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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God is ALWAYS on time!

Tuesday morning, Brillo Man kissed me goodbye and walked out the door - on his way to meet someone to transfer the boat title (This gentleman bought a boat from us several months ago --finally getting around to transferring the title...but, I digress...)

...a few minutes after he left, I hear some commotion and scratching near the front door...and then in hobbles Brillo Man. He had walked halfway up the driveway to get into his truck - slipped on some ice - his bad hip let go and down he went. He announced --through much pain and tears, "Deb, I think I broke my leg!"

He had CRAWLED from the truck back to the house through the snow - Our driveway is 1/10 mile long - he was halfway to the road - you do the math. I just started to cry ---and pray. I only got out a few words in English --and then The Holy Spirit took over and I just prayed in my prayer language --I had no words left!

We made our way to the hospital and spent the majority of the day in the Emergency Room, after which the ER doctor said that the radiologist said that his ankle isn't broken --but that he disagreed. (Mind you, this is the same radiology dept. that said his toe wasn't broken two years ago --and after seeing another doctor - our suspicions were confirmed - broken toe!) The amount of swelling and pain in his ankle was clearly indicative of a break! Therefore, the ER doctor sent him home with a splint, a pair of crutches, a script for pain medication and a diagnosis of a fractured ankle - with clear instructions to follow up with his Ortho. doctor.

When we arrived home - Brillo Man, at this point, very discouraged, because now he can't even Scrap --which, as some of you know - is how we were attempting to keep our heads above water in this financial housing crisis. (For those who don't know - Brillo Man is a mortgage broker. Housing crisis = No mortgages = no paycheck for Brillo Man = no way for us to pay our bills = complete reliance on the Lord.) Ah --the best place to be!

Just one hour after we returned home, I answered the telephone...
"Deborah, this is Melissa at Human Resources at UPMC Horizon. I would like to offer you a position as a Medical Technologist - contingient on whether or not you pass your physical and your background check."

"Melissa, I would be VERY HAPPY to accept!"

God is always on time! Never late! Always provides! And always worthy of my highest praise!

...looks like I'm going to be out shopping for Hunter Green scrubs!

Today I went for my physical --what an experience THAT was! ...more on that in a future post!

Thanks to all of you who were praying with me regarding this job!

...Lord You are....
(sing along with me...)

My Strength
My Shield
My Portion, Deliverer
My Fortress, Strong Tower
A very present help in time of need!

and P.S. - they offered me more money than I requested on my application!

From Glory to Glory

My blog buddy, Arlene, went Home today to live with our Lord forever.

Olivia said that her house must've been ready because Jesus called her Home to Heaven. Then she asked me if she would have a room full of orange flowers in her house. No, Olivia...not just one room...but entire fields!

Then we sang together,
"I've got a home in Gloryland that outshines the sun
I've got a home in Gloryland that outshines the sun
I've got a home in Gloryland that outshines the sun
Look away beyond the blue..."

---

I press on toward the goal
to win the prize for which
God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:14

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Win-de-jizer

....on our way to church this morning - this was the scene out the front windshield of our van:


Total whiteout conditions. Good thing I knew the road - as I gaged the side from the shadowy images of an occaisional passing mailbox....

What in the world are we doing out in this?! -7 windchill - snow flying and blowing with such ferocity that we couldn't see ten feet in front of the van...It took me 40 minutes to drive six miles.

"Mommy, there's a win-de-jizer."
"What?! is a windejizer?"
"It's a windejizer."
"Olivia, 'windejizer' isn't a word - I have no idea what you're saying."
"IT IS TO A WORD!!! MRS. REDFOOT SAID IT'S A WINDEJIZER!!"
....oh...A WIND ADVISORY...

Let me tell you ---it was SO worth it when we arrived at church.

Worship was INCREDIBLE! The best worship service I have attended in the past four years. I'm not kidding. God is good. He rewards those who diligently seek Him - especially when seeking through a blinding blizzard!

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...they who seek the LORD will praise him...
-Psalm 22:26

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To market to market....

All things work together for good....

...a very important doctor's appointment for Brillo Man was cancelled today by his physician who was called in to an emergency surgery. What to do now?

Ah ha! A local drug store recently built a new store and moved from their old location. Brillo Man had spoken to the workers at the old store and they offered to give him some scrap....which turns into cash! yahoo!

...so....let's go get the scrap...



On the way home, we began to hear this horrendous ROAR which sounded like a jet plane taking off. It was the wind blowing through the scrap metal. All the way home, we listened to the "revving" of the jet engine.

Brillo Man laughed and said, "This reminds me of the time when I was a kid...I took the back seat out of my car and hauled pigs."

I'm not sure what the jet sound had to do with the pigs....perhaps the pigs squealed louder when the car accelerated?!...and why am I not surprised that Brillo Man would carry PIGS in the back seat of his CAR?!

Indeed...we had a good laugh!

---

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And the pig...is unclean for you.
-Leviticus 11:7

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Emerald Green Scrubs

Okay.

Here's what's been happening in my life...

I decided to get a job. I went to the hospital and checked the job postings. No openings for Medical Technologists. (That's what I am - or was - before I became a stay-at-home-Mom).

Fast forward three days. Newspaper add: Daffin's Candy is looking for part time, temporary Valentine's Day and Easter help. I can do that. Hop in the shower --as I'm drying my hair, I'm thinking...minimum wage job...don't know how much that's going to help pay the mortgage. Drying my hair - prayed..."Lord, I need some direction here." He spoke - "Call Human Resources at the hospital." "But I've already checked the job postings - there are no openings." "Call Human Resources at the hospital." "Okay ---I'll call."

Of course, they had an opening - but not for a Med. Tech. but for a Medical Laboratory Technician - a pay grade lower. I would be over-qualified - IF they would even accept my application.

Went online - applied for the position. Wrote a letter to the Laboratory Manager expressing my interest in the job. Didn't hear anything for a week. Assumed the worst.

Spent some time in prayer...praying with Brillo Man...together asking the Lord for wisdom as to what to do....do we try to remain in our home or move to something else? If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times..."I'm going to die in this house." I hate moving. I love my home. Finally, I came to the realization that I keep giving the entire situation to the Lord --and then keep taking it back. (I know that none of you ever do that...) As I was praying...I cried out to the Lord saying that I guess I am dying in this house...dying to myself...reliquishing all the control to the One who knows best. If we are to move. So be it. If we are to stay. So be it. It's in His hands.

Looking at our bills - it seems in impossibility to remain here. ....One hour after praying and 'dying to myself' - the phone rang. The Lab Manager wants to interview me for the position. God is good.

The interview was this morning. I'm fairly sure I'll be offered the position. I nailed the interview. Again - God is good.

The manager said that the only reason they advertised for an MLT was because the MTs are few and far between and they never receive a response for an MT...but he is willing to hire me as an MT. He's checking my references.

I've been studying like crazy. Trying to cram all the facts that I've forgotten over the years into my overwhelmed brain...

Anyone familiar with a metamyelocyte? I can tell you all about it....

Oh...and I'll be wearing Emerald Green scrubs. One of my favorite colors.

I'll keep you posted.....

...believing that God led me to this point and will give me the strength and physical stamina to overcome my MS so I may earn some money...to try and keep our house...

He is able.
He is able to do exceedingly.
He is able to do exceedingly abundantly.
He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above.
He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all.
He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or EVEN think!

God is good.

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For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD,
"plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future.
Then you will call upon me
and come and pray to me,
and I will listen to you.
You will seek me and find me
when you seek me with all your heart.
I will be found by you," declares the LORD...
-Jeremiah 29:11-14a

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Hey Everybody!

I'm participating in a contest --check it out!
If you win --not only will will win a fabulous basket of goodies from the participating merchants - but one of those fabulous prizes will be from ME! (since I'm donating a prize!)

Go ahead! Play to win! (I won the Christmas contest and got some great stuff - a real blessing - felt like getting a hug from God the day that I received my package full of goodies!)

"No Greater Love" Valentine's Day Trivia Game Sponsored by CAST (Christian Artist's Street Team)

The Rules:

• You must have a registered account with Etsy.
(registration is free and simple!)

• CAST members are not eligible to play.

• Visit the participating shops listed below to find a trivia
question in their shop announcement. Each shop has a different
question and each question is numbered. Only the shops listed have
questions in them. Make note of the question and the question
number, there are 14 total.

• When you know the answers send an Etsy conversation to Renee from her
Etsy shop, Guiding Light Candles. Make sure your answers are
correspondent to the numbered question. (i.e. 1. Bill 2. Bob 3. Mary)

• The person with the most correct answers will win a fabulous
gift basket full of wonderful items donated by CAST members. In the
event of a tie, names will be put in a basket and a winner will be
drawn at random.

• The contest will run from January 23rd to January 27th. A
winner will be determined on January 28th and will be notified
through an Etsy conversation.

Participating Shops:

New Creation Art
What's Her Name
Lori Delisle
Whimsie Dots
Christie Cottage
Eye Candy Creative
Shazzabeth
zudagay
jabon
Deb's Random Art - that's ME!
Lady Pippie
Lamplight Boutique
Urban Creativity
Guiding Light Candles

For Pat...

....so she has something else to stare at besides the bleach spot on her pink slipper...

Several posts ago, I promised photos of our Christmas tree along with some favorite ornaments.

Here it is - the day we took it down - since we HAD to because the day after we took out the old piano and moved in the 'new' (but used) piano, we awoke to find that the tree had imploded sometime in the middle of the night:



And here are a couple ornaments - not that you can see them very well...

A Department 56 design of a funky fish with long, skinny legs.

One of several photos of Olivia on Santa's lap (the others were buried beneath the branches...)

One of dozens of homemade ornaments made by Olivia who, if given the opportunity, would spend all of her time "doing art projects." (A girl after her Momma's heart!)

There are many, many more ornaments - which I like way more than these. But again - buried!

So much for my plan of keeping the tree up until Easter!

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If a Christmas tree falls in the middle of the living room when there's no one around to hear it, does it still make a sound? no.

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Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, (or in the living room) in the place where it falls, there will it lie. -Ecclesiastes 11:3

(parenthetical addition from Deb's Paraphrased Version)

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The Door

"...Beyond the open door is a new and fresh anointing,
Hear the Spirit calling you to go.
Walk on through the door for the Lord will go before you
Into a greater power you've never known before..."

The door is open.
It's not on the hinges.
It cannot be shut.
Therefore, you may retreat once you enter.
Should you choose.
But I don't think you will.

From your vantage point
the room is lit.
Sun shines in the window.
It seems to make so much more sense
to stay in the familiar room
Rather than venture into the unknown.

The path ahead is dark.
No one knows what lies ahead.
Only the first few steps are lit.
What lies beyond?
....a greater power than you've never known before.

Go ahead.
Go through the door.
I dare ya.

"...Where He leads me, I will follow
Where He leads me, I will follow
And where He leads me, I will follow
Into a greater power we've never known before,
Beyond the open door."

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"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." -Matthew 7:7,8

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Photograph by Olena
Lyrics: Beyond the Open Door by the Gaither Vocal Band