This’n’that

Post from the road…..

Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel
Wandered the grounds of the Grand Californian last evening, enjoying the relief of Southern California weather perfection…….It is amazing how a simple change in the weather can improve one’s outlook. We went from the arid and blistering 110 heat of the desert and crossed over into  balmy 75 degree heaven……Ah, the simple joy of opening windows and letting things breathe……..A thing that we all take for granted until we can’t do it. I hope I never lose the joy of appreciation.
I was up with the chickens as usual this morning. Elaine’s Nephew insisted that he would be the first one up, but I knew better. My eyes were opened at first light, at the sound of birdsong in the air. I tiptoed out to where everyone was sleeping and made the first pot of coffee, then went out to greet the morning. I was treated to a barest of sliver moons in a pastel sky.
I read from one of the books I brought…..The Holiness of God, by R.C. Sproul…..jotted down a prayer request and a blessing in my prayer journal and then took a stroll around the RV park. It was wondrous. Just being up…..just being able to be cool…..to watch the birds flit from tree to tree, (we don’t have trees this big in Arizona)
Made me feel like I was just waking up to creation all over again.
As I sipped my first cup of coffee made in the old aluminum pot, I was very glad I had made this trip……

Car Wars

No pictures today, I can’t get blogger to upload a single image…..

Living in a commuter-belt, as I like to call it. I long to wake up on a quiet street. This morning there was a little bird trying to compete with the hum of the freeway, that assault to my ears that takes place starting around 3:30-4:00 AM. I dream of living somewhere you could actually walk or bike to work. My friends and I biked everywhere growing up. Imagine being able to hop on a bike and be at work in about 15 minutes! I think it would improve people’s dispositions a lot.

Here in Arizona the road rage is out of control. As the temperature climbs it gets worse. Yesterday I got in my car after visiting with a friend at Paradise Bakery and the gauge read 115! It always amazes me how someone can get so impatient with the poor pedestrian trying to cross the street at Walmart, when they are out in the hot sun and there is the driver, the air-conditioning blowing their hair back making exasperated faces when they have to wait.

I definitely have a love-hate relationship with cars. Everyone that knows me, knows about the strange dreams I have about cars and driving. Some of my oft-repeated ones are:

I realize I am in a car and nobody is driving.


I am driving from the backseat and there is a stop sign coming and I can’t get to the brakes fast enough.


I am driving a very small Flintstones like vehicle that I can easily pick up and move around. One time I dreamed that it had no floor.


I am driving in the half-light and I can barely see where I am going (usually this takes place on the freeway)

Last night I dreamt I was in a big pickup truck where I could pre-programmed  the whole trip and all I had to do was get in it and ride, the truck drove and steered itself.

I think there is a reason Europeans don’t have the weight problems we have. From what I hear, they eat bread, cheese and pasta with real butter and don’t gain weight. I think this is because they walk and bike everywhere. Maybe this is a myth, I don’t know, never having been there.

I dream of a quieter world without motors. Don’t get me wrong, I love my little car. I call it my little buggy-wuggy. (It’s a bright yellow bug) I am also looking forward to taking a motor home trip this coming week, and I love that too!

I don’t think there will be any kind of motorized vehicle in Heaven. I don’t think Jesus needs a car to get where He wants to go.

The Dad you never had

Father to the fatherless, defender of widows—
this is God, whose dwelling is holy.
God places the lonely in families…….Psalm 68:5,6
That’s Our God!
I am blessed, truly blessed. I had a real Dad. We were pals, and still are. My Mom was the disciplinarian in the family, Dad could never do it. I never doubted that he would have walked through fire for me. His own Dad left the family when he was very small. That day haunted him all his life. I don’t think he has ever fully recovered, even at 82 the memory is as clear now as it was way back then. He determined that when he had kids, it would be different. I can never think of a time in my life when he wasn’t there for me.
But I know that is not the case with many.  
This post is for you. For all of you who longed desperately to see a face in the crowd rooting you on, and for everyone who was crushed and disappointed when Dad broke a promise……for the hundredth time. For those of you who never had a Dad who cared enough to make the promise in the first place, and everyone who ached for love and kindness and got harsh critisicm instead.
Or angry words……
For those who longed to hear, “I am proud of you!” You might be all grown up now but even so, the child in you still wants to hear it.

And that thing you were really really good at, that God made you good at?  That thing you stopped doing because nobody was in the stands? When you gave up on yourself? God saw that. He was cheering from the stands and saying…..I knew you could do it!

He was proud of you then and He’s still proud of you now. Feel His love wrapped around you today.

He’s the Dad you never thought you had.

If you always longed to feel the strength of a big hand wrapped around yours, letting you know that everything in your world was safe, take heart. God can fill that void perfectly. He can take all those empty spaces and replace them with His great love and protection.

Oh, how He wants to do that for you today.

And Daddy, remember how you shopped for weeks looking for that perfect Christmas gift for me? You must have been so excited for me to open it, that beautiful hat and matching scarf. Back then I thought I was too cool to wear it. Forgive me for being too childishly selfish to fully appreciate your gift of love. I wish I had it back now. If I did I would wear it proudly and never let it go……I love you! Happy Dad’s Day.

I really like you!

“God promised to make you free. He never promised to make you independent.” — Madeleine L’Engle (The Irrational Season)

I went downstairs to the cafe today at work. There were people everywhere, people I had never seen before. I thought,“Who are all these people and where do they come from, and what is their story?” Then I thought……”Why do I feel so disconnected to them all?”

I guess because I don’t know their stories…..You sit by a stranger and they start telling you things about themselves and they are no longer strangers, they are potential friends. Especially if they are going through some of the same things you are. There is a kinship, instantly. You figure out how you are the same and how you are different…..what you have in common and what you don’t.

There is a solid connection where there was only possibility before.

I guess that’s why I love this blogging thing. I feel connected to all of you, like I do know you….well, at least I feel like I do. And I like you! We have never met face to face, but I count you all as friends. That’s what Jesus said, “I have called you friends.” I try to stop in at least every other day or so, to see what’s going on in your neck of the woods. Sometimes I comment, and sometimes I say a prayer as I’m reading your posts. Always, I am amazed by the wisdom and creativity I find there.

I want you to know I consider you my brothers and sisters, and I am glad you are out there. I’m glad God led me to your blogs, and to you. 

And someday, in this place or that other place we look to call home someday, we will meet, I am sure of it.

I really look forward to that day because……

I really do like you all!

“I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers, hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints, that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.” Philemon 1:4-6

Yours truly, trying to stay out of the sun!

When did pop lose its soul?

Is it just me???

Pop music has lost its soul. I was driving to work this morning after a very long stressful week and I needed to hear something that would make me smile…..a feel good CD. I had Simon and Garfunkel in there from awhile back, so I put it in. Instantly I was taken back……..I remembered high school English class….we all had to print out a popular song, read it out loud and then discuss the meaning behind the words….the soul of the song.

I must say, that at 14 I was very innocent. The song I chose was “The Boxer,” by Simon and Garfunkel. Before I read it aloud, I had to ask my Dad what a whore was. That was the closest they got to a bad word in the song lyrics back then.

I thought it would be interesting to compare the “soul” of pop today, with the “soul” of the pop of yesterday. Here are a few snippets I found that frankly, made me sad for where we are today…..

It doesn’t matter if you love him
Or capital h-i-m
Just put your paws up
‘Cause you were born this way, baby Lady Gaga
I got a dirty mind
I got filthy ways
I’m tryna Bath my Ape in your Milky Way
I’m a legend, I’m irreverent
I be reverend Kanye West

Feels so good being bad
There’s no way I’m turning back
Now the pain is for pleasure
‘Cause nothing can measure
Love is great, love is fine. Rihanna
(These were the ones I could write, the others were too foul)
and yesterday….
When you’re weary
Feeling small
When tears are in your eyes
I will dry them all
I’m on your side
When times get rough
And friends just can’t be found
Like a bridge over troubled water
I would lay me down….
I hear the drizzle of the rain
Like a memory it falls
Soft and warm continuing
Tapping on my roof and walls.
And from the shelter of my mind
Through the window of my eyes
I gaze beyond the rain-drenched streets
To England where my heart lies. Simon and Garfunkel
Ah! Poetry and words that touch the heart and soul.

In my opinion, music, like art and comedy should be universal. Something everyone can share and appreciate. It should inspire emotion, deep feeling, sadness, joy, wonder, longing….the full range of emotions. There is so much beauty, goodness, wonder and love in the world.

It makes me wonder what the fallout is going to be for our youth that fill their heads with this stuff……it is no surprise that so many are depressed and hopeless…..

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8

I leave you today with an almost prophetic song. To me this is one of the most beautiful pop songs ever written. If you get a few spare moments, pull it up on Itunes or Pandora and listen to it. Think about where we are today, everyone walking around with their heads bent, texting……plugged in, tuned in and tuned out of the world around them. It will produce some chills I guarantee it!

And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more
People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs that voices never share
And no one dared
Disturb the sound of silence
And a special side note of Congratulations to James and Elizabeth on your wedding day today….I wish you much joy and God’s grace to light your way……

How did we do that?

Ever look back and wonder how in the heck you got through something? All you can do is look back in disbelief and amazement and say, “How did we do that?” The wonder comes when you look back and see God’s hand in it every step of the way…..It has been that kind of a week. I fully intended to post today, but I have been in the midst of two difficult days at work. It is still going on……

Remember the book…..Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day? I lived the title yesterday, and so far it is better but still very challenging at work. I fully intend to make it to the other side and post with a bit more detail tomorrow…..

I promise.

But for now, my brain is fried, I just had to really think about how to spell “kind.” My left eye is twitching, and my teeth ache. I think I am grinding them at night. “SIGH”

I see the light at the end of the tunnel…..looking forward to going home.

Peace and blessings to you all, Lori

Pics from ’round here…..

Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, Miami Arizona
Some other interesting buildings in Globe, Arizona which is close to Miami. Yes, there really is a Miami, Arizona….some palms but no water!
Globe is one of those funky old mining towns that popped up during the late1800’s and early 1900’s. I love some of the old buildings there including this one with the pyramid shaped steps.
The Old Globe Courthouse
Courtyard of Blessed Sacrament Church
and this was the funniest thing I saw…..
Rent is real cheap, provided you aren’t afraid of heights! If you can’t climb you’re out of luck!

Remedy for Regret

The way I see it, one of the best ways to minimize regret both now and in the future is to cherish the present.  Nothing makes you feel more acutely the weight and passage of time more than knowing that you weren’t fully living it when you were there. The thing is, it takes time to learn that. I think of times spend with loved ones and I want desperately to get that time back because I know where my mind was back then. Too many times it was distracted……or I was irritated by some small thing.
Or focused on myself. I wish I could go back……redeem it somehow.  
Now that I have reached fifty plus two, time feels like an out of control river rushing under a bridge, and me watching from above. Instead of focusing on what time I still have, I get caught up in time I see already gone. It’s like trying to drive by watching the rear view mirror.

I lose sight of what is still to come, and there is so much more.

I think it is a mistake to think that once you get a certain age, the best years are behind you. Every stage of life is important and necessary and of great value and each season carries it’s own unique lessons. And when I think of eternity, all I see is an ocean of time with an giant expanse of more joy and peace than I can possibly imagine. 

I am determined to live more right here in the present. I confess, this week my focus has been on just getting to the end of the week. I started the week already looking ahead to the weekend…..I wonder now what moments I stole from myself or someone else…….

That is the best way I can think of to let the people in my life, and God know that I truly cherish them……

Right now.

First two pics are from google
Last two were taken of niece Lauryn by her big “Sis”

Congratulations Graduate!

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5,6 

Congratulations to one special graduate today…..
Cassandra: You came into our lives and hearts as a little girl with bundles of energy and giggles…….you brought us “older” folks some spark and light. A barefoot girl, you didn’t like shoes much, could barely keep a pair on you….well, that part hasn’t changed much! We marveled at how who loved to watch TV upside down. It seemed for awhile there, you were either running, screaming, twirling, or hanging upside down.
On one of our first introductions, we had a tea party and gave ourselves flower names. You made us laugh when you kept insisting we go back to the kitchen for real sugar, real milk, real tea. No pretending for you….I still have the picture of the three of us, you Elaine and myself, you with your pinky up and cup facing straight down.
In some ways I suppose I will always see you a bit like that, spinning around on the swing, hair flying. Making the neighbor boy sick when he tried to spin as fast as you…..Being pushed by Ivy the goat, also on the swing. I remember watching movies together and you falling asleep as I read aloud from whatever book I was reading at the time.
You passed me in height, which I realize is not saying much, me being vertically challenged the way I am. You grew into a beautiful young woman when I wasn’t looking, and I want you to know I am proud of you.
Proud of your work ethic, your sensitivity to others, your giving heart.
Hold your head high tonight, and savor the moment.
Realize that these are the times that we all wish we could go back to, if we only knew then what we know now. Pick a career you have a passion for, and don’t settle for anything less. When you love what you do, it won’t feel like work.
I will miss seeing you walk across that stage tonight, but I know you will have the love and support of friends and family to cheer you on. We will  be cheering too, from Arizona.
Remember us when you walk those halls in college, going about your day. Pause and remember when you feel a gentle breeze, that it is my prayer touching you on the shoulder.
The best advice I could give you to carry you through to adulthood is to hold God close and keep your Bible handy. If you do that, you will be at peace whatever happens. You will make mistakes just like we all do, but you have the character to get back up and keep going. And always remember:

“Angels on your pillow……………..Angels in your dreams!”
Aunt Lori

Never mistake knowledge for wisdom. One helps you make a living; the other helps you make a life.” Sandra Carey

We Are Blessed….

Help me not to live too fast or too preoccupied Lord, that I miss the beauty in little everyday moments. For these will not come again, and they need to be caught, captured. They are all a reflection of You….each and every little one.

Sometimes just the acknowledgment of these, is a form of prayer that God hears………He writes it down in His book, He takes note. We thank You, Lord for each and every moment you give us. When the gate of our heart and soul swing open to let You in……if only for a moment between breaths…..

 We are blessed…….

Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. James 1:17