Blogging?...fitness?...or both!

No, this is not my office. But notice the treadmill, the computer, and the open Bible...

This may never be a problem for you.

It became a problem for me.

I found myself spending way too much time looking at your wonderful blogs, commenting, and just scooting around and loving the reading. Some of you are just plain GIFTED! When I got started, it was hard to stop!

As I sat in my office, I let the time go by enjoying myself fully, when what I NEEDED to be doing was to use some of that time to whittle my shape into shape!

I needed to get back on track...

I have spent some time working on that. I also have had more time to seriously have my quiet time in the morning, rather than put it off while I did 'blogging'...

Haven't you found that when you are spiritually in tune, the lifestyle of better eating and fitness is also more in tune?... And having said that, please know that I stumble on both paths WAY more often than I should.

So here is what I have come to... no big spotlight of wisdom, just a little more common sense in the spending of my time. There is NO WAY I am going to lose this amazing group of blogging friends... NO WAY! You all have become such a part of my life, as you share your hearts and thoughts. I learn from you every day.

But... I am also committed to a better and clearer focus on what my days hold. I sense so strongly that time is flying by... I can't ONLY sit and read your blogs!

So maybe the real title of this post should have been THAT word... balance.

Does it tilt you the wrong way sometimes, or are your scales always plumb?

It's a word God has used in my life a lot, and this is one more of those times.

I think, hope, pray... that the distance between His reminders is growing.

time out!...

I'm in 'time out!...

Not THAT kind of time out, although I've certainly been there in the past too...

Just a blogging break.

When I began blogging nearly 2 years ago, I never imagined that I would be doing it for as long as I have...

It's a new season, so I'm taking some time to see what directions are ahead.

You know that feeling that 'change is in the air?'...

Meanwhile, I'll be following and keeping up with you as often as possible...

I'll be back, and I'll 'see you' then...

Dad preached...we went along for the ride!...#9

As we began our trips each summer, we had a long drive ahead. We left California and headed to many other states around the U.S... It was usually at least a 3 day drive to wherever dad would be preaching...

Along the journey, we had many nights in motels. Sometimes it was a real 'motel'... sometimes it was one of those little cabins that were clustered on all the major highways.

In the back seat, as the day got long...the 3 of us would be road weary and we began to chant together... 'if you want a ca-bin... you better hurry up!' Our voices chimed in and said it over and over, reminding our parents that we might miss out if we didn't find a place to spend the night soon.

Now we were all on the lookout for the next small town, to see what our overnight quarters would look like. From my perspective today, I wonder if my parents were as thrilled with some of those motels as we were...

Isn't it wonderful what a sense of adventure kids have, about most new things? In looking back, I have no memories of either of them ever grumbling that it wasn't a 5 star hotel!

That reminds me that one time my parents flew FIRST CLASS to the Orient as part of Bily Graham's team for an upcoming crusade. My mom had never flown FIRST CLASS... she told my dad..."NEVER will I fly anything but FIRST CLASS again, it's so wonderful"...

We laughed about that for years, as it turned out that was the ONLY time she ever flew FIRST CLASS!

So the motels along the way, while they may not have been FIRST CLASS, provided rest for the journey, and we were all together as we traveled along... I think a lot of those places are gone now, and if they are still around, the years have taken their toll.

I still see an old motel once in awhile and I'm immediately back there in that Ford Fairlane, feet hanging out the window, going down the road...

Welcome to Heaven!...

Yesterday, my Aunt (Tante) Maren, arrived peacefully in heaven, from her home in Tromso, Norway.

I just know that there was a crowd there to welcome her, right along side of jesus.

My mother would have been one of the first in line! (Maren was her younger sister.)

To me, Tante Maren was almost like a living hero, having survived concentration camp as a young woman. Her joy of life and those rosy pink cheeks just drew us all to her immediately.

I am so glad that we were able to be with her in Norway last summer when my neice was married. It was a treasure for each one of us. Here is that story, and here.

The other story I wrote about her was from her time spent in concentration camp, here.

I told my cousin in Norway that I can just picture my mother and Tante Maren today, and in my mind, they are both young Norwegian girls again... laughing and talking together... in a part of heaven that looks just like Tromso...

avocados...

When I was growing up in Southern California, we lived close to the foothills in Pasadena. Straight up the street at the end, lived some of our close friends. On their beautiful land was an avocado orchard.

For at least half of the year, we would have a brown sack full of fresh avocados delivered to our front porch several times a week. Every day after school I made a sandwich from those firm, fresh avocados.

To this day... I LOVE avocados! My favorite way to eat one is on fresh bread with mayonaise and a little salt, just sliced and enjoyed. I still have those sandwiches nearly every day during the spring and summer when they are so fresh and yummy! Add a handful of fresh berries and lunch is healthy and fun!

Just a side bar...

Avocados are not only delicious, they are so good for us. I love it that something I love to eat is also good for me, unlike a million things that aren't!

Avocados provide nearly 20 essential nutrients, including fiber, potassium, Vitamin E, B-vitamins and folic acid. They also act as a "nutrient booster" by enabling the body to absorb more fat-soluble nutrients, such as alpha and beta-carotene and lutein, in foods that are eaten with the fruit.

I just finished my first avocado sandwich of the spring season, and it was yummy! Many more to follow....

Mighty music!...

As I listened to the steady beat of the drums during the worship music at our church last Sunday, it reminded me of another Sunday about a year earlier...

The sermon had to do with Martin Luther and lessons from The Reformation. It was excellent, but here's what really grabbed my attention...

At the end of Steve's sermon, about 30 young men lined up on the platform and began to sing "A Mighty Fortress is our God"...

No instruments, just their strong voices blending together and when their volume increased as they reached the finale, it was all you could do not to stand up and shout!

And here's what happened...

As the men gathered to sing, the back doors all along the lobby began to open and people just streamed in from everywhere. I thought some big tour buses had arrived!

Most of them were young people. They had left their sunday school classes early, having already heard these men sing in the early service... they all wanted to hear it again!

Many of the younger crowd in our churches weren't raised on the great hymns of the faith that I was. It really caught my heart... it was as though they couldn't get enough! I know there will be all kinds of music in heaven...

I KNOW that, and I love the worship songs too, but I also am sure there will be many of these old hymns of the faith that I grew up loving... and I'm sure there will be drums too...