Meekness, Grace and Tribulation

I sat in church on Sunday and thought about my trials and troubles I am going through. For some reason, the word meek came to my mind and of course, I got my usual picture of being a quiet and unassuming person. But then I really started thinking about those things that I call trials. And I thought about something that Sis. Jeanine testified about many years ago in church. She said that once you had a willing heart to go through something, then you have God's grace. I've found this to be true in things that have come my way. So, is this meekness? To allow the things that trouble you to just flow over you like water, to not be troubled by them, to know that you can't change anything and to stand aside and allow that. To have a willing heart to be run over like a steamshovel by a troublesome person? To say, "okay, this is not going to change" to a troublesome situation and have peace to wait on God. I think a little light went on in my brain in church Sunday and I'm going to hold on to it. Meekness. It's not something I will be able to say I own yet, but I am walking toward it.

I wanted to testify in church on Sunday about what I loved about the faith, back when I heard it. What I wanted to say was that I loved those things I read in the bible as a little girl; the words meekness, gentleness, mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, love, truth. Those words called to me from out of darkness. But,I had the opposite in my life...hatred, hardness, shouting, bitterness, jealousy; these were all I saw in my home life. I'm so thankful that God gave me those beautiful words of life in the faith. I have seen truth and love and humbleness and kindness and mercy and gentleness and even meekness overflowing in my life around me. I am so thankful that He gave me the Faith when I so needed and wanted it!

Online NW

On Friday I got a chance to go to a conference called Online NW . I went in my capacity as a Community Library Specialist, which is my other persona, when I'm not keeping home as a Wife/Momma/Grammy. I am really interested in bringing my little library into Web 2.0. In fact there is a name for this, it's Library 2.0. If you are not familiar with the name, Web 2.0, you are at least participating in it by reading this blog and having your own blog. Any kind of blog, wiki, podcast, vodcast, widget, blidget, etc. is part of Web 2.0. Next generation Internet. So, Library 2.0 is using the tools of Web 2.0 in a library setting; more precisely on library websites. Here is a link to my library's website http://thebestlibrary.net/corvallis/default.asp You can navigate to my New Monroe Library Blog by clicking on the Monroe tab and you'll see my 3rd blog. Not very interesting unless you are excited about a new library building for Monroe. All of you who have put blingy things on your blogs like LibraryThing, or counters, or YouTube videos or even posting pictures are definitely using Web 2.0 and I applaud your interest in new Web 2.o technology! (sound of clapping!) Here is a new tool I heard about at Online NW, you can use it to check on how many people are visiting your blog, how long they stay on your site, and where they are located. Have fun! It's called Get Clicky and it's found here: http://getclicky.com/

Busy As Can Be

My family has kept me so busy lately! What with a new grandson and taking care of the momma and big brother, babysitting so Son #3 and his wifey could go out on a date and lots of dinners shared with everyone, I've been busy, busy and more busy! I think I've been so busy that the old flu bug going around can't keep up with me! Let's hope so anyway. So I thought I'd post a few random things floating around in my life right now. Here they are:
1. Why was that chicken sounding like a rooster in my backyard this morning and who was that cute man out there trying to figure it out?
2. Oh I forgot! That's the cute man I've been married to for 27 years as of today! Happy 27th Anniversary honey...I'm praying the Lord gives us 27 more...
3. It's now 8:49 and did Son #6 forget to put on his alarm clock AGAIN?
4. When will I get rid of that dead plant in my bathroom?
5. I have a mental picture in my head of a video chat with Son #3 on his new MacBook. He was playing with the video and making his head look so funny that we were all really ROFL...and all we could hear in the background was "grammy, I'm coming to your house now!" from Granddaugher #1!
6. Today I get to go and get material for two more quilts! One is for Bro. Danny and the other is for Son #1...

Sounds like I'd better get busy again!

Check Out My Other Blog...

I've been so inspired by daughter in law #3's recipe blog, that I decided to start my own cooking type blog... I thought it would be fun to have a Menu Blog! One of the first things that The Dad's sister taught me when I lived with them 29 years ago was to write out a menu, then a shopping list from that menu and then go shopping. I have followed her advice all these years and have made countless menus. On my new blog, From My Table To Yours, I will be adding each month's menus and maybe some recipes. Also, in the sidebar will be some of my favorite cookbooks that I've added on my www.librarything.com

Here it is!

http://mytabletoyours.blogspot.com/

Could and Should

Have you ever stopped and thought about what full lives we all lead? That seems su·per·flu·ous because we all; as moms and wives and sisters are so caught up in the doing part of living. It's hard to stop and just think a while! I'm so caught up in "What I Should Be Doing", that I forget about "What I Am Doing".

I was chatting with a mom at the library today and she was lamenting the fact that her home was not as well organized as someone else's she knew. I felt so bad for her! Having put myself through this rigmarole for what seems like centuries, I told her to just stop! Her kids seem happy and cared for, she obviously spends time with them and they are healthy. After pointing this out to her and saying that for all she knew, she was doing something really great that the other mom she thought had it together wasn't doing, she heaved a big sigh of relief and said she hadn't thought about it like that before. We all do good in one thing or another...we all can't be best in everything.

So, that got me thinking of my life and all the things I run around and do. I know I should be 99 other places doing 100 other things than "What I Am Doing" at any given moment in time. No doubt about that in my mind. What pressure! Do I ever stop and just enjoy the moment of "What I Am Doing" --right now? Sometimes I do...most times I am thinking of "What I Should Be Doing". If I am here, I think I should be there; if I'm there, I think I should be here. You probably know the drill.

Tonight I came home from one of my long days at the library and I needed to make dinner...and I hadn't planned an easy one. I knew I had to peel those sweet potatoes. Gosh I didn't want to! I could and "Should Be Doing" something else. But as I peeled those potatoes; very slowly mind you, I started relaxing and enjoying my life. No big revelations came into my mind. No lightning bolts from heaven. Just a simple thought, "What a wonderful life I have". And you know what? I forgot about "What I Should Be Doing" for just a little bit, and even enjoyed "What I Was Doing"!