August Amusements

From the cute little things that kids say to celebrating milestones with friends, spending time with those we love provides far more entertainment for me than anything the entertainment industry can produce. (Gift #707)  Could it be that the people in my life are a primary reason why I have had little to no desire to turn on the TV since I was a tween?  Why zone out watching imaginary people live imaginary lives when I can be relishing the one and only real life God gave me with real people who have eternal souls?

One of our small group members is turning 40 this month, so her husband threw her an early surprise party (it had to be early to surprise this lady) with some help from family.  Her husband's brother married my childhood next door neighbor who likes to tell everyone that I babysat her as a child which is a fact that makes me feel old.  So, it was such a pleasure to see Amanda there and the fruit of all her party preparations labor. (Gift #708)  The party was a blast, and the guest of honor was totally surprised (Gift #709).  She said it was the best time she's had since their wedding reception.

This birthday girl is always cracking jokes, so she received plenty of prank gifts for her birthday that evening.  I think this one was my favorite since there are three loved ones in my life who cannot get together without bursting into so much laughter that "tears" run down their legs.

We have had a lot of rain this month, which is a blessing for the plants and grass.  The kids' newly planted roses put forth a lot of buds right after the rain as an encouragement that colorful surprises and great beauty often follow dreary seasons of life. (Gift #710)

 

While shopping with the kids this past weekend, my son saw this sign...

... and said, "Why would anyone want to rescue underwear?"

Ba-ha-ha...I'm still laughing over that one. (Gift #711)

His school teacher is a lover of dogs, so I knew I better correct him quickly, so I took the kids over there to see the boxers that needed homes.  The kids were much more interested in these cats.  I don't like cats.  Why do they always favor the cats?

Lest I give the impression that my son is lacking wisdom because of his cute boxer comment, let it be said that he does seem to be learning what matters most in life as evidenced by some of his whiny remarks made during dinner last week. (Gift #712) He said, "I wish we never moved here because:

1) This new house is bigger which means I have more chores.
[Whatever you think you own really owns you!]

2) My best friend lived there and I miss him so much.
[Good friends are not easily replaced.]

3) This house has sidewalks instead of ditches."
[Some of our best memories are made and most profound life lessons are learned in the ditches of life.]

His older sister knows her stuff, too.  She has begun helping me answer some of his seemingly unending questions.   When confronted with the term "disco" in a computer game, he asked what that could be.  His sister replied, "Disco was an era way back in Mom and Dad's day when people wore Afros and shiny suits, pointed their fingers, rocked their hips back and forth and shouted, 'Uh-huh!'" 

How that child amuses me with her expressive descriptions! (Gift #713)

She may know about disco, but she still has a lot to learn about salad bars. She recently learned one lesson the hard way.  She discovered at the birthday party that the brightly colored shiny "candies" on the salad bar were actually beets.

We all got to see life through a child's eyes the other day when friends came to visit.  Their son had never seen a refrigerator with the water/ice dispenser on the outside of the door before. He had seen soda fountains, however, so with excited eyes, he asked, "So which type of soda comes out when you press the [lever]?

Our bunny continues to amuse and irritate me to no end.  Litter training is not going well, and her pee is bright orange, not light yellow like her predecessor. She has ruined the carpet in the fitness room and is confined to that area until she can master the litter box.  It's all a game to her.  She knows if she poops on the carpet while I'm in the room with her letting her exercise, I'll open the door, run to the bathroom for poop scoop supplies, and run back.  When she wants out of the room, I think she deliberately poops on the carpet and then runs to the door with the hope that she can escape when I go get the cleaning supplies.  Stinker.

Reenacting "The Great Escape" so she can poop on my carpet

She isn't much help as a workout buddy either.  When I'm feeling the full force of Friday fatigue and need her to pep me up, she just lays there like she's plum worn out.

 
On a less entertaining note, is anyone troubled about the events taking place overseas?  I know God is on the throne and that He commands us not to let our hearts be troubled but rather to fix our trust in Him, and I do trust Him.  Still...watching evil manifested so violently shakes the spirit at the core, reminding us how desperately the world needs Jesus.  We have friends serving in the Ukraine and in areas overrun by the war path of ISIS.  World events hit home when your faithful friends and their many young children are in the war path.  So we pray, asking the Lord to protect them knowing full well that martyrdom may be God's plan for them, for there is no safer place than in His very presence forever.  In light of all the genocide, such horrific, violent, ghastly persecution of our brothers & sisters under the hands of evil ISIS, the promise given in Galatians 1:4 seems sweeter than ever.

"[The Lord Jesus Christ] gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father" (Galatians 1:4)  - AMEN (Gift #714)

And as I see our nation's leaders and a large number of deceived Americans are siding with Hamas instead of Israel, this verse keeps coming to my mind:

"...As you have done to Israel, so it will be done to you. All your evil deeds will fall back on your own heads." (Obadiah 1:15) 

To God's chosen people of Israel, please understand that we lowly citizens cannot stop our leaders from their foolish negligence, but please know that a large number of Americans love you, respect you, and pray for you. As for me and my household, we will always stand for Israel.