It Is A Cold

All of us go through times in our lives where we have to deal with health issues. Hopefully it is like what I have right now having a cold. Fortunately my cold is light however I am making sure it is not going to get worse. The hardest part is not feeling like doing anything except sleeping.

I do hope that everyone is feeling nice and healthy. I pray for those who do not that they become healthy once again in Jesus name amen.

I was at a home meeting on Thursday night. My church has quite a few home meetings at people homes. They are different kinds where men or women get to together or couples. The church encourages for members to get together. The group I belong to is a mixture of singles and couples. I have been in men’s groups before however I decided to go another direction this time. We get together at a home in downtown Gig Harbor. Our focus is to feel like family and to pray for those who have needs including physical.

One of the leaders said that he knows that not all people would feel comfortable in a small group setting. I am not sure why because we all need somebody however it best to be with those you feel good with. If you do belong to a small group and you don’t feel comfortable with that group go looking for one that you do. This doesn’t have to be in church it can be with friends. We all need to feel like we belong. Having a cold will last a short time but friends can last a lifetime.

I really enjoying writing this blog and I know that you enjoy reading the blog because we are among friends even though we are in different countries. If you feel that you need go ahead and write in the comment. Everyone will see how we can help. Peace to us all. Amen!

Beautiful Place

                                Gig Harbor Washington with Mt. Rainier in the background

On Friday afternoon  I was in at drug store to pick up a couple items. I ended up talking to one of the store clerks for several minutes. She reminded me once again what a beautiful area of the country and world that we live in.

It is hard to remember when it is raining a lot this time of the year. Of course you hear from friends and acquaintances who are going to go off to Hawaii, California or Arizona however I do live in a great place despite the weather now.

I am sure being a great place is why we have a lot of people moving here from elsewhere whether it is retirement or taking a new job. Most of us who have lived here all or most of our lives are tired of all the developments spring up in the area. The traffic is much heavier than what it used to be. In fact the clerk mentioned that she had made a delivery to a couple who don’t drive anymore to my old neighborhood. It used to take ten or fifteen minutes at the most to drive however the traffic was so much it took her twenty-five minutes to get there.  That doesn’t seem like a big deal when driving on the highways however this was through rural roads. Where she went the population hasn’t changed much however it has in the area between the drug store and the couple. Although the traffic is heavier I still wouldn’t want to live many other places however I hope that the development slows down. It actually should since there really isn’t a lot more space to build if you want to keep some of the trees and wild life. It has become an adjustment for animals as well.

The clerk said to me there are so many beautiful places to see around the state and I agreed with her. She mentioned that she met her husband at college in Bellingham which is not far from the Canadian. There is a few options going into Canada from Bellingham you can continue north on Interstate 5 or go east for a couple other border crossings that don’t take long to get to. I have crossed at Blaine which is straight north or the two more east. How much time it takes depends when you are going whether a holiday either in USA or Canada or just a regular day. Depending on the traffic to it is a short drive to Vancouver, British Columbia. So if you come to Seattle for a visit and have some time it is a nice drive up interstate 5 and go to Vancouver. From Seattle it is about a two and half hour drive again depending on traffic. There are some nice spots you can stop in on the way if you want to take a rest on the way up.

I asked the clerk where she grew up. She said that she lived in Kelso which is a twin city with Longview. Both cities are about a little more than half way between Seattle and Portland. She told me her parents still live on the farm she grew up on. There used to be a lot of logging going on around Longview and Kelso however the recession several years back has hurt the economy. It has been several years since I visited the area however it is a nice place to visit as well. Like so much of Washington state these small towns are beautiful and personalities of their own as well.

I look forward this year to go visit in the different area of western Washington. So if you have the time and come for a visit get out into the country besides just seeing Seattle. There are bed and breakfast spots you can stay at besides motels and hotels. A great way to adventure.  

There is Laughter

We all go through struggles and heartache at times however laughter is good medicine. At is what I have heard and I believe it is true. We should all laugh at least once a day no matter what is going on in our lives.

I believe laughter is healthy and keep us in a good mind. I know  we have all lost a love one at one time or another and laughter is good to keep us sane otherwise we would go insane. I know we have things we can laugh about when it comes to those that are no longer around besides what happens on a daily basis.

I have a sense of humor that I use on a daily basis. It allows me to be happy most of the time even when times are troublesome. I have had struggles over the years especially when I was a child however laughter kept me on good footing. I have looked at pictures from my childhood and every one of them I was smiling in. Of course I could have been asked to smile but I do think it was more that I was happy even during troubled times. Laughter and humor is a good part of my life. It should be part of everyone’s life. When we encourage others let them know even when trouble times come and they will having laughter and joy will help us get through those times. The important thing is that we deal with our true feelings as well. So if you have trouble laughing find a way to do so or some other avenue to keep you sane and stable.   

Ready For Change

In professional sports like football when a team is losing or doesn’t make the playoffs change always seems to happen. The head coach or general manager might be fired or his assistants or the whole group. Also there will be turnover in the players as well.

Sometimes change is important. This can be in our lives as well. When our lives are like sport teams where we are losing it for whatever reason. We have to decide whether we will stay on the same course or time to make change.

I know change is not easy. I have had to do it for health reasons where I had to change my diet. What makes it hard is that we are so used to familiarity that anything becomes different is hard to handle. The importance of it all is that change has to occur so we can get back on the good side and taking from sports again become winners once again.

Life always has turns so we have to decide whether it is best to make changes or live the way we always have. What makes change interesting though it allows us to learn more about ourselves. We can find out who we really are. Another thing is can we be fighters willing to go where we haven’t been before. Yes we can take on the challenge and we can win once again. It may take some time however let’s do it. I know in the end we won’t regret it.

Productive Life

I am sure we all have our own idea what a productive or maybe should call it a successful life.

Do you feel that you have had a productive and successful life so far? I know personally I am working on it especially knowing what my purpose and destiny is. It took me a lot of years to figure that out. I would not say my life is exactly where I would like it to be however it is getting closer every day. There are desires that I am still waiting to happen and when they do then I can say it is a productive and successful life. In the meantime I will be directing myself that direction.

What I find sad and possibly disturbing are those who have died before their time should have ended. Other words their life ended way too early. I think of young people who die because of poor health, an accident or the worst thing committing suicide. They were never able to reach and experience the fullness of life. For example not falling in love, getting married and having children.

I have known individuals who learned about an illness that in the end killed them however they had such faith going through what they did before the tragic time of death. I wonder though even if we don’t see them having a life that was successful in their minds they did. Often it is important to hear not how long you lived but what did you do with the time you did live.

My mother is now ninety-seven years old and she has had a wonderful productive life. She is still in pretty good health for her age and she still is able to do things like playing bridge a couple times a month. She used to play more often like twice a week but she is fine with only twice a month now. Her memory makes her forget things however they are more what day the week is or what bills are to be paid. She still has memories of her years she has lived. Also she has poems or sayings that she remembers from long ago and she tells people at the right time. In fact most of them are pretty funny and for the right occasion. I call it she has something for every occasion. It is hard to know how much longer she will live but she does keep going on though at a slower pace. I think we would all be blessed to have her life.

Anyway think about it all the things you have accomplished and those things you are still looking to accomplish. Don’t let the darkness that may be in your mind get the best of you. Like last year’s them keep pressing on and I know that you will make. Encourage everyone especially those who really need it. God bless you and peace be with you. Amen!

In Service

Monday morning a local police office lost his life in the line of duty being shot by an assailant and another man was arrested as well. The assailant actually ended up being killed in gun fire as well.

We do know that not all police officer are good guys. There are those who use their power and are selfish however this young police office was like most he served the community he lived in. He left behind a wife and three young sons. Also we found out that he had served in the Navy as well. So he was twofold serving both his country and then the people in the community to keep everyone safe.

Most police officers we don’t know their names until something like this happens however we honor them as well though there can be some bad apples among them.

We thank everyone who serves our country in whatever capacity they do whether it is in the military, police force, or as a school teacher. Also for those who are first responders when a tragedy happens as well. We pray for this police officers family along with all those who serve.

We all serve others in some capacity or another but we don’t all put our lives on the line this young man did. The important thing though we do what we do that goes beyond ourselves. This is why we were born for this time to make a difference in people’s lives. It doesn’t matter a large or small our contribution is what matters is that we are involved so we should applaud ourselves as well. Continue doing whatever contribution you make whether for one other person or many. Amen!

My Heart

My heart can be sad somedays and glad on other days however I choose to make sure it is happy as often as it can be.

My heart is searching for someone where love will be the centerpiece all the time.

God does have a strong placement in my heart however loneliness does creep in now and then. God is love so I feel love but having a person to make its place in the heart would be very nice as well.

The heart can be weak when it truly wants to be strong. Over the years darkness found a place in it however light is over taking the darkness now. Not something easy to handle but a must.

The more the light shines in the heart the darkness becomes dimmer. The darkness realizes more that it has no place where light shines.

The more this happens the stronger the heart becomes and someday no darkness will have any place in my heart.

The voice wants to shout out loud that the heart has been hurt and weak however the heart will have true victory. So then peace will live in the heart. Amen!

Happy Birthday Sis

Today is January 7^th so that means in my family it is my sister Barb’s birthday. So I want to wish her a happy birthday.

I haven’t seen her for a while on her birthday since she lives in Gatineau, Quebec Canada. It is only a few miles from Ottawa, Ontario the national capital of Canada where she works. This year she plans to retire. I am not sure exactly when however I expect at the end of the year. She is a paralegal so I am sure she will have to train someone to take over her duties. She has been a paralegal for something like twenty-five years. Part of her job is mentoring other paralegals so I am sure the training for her replacement will go over smooth. She really enjoys the work so it won’t be easy for her to retire however I am sure looks forward to spending more time on other activities she is involved in. Another plus she comes back to Gig Harbor she visit mother and I every year so it will be nice for her to extend her visit.

This last September she and our brother Jack came for a visit to celebrate Mother’s birthday. We spent one long day traveling to the Hoh River. You can read that blog and it is actually the most read of any of my blogs. That area in the Olympic Mountains is very beautiful so I recommend visiting when you come to the Seattle Washington area.

Barb is eight and a half years older than me so I only remember her mainly as an adult. I do remember a few things and they are vague her being a teenager. She went to college at University of Oregon in Eugene for her bachelor’s degree in political science. She then went on to going after her master’s degree in history at University of Puget Sound in nearby Tacoma Washington. This is where she met her husband Bob who she married just before I graduated from high school. After a short period of time Barb and Bob moved to Vancouver, British Columbia are for Bob to take a job. There they had two sons Ken and Connor then they moved to Gatineau, Quebec when the boys were young. Bob took a job in Ottawa when they moved there.  Barb took a job with the law firm she still works for when Bob’s health wouldn’t allow him to work full-time. It was sad when Bob passed away seven and half years ago. He was the love of Barb’s life. She fortunately has friends that have helped her out along with the job she enjoys as well. Her son Connor lives in Ottawa so he is close by and tomorrow is his birthday. Ken lives in Montreal so about a two hour drive and he frequently visits on holidays. His birthday actually comes a little later in January as well. Actually he will be taking a trip to Paris France for the first time around his birthday and he plans to come out here for a visit to see us in March or April. We haven’t seen either him or Connor out here for a few years. That is a hint for you to Connor. LOL

Anyway again Barb have a wonderful and blessed birthday.

Being a Hero

In our minds at least we all want to be heroes and have what they call fifteen minutes of fame. The true is we are all heroes in the mind of someone whether it is our children, our parents or a friend.

Actually there is one who made us to be hero because of our purpose and destiny. That one is the Almighty God. We are all created in his image so we are defined as heroes. The important thing is that we realize it.

Being a hero doesn’t take away that we can be humble at the same time. Living a life of a hero is a humble experience. Just think about it in your mind. We do things for others because what our hearts desire and we are Ok that we don’t get any recognition though I said that we all like to have fifteen minutes of fame. I know in my family things like job promotions are mentioned by others most of the time. I call that being humble because you just want to be yourself and in itself that makes you a hero too.

So continue what you have being doing and you will have more people thinking you are a hero. Even when others are not saying the words know in your mind that you do all things that make you a hero. Also don’t listen to the words in your mind that says otherwise.

 

Thinking of Family

Right now I am thinking of my family on the east coast. Here in the Pacific Northwest this year has started off on solid footing far as the weather goes. The temperatures are normal for winter however my sister in Quebec, Canada the temperatures are below zero with some snow but quite windy as well being up to 40 km/h.

My nephew Danny is finishing off his senior year at Harvard University. They have had quite the blizzard going on the last couple days in the Boston area. My brother Jack, my niece Leslie and husband Daniel, and nephew Robby in the north Virginia area are having cold temperature however thankful not the snow like Danny is having. Nephew Ian and wife Helen in New York have temperatures about the same as northern Virginia with the gusty winds like my sister is having. I do hope they all stay warm and safe this weekend.

The good news mother and I are expecting Jack to come out from north Virginia for a visit in a couple weeks. Of course it will depend on the weather as well. We will be seeing him over the weekend before he has scheduled business meeting in Seattle on Monday.

Normally we have a visit from Jack once a year however with a business meeting we will see him twice this year. This will depend on if he has any more meetings that may take place in Seattle.

My nephew Ken who lives in Montreal and is experiencing the same weather plans to come for a visit in March or April. At the same time Jack will be here Ken will be taking his first trip to Paris, France. I am sure he will have a good time and look forward to hear all about it.

It is hard to be distance away from immediate family. It would be nice to be a bit closer but it is what it is I have to say. Wherever your family is whether close or far away I hope everyone has a wonderful and blessed 2018.

Before letting you go I found out something fascinating my cousin Jennifer who lives in Oregon now wrote a short story called “Let’s do it. I let her now that is what the theme for my blog is this year. I look forward to reading it. Many blessing to you all.

Here I Am

I am writing to you the first time from the coffee shop I go to most of the time in the mornings. Thursday always seems to be a busy day and today is no different. I am not sure why it is so busy but it is. In fact I got one of the last seats.

Next Wednesday though there is going to be changes here in Gig Harbor Washington in regards to shopping. One grocery store is closing while another is moving to a new location. Both stores are owned by the same company so many of the employees are moving to the new store which is about the size of the two stores together. Many of the items in the store closing will move to the new store. The interesting thing about the store that is closing it has only been open for two years. It was an experiment by the owners to see what might happen. So now instead of having three stores in the same area there will be two. Most likely I will shop at both stores but it will depend on traffic as well. The store that is closing has had sales on its products so now there isn’t much left anymore so no reason to go there. The store that is moving won ’t be moving any of its inventory to the new store so some of the items are getting low so the other existing store I will have to go with for sure on some items.

A little further north in what is called North Gig Harbor there is so much developing happening with family housing and senior housing they are looking at adding another grocery store there as well. Currently they have the standard grocery store plus Costco. What they really need is build an elementary school. All the elementary schools in the Gig Harbor area are full and overflowing. Anyway that is the main news going on in town; if you have the time come visit our town when you come to Seattle.  

Welcome to the New Year

Now that we are into day four of 2018 one thing I do know things haven’t changed much since the end of 2017. What does that mean? Well we have work to do.

I know there are those who continue to complain about President Trump. I am not sure why because I haven’t seen a lot of bad things on his part though I know there are those who do. I know some of my friends were not so high on President Obama. I feel it is important not to complain unless you want to be part of the solution. I haven’t seen anything from either one that would change my life personally or those around me. I feel most who complain about President Trump are more worried about what may happen than what has happened and anyway enough said about the President and politics.

What I want to do is help make change or help those around me. Wednesday night a group of us prayed for a little girl who has brain cancer. In her case it is a relapse as she had surgery for it back in 2019. The doctors now say it will take a miracle for her to life so many of us prayed that a miracle will happen. I don’t know this little girl personally however I did go to school with her grandmother. Our faith we are believing that a miracle will work for her and she will live a healthy and productive live. Her grandmother said that she and her husband lit a candle when each of their grandchildren were born that they would be healthy. I pray that this will happen for her and all the grandchildren.

I believe this is where we can make change in our lives and for others. We pray and pray before we get the answers. So many things are happening with the younger generation that we need to pray and ask for wisdom along with keeping our attention. Besides prayer and wisdom I feel it is important that we are there for them. Actually every one of us needs to know that there are those who are around that care very much for them. We don’t always have the answer but living our lives beside each other is a good step. Amen!

Having Confidence

 

We all have at one time or another lacked confidence. It is only human nature. The important thing is for us to overcome and have confidence.

I remember as a kid I hated taking tests because I didn’t do well on them. I certainly lacked the confidence however years later at college I became pretty good at tests. I am sure a lot of it had to do with maturity but I found the more success I had in taking tests the more confidence I had.

Lack of confidence usually does come along with failure while having confidence as I said has to do with success. We can have no confidence in ourselves if we are trying something for the first time as well. Though we may have no confidence we need to try anyway. I remember trying out for a play at my church without little experience. I had been in a couple when I was a kid in minor roles. I figured let’s give this a shot to see whether I am good at acting or not. Going out for a part turned out pretty well; for one thing not too many guys turned out for the play so I was going to get a part unless I was  horrible however I found out actually I could act. This play I had a significant role. I wasn’t the lead however I had a pretty good second role. In fact so much that many in the audience did not like the character I was playing. I found out I was pretty good in playing a bad guy that in a few other plays I was in I played other bad guys as well.  

So you see we have to overcome our fears and failures to have confidence in ourselves. I do still lack confidence in some areas of my life however I figure at some point I will overcome. Also show other people the confidence you see in them.