.

This blog has taken a very dark turn. Thanks be to God that He wants us all.

Bizzaro

So I'm sitting at the Peets in downtown Livermore chatting with a friend when I find myself looking over her right shoulder to movement outside the window. Across the street I think I'm seeing a person in a blue bathing suit lying down at the base of a large fountain flapping his/her hands in the water. I wasn't totally sure of what I was looking at because this blue blob was directly underneath the fountain and bubbles were plentiful. I ask my friend to turn around and look.

Sure enough, the blue blob sits up and it's a grown woman taking in the sublime pleasure of cool water on a very hot day in what has been a string of very hot days this week. She had no problem sitting in a public fountain on the corner of the busiest street in town, and evidentially no one else did as she didn't get a second glance from people passing by.

So my friend and I go back to our conversation but I am distracted once again by our bathing beauty. She is now standing tall, arching her back and washing her hair ~ or so it appeared from our vantage point. Again, no pedestrian blinked an eye. So we took their cue and went back to our conversation.

Literally minutes later, my eye wanders past my friend's left shoulder where I was distracted by a parade on the sidewalk across the street. Walking in single file were about a dozen young men dressed in military-looking uniforms with swords and an equal number of girls dressed like princesses. My friend swiveled in her seat and the two of us watched a cinquertera (I'm slaying the spelling but it's a coming-of-age party for 15 year-old girls of Mexican heritage). The young girls swirled and the young men preened while the photographer put them through their paces.

This was proving to be a highly entertaining day. A bathing woman on one side of the street; a photo shoot on the other. We return to our conversation when once again I am distracted by activity; this time on our side of the street.

A woman walks by with her arm in the air, Hitler style, and is talking to apparently no one. Turns out she was waving to a friend down the street, but after our earlier adventures, our minds immediately ventured to weird places.

I mean this is Livermore, for heaven's sake! This isn't some big city. Who expects all this excitement and entertainment in Livermore! Bizzaro! I wonder what the birds thought of the woman in the fountain.

A Sweet, Sweet Sound

I woke up this morning to a chorus of birds singing their sunrise songs. I wonder if birds know just how sweet they sound. They herald the start of a new day; the possibility of things to be; the hope of expected outcomes. It's amazing how much joy emanates from their tiny little vocal chords, and I am the lucky recipient of their sweet, sweet sound.

The Potter

O Lord, You are our Father. We are the clay, You are the potter, we are all the work of Your hand. (But we turn) things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to Him who formed it, "He did not make me?" Can the pot say of the potter, "He knows nothing?" (Isaiah 64:8, 29:16)

My Two Cents on Global Warming

It's just not natural for a brown haze to be hovering over the San Francisco Bay. I wonder if the waves look up and get confused at seeing a brown sky. I wonder if the birds choke as they fly through the polluted air. I wonder if God's tears are big enough to wash it all clean.

Of Idols

Of what value is an idol, since a (woman) has carved it? Or an image that teaches lies? For (she) who makes it trusts in (her) own creation; (she) makes idols that cannot speak. (Habakkuk 2:18)

Thinking about false idols in my life.

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? Jeremiah 17:9)

Thinking about placing my pride on the altar to be sacrificed.

Hear and pay attention, do not be arrogant, for the Lord has spoken. (Jeremiah 13:15)

Thinking about getting myself right (once again) with the Lord.

This is what the Lord says: "Let not the wise (woman) boast of (her) wisdom or the strong (woman) boast of (her) strength or the rich (woman) boast of (her) riches; but let (she) who boasts boast about this: that (she) understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight." (Jeremiah 9:23-24)

Thinking that I am on my knees to a just and holy God whose forgiveness, mercy and grace I do not deserve but eagerly embrace.

A Fine Summer Day

I was in the public pool this morning taking my deep water aerobics class thinking just how darn lucky I am. The sky is amazingly blue today, not a cloud to be seen; the sun is shining fanatically and the pool water is just right. It's a fine summer day.

I wonder if a woman in Nigeria is feeling the same way. Or in Thailand. In Poland. In Iran.

Do You Ever Wonder? I Do.

I wonder if trees ever get tired blowing in the wind.
I wonder if their leaves feel like my hair does when I ride in a convertible.

I wonder if trees enjoy the birds in their branches and the squirrels on their limbs.
I wonder if they ever just want to run away for the day and play.

I wonder if trees moan when they are thirsty and flinch when we walk on their roots.
I wonder if they dance with delight when their autumn leaves take flight.

I wonder if trees wonder about the God who made them
just like I wonder, too.

Oh My Gosh It Rained!

It rained yesterday ~
okay, it tinkled, barely sprinkled
but it sure felt food.

A man commented on my necklace.
I think it reminded him of Hawaii.

It thundered (once).
When the sun back came out
where was the white sand beach?

Playing Tourist

Playing tourist in my own backyard. Enjoy my view.

Broken But Redeemed

God made no mistake when He made each one of us. He is incapable of making a mistake. He desires that we stop living in the craziness of our broken human nature and live in victory in the nature that He originally intended. We can't do this without Him.

The Way it is With Walls

tree saga part 3 continued

I've given a lot of thought as to how our new front yard will look but I've left room for spontaneity as the plan begins to take shape. Planning is important but if I don't leave wiggle room then the end result is not truly me. (You will notice that my husband is not part of the equation. God bless him; he leaves the design up to me and he does the work. What a partnership! And no, that's not my hubby in the photo.)

We begin with the hardscape. Since our land slants gently from the house to the street, the wall allows us to infill with dirt for a flat, even surface providing a level platform from which we will build a ground level deck (not patio as we are using redwood not stone).

As much as the wall allows us to build things up, it also holds things back as it keeps the dirt from spilling onto the sidewalk. So it holds things in and keeps things out. That's the way it is with walls. Whether you are on the "inside" or "outside" depends on where you are standing.

...and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. (Ex 14:22)

...with my God I can scale a wall (Psalm 18:29)

The wealth of the rich is their fortified city; they imagine it an unscalable wall. (Psalm 18:11)

You (God) have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. For the breath of the ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall. (Isaiah 25:4)

This sin will become for you like a high wall, cracked and building, that collapses suddenly, in an instant. (Isaiah 30:13)

Therefore I will block her path with thorn bushes; I will wall her in so that she cannot find her way. (Hsa 2:6)

This is what he showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall that had been built true to plumb, with a plumb line in His hand. (Amo 7:7)

"And I myself will be a wall of fire around it," declares the Lord, "and I will be its glory within." (Zech 2:5)

For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility (Eph 2:14)

Sweet Summer

I can tell it's summer. It's 9:00 and still light out. I'm not wearing socks. We are eating most of our meals on the patio. Swimming in an outdoor pool. Finding fresh fruits and veggies in abundance at the Farmer's Market. Sleeping with our windows wide open. Eating soft serve ice cream in orange/vanilla swirl. Attending concerts in the park every Friday night with friends, food and some nice wine. Driving with the sunroof open and wearing a hat to keep from getting burned. Taking day trips to the beach. Enjoying fresh lemonade and refreshing ice tea.

Our front yard stands empty, calling us to finish the job, but right now, we're kicking back and enjoying the sweetness of summer. It's not just for kids, you know.

Zippety-Do-Da Redux

Midday. Gorgeous sky. Nice temps. Nothing much to say except glad to be alive. Zippety-do-da. Hope you are feeling the same.

A Fresh Start

tree saga part 3 continued

There it is, a clean slate; our yard free of plants,stump and roots. Empty. Void. Nada. Nothing but dirt. A fresh start.

Now the rebuilding begins. Reconstruction. Reinvention. Renewed. Reborn.

It's actually exhilarating.

You should not be surprised at my saying, "You must be born again...Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead...We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life....Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!...For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. (John 3:7, 1 Peter 1:3, Romans 6:4, 2 Corinthians 5:17, 1 Peter 1:23)

Your Place or Mine?

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

I drove up to a stop light yesterday next to a car with a male driver and a large dog. The dog was sitting in the passenger seat and the man was lavishing all kinds of attention on her (or him) ~ petting and talking ~ and ignoring the light that had turned green.

Are we so disconnected as humans that we have misplaced our affections and connections on our pets? It strikes me as highly ironic that human friends get a Tweet/text/email but our animal friends get physical touch and regular contact.

Think about it.

Freedom

Happy 4th of July! Thank you to all the men and women who make our country strong, who fought and continue to fight for our freedom, who believe in the land of the free and the home of the brave.


And to the detractors who say that this land is no longer great, I ask you where else on earth do you have the freedom that you now enjoy? Where else on earth can you be who you want to be, think what you want to think, say what you want to say and do what you want to do regardless of your beginnings? Ask a newly minted United States citizen how they feel about this country. Ask all the illegals who come here in droves despite the risks. Are we a perfect? Have we made grave mistakes? Do we need to re-think our national position on certain things? Undoubtedly! But that is no reason to tear down this country because in doing so we tear down the very decent, honest, hardworking people who make this country great. God Bless America.

To Want, To Weed, To Nature

tree saga part 3

I've been reading a book entitled The World Without Us by Alan Weisman. While I don't buy into everything he writes, the premise of his book is what would earth be like if every human being disappeared? I can tell you what would happen. The weeds would take over.

Honestly, when I think about what I/we spend on our yards to keep nature at bay, well, it's downright laughable. I take out things that would naturally grow and replace them with flora that need care and attention to survive their new habitat.

Thankfully, the good that comes out of our recent tree slaughtering is that the entire front yard has been completely torn apart and wiped clean. It was necessary in order to eradicate all the roots. That means I have a chance to start over. A chance to make right with nature.

I must admit that I am unwilling to go totally native. While there are many species of indigenous plants that would survive happily in my yard, I also like a selection that are drought and heat tolerant but are from other areas of the world. And therein lies the rub. I want what is on the proverbial other side of the fence. I want what doesn't normally grow here. And the joke of it all is no matter what plants I choose, I'm still going to be trimming and weeding and doing all that gardening stuff rather than letting nature be in charge.

But what is a weed after all? Merely a plant that we find undesirable. Nothing more. Nothing less. And thus, nature and I will be engaged in an ongoing battle. I'd put your money on nature.

A Calculated Decision

tree saga part 3
The machines of the Transformers movie have nothing on the big boys who came to play in our yard again. BobCat (BC) was back, joined by his partner StumpGrinder (SG). Their nemesis? A tree stump and roots that are bigger than a small ocean liner. They cut and pulled all day long against the stubborn and invasive left-overs of what used to be my beloved tree.


Funny how something that was once so adored is now seen as an overbearing problem. What formerly brought joy now brings annoyance as I watch the men and their machines fight with this once noble tree.

Actually, it's kind of sad. I feel sorry for that tree. It's stump and roots were only doing what they were designed to do ~ bring life-giving nourishment to the branches and leaves. The mistake was made by man, not nature. Man put this magnificent tree in a space that was far too small to accommodate its girth and growth. Man made a poor decision and got more than he bargained for, which necessitated destroying the very thing he wanted.

The lesson? Be careful, very, very careful, when choosing our next tree. It's kind of like dating a whole bunch of men to find the one special man. The one guy who fulfills your requirements for a good mate, faithful companion, friend and lover. We need to do our homework to know what is right for what we need, and not to get caught up in an emotional buy.

Today is the Day

Today is the day that Sandra J Wing has been dreaming of for a year.

Today is the day that her foundation will accept applications from cancer patients who are undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatment, and want to experience the benefits of healing therapies to help ease the discomfort of their treatment.

A cancer survivor herself, Sandra had a vision to help others the way she had been helped. Over the months family, friends, co-workers and strangers caught her vision as she enthusiastically and tirelessly spread the word. They have donated thousands of dollars to fund her new nonprofit organization.

Today is the day that there is enough money in the bank to begin funding alternative healing therapies, such as massage, acupuncture and visual imaging, for applicants whose insurance won't pay for them.

You, too, can catch the vision and make a huge difference in helping a cancer patient by donating to the Sandra J Wing Healing Therapies Foundation. Go ahead, make Sandra's day ~ she will be only too happy to pass on her good fortune to others.

www.healingtherapiesfoundation.org