Vacation....

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"My Presence will go with you,
and I will give you rest."
-Exodus 33:14

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...leaving for vacation in ten minutes -
headed for the mountains of eastern Pennsylvania -
Pennsylvania's little Niagra Falls.
NYC for a day trip - Statue of Liberty, Ground Zero,
Tickets to THE LION KING! and anything else we can
cram into that day!

We'll be doing some geocaching and relaxing
and just enjoying some quality family time!

I'll miss reading your blogs!
...praying you all have a blessed week!

What are you doing?

Right now - as I type this - I'm eating the last bite of a Dark Chocolate Easter Bunny I bought (last Easter), surfing the internet, and successfully avoiding packing for vacation.

What are YOU doing?!?

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Whatever your hand finds to do,
do it with all your might,
for in the grave,
where you are going,
there is neither working
nor planning
nor knowledge
nor wisdom.
-Ecclesiastes 9:10

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Brand NEW Thought

....wondering how much hiking we'll be doing in the mountains of Eastern Pennsylvania and the streets of New York City while on vacation next week since Brillo Man just BROKE HIS TOE!!! (again - ask me about the Chauncy poop incident later....) UGH.



Note: This is not a cartoon of Brillo Man. This cartoon man has way too much hair - on his head - and not enough anywhere else.

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For He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you in all your ways.
In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a (chair) stone.
Psalm 91:11,12

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Things I Thought Today

1) Remembered how much I loved my husband when he secretly scraped the dead cardinal I hit out of the car's front grill when we stopped to eat at Cracker Barrel while driving somewhere on our honeymoon...at least he thought he was doing it secretly. ...don't know if he knows that I knew...he didn't want me to feel badly because I murdered the bird...

2) Thought how crummy it is that I'm going to be getting together with an old friend tomorrow who I haven't seen in over a year. Why is it crummy? Because I am getting over a bad cold and have been blowing my nose with cheap kleenex (which are not actually kleenex because had they been kleenex, I wouldn't be having the problem which I'm about to share...). My nose is all scabby and gross and starting to peel. There's a mental image for you. Not a fun face to show an old friend.

3) If I don't stop eating all this junk food, I'm going to rapidly gain back the 24 pounds that I just lost. (As I type this, I'm reaching for a Big Hunk which I know I have stashed somewhere...and YES, Pat, it’s the candy that you sent me. I STILL have a little left! - and it's still good --which makes me wonder how many years it would last in a landfill...)

4) Wondered if I put resin on a booger and glued it to a paper and called it art - would someone buy it. Yes - I thought this today. Don't ask why. Andy Warhol said that art is anything you can get away with....and he was right. It's amazing what people will buy from my website. Earrings made from cheezit crackers....

5) I thought that my friend running over a chipmunk while riding her bike was a lot worse than me hitting a cardinal with our car.

6) 30 years old is way too young for the woman in CCU to be having a heart attack. But she was. As I reach for another Big Hunk.... (What is wrong with me?!)

7) I decided that going to midnight shift at work is going to be great in more ways than one. One of which being that I will no longer be as tempted to be sucked into the gossip ring that I’ve managed to allow myself to be sucked into. Why is it that we often think we “fit in” better if we’re mutually complaining about others? Who wrote that rule?

8) I decided that ketchup is the new red.

9) I thought that if I looked through the lens of the microscope AFTER I cleaned my glasses, the cells would look less like the surface of the moon.

10) I thought Bailey would be a good name for a dog. Bailey also happens to be my grandmother’s maiden name. Which is NOT one of those secret questions that websites ask you in order to protect your password security.

11) I thought that it might be fun if giraffes were purple. Gotta work on that one.

I've Just Been to Church - Twice

Yes. Church. That place where we all congregate to worship. Amazingly, tonight we talked about communion. Communion not only a time to remember the Lord's sacrifice but also to remember that we are to commune with one another. That as Christians, we are called to minister, share, give, serve, help, uplift and encourage one another. We are the body of Christ. Each one of us with an important job to do. Each one loving and serving our King through all that we do.

Then I came home from church and read one of my favorite blogs before going to bed. God is incredible in how He orchestrates and orders things in our lives. Sara couldn't have said it better.

If you haven't yet, come join us in communion. I didn't have any wine or grape juice handy. Iced tea worked just as well.

I have prayed for you all --and cried a river.

Now - I'm going to bed!

Blessings all!

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So in Christ
we who are many form one body,
and each member belongs to all the others.
-Romans 12:5

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Things I Did...

...while the power was out for THREE days! (yes, mrs. mac, because of Ike!)

1) Read my Bible more
2) Took sponge baths in ICY COLD artesian spring water from our well! (THAT will wake you up!)
3) Curled my hair at work
4) Ate less
5) Burned more candles
6) Prayed more
7) Cried me a river...
8) Played Scrabble with Brillo Man (and LOST - because he is now the KING of Scrabble since he plays CONSTANTLY on the computer.)
9) Found myself eager to get to work, knowing that there were LIGHTS there!

10) Spent a lot of time missing my computer!

The Little Lady

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After church on Sunday.
She is growing way too fast!

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Be imitators of God,
therefore, as dearly loved children.
-Ephesians 5:1

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Let Me Tell You...

....about how great God is...(in case you don't know!)

As you do know, I've returned to work full-time for what I thought would be a short season of time. God provided the job - opened the door whenever I thought the door was shut.

As much as I love working as a Medical Technologist and being part of a great health care team, saving lives and providing the test results which allow the physicians to better care for their patients, I have to admit that being a stay-at-home Mom is a job I enjoy more.

And I have been scheduled to work primarily afternoon shift which means I have very little time to spend with Olivia. We have 45 minutes in the morning while she gets ready to get on the bus and that's it for school days when I work. For several weeks now, I have threatened to quit my job...but have been hesitant because I believe that I am to remain in this position. I just have not had a peace about leaving the workplace behind. But I will not miss my daughter's childhood either.

Enter God.

Two days ago I learned that the technologist who works full time midnight shift has resigned. Guess what? No one else (thus far) wants the position. Guess who's bidding on it? And...what's even more remarkable is that it's 10 hour shifts (yeah!!). Presently, I work eight hour shifts. The longer shifts will mean less days worked --which will allow for longer stretches off --which will mean that every third week I will have six days off in a row - without having to use any of my vacation time! In those six days, I will be able to work on my art --which is another great passion of mine.

God is good.

I will have no trouble sleeping during the day while Olivia is in school and will then have all evening to spend with she and Brillo Man before I head off to work at 9:30pm.

God is good.
All the time.
He knows our needs and supplies every one!

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Many, O LORD my God,
are Your wonderful works
which You have done;
and Your thoughts toward us
cannot be recounted to You in order;
if I would declare and speak of them,
they are more than can be numbered.
Psalm 40:5

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Last Year I Cried....

This year, I cried again.

Olivia's first day of First Grade

On this day, I'm reminded of my responsibility
to teach her the ways of the Lord.
Father, grant me wisdom to pour into her
what you've poured into me.
Help me to be the best mother I can be.
Grant me patience and give me an extra measure of love.
Help me to choose my words carefully
and to praise her because that is how she will learn best.
May my life be an example to her.
May she always see Jesus in me.
Help me leave a legacy...

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Come, you children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
-Psalm 34:11

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Last Day of Summer BASH!

Olivia is enjoying her burger and corn on the cob
-evidenced by the mess on her face!--
which Brillo Man has prepared
for her "Last Day of Summer BASH!"

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Then they rose early on the next day,
offered burnt offerings,
and brought peace offerings;
and the people sat down to eat and drink,
and rose up to play.
-Exodus 32:6

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Watermelon Summer Salad

Sunday morning we had our church service at Pymatuning State Park. It was a beautiful day filled with open air worship - complete with our sound system and entire worship band. Fifteen people were baptized in the lake and we also received 27 new church members - ME being one of the brand new members of Bethel life Worship Center. Ever since the first Sunday I attended over six months ago, I have felt like I've come 'home' and am SO BLESSED to be a part of this great body of believers!

Afterwards --the 3 'F's --FOOD FUN AND FELLOWSHIP!

Here's what I made --(first time to make it --and definitely NOT the last time! This was SO delicious that I had to share it! Sounds a little different --but TRUST ME --it's so tasty and refreshng, you'll keep coming back for more!!

Watermelon Summer Salad

3/4 cup halved, thinly sliced or chopped red onion
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 1/2 quarts seeded, cubed watermelon
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup pitted black olive halves
1 cup chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons olive oil

Place the onion slices in a small bowl with the lime juice. The acid of the lime will mellow the flavor of the raw onion. Let stand for 10 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine the watermelon cubes, feta cheese, black olives, onions with the lime juice, and mint. Drizzle olive oil over it all, and toss to blend.

Dig in and be prepared for a pleasant surprise!

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We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. -Numbers 11:5

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Summer is Winding Down Fast

It's hard to believe that school is starting next week. Olivia will be in First Grade....to where has time escaped? Wasn't it just yesterday that she was a baby in my arms?

Being the end of summer, we have been busy trying to cram in a bunch of fun stuff. One of the more recent fun things was a trip to nearby Wagon Trails. What a blast we had!


Olivia fell in love with a baby camel named Ralphie and spent quite a bit of time petting and feeding him.
On the safari ride, I was 'attacked' by Ralphie's mother who was determined to eat all the feed I had in my bucket.

Brillo Man was pecked by this lovely creature which left a bruise on his hand.


All in all - a fun-filled day spent together as a family. I am indeed blessed.

The Bird

click here:

Pat's Partridge


I couldn't resist.

Then he shall let the living bird loose outside the city in the open field...
-Leviticus 14:53

Word of the day:

Mangelwurzel



Now you're all scrambling to type that into the dictionary to check the meaning.... go ahead. admit it. You had no clue what it meant.

Neither did I.

....oh the things I find to amuse my mind on a slow Friday evening in the laboratory....

4 am in the Lab

It's 4 am --a quiet night thus far in the hospital laboratory. I thought I'd take a break and type a blog entry.

After two weeks of working the midnight shift --I am off this morning and don't return until Monday at 2:30 pm. YAHOO! What to do with all this time?!...

For one thing, we will be celebrating Olivia's sixth birthday. Her birthday was on Wednesday and I didn't even get to hold her and love on her because she has been staying with my Mom. Mom volunteered to take her on a "vacation" while I worked the midnight shift, knowing full well that I wouldn't get much sleep during the days when Olivia would pounce all over my bed..."Is it time for you to get up yet Mom??!!" Praise God for Grandmas! My Mom has been incredible - offering to watch Olivia and keep her occupied for a few days. Not that Brillo Man isn't capable of doing the same --but it's nice for Olivia to have a little mini vacation at Grandma's - and it also gave Brillo Man some time to do some things around the house that he wanted to get done. Mainly - SCRAPPING. (He is the KING of SCRAP!)

....well....the "stat light" is flashing...meaning my break is over...gotta go save a life....more later

Lovin' it more....

I love my work.
I love being a homemaker more.

I love getting up really early and listening to the birds.
I love sleeping in more.

I love coming home from work and eating a huge, ooey, gooey, sticky bun - thick with icing and feeling really full of sticky, gooey, ooey goodness.
I love the feeling of not overeating more.

I love a cool, summer rain.
I love a warm, sunshiny day more.

I love looking at art.
I love creating art more.

I love listening to worship music.
I love worshiping more.

I love my work. (did I say that?)
...but I love being a homemaker more......

Spring

We always know that Spring has arrived when Joe (one of many Great Blue Herons) and dozens of Canada Geese return to our pond.


The view from my kitchen window --just two minutes ago.
(click photo to enlarge)

God is good. I can not tell you how blessed I feel that we live where we live. And to know that God has provided so that we may remain in our home is totally awesome! He deserves the highest praise!

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Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.

Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.

For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.
-Psalm 100

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Pray....

I know I haven't had time to update you on what's happening in my life with my new job, etc.

Things are going well. More news on that later (I promise).

And truthfully, I'm out of time right now as Olivia is - at the moment I'm typing this - puking into a bowl. (We left church this morning after they came and summoned me from the service --she had thrown up all over her Sunday School classroom...She has been sick all day...)

Anyway...I'm actually taking a moment to ask you all to pray for Rebekah. She is the sweetest little girl that you could ever meet --and she needs everyone to be storming Heaven's gates on her behalf. Thanks in advance to all the faithful prayer warriors who read this blog!

Rebekah, Olivia, Rachel (Olivia's cousin), Sarah (Rebekah's sister) and Julia (Olivia's cousin) this past summer enjoying a wonderful time together in the sun!

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...pray for one another, that you may be healed.
The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
-James 5:16

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Strategically Placed

In church about two weeks ago, we had a guest teacher for our Wednesday evening Night For Learning (NFL) series. This gentleman had never seen me before, nor I him. At one point, he looked directly at me and spoke these words (to the entire congregation--but the Holy Spirit meant them just for me...), "You have been strategically placed where you are for an incredible purpose. God has an awesome plan to use you in ways you couldn't imagine. So, go ahead and sit there in the pew, take your time, heal, receive what it is that God has for you and then be prepared to be used by Him to accomplish mighty things for His Kingdom."

Wow. I felt the Holy Spirit's presence as he spoke those words ---so thick I could've cut it with a knife.

Tomorrow, I embark on a new adventure. I will return to the workforce after eleven years of being away. I keep telling myself that it's an adventure - with hopes of convincing myself that it's going to be just that. In all honesty - I have very mixed emotions. It means leaving Olivia for long periods of time. She won't have me there in the mornings to get her off to school....that time we spend each morning has always been so precious and it breaks my heart, even though I know she's in good hands between her sisters and her Dad...but I'm really going to miss spending those morning moments with her. And then, when school is out...there will be long days spent apart --not so bad while school is still in session. The fact is, being a stay-at-home-Mom has been one of the biggest blessings of my life and I'm going to miss it very, very much.

And I'm going to miss spending time with Brillo Man. Even if it's just sitting together in the living room, while he plays Scrabble on the computer...or me cooking him dinner, or getting him a glass of ice water...He did, after all, just break his ankle and is supposed to be taking care of it and staying off of it...(yeah, right). But with me not here, who is going to nag him to use his walker or his crutches?

However, I also believe that my going back to work is part of God's plan for this season of my life. He opened the door and provided the job - right on time - right when it was needed. Forget the fact that I haven't looked at a white blood cell in over ten years and I'm not sure I'll remember what chromatin pattern goes with what cell and forget the fact that I can't remember if Staph. Epi. is coagulase positive or negative and forget the fact that I have no idea what the normal values of any of the liver enzymes are... In spite of it all - God has me strategically placed. There is something that He needs me to do. Some life that he needs me to impact. Some heart that needs to hear of His love.

So, I embrace this new adventure with great anticipation - knowing that I'm going to be blessed as I share His love....in whatever way He has planned. And I'll enjoy wearing my hunter green scrubs, even though green is NOT my color, all the while being grateful that I don't have to dress in "dress up" clothes! Scrubs are so much more comfortable!

I covet your prayers....

I'll keep you posted!

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The LORD will open the heavens,
the storehouse of his bounty,
to send rain on your land in season
and to bless all the work of your hands.
You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none.
-Deuteronomy 28:12

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The Lord's Day

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Now may the God of hope
fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
that you may abound in hope
by the power of the Holy Spirit.
-Romans 15:13

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