Edifying People

The word edify in Greek means to build or construct so when it comes to people we can build each other up.

There are different ways that we can build or edify people. We can start out by telling them how much they mean to us. We can give them a hug or a kiss if you like or a smile.

I believe that everyone can use a good word spoken to them along with affection. I certainly know that I enjoy it when someone does it too me.

Another way is to give the other person attention. In this way they know that someone really cares for them. We all want to be loved and having others showing us in one manner makes our day.

There are many different words we can say to a person to edify them. We can tell them that they are kind and attractive. Being told that you are smart and have a lot to offer is a good thing to do as well.

Going to someone and get into conversation is another good way for them to feel better about themselves. You can do that at a coffee shop or grocery checkout line. You don’t have to know the person at all just let them know that you care in your own way.

I have an example where yesterday I was at my local coffee shop and I saw a woman that I have known for a long time though not a real close friend. I had heard that her son recently had a heart attack. So I went up to the table she was sitting at and greeted first with a hello to her and a couple other ladies. I let her know that I heard that her son had a heart attack and I was wondering how he was doing. She told me that he was doing much better and she appreciated that I cared. Things like that whether big or small are ways to edify people.

Whatever your purpose is in life edifying others should be part of the package. Whenever we do it for others we should be built up in return.

I have had times where I have gone in depression and discouragement. When I start encouraging others than the depression goes away because I am no longer thinking of myself. It is important to ask for help from others if they don’t realize that you are going through something. People do really care though they may not recognize that you are not doing well. After that they will build you up and encourage you. This will allow you to get back into strength and edify others too. Let life where helping others is something comes natural to you. It may not be easy at first however at time you will feel satisfied. Amen!

A Wet February

                                         Cleanup while Snoqualmie Pass Closed Feb. 2017

Here in the northwest it has been the rainiest February on record. Even California has had record rainfall as well. Portland, Oregon has had a couple good snow storms as well. We had a little snow early in February here in Gig Harbor though other areas nearby have had more. In fact this weekend east of Seattle they had some more snow. They received a few inches of snow.

The average rainfall for February at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is just less than two inches. They had seven inches of rain in the middle of February and I am sure now over ten inches. Certainly gives a good start to rain for the year that is for sure.

We did have some days where the sun did come out for a couple days before raining once again. A lot of people are ready for spring that is for sure. I am OK with winter long as we get some more snow which is unlikely however can happen because we have had snow in March before.

Last couple years we had some really nice and warm February’s so thought had to do with global warming. Now has swung back the other way. It was predicted back in September that we would have more than normal lower temperatures along with precipitation so that has worked out that is for sure.

Both the Cascade and Olympic Mountains have had above average snowfall this winter as well. The last three years was below average so it is nice to have the recovery of snow. Interstate 90 that goes through Snoqualmie Pass has been closed several times for a lot of snow and avalanche warnings. It is the main freeway that links Western and Eastern Washington together so when the roads are closed it is quite the handicap. Stevens Pass that is more north than Snoqualmie Pass can get people to Eastern Washington however they are usually closed as well which is the case this time. Stevens Pass is a great place to go skiing as well. Other alternate routes take at least twice as long to get over to Eastern Washington so you need to have a good reason to travel. A lot of large trucks go over Snoqualmie Pass so they usually wait out the time when it is closed; accustomed to this happening during the winter.

So if no snow comes to Gig Harbor in March I hope for a dry month. We certainly don’t need any more rain for sure however it happens that is how it goes.

Whatever your weather is like enjoy it very much and march on. Get it!

                                               

What is Considered a Good Life?

I am wondering how many people ask the question what is considered a good life or a successful life.

I have the feeling we try to get by everyday so having success in our life might not across our minds. Waking up every morning to another day I may consider success. Circumstances may tell us whether we are having success or not. So having a good life may be answered differently on what is happening at the time.

I wonder if a good life is depended on how long you live. I am sure some people think it about that way. The thing is though if you die young your mind probably hasn’t thought about a good life at all because you could be thinking you will live forever or at least a long time. I amazed by young people that have cancer or heart failure or something else that they know their days are numbered. They have the faith to fight on and appreciate life at the moment. It would be great if we all felt that way. This would be really true if we knew that today would be the last day of our life. These young people though they may have not lived a lot of years who die I would consider them having a good life because of the inspiration they are to others around them.

My conclusion is what makes a good and successful life is being an inspiration to others and living out our destiny no matter how long we live. I hope to life a long life however whatever long it really is I know that I have lived in my purpose and destiny.

On a personal note which has irony to it since I was planning on writing this before I found out one of my best friends growing up Bob is in ICU at St. Anthony’s Hospital here in Gig Harbor. I actually consider him my second best friend I had growing up. He is in the hospital for congestive heart failure and his heart is functioning at 10% so it doesn’t look good so I would appreciate any prayers. Thanks!

Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam

Two friends of mine Scott and Judi are on a trip going to all forty-eight states in the continental United States. At least that is their plan anyway.

It is so nice because I have been able to follow their trip through video on social media. Recently they were in the Grand Canyon. They said it was the best part of the trip so far. They started their trip in Easter Washington and went through Oregon and California before arriving in Arizona. They have an on line business to help support their trip.

The Grand Canyon is one of the best wonders to visit in the United States. I remember going to the Grand Canyon about twenty-five years ago myself. On that trip I left Gig Harbor, Washington and went for three weeks. I went into Oregon, California, and Nevada before going into Arizona. This was when I visited Hoover Dam as well.

I spent about a week in Las Vegas with my Aunt Marian and Uncle Jim on the way to the Grand Canyon. I so enjoyed driving across Hoover Dam into Arizona. Of course Grand Canyon was so magnificent to see and knew why so many people visited every single year. Everyone that has the opportunity should visit the Grand Canyon at the very least and Hoover Dam if you have the chance.

I enjoyed Las Vegas as well but I would choose Grand Canyon over Vegas if I had a time limit to travel. I really liked looking down in the Grand Canyon and seeing people riding donkeys. I hope that next time that I go to the Grand Canyon I will be able to ride a donkey myself.

Like Scott and Judi I hope to visit all forty-eight states. I have been to most of the east coast but not the mid-west. I look forward to writing about my adventure and taking pictures.

I have been to Arizona twice however the second time which was four years ago I spent in Peoria at my cousin’s place. We spent every day going to see the Mariner’s in spring training. Also did some hiking and went to the Phoenix Zoo. Certainly different than seeing the Pt. Defiance Zoo in Tacoma, Washington; all the animals in Phoenix were outside while Pt. Defiance has inside well as outside exhibitions. I enjoy both of them in their own way.

I really enjoyed going to spring training since I am a big baseball fan however it is nice to see other sites in Phoenix as well. Going out in the desert made me think of television shows like the Lone Ranger where the Indians now better known as Native Americans attack the white man. Jokingly I kept my eyes open to be sure I would not be attacked myself.

Always good to remember memories of trips been on whether with family or by myself. I haven’t been back to California or Nevada since but I look forward to a return trip in both places as well. In baseball or football I say either Go Mariners or Go Hawks in this case I will say Go Traveling!

Our Motivation

My purpose this year is to press on toward the goal I figure I must know my motivation too.

Actually whatever any of us do anything we must know the motivation behind it. I hope that the motivation is positive and not negative.  Our motivation is for the greater good.

I figure my motivation is to live in my destiny. Not always an easy thing to do because often circumstances will lead me another way but that is my motivation anyway.

So what is your motivation in life?  This would have to do with anything. Are you doing something because you want to please your parents or someone else? We should think about that. It is possible that you are not happy in your job or other things you do. At least not much as you would like anyway and the reason is because of your parents. If so I recommend that you change your motivation to please yourself. You may be doing the right thing but with the wrong motivation and changing the motivation you will be much happier. At least I think it is something for anyone to try.

There could be other reasons for motivations besides trying to please people. There is a possibility when you were a child you decided that when you grew up that there was something that you wanted to do and you’re actually doing it know however you’re not as happy or fulfilling as you thought. Also you may be very good at your job but not happy about doing it. My thought is that you may want to try something different. I have heard often people change professions three times during their working years; another thing for you to think about.

Motivation for whatever reason can give us a successful career and life. We have to think whether the motivation is positive or negative for us. If your motivation is positive and right for you continue pressing on toward the goal to accomplish everything you want. Amen!

 

Being Good

Often we try being good however we usually fail. Actually only God is good and compared to him we fail miserably.

We think that we are good but only God can make us good. Our natural way is not being good at all no matter how hard we try.

I may be nice to people when I talk with them however my mind is thinking not very good thoughts though I want to very much. If you are familiar with the Ten Commandments than you know that we don’t measure up either. We all have failed in at least one of the commandments if not all of them. I know that most of us have never committed murder but when we are angry than we have committed the act of murder. You may ask how or why but Jesus said that anger is the same to God.

What do we do than we have to repent. You not familiar with that term it means to turn the other way.  Other words when start feeling angry we must turn the opposite way. We can’t act out how we truly feel.

The reason that most of us are not in jail is that we have decided to obey the laws of the land. Another way we have a conscience that allows us to stay on the straight and narrow far as we can.

So like I say the answer to being good is to repent and set our heart toward God. All other ways we fail. This may sound wrong or harsh however that is how things are. Love is the reason to say these words. Without love we don’t tell others and we stay on the road to destruction. At some point we will get into trouble when not doing good so change our way of doing things. Not something easy because our natural way we are accustomed to doing. I hope this helps us all to live a better life. Amen!

Staying Close to Home

                                            Central Oregon Coast Near Florence




On Monday I was talking to a new friend. We met in the coffee shop I attend almost every day. I was introduced by a friend of both of us a few weeks ago.

Anyway he started talking about his trip to Florence, Oregon last week. I am not sure if I have ever been there however it is on the Oregon coast. His name is Tom and he used to live in Oregon before moving to Gig Harbor about three years ago. He is remarried after losing his wife a few years ago.

We not only talked about Florence, Oregon and the area around it however he mentioned that he had told his wife that it is important to travel around this area. She wanted to travel to other parts of the world and he told her there are a lot of places in the United States to see including Washington and Oregon. I told him that I agreed with him.

 I have lived here in Washington all my life however there are some places that I haven’t seen before here either along with Oregon. There are some places that I haven’t seen for a while either. Both Washington and Oregon have beautiful coasts to spend time at. Spending short trips around the area is nice and less expensive than going to other countries along with the rest of the USA.

I told Tom that is good to go on long trips outside the USA but they would have to be special occasions. A lot depends how much time you have and what you can afford. Wherever you live I recommend short trips and then save money for the large trips.

A couple that have been friends of my mother for some time are planning one of those special trips in June taking a cruise to the Baltic. That sounds exciting however I am sure expensive as well.

My pastor and his wife are planning go to South Africa in September along with their three sons. This is a once in a life time type of trip for sure since the plane tickets themselves will be around ten thousand dollars. The reason they are going is that he is originally from South Africa and his parents who still live there haven’t ever met their grandchildren and without them going won’t ever meet the grandchildren. I remember meeting them several years ago however that was before pastor and his wife had the three boys and his parents are old where they can’t travel long distance any longer so the pastor and family have to go instead.

There are so many lovely places to visit around the world however seeing the sites in the local area is cheaper and can be as rewarding as well. Here in Washington I can go places that can be done on one day or over the weekend. It is good if you have friends or relatives living where you plan to go help keep down the cost. Of course invite them to visit you as well.

My sister will be coming for a visit this summer so likely we will visit my cousin Jennifer and her husband Holt in Astoria, Oregon. They moved their last year when Holt retired. Jennifer is still working however she can out of their home. I have an old classmate who lives in Long Beach, Washington which is real close to Astoria so I hope to meet with him and his wife as well. I am sure this will be the beginning of several trips down that way. It helps when you have a relative in the area. Have great travel wherever you go close or far.

Responsibility

When it comes to responsibility it can take many different avenues.  I would say the most common for responsibility is to accept what our actions are especially the negative or something we did wrong or toward another person. In this case we should ask the person or if there is more than one for forgiveness. This doesn’t matter how big or small we feel it was if it affected other people.

Sometimes we should take responsibility when we didn’t do something though we could have even though others may not be aware of it. This kind of responsibility may take place in our heart more than anything and we can decide to do something about it next time.

Responsibility can be a funny thing too because we may feel that we should when it is not necessary as well. We may feel bad that we didn’t do something that is actually out of control. In this case we should forgive ourselves and move on. Why I say forgive because we hurt ourselves in a way that we should not have. This is where forgiveness does need to come in because often we are our worst enemy. This is where we can make it worse.

I am not sure why I brought up this today about responsibility other than it came to my mind. When it comes to our purpose and destiny it is important not only what they are however what responsibility we have to accomplish our purposes. I know it is easy to put things off for another time as well when we should take action.

I am not here posting to make any of us feel guilty but we do have to take responsibility when the time arises. This way we will feel free instead of guilty. So I hope that your day is going well and those around you are getting benefited from your presence. God bless you!

 

Presidents Day

I decided it was good to write twice this day. Actually I forgot I should write about this being President’s Day.

What is President’s Day? I am sure some people have forgotten however it has to do with George Washington and Abraham Lincoln birthdays. Actually I remember as a kid we had school off for both Washington and Lincoln’s birthday. Now they have wrapped it into one day.

I liked the fact that we got out of school for both of their birthdays. I have to be honest since that is what both Washington and Lincoln are known for is that I liked anytime school was not in session. I was not a big fan of school. I went to school because I was told so. If it was up to me I probably would have stayed home as often as I could.

Whenever I was sick I usually stayed home all week. Being sick for one day seemed to be a waste of time far as I was concerned. There had to be something real important for me to get back to school sooner than staying out all week. What that would be I have to think more about it.

Anyway Washington and Lincoln were two of our greatest presidents. Washington was a general and the people felt it was important to make him the first president of the United States. Whatever else he did was an added plus in my book while Lincoln was president during the civil war when the country was divided. He wasn’t very popular in his day like he is now however he was able to get rid of slavery.

Whatever we think of Donald Trump or any of the other presidents in recent years for sure we still need to honor this day because it is not really about any other presidents besides Washington and Lincoln.

One of the reasons the United States is a strong nation has to do with these two men. Of course there were other men and also women that have helped shape and make this nation strong however these two are our representatives for all Americans.

Our country may have a lot of faults however it is still a great nation. So much that there are still many that want to enter in every day and year. So today we honor these two great men and thank them for the duty to this great nation. May peace be in this land for many years to come. May we prosper and show the way to other nations on the right way to go. No matter whom the president is at any given time it is about the people of the United Sates of American. I consider it an honor to be a citizen of this fine country. Amen!

Marysville Restaurant

 

Village Restaurant favorite pies

                                                 During the fire at Village Restaurant

I often don’t write often about local news however this time I decided to. The reason is that quite a few times especially as a child our family used to stop in Marysville, Washington on our way back from either Bellingham, Washington or Vancouver, British Columbia.

On Sunday February 19 the Village Restaurant in Marysville had a fire early in the morning. What I saw on television looks like that the restaurant will be damaged quite a bit. This is the restaurant we would visit often on those trips going up north to visit relatives when I was a kid. Also, my mother and I have stopped at the restaurant in recent years as well. The restaurant has changed names at least once in all the years. The reason we stopped there besides that it was a good place to do so they served turkey and pie. Depending on the time of the year we didn’t always have turkey however we always had pie. They had several types of berry pies along with apple. Usually I had berry pie because they were among my favorite. Nothing better especially with vanilla ice cream and the atmosphere was very nice as well being a family restaurant.

Marysville is not a very large town so the Village Restaurant is one of the few located in the town. I really do hope that they do remodel the restaurant. I am sure they will since Marysville doesn’t have much more anyway like I have said.

I plan to be going up north at least once if not twice this summer. I hope that a remodeled restaurant will be in hand. I certainly am stopping by to see. I have to get my berry pie at the very least besides a nice lunch or dinner.

Inspiration

Most Christians go to church on Sunday’s. The main purpose is to worship and praise God along with spending time with their brothers and sisters in the Lord. Depending on the church you attend will be how you do worship. Every church is a little different. Not one church has the right way to worship God. In fact you may worship different than the person standing next to you. The importance is that you do worship and not how.

The other important reason to be at church is to be an inspiration to others around us. This should be part of our purpose in life. This can happen in church well as when we are out in the world.

Although we think so when we go to church the reason we are there is not for our own benefit but for others along with spending time with God. We may be strengthen during the time we spend in worship however we should be helping others out as well. Being an inspiration for others may be speaking a word of encouragement or letting know we care and love them. Also at times it can be just the way we act. We don’t necessarily have to say words for others to be inspired.

I know that there are times where we need to be inspired by others too. This works the same way we inspire others by seeing what they are doing. In fact this is a two way street that should work every week. It just happens some week’s people need help more than another. Hopefully we have someone that we mentor on a regular basis at church along with us being mentored.

I know that many churches have what they call prayer teams. I certainly know that my church does so if I feel that I need to have prayer I go up front at the end of the service. I hope at this point this is additional assistance after spending time worshipping God.

On Sunday’s there are times when I wake up where I feel selfish. This is when I don’t feel being an inspiration to others; however, this is when I should be more than any other time. This morning I feel a little sick however I hope that I have something to give to someone else besides the sickness. Right now I am praying for myself to be healed from my sickness. I am not feeling really bad just a little bit but I hope to be stronger as the day goes by. In the end I hope this inspires you too. Amen!

A Random Act of Kindness

                                                               All begins with love!

On Friday the Renton Washington Police Department said on social media that it was national random act of kindness day. I am sure they wanted to remind us all that it is important to be kind to our fellow man at any time. I am sure since they are a thinking how we can especially help when it comes to motor vehicles and traffic. I know that we can do so in many other ways and places too.

The Renton Police Department reminded me how on several different occasions where someone would let me know that I had low pressure in one of my tires or I had a light out or one of my turn signals wasn’t working. These act of kindness  make our lives a lot better off where we can have something taken care of before an accident may occur.

There are other ways we can be involved in random acts of kindness too. For example I have helped others in a grocery store with something heavy or too high for them to reach.

I am sure we all see where we can help others whether it is random or not. Most of all we can give someone a hug or a smile when they need one. The important thing is that we are open to opportunities every day and that we are ready to help when the time comes. It is especially gratifying when we help someone when we are on a time schedule or the circumstance will inconvenience us. I know that we appreciate it when someone stops and helps us out. Again nothing better than giving kindness to a fellow human being; have yourself a wonderful weekend.  

 

 

About Love

The greatest gift given to the human race is love. The capacity to love one another and especially one person more than anyone else; in that love is where marriage comes in.

The problem is that often we look for love in the wrong place or better known as the wrong person. Sometimes we go after someone we can’t have or at the very least doesn’t want us. Also we accept to love someone because we feel that is the highest we can go for love. Other words we may not feel that we deserve to love someone greater. The person we should be with is above our reach or someone we don’t feel that we deserve. We sometimes settle for someone that is below our level of love. There may be nothing wrong really about that person but we have decided we can’t reach the stars to speak of. I believe this is where marriages don’t work out. Also we may believe the person we should really be with will not truly love us. I sometimes wonder how anyone really falls in love but it happens all the time. Being single I am still waiting for the right person.  I don’t want to settle for number two or three or whatever.  I want my soulmate or true love or whatever name you put on it.

Another reason we have love is that God loves us so much that he wants for us to love him in return. This is where we go into error as well because we accept a lower of love. We may not believe our parents or our siblings love us. We look for unconditional love but we feel that there are conditions on love. What it comes down to is that our minds are being lied to and goes into our hearts too.

I have decided that when I read the bible I am going to see every sentence and paragraph that love is mentioned. The word love may not be in the sentence but I am going to see if the meaning of love is in each sentence.  I want love to go from my head to my heart.  When my true love comes into my life I will not have my heart divided. In my mind I know that God loves me however I want my heart to know the same thing too. I will let you know how all things work out. If you have that true love in your life hold on tight to her or him. Amen!

Getting Old

I have heard from many of the elderly saying to me never to get old. Unfortunately if we live long enough it is going to happen.

I do notice that I am getting older though I don’t consider myself old as of yet. I am now in the category of being a senior citizen however that is still different than elderly.  I am not sure what defines elderly but I would say most likely someone who is in their eighties or nineties or above.

That is the category my mother is in as she is ninety-six. If you saw her you probably would not think that she is her age instead more likely in eighties. Her skin is where she doesn’t have any wrinkles to speak of. Her mind is very sharp as well though she does forget somethings but who of us doesn’t.

She plays a lot of bridge at least twice a week and reads a lot. So she keeps her mind in order. Her social life is indeed busy for anyone no matter how old you are. I think that is what keeps her going. She just lost another friend in her nineties which I can imagine is tough but she keeps moving on.

Mother doesn’t walk to fast however she at least keeps moving on.  She uses a cane all the time. She does have a walker but doesn’t use it very often. The only time she uses the walker is when she goes on trips where needs to walk some distance.

When mother is asked by someone how her day is she replies that she woke up this morning so that is a good sign. I have to agree with her on that one.

I go walking almost every day depending whether it is raining or not. Even on those days it does rain I still get into a little walking because of grocery shopping or taking mother to bridge or one of her appointments. I feel it is important to walk some distance because I want to be able to walk at least well as my mother. I am Ok with using a cane but not thrilled with a walker. Although she is good at it most of the time I still have remind her once in a while to stand up straight. Often I see the elderly not standing straight up very often. I am sure some can’t because of their health but others may not realize what they are doing. If you have an elderly parent I would make sure that they stand up straight when possible.

The most important thing I believe no matter what shape you are in when you become elderly that you still have a purpose in life. You have to tell the younger people that you have knowledge and wisdom to impart to them. With your grand and great grandchildren talk to them as often as you can. This is even true when you live some distance from them.

Though not easy because I feel some aches and pains sometimes embrace the life of being older and use all you have to help others. We don’t know how long we will be around at all but make the best of everyday. Amen!

A Joyful Laughter

I don’t know about you however I believe we can all enjoy a joyful laughter.

This doesn’t happen once in a while I believe we can use at least one a day if not a lot more often than that.

I believe it is to be good to be around those are contagious when it comes to laughter.

It doesn’t mean that life will be any better than what we have been used to but I believe it will feel a whole better.

If you love to laugh meet a lot of people that you can pass it on. Our world will be a lot better off this way.

We can use this with those who we feel is part of our purpose and destiny. Begin with our friends, family and church.

Those around who get contagious with the laugh can pass it on to other too.

Paul said in Philippians 4:4 rejoice in the Lord always. Rejoicing and laughter sound a lot alike to me. You can call it either way in my mind. Purse it no matter what. Something we have a choice about.

 

St. Valentine’s Day

I will start out by wishing everyone a happy St. Valentine’s Day.  It is supposed to be the most romantic day of the year; at least for couples anyway. Those of us that are single it may be the day of wishing or not again.

Whatever the case is I hope that the goes well for everyone. This is a big day for card companies along with those that sell flowers and candy. Restaurants and movie theatres I expect will be busy as well.

The key to St. Valentine’s Day is getting your significant other a well-meaning gift. If you are a man is be sure that will be important for her. Often men think practical and that is what they will receive from their woman however it doesn’t work the other way. For the woman generally it has to have a lot of meaning behind it. Other words if you get the wrong gift for her you will be in the dog house for several days unless you have very well understand woman who knows you so well that is what she was expecting.

The couples who have been married a long time I have heard don’t consider St. Valentine’s Day being that important however I still recommend something really good to get them too. The main reason is that you will surprise them and they will feel so good that you don’t take them for granted. On the other hand they may feel so wonderful because you treat them in a manner that every day is St. Valentine’s Day. This will be good to for making this day special because you make every day special.

So I wish everyone a romantic day. If you don’t get what you thought you would be nice to them anyway, however let them know you like the effort sort of but looking for something more meaningful. Of course depending on the person you may have to put on a smiling face. Best wishes  to everyone.   

Enjoying Words

Always good to hear words of encouragement

Negative words are hard to hear

Speaking positive words help those you speak with while negative ones bring down those that hear

Writing positive words will bring life to those who read them in the same way those who hear them too

Words can give life in the same way that they tell a story

Let your loved ones hear and read the stories that you tell

They will last for years to come

Can bring much joy to those that hear and read them

I want to have others hear or read the ones that I say so they will be encouraged in life

Words are not for us that speak or write them it is for those who hear or read

Great joy comes in the morning while laughter at night

Dream well while you are sleeping and let others know about them

Let peace happen during the day so those who spend time with you will have peace in the evening

Your words can be spoken or be silent too

It is the look on your face that others will see and give them great life

Isn’t that what we want for those around us to have a wonderful life

Our days are number however we don’t know the last day

We will be surprised when this life ends so we can live it to the fullest

We will have pain and anguish at times however the words we speak will have great meaning

Enjoy the flowers and the trees around us

Be happy in the morning, the day and evening

The words will give us peace as well as those who hear and read ours

Most of all cherish love all the time

The words you speak or read should have love in it

Gig Harbor Shopping Center’s and Restaurants

                                          Uptown Shopping Center Gig Harbor

I remember when I was a kid in Gig Harbor there were only a couple shopping centers and only a few restaurants. We did not eat out very often. In fact most of the time we did eat out was when we were traveling north to Seattle, Bellingham and Vancouver, British Columbia. We ate out primarily in Marysville going to Bellingham and Vancouver. There was a restaurant that had good pie usually berry or apple. It was so delicious.

In Gig Harbor than there was the down town shopping where Thriftway was at along with drug store and bowling alley. Thriftway store is no longer and they are looking possibly turning the place into condos. The post office has been there for some time however they will be moving location as well. The bowling alley has been gone for a long time and the drug store been gone for a few years too.

The other shopping center is Olympic Center. It had only a few stores when I was a kid including a grocery store.  When I was in junior high school I was left off there when the basketball games were over when we went on a road trip. Olympic Village has been remodeled a couple times since those days. Fred Meyer’s is going to be moving into a new shopping center on the other side of the highway so hard to know who will be moving into their current spot.  The other stores there could struggle after Meyer’s move. The coffee shop I go there is very popular so they should survive.

On the other side of the highway there is currently three shopping centers so where Fred Meyer’s will be relocating will make it four.

There are two of the three shopping centers that have been around for a while during most of my adulthood. The third one went in about seven years after the second Narrows Bridge was built. The bridge brings traffic to and from Gig Harbor to Tacoma.  Growing up the current shopping center was almost all woods with a motel taking over a small area. Walmart wanted to build their however the citizens didn’t want them in. That shopping center also includes a ten-plex movie theatre as well.

When you go further north on highway sixteen after Gig Harbor there is what’s called North Gig Harbor. That area was all woods when I was growing up now there are a couple shopping centers and another one proposed.  A lot of homes are built and more being built in that area. Actually I am a bit disturbed along with a lot of others who have lived here a long time. All these homes are being built right next to each other and so many trees have been taken out. I don’t go there very often either.

So you see though Gig Harbor is still a small town it certainly larger than when I was growing up. I really hope that the area doesn’t grow a  lot more after these expansions but most likely will. Now people can eat out more often than I was a kid. I am sure most people my age had the same experience when they were a kid no matter where they lived. I guess you call it progress which I wouldn’t call it myself.

Though Gig Harbor has grown there are areas where the small town feeling is still in. At least that is good in my mind.  

                                           Green Turtle Restaurant on the Waterfront

 

Ask For Wisdom!

We all know the world is getting smaller and we can reach others anywhere else in matter of seconds.  On social media we can view live feeds of anyone who chooses to do so.

Whatever cause you follow or go against you will be either praised or criticized. Also this applies if you don’t agree with some people’s life style. This is why I stay away from controversy often as I can. Everyone seems to have a strong opinion when it comes to politics, religion or lifestyle. The big question is how to be loving and compassionate with others you don’t agree and this is especially true of family and friends.

I believe we do need to ask for wisdom.  If you have read the Old Testament in the book of first Kings Chapter three King Solomon who has taken over the kingship after the death of his father David he asked for discernment between good and evil from God. He became the wisest man ever on earth though like all of us he did make a lot of mistakes as well. We can all use wisdom daily in our lives. One thing I believe is that we need to know when to speak and when not to. I do have areas that I feel strong in however not giving my opinion most of the time I have found to be wise.  I say most of the time because I have given my opinion on social media and I have been praised and criticized. Many occasions it is a lose win situation to speak up however there are times where it is important to do so and that is where wisdom must come in.

So my answer to this is to ask God for discernment and wisdom. Know when to speak and when not too.  There are times whatever you say other people will not listen because they have so strong opinions and I know to that we all have these strong opinions. Other words we are in a no win situation.  In a way what could be funny is that there are those who may have strong feeling in what I say here and I am fine with that too.

I feel besides asking for wisdom is careful when you do speak. I don’t want you to lose family and friends because of it. We can’t win all the battles we fight. I end here wishing you a wonderful weekend.

Enjoying Our Time

Talking about pressing into our goals and encouraging you all that you can actually make it I feel that it is important for all of us to enjoy our time as well.

I feel sometimes being serious about doing something like getting your purpose and destiny it easy to forget that we should enjoy ourselves as well. I am part of a men’s group  at church where we are dealing about serious things going on in our lives and where we want to change how we feel about ourselves and others. Getting out of those areas in life that we struggle a lot with; however, we must take the time to be truly happy as well. We can get really drained if we focus so much on the serious side of life. Also we can get discourage if we don’t resolve things in the time we want to. I sometimes want a quick fix to those areas of life that have been disturbing to me.

Although I am working to get those areas of my life that I feel need fixing I want to be able to have those happy times as well. If you are married and you are working on your marriage it is a good idea to take your wife on a date. Since I am not married and no girlfriend at this time I should reward myself to go out and have a good time as well.

I do have a regular routine of going out for walks and visiting my favorite coffee shop which is a good thing however I need to do something that is out of my routine as well. I recommend that for all of us to do so. In some way you could call it going on a vacation. Be a good idea to go somewhere outside of where you live to enjoy the time with your spouse or by yourself. If you have small children get a baby sitter to watch them while you are gone. It would be like going on a retreat. In fact if your church has those kinds of weekends I make sure to go out on them as often as you can.

Even if we are not going through anything that is serious we can become busy as well so a time away to relax is good for whatever reason it. Another idea when you can’t get away still has the attitude that you will be happy under any circumstances. Best to you all wherever you may go.

Changing the Game Plan!

I am sure a lot of you saw the Super Bowl on Sunday between the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons had the game in hand until they made some errors and changed their game plan. What we should learn especially when we are ahead that we should never change our plan. This is even true when the opposition starts coming back.

In the last part of regulation time before the Patriots tied it and went into overtime the Falcons all they had to do is run the ball like they had done earlier. Even if the Patriots would have stopped them without much gain the Falcons would have won the game because all they needed to do is make a field goal instead quarterback Matt Ryan tried to pass the ball and he was sacked. It put the Falcons out of field goal range.

This tells me that we can’t panic no matter what is happening in our lives as long as we have the edge. If we panic like the Falcons we will probably lose like they did.

We need to believe in the faith that we have that we will still win. No matter the Tom Brady in our lives that is leading the team against us we have been ahead in the game from the beginning so let’s keep doing the game plan. Also we have God on our side if we make mistakes and fumble the ball. We must continue running because that is where we have had the success. We are a team and the other members will make sure that we stay on course as well but even if they fail we are still the team.  We did not get to where we are by losing and falling apart.

That is what I like a lot about team sports. There is so much we can learn from them. Sometimes we may feel like a failure as an individual but our teammates will pick us up if we allow them too. Also we must believe in God the ultimate head coach.

What Is the Goal?

I have been thinking about pressing on toward the goal. That is what I wanted to do for this year as the theme or some could say New Year’s resolution. 

The big question though is what is the goal that we are pressing on to? I figure it is an individual thing for each one of us.  It all depends on our purpose and destiny. Where you are right now in your purpose and destiny will give you the goal that you are after so that is why I say it is different for each of us.

Do you know what your goal should be? For some it could be a number while another is what you want to accomplish. So we should look at the goal. It could be goal we want to set for the remaining of our life or for this year only. Actually we should look the goal for both. Important to be realistic when it comes to our goal. We can look at something way out there but we should look at what we believe the goal can be.

For me the goal is going to look at 2017 because I have no idea where it will go the rest of my life. I am looking at the plan going with the goal. I can look at the plan like being an architect, builder or owner. How the home will look with the amount of rooms. What accessories do I want to have as well and the key is how long it will take to build and for how much. Also knowing that changes might happen in the process too and adding things. We know all three the architect, builder and owner the finish product will not look anything like the original drawing.  I have an idea what the home will look like however the finish product will have some additions well as items taken out.  I feel that nothing looks like what the imagination or dreams are in the beginning. Every day I will learn something new that adds to the goal. The most important thing is to press on toward the goal. Never giving up even when it doesn’t look like the goal will be realized. Must feel positive and have the faith the goal will be realized.

Look to what the finish product you think will look like and make your plans. Also remember the finish product will look different than what you started out with. That is the great thing about our purpose and destiny it will turn out a lot different than we thought. Remember your purpose and destiny is not for yourself but for others. Another thing to keep in mind too.

Yes It is Snowing

                   
                                                 snow in my backyard

                                          my neighbor with her new three month old puppy
                                          on first snow day

Here in Gig Harbor winter has become official because we got some snow beyond a trace. I would not say it is a lot snow but at least enough to enjoy.

On Sunday before and during the Super Bowl we were getting wet snow however it was not sticking. I knew that if it continued into the night we would have snow on Monday morning which is the case.

I know that some are disappointed because they don’t like driving in the snow which I have no problem doing. I have driven in snow in Montreal, Quebec and when we have had over ten inches so I enjoy it very much.

We do have a lot of hills around here so we do have to be careful. So many don’t know how to drive in snow I have to watch what others are doing. That isn’t much different than a normal day though.  A lot of people around here have trouble driving no matter the weather.

The hills though mean when it snows you have to drive a minimum speed to make it up the hills. Often people drive to slow to do so and they get into trouble. It doesn’t help me out either. I make sure that I stay far distance away so I can have a running start. Depending on the hill to drive up it must go at least twenty-five miles an hour. Many people don’t realize that has to be the rule to do so. Most of all I try avoid the hills as much as possible. A lot of people live on hills that make it difficult for them to get where they need to go. I am fortunate to live where I don’t have the problem. On the other hand I don’t get as much snow either.

I would love to have more snow like when I was a kid however I will take whatever I can get. Mostly I like the beauty of snow on the trees.

Usually snow doesn’t stick around very long. I hope that the temperatures stay low this time so I can see and enjoy for a few days. It doesn’t have to snow anymore though I would not complain that is for sure however the amount now is fine and I can declare it being winter. Yes!