I bet you'd never guess ...

You know there is a lot that goes into 80 years of living. April 15 I will celebrate my 80th birthday. As you might guess I've been considering how I got to 80. It just so happens that my life has been absolutely lived, absolutely!

For some of us particular birthdays are like a time to evaluate and think about the age we are becoming before that particular number. Remember adding "a half" when you were a kid? Indicator that we were in a hurry to grow up, to reach a particular age. Maybe the age of an older sibling and a lot a times it meant we would be allowed to do something or have something when we get to be that age.

Turning 80 is different. It's kinda funny to imagine now instead of saying I'm 79 and a half, it's probably more like digging my heals in the ground in an attempt to slow down and not get there so fast. Not that I don't want to be 80. Actually it's kind of a prize. What's really interesting is the looking back.

At this age I'm the only one remaining in my family. The Mom and Dad are gone and my only sibling also. I grew up living with my grandmother on my Mom's side living with the four of us for about 12 years of my life and of course she is gone. My husband is also gone 17 plus years ago. I have 2 daughters and for the youngest daughters family I'm the only grandparent for her children.

I don't spend a lot of time on a daily basis thinking about how life use to be, but it can be interesting as I continue having birthdays. Most people I know, even those I've known for a long time don't know a lot about my life growing up and that's because it was different. I didn't live in the same town between birth and 18. I didn't grow up with the same friends through those years. Where a lot of the people my age that I'm friends with remember their elementary school teachers' names. Even their class mates all through school. 

I have never been to a school reunion which use to be the thing to do for some of my friends. Even now I have a friend that goes to her high school reunion every year. I don't remember any of the names of the other students I went to school with at the school I graduated from.

Just a peek at the states I've lived in with a designated break between high school and the rest of the years. Here goes: Texas, California, Florida, Nebraska. Total number of cities in that time:, 8. (the different houses and school changes not reflected) After high school graduation the states are:South Carolina, North Carolina, New Mexico, Florida, North Carolina Texas, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Texas, North Carolina, Hawaii, North Carolina, Texas, Texas. Rwanda Africa.The number of cities: 21. I went to 14 different schools in 12 years. I moved on an average of every 2 and a half years. The first house I remember was in Fresno, California on Wilson Avenue and we moved from there when I was in the 4th grade. Our new home was in the country and I attended the Lone Star Elementary School just outside the Fresno City Limits. I have to say that was the best of all my youth moves because a dog came with the grape orchard, house, barn, several out buildings and an irrigation tank turned into a swimming pool. AND I got to ride a school bus. 

Certainly not a boring life. It's good that I have the personality that I have. I thank God for that. I've been able to look forward to the next new home, next city, next state, even next country with great zeal for what was ahead in life for me. Always an adventure. And today? Today is 1 week to my birthday and I'm moving to a Senior apartment complex across town and it's a gift from God, who gives good gifts. Hopefully, and I believe here, that it's my last move until I move to Heaven. I say it's a gift of God, from God because of the way it has come about and that it has every element that I've done without since 2006 at the passing of my beloved husband and my life completely changed. Every area including my living conditions meaning the places I've lived since have been less than what I thought I wanted.

I've learned to live without and now those elements of home are being restored in such a remarkable way and I give Him the glory for this gift He is giving to me. I move in to my new apartment May 1st.  Totally unexpected and it shouldn't have been possible...but it's happening anyway. That is for another post. My post title "I bet you'd never guess..." probably should read, "I would have never guessed!".

In these present days I'm packing and making all the necessary decisions and doing the work to prepare for the actual day I move. I have about 3 weeks left to wind it all up and these days are not without bumps and puzzles regarding decisions. The "but what about.." questions pop up daily but daily I'm assured when God gives a gift He gives it completely leaving nothing out, so there's nothing to worry about along the way. I'm learning so very much about trust and hope and taking one step and one day at a time. Talk about an exciting trip I'm taking on the way to occupying his gift of home to me.

I started writing this post a couple of weeks ago and today is the actual day to post it. Not sure when the next post will be. Quite possible after moving day May 1st...guess I'll just wait and see. Hope you enjoy reading this one. Please leave a comment, even just a hello would be great. Until the next one, Look up, move forward and enjoy the day. Surrounded by boxes I am...Judy

A surprise!

 First time bloomer this color was unexpected in my front flowerbed...

maybe a goodbye ...sure is pretty.

Boxes, boxes boxes-how to survive a forced move!

 

That's the way it was just before the movers came in and took all my stuff away to a pod on the apartment complex property. I had packed and packed and packed some more until everything was in a milk box from the local grocery.

Next came the hotel that Milo and I stayed in for a few days until the 16th of February.

I had planned for a swimming pool and hot tub, even buying bathing suits but, alas it wasn't to be, so Milo and I took walks on the grounds of the hotel and visited the dog park which wasn't too very far away.

And Tuesday late afternoon, finally home again with all new cabinetry and flooring and freshly painted walls. Same ole' address but new insides...and now the fun begins. Just a few boxes left to unpack and then it's all about finding/creating a place to put things. The bulk of my belongings is craft supplies and tools. My bedroom is now my craft room. Leaving a small space for the new twin bed, I've managed to create my new craft space. The challenge now is organizing all the supplies.

Surviving a forced move is no easy task. How was it a forced move? Well, let me tell you all about it! My apartment complex, a senior citizen complex was purchased by a new owner. The new owner then sold it to a new owner who opened up our complex to families and re-established the complex as a low income apartment complex. Within a year the plans to renovate each apartment became a reality and notices began to show up on the clip outside each apartment door. The notices were instructions and procedures for each resident on when and how their individual move out of their apartment would be made.

According to the notices each resident was responsible for packing up all their belongings in their current apartment. At a scheduled time and date the belongings would be moved from their apartment into a pod set on the premises of the complex. The resident would vacate the apartment every day between 7:30am-5:30pm every evening for 11 days (not including weekends). The resident would be allowed to sleep on a mattress on the floor with a chair, lamp, tv and a tub with their belongings. $350 in gift cards would be given for food. When move-in day came the resident's belongings would be moved back into their apartment from the storage pod.

As you might imagine there was such an uproar by the residents that many were put up in a hotel rather than sleeping on a mattress on the floor. Our oldest resident is 92. One of the local TV stations carried a story about the apartment complex renovation project just a few evenings ago. I'm pretty sure this will be an ongoing story for a while anyway. Check out KCBD 11 Lubbock TX on Southstead Apartment Renovation Project 2-24-24 or there a bouts. There's way more to the story as the residents move back into their apartments only to find poor workmanship and the ongoing interruptions as work continues daily.

Life goes on in my little corner. Milo and I refuse to be disgruntled about how we've been treated. There are lots of residence that are much more between a rock and a hard place over this forced move than me. We've lost a lot of our neighbors because of the manor in which things are panning out as we go along. We are going to be ok...

I remain, Judy, writing to you this evening from my tiny little alcove of my bedroom. Milo is curled up beside me but not snoring...yet. It's a new perspective of my world and I'm up for the changes and getting to invent new things and ways in my apartment. The pear trees are blooming in Lubbock. Beautiful. God bless everyone...

February 2024 Already!!!

 

February 2024 is already in process and it just keeps moving forward. Doesn't seem possible that the days should be allowed to move by so fast. It's actually always like that unless there's there's something pending up ahead you can't hardly wait for.  Like Christmas, Birthdays, meeting someone special, or going somewhere special. When those pending things are, well, pending time seems to go so slow. Otherwise I don't know about you but I seem to wake up and notice it's another weekend ahead and what happened to those days in between.

So why this subject today...As my apartment complex continues to be renovated, everywhere I look, there's construction and heavy equipment, worker men everywhere. New, air conditioners per apartment, new roof over every apartment, front and back paint job, movers moving belongings from apartments to pods and back again. My apartment belongings are almost completely packed for Tuesdays move out. After my belongings are in storage I will go to a motel for 15 days. If that really happens, It's supposed to because she promised she would find a place for me and Milo.

I will spend 15 days in a motel and I plan on making it a vacation of sorts. Spending time doing a puzzle or two, writing, hot tub every day, free breakfast every morning and a walk with Milo and depending what the motel grounds are like. No Bible Study on Tuesdays, not even church on Sundays. I will be on vacation. Haven't done vacation in several years.

I bought a stroller for Milo so if it arrives in time  we will take walks and he will go with me in the mornings to breakfast and to the pool. This whole renovation has been very stressful on all the residents in our complex. When it's over there will be redecorating and much fun and I'm looking forward to 18 days from now. 

I need the time off.

🖼I must be winding down at the prospect if relaxing because I can't think of anything else to say. I am gonna attach some pics of my stacked boxes for the movers to take away on Tues.

                                                       

Controversy: hymns or choruses? Then or now?

"David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was wearing a linen ephod." 2 Samuel 6

Just a loin cloth, nothing more. David's wife was distraught to say the least that he, David would uncover himself before the eyes of his servants' maids, as any vulgar fellow might shamelessly uncover himself/" (2 Samuel 6:20) David replied, "It was before the Lord...I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes"...David's wife had no children, which likely meant to communicate that God took David's side. The time the nation's leader danced in his underwear  (blog) fumcr.com

I hear every once in a while about how hymns are so much better than the choruses sung now all over the world. I'm listening to Hillsong at this writing. My husband and I went to Christ For The Nations (CFNI) in Dallas, Texas and graduated in 1987. We were in our early 40's, the rest of the student body were 18-30 with just a few of the older generation.

I grew up, for the most part in the Methodist Church singing hymns. In the '80's I was introduced to choruses. My husband and I graduated from CFNI and walked into our first small church as pastors in Oklahoma. A beautiful blonde baby grand piano was placed at the front of the pews, as is normal. The thing is no one knew how to play it. Our congregation numbered 7, all older than their new pastors. We were faced with a "situation" that was not covered in our training.  Yes, there were hymnals, very old hymnals but we just left our school that only sang choruses.

Of all the things I had dreamed of doing in our church when we got that far it wasn't to be the song leader. I recognize that's old terminology...I do.  So, how did these two new pastors handle this "situation"? We decided that I would be the Praise and Worship leader and we would sing choruses and an occasional hymn.  Our new congregation loved it! I mean they were thrilled to sing new songs. Songs with scripture as part of the verse.  It was the right time for them and though a momentary challenge for me (us) it was good. Did I mention it was all acapella? That beautiful blond baby grand piano never accompanied our Worship time. In spite of the challenges in our very first church, the church grew and then grew as we sang without a piano and singing choruses and an occasional hymn.

Here's the thing. There are some that believe the Praise and Worship of today is disrespectful and not songs of Praise and Worship because they are not in a hymnal. I've also heard it's because the same words are sung over and over and over again to no apparent end. What I say is not the end of the discussion, I know that, but it is my thoughts based on my experience as a pew sitter and as a Praise and Worship leader. I have experienced both kinds of praise and worship through song and with and without  musical accompaniment. 

My belief is, that it is not the song or the words or the writer or a hymnal that bring an individual in to the presence of God. One style is not the better or the best. Both are am means to offer our heart to our Creator in thanksgiving.  Our Praise and Worship of Him with all that is in us is our purpose. It is our individual heart that God sees as some make a joyful noise and others beautifully sing out of our heart and our love for our maker.  That is what I believe God listens to and receives.

We individually can certainly have preference over the style of song we sing. I personally love both, some of each depending on the moment and what's going in my heart. However, is it really important to say that what WE like is the BEST and the better way to sing the praises of our God? Is our individual preference the best for everyone, each one? How could one individual possibly know what is best for another heart. How could I tell you that in order to get it right you must sing what I prefer because it will relay whats in your heart to the lover of your soul the best way? Do we know the heart of the one who stands next to us in the pew? Can we really tell them how they should talk or sing to God? Or even THE way to praise and worship God? Can we?

When I am worshiping my God, I'm not thinking about anyone else or whether or not someone else is even listening or paying attention to me when they are singing too. It is a private time even though I may be singing the same words as everyone in the congregation, I am in His presence and my song is to Him and for Him.

I say in this writing...prefer what you like as long as it ministers to the Father in Heaven through the song you sing from your heart. Give the same choice of preference to every believer in the Body of Christ without a competitive heart before the Father. We don't get to certify that one style is THE style God honors. That's not His character nor should it be ours. God's heart is for us to love him first above all other gods and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.  It doesn't mean our neighbor is like us at all, it means we love them, respect, and encourage them to be all they can be in Christ...as we do for ourselves.

Love is always the answer.  I'm Judy, writing on my laptop from my red recliner on this Sunday evening. My you be blessed and rest in God's favor over you. 

 My newly planted Christmas Cactus bloomed for the first time. It was just a cutting from a friend.

Please leave a comment and let me know your thoughts on this or any thing you find on my blog. I'd love to hear from you.

 

And we are in...2024

 

Are you glad it's over?

I find it seems to always be a bitter sweet time when the new year is present and all the decorations seem to have lost their luster. Sometimes, in some years, there seemed to be an urgency to take all the decor down and pack it away as quickly as possible. This year it's a different story at my home...

I reside in what use to be a Senior Citizen complex and that recently changed to a family complex along with new ownership. In addition to new owners, a new community designation has come with complete renovation of the entire complex. The whole process had a slow start in mid Summer with much confusion and misinformation given out to the residents bringing an unsettled atmosphere among the residence, self included.

Today January 7 I have begun a 30 day packing process which will end February 6. On that day movers will come and remove all the boxes I've personally packed  of all my belongings and my furniture and remove it all to a pod for storage. The team of renovators, that is: painters,  those who will remove cabinetry and appliances. Carpenters, electricians and plumbers will begin work inside my apartment which will last approximately 8-9 days.

While the team works daily from 8 am-5 pm I will be out of my apartment with my dog.  Doing what? Well Milo will stay at Petsmart's Doggie Camp for each day and I will be footloose and fancy free. At 5 pm every day Milo and I will return to the apartment and spend the night leaving the next morning by 8 am. We will sleep on an air mattress on the floor, have a chair, a lamp, a TV and personal items for showering plus food and water.  There will be no curtains and possibly no window covering at all, no refrigerator or cook stove for a while.

Best case scenario is that there will be a refrigerator hooked up and a toilet plus bathtub/shower for use.

The workers will install new laminate flooring. Do not know what color it will be. Painters will paint everything bright white. New ceiling light fixtures as well as new kitchen cabinetry and appliances, new bathroom vanity and toilet will all be installed.  2" white blinds on all windows and new door hardware with new bolts and locks on the outside doors. All within 7-9 days. 

Life will certainly be adventuresome from here on until I'm settled back in my apartment with all my stuff to put away. I am looking forward to re-decorating in a whole new way. That will be fun.

So for today? Packing! I make a box run to United Mkt St. for milk boxes, the best size ever if you are doing all your own packing because they are small enough for a single senior woman to handle. My little car can handle 12 boxes a trip. I also have a friend who picks up boxes for me and brings them as she can. I buy tape and shrink wrap and paper as needed along the way. So far I've spent approx $50 on packing materials. I hope to be reimbursed for money spent but I don't know about that yet. My apartment is filling up with boxes in every room and there's about half left to go. But...how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time and so everyday I pack some boxes. Some days more boxes than other days but it's gonna be done by February 6th, I have no doubt. Oh, and I have to remove all nails and curtain rods and hooks in the walls and also shelves that I've put up.

I did ask if when my things are moved back into my apartment if I can put shelving back up and the answer was yes.

Let me just say this about that!!! My take on the whole thing is this...I might as well look at it as an adventure and enjoy all the differences it's introducing into my daily living as this whole project plays out for me and look forward to the blank canvas I will have to set up a new living space with much thought and creativity this "adventure" requires of me.

"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--thing about such things." Philippians 4:8  (this is how to keep one's sanity during such adventures!!)

Until next time...I'm Judy in my red recliner writing while Milo is asleep in his crate with the door open.

May you and yours be richly blessed in this new year of 2024 through the Love of Jesus Christ. "He is the way, the truth and the life..." John 14:6