My Grandpa

This morning I got the call that I have been expecting for several weeks now, my Grandfather passed away. He was 93 years old. A wonderful example of godliness and goodness. He joins Jesus and my Grandma in heaven, probably having his banquet right now. I imagine it to be a wonderful reunion with family who have gone before, and friends who he hasn't seen for a long time. I have a cousin Jenny there and another cousin's son Aaron. I wonder what they are eating.

My Grandpa called me, "My Leslie." He said that is what my Grandma always called me. So for the last couple of years he referred to me that way too. It is something that will always be dear to me. I know that I was treasured by my grandparents.

I have a wonderful family. We have our little black sheep too, but they are also cared for deeply. Most everyone is following Jesus with their whole hearts. Some have had seasons away from God, but have joyfully returned. Knowing Jesus has bound us together in a special way. We may not be close, but our faith is the same. And we will always be able to share that.

So raise your glasses to My Grandpa! May he enjoy his welcoming party!

Fetish

I love sweater vests! My new name for the fuzzy, sparkly ones is Muppet Vests. I wish I had one. They look so warm and cozzy. I wish my mom knit so she could make me one. I would choose a purple one or a dark blue one. Or one of each.

Armpits

Today I said, "I hate my armpits!" It got a laugh out of Micah. The more I thought about it, the more I agree with myself. Armpits are stinky.

I have always been a sweaty person. I remember in high school, going into the bathroom to wipe my pits with toilet paper to dry them. I hated to raise my arms up because I was embarassed by the wet spot. I'm sure there is some emotional scar from it.

Anyway, I am still a sweaty person. I hate clingy clothes because it just makes me sweat. Most fabrics cause me to sweat even in the winter. It is just who I am I guess.

I think the sweating problem is one reason why I am not a huggy person. I hate to put my sweaty armpits on someone.

Another reason I thought of today about why I hate armpits is that they get hairy. So now I not only have to worry about sweat, but I have to think about hair. If I raise my arm, will the person see that I haven't shaved in a week? And what about the smell? Why is it that very few deodorants work for me?

If my armpits weren't so important to the upper half of my body, I would probably have them surgically removed.

Pre, Mid, Post

You will now see pictures of me scantly dressed. You have been warned. But here is the difference from P90X. Not huge, but still there is some progress. Pretty good for a near 40 year old. I am just proud that I finished all 90 days. This is before P90X, and 60 days, and finish. Can you tell which is which? I look so good in all of them that it is hard to tell.

Stump

I am going through a process of change in my life. I thought I liked change, but it turns out that some change is bad. I feel like I have lost a part of myself with this change.

My teeth have always been bad. Once, when I was a kid, I had 10 cavities at one time. And I brush twice daily and floss sometimes. But my mom says it is because she either had too much or too little floride when she was pregnant with me. So my teeth are bad.
Which is why I am needing a root canal. Actually, I don't think I really needed a root canal, but they like to do extreme measures here with medical needs, so I "needed" a root canal. I just went in to get a filling replaced, but because my filling was deep and there wasn't much tooth left, the doctor said to get a root canal and then a cap.

I had the root canal last week and am waiting for the cap to be made. So the doctor whittled down my tooth until it is just a stump in my mouth. And it makes me sad. I feel it all the time and just get sad.

So if I seem a little quiet and withdrawn, it is because I am mourning my tooth.

Eid Mubarak

I Lift my eyes up psalm 121

Last night I went to church with a friend. It was more of a youth group than a church really. We enjoyed our time, sharing about Courage Homes. I was just there for moral support. Anyway.....

We sang the song, "I Lift My Eyes Up." I have sung it many times, but this was the first time I saw it from the eyes of a girl stuck in slavery. I pictured a girl in a dark, small room, with a window with bars on it. She is looking out of the bars as she sings her prayer to God, the only one she can ask to help her.

Tourette Syndrome

I think I have Tourettes. You know, when you can't control what you say. It seems that I can't stop myself from saying some things and I then wish I hadn't. Not that it is bad. I say things that are off the wall. But I don't mean to say them. They just come out. So, for all my friends, please remember that this is a medical issue that I have.

The Day My God Died

This is a MUST SEE video on trafficking. Please take the time to watch it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BV5W6F4L5i8&feature=related (just click on the title of this post and it will go to it)

Taser

Have you ever wanted a taser? I thought about one the other day. I was thinking how helpful it would be if I ever got grabbed. I didn't talk to Steve about it, I just thought about it. Well today Steve came home with a taser. It is also a flashlight. Because you can always use a taser/flashlight combo.

So what can we do with a taser/flashlight combo? It isn't even a very powerful flashlight. So really I think the flashlight is just to get you out of trouble with the police. "No, I didn't taser anyone, it was just a flashlight."

Grandpa

My Grandpa is 93 years old. He is my last grandparent to be living. He is a great man. He was a wonderful husband to my Grandma and is a wonderful father to my mom and her sisters. Now he is getting near the end of his life. The last thing he hopes to do is to die well.

So I have been thinking a lot about Grandpa Harvey. How does a person die well? Is it by living a good life? No, that to me doesn't make sense. I know Grandpa lived a good life and was a good person, but that doesn't mean he will die well. I think it must be that God will be with him when he dies, so I have to trust that God will help him to walk the valley of death and have no fear.

So my prayer for my Grandpa is, "God, please be near to Grandpa during these last days on earth. Walk with him as he enters into the next life. May he know your presence Jesus. Amen."

Shoulder

I really love the P90X Kenpo! I, for some reason, can't seem to do it without making noise though. I have to hit and grunt. Tonight I was really getting into it when I heard my shoulder make a tearing sound. Not good. I thought for sure I had torn the rotator cuff thingy. I have been having shoulder pain for many weeks now, even before starting P90X, so i thought I had probably gone too far. But the amazing thing is that whatever the sound was, it actually fixed my shoulder. It doesn't hurt anymore. So here is to P90X for fixing my shoulder. I just hope it stays this way.