Do you ever wish sometimes that life could be simpler?  I mean – take restaurant menus for example.  Do you remember when the only choices at McDonald’s were hamburgers, fries, and shakes?  Now they have quarter pounders, fish sandwiches, chicken sandwiches and wraps, and – well – you know what I mean.  And what about phone numbers?  Everyone had ONE phone number – their house phone.  Today there are cell phones, pagers, email addresses, websites, twitter and tweet sites.    And the grocery store didn’t take you a couple of hours to get through in the old days.

Today I learned to appreciate that we have choices.

I went with my friend to visit her husband at the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor.  (For those of you who know who I am talking about – he is doing fantastic!)  That medical center is HUGE!  There are at least 2 hospitals and tons of medical services for every specialty.  There are several parking structures – each numbered and specific to the different buildings.  There are roads running in circles around the numerous buildings that make up the center, with driveways in and out everywhere.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Michigan_Health_System
Once inside the complex, you can walk for miles and still be lost!  But I was impressed.  There is a lot of good to be said for your small town hospital – with, perhaps, more personal care given, familiar faces, and easier and more navigable surroundings.  But if you have a major medical need, I don’t think you can go wrong with a huge medical center like this one in Ann Arbor with all the specialized care there.  It’s a good thing that when it comes to medical care, there are different places and doctors to choose from.

After our visit, we went to Zingerman’s Bakehouse and Zingerman’s Creamery.  OMG!  Can you say currant rugelach?  Or burnt sugar gelato?  The breads and the cheeses – oh my!  I am so glad that Zingerman’s can produce foods that go way beyond a glazed donut, or plain vanilla ice cream!  They sell this cheese that they make there called “Detroit Street Brick” and it’s a fresh goats milk cheese with green peppercorns in it.  I love that stuff!
http://www.zingermansbakehouse.com/
http://www.zingermanscreamery.com/
Forget Wonder Bread and American cheese and give me Zingerman’s anytime!

Kudos to both U of M Medical Center and Zingerman’s for offering choices in our health care and what crosses our palates!

And now – kudos to Beth Moore and Living Proof Ministries.  If you haven’t done one of her bible studies before – you’re really missing out.  I did her study, “Believing God” through my church – and it was a life-changer for me.
http://www.lifeway.com/n/Popular-Authors/Beth-Moore?002=2138335&004=5790814677&005=127200182&006=26284079157&007=Search&008=
Right now I am working through her study, “Beloved Disciple.”  She was discussing the early disciples of God and how they tried to be pillars of the early church.  But these guys, like James, Peter, Paul, and Barnabas, all had such tainted and scarred pasts – who’d have thought they could come together to be leaders?  She described them as ‘unlikely brothers … never designed to match … each one distinct.’  She asks, “What need would cookie-cutter disciples meet?”  And then goes on to explain, “None of us were meant to match.  We were meant to fit together!  Two identical puzzle pieces don’t fit.  Oh, that we would celebrate that difference!”

What good would it have been if God had created us all the same?  Thank goodness we are all different.  Thank goodness we can enjoy our differences and choose who we fit best with!  I am sure you were wondering where I was going with this blog today – my thoughts sometimes really boomerang around in my head some days.  But it all seemed to have a common thread and theme when I looked back on my day and realized that diversity (of medical care, of foods, and of our friends and people around us) and having so many options and choices is such a gift for all of us.

I shall now go nibble some of my goat cheese with green peppercorns.

Did I mention the Fig Almond cake I bought?

Bliss.

Just Laurel

“Variety’s the very spice of life, that gives it all it’s flavour.”
―    William Cowper

Fall is my favorite season.  I love the crisp cool weather and the amazing colors of the changing leaves.  The smell of cinnamon, everything apple from cider to apple pies, raking leaves, the squash crop, and everything pumpkin all contribute to my delight in Autumn!

Ecclesiastes 3:1  There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.

Today was trash day.  I took an early morning stroll outside to roll the trash can to the street.  Oh my, what a view!  Fall in all it’s glory!  I quickly ran back inside to take these pictures for you!

Somehow, the time was right, and the two mighty oaks decided to let go of almost all of their leaves last night.  What a beautiful golden carpet that created!  I love it!

Daniel 4:12a Its leaves were beautiful.

When I turned around, my gaze fixed on the accumulation of leaves on my roof.  My first thought?  Yeah – Ted would be getting out the ladder and getting up there very soon!  He loves that roof!

1 Kings 13:13-15 So he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” And when they had saddled the donkey for him, he mounted it and rode after the man of God. He found him sitting under an oak tree and asked, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” “I am,” he replied. So the prophet said to him, “Come home with me and eat.”

Just so you can see the majestic oak trees I often speak of – here’s a picture of them!  They are the culprits of all my ACORN talk this year!

2 Samuel 18: 9-10 Now Absalom happened to meet David’s men. He was riding his mule, and as the mule went under the thick branches of a large oak, Absalom’s hair got caught in the tree. He was left hanging in midair, while the mule he was riding kept on going.  When one of the men saw what had happened, he told Joab, “I just saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree.” (funny!)

I strolled over to Amanda’s bedroom window where we have been watching our pet spider.  Look how big she’s gotten!
I think she is the kind of spider that will lay eggs and then die before winter.
I watch every day to see if she is still with us.  She has gotten quite large over the past weeks.

Job 8:14  What they trust in is fragile ;  what they rely on is a spider’s web.

 

As I started around the house, I noticed this thing on the side of the house.  Huh??  Looks like an ugly slug.  I was tempted to go grab a salt shaker, but decided to leave the guy alone.

 

 

Then I walked to the back corner of the house where I let Teddy put in his flower garden.  (my weed garden!)  Impressive!  The flowers were all in their glory!

 

 

 

 

 

I just wanted to share with you today the spectacular Fall that is happening.  You better look quick before the snow flies.  You know – this IS Michigan!

just Laurel

There was this man who had a dog which he was attempting to train, but alas had very little success. He was on the verge of despair when he happened across a very charismatic evangelist. He unburdened his soul to him, and he promptly informed him to leave the dog with him, and he would have it trained in a jiffy.
The next day the man returns, and asks how the evangelist got on. The reply was positive, and the evangelist calls the dog to give a demonstration.  Picking up a stick, he throws it and says, “Fetch.”
Instantly the dog takes off, grabs the stick and returns. The evangelist says, “Drop” and the dog drops the stick at his feet.
“Roll over,” and the dog rolls over. By this time the dog’s owner is very excited, and asks if he can have a go.
“Sure,” replies  the evangelist.
“Heel,” says the owner and the dog lifts one paw, places it on the man and says, “I command this sickness to leave you…”
(source: http://www.jokebuddha.com/Evangelist/recent#ixzz29sNqFJNV)

I think dogs would make wonderful evangelists!

My friend was to be gone all day today, and I offered to check on her dog, Buddy.  I went over to Buddy’s house shortly before noon.  I entered through the garage door, and expected to be greeted by a yapping, tail-wagging dog.  No dog.  “Buddy!  Buddy!”  I repeatedly called out.  After a few minutes, Buddy finally emerged.  Now Buddy is old, so I don’t know if he hadn’t heard me when I first entered his house, or if he was being cautious towards me.  Buddy knew me from previous visits so I was hardly a stranger to him.  Oh well.  As I searched for and retrieved a leash for him, he started showing a little excitement at the prospect of a walk.  “Walk, Buddy?  Want to go for a  w a l k ??”  I clicked the leash onto his collar and we were out the door.

Now, I have only owned two dogs in my lifetime and they were both females.  Buddy is a male.  As we walked around the block, I was amused at how we had to stop at every vertical pole or tree or shrub so he could whiz on it.  Really Buddy?  Must you?  I just found it so funny.  “Leaving your mark, huh Buddy?”  I laughed again at his latest squirt.  And that’s when I realized what a great evangelist he would be!  He was stopping every where to leave his mark.  Sprinkle a little of himself.  Wow – if only we humans could sprinkle a little bit of Christianity where ever we stepped.  Buddy took his time and was very thorough.  If an evangelist ever thought twice about making a stop somewhere because they knew they were among people of another faith, well Buddy never wavered making his mark on a lawn that boasted another resident canine.   I started calling him “Mark”.  That was a much better name.  “Mark.  Mark.  Mark.”  I kept saying ‘cuz that’s what he kept doing.

Did you know that dogs are mentioned in the NIV version of the bible about forty times!  They aren’t always nice references – but dogs are mentioned.  I did a little search about dogs and Christianity and found this interesting article:

Dogs in Christianity
Although there are a few negative depictions of dogs in Christianity, it is the most tolerant of the major religions. A great number of Christians believe that the shepherds who once visited Jesus brought dogs with them. Because of their dogs are often depicted in nativity scenes.
Many saints are also depicted as having canine companions. Saint Patrick was said to have been guided on many occasions by a large gray dog, whose chest bore the mark of a white cross. Saint Margaret of Cortona is often depicted with a dog tugging at her skirt, this is largely due to stories of her being dragged to church by a dog. Grigio, a gray colored mutt, was the protector of Saint Giovanni Melchoir, also known as Don Bosco. Bosco was a priest who worked mostly with children in the slums of Turin, Italy. Throughout the many stories of the saints and their dogs, there is always a recurring theme, which is that the dogs are messengers of God, always leading saints to safety and testing their loyalty.
http://www.animalshelter.org/pet-tips/324/Dogs_in_Christianity.html

I had a good little walk with Buddy, er, uh, I mean with Mark.  It was fun to see him so joyously spread his good news!  You know we are all, in essence, evangelists, if we happen to mention Christ in our day-to-day activities.  I hope I can be like Buddy – I mean Mark – and spread the good news joyfully and unashamedly to everyone!

just Laurel

Ralph Waldo Emerson
How much of human life is lost in waiting?

On the top of the pile of things my crazy mind is thinking about today, is the realization of how much time all of us spend WAITING.

We wait for the traffic light to change to green.
We wait in line to pay for our groceries.
We wait for our hair to grow out.
We wait for the six weeks or six months until a planned vacation can be taken.
We wait for dinner to be ready; for the wet clothes in the dryer to dry.

The list goes on and on.

Benjamin Franklin
He that waits upon fortune, is never sure of a dinner.

And the waiting we do is never done with pleasure.  As we wait, we often pace impatiently.  We get tired of waiting.  We can’t wait until something is going to finally happen.

Synonyms for “wait” include:  bide, delay, hold back, hold on, keep shirt on, lie in wait, stall, and keep your shirt on.  “Waiting” is not a nice word nor a nice thing.  It always refers to holding out for something to happen, arrive, come to be, or change.

Dwight D. Eisenhower
Neither a wise nor a brave man lies down on the tracks of history to wait for the train of the future to run over him.

The other day I had to wait for an hour to see the eye doctor.  But when that hour was up, I had to reschedule because I had a dentist’s appointment to get to!  I never saw the eye doctor that day.  I was a little bit angry.  All that waiting with no reward in the end.  I will go back next week.

My friend’s husband just found out he needed heart bypass surgery on Monday.  After trying to get comfortable with the idea of major surgery in just three short days, the surgeon’s office called and rescheduled him for tomorrow morning!  He didn’t exactly like that.  He knew he was going to have two days to wait and to get ready, now his wait got cut short and his couple day wait got changed to a wait of less than twenty-four hours.  The sudden shorter wait was even more uncomfortable and now I am sure he can’t wait until it’s over!

A special needs friend of my daughter, Amanda, suddenly needed help with getting her clothes changed.  This friend lived by herself in an apartment and had part-time staff that came to help her.  This poor girl was sitting in messy clothes, waiting for some mystery new staff worker to show up and help her get cleaned up.  I wanted to cry for this poor girl.  Waiting for someone to show up to help must have felt like an eternity.

Benjamin Franklin
If you have time, don’t wait for time.

I have learned that it is pretty much a waste of time to sit around and worry.  I want to add to that and say that it is a waste of time to sit around and wait, too!  Two bad ‘w’ words!  haha  I’ve got better things to do than be worrying and waiting!

Maybe if I try not to think that I am waiting for something – but rather have it be that I am anticipating something!  That sounds better.  It makes me look forward and expect something.  It’s a positive way to wait.

I hope all the things you are waiting for happen all in good time.  🙂   Don’t waste your time waiting.

just Laurel

Hebrews 6:15
And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.

Romans 8:25
But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently

I don’t want you to go a day with having something from me to read!  Writing my daily blog is a priority.  But I am so very tired.  The alarm went off at 5:15 this morning for me to get an early start at work.  Tomorrow’s alarm will be even earlier.  So, I cannot comprehend a lengthy blog for you tonight.  My apologies.  Instead, I will share a few pure facts that take little discussion – simply sharing with you a few tidbits I shall title:  “Didja knows?”

Didja know my husband was on the roof again tonight?  I guess there are still acorns filling the gutters, but the leaves are starting to fall as well  He says he doesn’t enjoy getting on the roof.  Baloney.  I really think he likes it up there.  Maybe it makes him feel elevated (haha yeah) or just like superman or something.  I have to confess that I was getting dinner ready when he climbed the ladder to the roof.  I suddenly heard a very loud THUD on the roof above.  I had visions of him falling, and seriously thought for a brief moment that I should go check on him.  But I didn’t.  I was too tired.  I simply gave it a few minutes and hoped I would hear him moving around again.  I did.

Didja know that October is Spina Bifida Awareness Month?  Yes it is.  Spina bifida uses a light yellow colored ribbon for our cause.  Want to know more about spina bifida?  Read:  Amanda, Perfectly Made!

Didja know that tumor on my hand is starting to hurt?  I see the surgeon next week and then I’ll have a surgery date.

Didja know that we have decided to keep Amanda close by and have secured an apartment just down the road from us?  It’s on West Road.  When I told her our change of plans, her first response was to ask, “So I’ll get to go to St. Paul Church every weekend still?”  When I answered that, yes, that was true she responded with a big smile, “Yessss!”

Didja know that squirrels forget where they hide about half of their nuts?

Told you I was tired.

just Laurel

 

 

If you are keeping up to date with reading my blogs, you will have read about my trip with Ted to the emergency room about a week ago.  Ted was experiencing some pretty extreme left arm pain, so we took that heart attack warning sign seriously and went to the ER to get checked out.  He was fine.  Throughout the wee hours of the morning as doctors and nurses checked on Ted and wrote their reports, the repeated question to Ted was, “Describe your pain.”  Ted had a tough time with that question.  They wanted to know if it was burning, or stabbing, or dull, or achy and on a scale of one to ten, what number was the pain at.  Ted had to ‘hmm’ and ‘haw’ over that.  “My arm hurts and my fingers are numb!” was all he really wanted to say.  And he thought that ‘scale from one to ten” was silly because he knew how much it hurt – but how bad would it get?  Could it get?  Was the pain he was feeling a “nine” because it was almost as bad as it was going to get or was he only whining about a “four” so watch out for when it’s really going to hurt.

Today I was thinking about his pain report and realized that the reason Ted struggled with his answers was because Ted was unfamiliar with pain.  Ted is healthy and has no painful health ailments to complain of.  No achy arthritic joints, no sore back problems.  He has never been through enough attacks of pain to be proficient at giving measurable descriptions of the pain he was having.  That’s a good thing, of course.  No one really wants to be familiar with pain, although I realize many are.

They say that Eskimos have a whole ton of ways to describe snow.  Well, of course they would!  They get a lot more snow than most of us.  They are familiar with snow.  So, whereas we can speak about a wet snow or a powdery snow, the Eskimo people,, or Inuit, deal with all sorts of snowy conditions.  The frequency of snow in their lives naturally gives them more familiarity of the different ways snow can come down and cover so that they are able to describe it more intimately.

Obviously, my point is that the more you get to know a thing, or a person, the better you will be at describing them.

Here’s another example.  You walk into a room and you are asked to describe what color the wall has been painted.  “White.” you may say.  But the trained eye of an artist or decorator may see opal, linen, eggshell, pearl, or countless shades of white.  The experienced eye will notice the differences and be able to describe the subtle variations.  They are familiar with color tints and hues.

So if familiarity increases with how well you can describe something or some one …

Then tell me about Jesus Christ.  If you just say “He’s God.  He’s the guy I talk to on Sundays,” then I don’t think you know Him very well.  Through the centuries, people have called God by many names as they got to know Him and experience Him.  Have you gotten to know Him?  Are you familiar with him?  Some call Him Lord, love, life, friend, or King of Kings.  He is Jehovah and the alpha and omega.  He is rest to the weary and peace to the worried.  He is hope to the hopeless, and strength to the weak.

Are you familiar with Jesus?

just Laurel

Matthew 16:15  “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”