Long Lost Loved Ones

You know what is totally cool? OK, I won't make you guess... But it is awesome and a true blessing to get a message from someone in your past wanting to reconnect... You have wondered over the years how they have been doing and all in the course of a few minutes you find out the little boy you have been wondering about for over 20 years has grown into a handsome young man and a person I would love to meet and give huge bear hugs too... I don't care how old they are, they are never too old for bear hugs if you all know what I mean...

I can't go into detail on who it is at this time, but he will know when his mom shows him this blog I am sure... But  it will be great to catch up and make up for time and show him that there are people who love and care about him and that never forgot how sweet he was as an infant and how sweet his mom was and sure still is...

I was looking through his pictures on his moms site and wonder about all the great times and monumental times that was missed out on... Not really by me, but by others that should have been supportive... I am very excited to get to know this young man... I wonder if he is ready for me?

In closing, today has been a total blessing... I should say we had a wonderful time at the Women of Faith Booth at Quiznos and God is at work in St. George, Utah... And He is also blessing me with this great reunion...

A Perfect Christmas - With Family

My Dad and sister Brenda

I haven't posted too much about my family... In some ways yes, but not names... I am the middle child of 5 kids. I have three sisters, Brenda, Denise and Joyce. I also have one brother who is named Dennis... My family is a bit different than many families or atleast what I think would be a perfect family. 

Growing up I used this one family as a roll model of what a family should be. Her father was the pastor of the Nazarene Church in Az and they seemed to do normal things. However according to everything on the news and such at the time, I wonder how normal families that get along and look out for each other actually are? 

Sister Denise

I do love my family even though there is alot of dysfunction, but I know there has to be something there. It's just really sad to think that my own family, meaning brother and sisters, mom and dad can't seem to handle being around each other without some kind of tension or fighting going on. But then again, maybe that is a normal thing according to todays standards. 

I think it would be totally awesome to be able to have a Christmas or family dinner with everyone at the table and enjoying the company. It would be great to not wonder who was going to be the first one to explode and say or do something stupid... Again, maybe this is normal according to todays standards of families. But it doesn't make me very happy. 

My daughters and grandsons

I raised my kids to know that families are families no matter what and no matter what is said or done, they are still loved. I get upset at my kids, but they mean the world to me and my grandsons are only the best ones in the world no matter what any other grandparents may think... 

Grandson Tyson

Grandsons Ashton and Jace

Grandson JJ

My Mom 

But it would be awesome to have all my sisters and parents all in one place and actually enjoy the company of the others. It would even be nice if my brother would be able to join in as normal brothers would do. But I have a feeling this is something that would never happen because in my immediate family, there is alot that goes on and it never seems to work out that everyone can be on the same page... But never the less, I still love them and nothing would change that. Now I can't say i would want the drama of atleast one member of my family around me... Won't go into things, but wow, good thing for forgiveness or he would never stand a chance. 

Then I think too that God puts us with the families that we are suppose to be with and we are to love our families with all the faults and what I would call the lack of perfection that we all possess, lol... I would think that there is no perfect family and we can only do the best we can... But please DO NOT end up on CNN... That would be totally messed up... I am sure there is atleast one person that thinks I do things a bit off the wall, lol... Do not stand in line to name them all, but maybe one or two people might find an issue, lol... 

On another note, I have alot of family that is not related by blood, but are related because of Christ and they are more like family than friends. You don't have to be related by blood in order to be family. 

Thanksgiving is Coming- What am I Thankful for?

You know there are alot of days that I don't really think that I am very thankful for things I have or don't have... I get a bit of an UN-Christian attitude when it comes to certain things in my life... Like when I don't have the money or time to go where I want and when I want. Or I get a tad bit upset when things do not go my way and I can tell anyone that I am not very thankful for those times... I'm not thankful for the days I am sick and just don't feel like getting out of bed... When thinking about all the things I'm not thankful for or happy about, I must think about the flip side of things... What are some of the things I am thankful for? That is a very long list...

First and foremost I am thankful that I am able to worship God without the fear of being put to death... In the news the other day, they were talking about this poor woman who will be put to death because she is a Christian and she put down Buddism. You can read more real life stories like this on Voice of the Martyrs.


I am thankful for my family... When I look around many families aren't as blessed... I see so many kids who have hatred for one family member or another... I get upset at mine, but there has never been that kind of hatred and my kids and grandkids are the best... My husband is a bit grumpy, but then so am I... So I guess that is ok :)





I am thankful for some of the times God said no... I would think something was a great thing at the time and then come to find out later on that if that great thing would have turned into a catastrophe... I get upset when God says no, but I guess it is for my own good... Atleast that's what I tell myself after the fact.



I am thankful for the best friends in the world... I have friends that are there when needed and I hope I am a good friend in turn... I have friends that are willing to chase the bull, make trips out of the way and listen when I want to grip. And let me tell you, that is often...




I am thankful for my dogs, even when they don't listen and make an ooops on the floor... They love unconditionally and are always there.







I am thankful for the Phoenix Suns... They give me something to take my anger out on, like the San Antonio Spurs and The Lakers... Ughhh are those fighting words...




There are many things I am thankful for that is just to numerous to mention or write down. But that you God for all that you have given and for those people you have put in my life.

A Nice Christmas

I am a few days late on posting this, but all the same, I am doing it, lol.

We had a nice Christmas. It was a bummer that Jessica, Jason and JJ wasn't here though. We had my daughter Beckiah and her family came over as well as our friends Chuck and Brenda and my brother in laws Craig and Rick.

There was alot of stuff under the tree, but not so much to get overwhelmed by it all. I got some new angels. You can never go wrong when it comes to angels you know :). I also got some bath stuff and pedicure things. Beckiah gave me a good picture of her family. Which is awesome. I always complain that I never get any of them to put on my wall. Now I have some. So that is a good thing. To me that is a perfect gift.

We also had a really nice Christmas Eve Service at my church. It was cool. What was funny is that the pastors kids and grandkids were there and they did a skit with music. I think that is cool when kids do the Christmas Story. Also, on a great note. We did get snow... YEAHHHH. Not everyone in my house would say that is a good thing. But I do. I will post some pictures from Christmas Day on here when I load them to my computer. I am a slacker when it comes to that.

I hope that everyone had a great Christmas and has a very nice New Year. I know I am soooooooooooooo ready for the new year to start. There was so many horrible things that happened this year, that I want to put it all past me. Between me being in the hospital off and on for what seemed like all summer long, in ICU, my sister in law died while I was in the hospital, just three weeks or so later my sweet mother in law died. I am very ready for 2009. I am praying that it is a better year then this one has been.

Grumbling

Well, ok as some of you all know. I have the ability to grumble a bit. I think that is something that we all do at some point or another. Weather it is when we drive down the road and someone doesn’t turn on their blinker to let us know what way they are going to turn. Or they may be going 25 miles an hour in a 40 mph speed zone. If they could hear what I was thinking, I am sure they would wonder what kind of Christian I am.
There are times I grumble about how God should be doing something this way or another way. For example, I like things done now and I don’t like to wait. I like to have the temperatures at or around 70 degrees or cooler. But then I think others would grumble about that too :). Then all the sudden God gets my attention. Even though that can be difficult to do as well. I don’t listen to well, as some have figured out. I was thinking about some of the stupid things I grumble about though. My list is way too long so I won’t go into that right now.
What got me on this topic are the missionaries this past week. Many of these people endure great hardships. They eat yucky food. They meet in huts or on dirt floors, with no air conditioning or heating. They risk their lives to go to church and worship God and most of the time it is in hiding, or they would loose their lives all together. Many of these people have just what they need to survive and that is very modest at that.
So, I am going to try to stop grumbling so much if the music isn’t fast enough or if someone cuts me off or goes to slow. At least I have a car that is being driven on a real road and not having to dig out of waist high mud.
Thanks to all of those that risk their lives to spread the message to those that wouldn’t get a chance to hear about Gods plan of Salvation.
One other thought came to mind, it isn’t about grumbling. But it is about our responsibility as Christians to let those around us know about Christ. Gene Jordan made a good point when he was talking about his family. Gene was adopted by missionaries stationed in Ecuador when he was an infant and never really knew his real family. Years later he found them and connected with them. He said that they go into these countries to share the good news about Jesus Christ and yet his very own birth family that lives here in the United States is unsaved. They live near churches, but none of them have heard the good news. I feel it is also our responsibility to tell our friends and neighbors about Jesus Christ. We are all missionaries for Christ.

Back Online- After Much Fanfare

Well, I am back online. We have satellite internet and the dish went out of whack. They fixed it yesterday... YEAH... I was a bit bored with the whole thing of having to go to someone elses house to check my e-mail. But it is back...

Now to update on the happenins in the life of Sandie. We have alot of activities at church that is surrounding our Missions Conference. It looks like it will be interesting but time consuming.

My daughter Beckiah came over to the house on Sunday for dinner. We had Macaroni and Cheese and Ham in memory of my mother and father in law. It was thier anniversary on Monday. Or would have been. It was a nice day... Would have been better if Jessica, JJ and Jason was there. But we called them.

I also had tests yesterday at the hosptial. The Dr said I failed them. Man... I was never good at tests anyhow. But they called and said I have to re-test.. I'm not looking forward to that at all. I don't know what day that will be. Hopefully it will be a long time down the line.

But other then that, there isn't much going on. I am working on a Christmas project. I will be making Custome Made Christmas Gift Baskets. So if anyone is interested let me know. There will be a few businesses that will be offering them in thier store in Southern Utah and I will also be taking mail orders and delivering them via USPS. But I will post more details on that one when I am done. That should be in a week or two and I will post the website for ordering them.

Tonight I will post more in depth after I see what the day holds for us all here :)

On A More Positive Note

I am very blessed to have Jesus in my life.God has blessed me with my wonderful daughters, son in laws, 4 wonderful and the worlds cutest grandsons. He has blessed me with great friends and a very supportive church family. He has blessed me by putting some of His best friends, my dogs into my life. He has blessed me each day I wake up and hear the birds singing. Even though I don't knwo how to see the blessing of spiders and snakes. Those two aren't in my book of blessings at this very moment. He has blessed me with the ability to talk to people from all over the world and get to know those I never would have the opportunity to get to know and call friends. WOW, when you think about it, I am very blessed. Share with us how blessed you are.

Now go out and have a blessed Jesus filled day and week....