Sunday Event

Posted on July 26, 2015 by Patricia Ann

A couple of weeks ago the idea of posting short scriptures each Sunday occurred to me. Lo and behold, one of the recent suggestions from Blogging 101 was just that idea with an added bit about why a particular verse is meaningful to me.

Here is today’s feature:

Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you even at my mother’s breast. From birth I was cast upon you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God. Psalm 22: 9,10

This is a psalm of David, and I love it because it is exactly the way I feel about God. His presence has been with me since day one which leads me to another scripture:

“…you whom I have upheld since you were conceived, and have carried since your birth. Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you…” Isaiah 46: 3,4

Another Sunday event today is a baby shower for Laura, the mother-to-be of my seventh great-grandchild.

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To Apologize

Posted on July 24, 2015 by Patricia Ann

In relationships, many of us struggle to deal with the idiosyncrasies of our significant other. We sometimes overreact to little things that are part of our partner’s nature and fail to see our own faults that could be just as irritating to our spouse. This sometimes leads to a diminishing of feelings on the part of one or the other parties…or maybe both. When this happens a little more love is called for…not less. It isn’t conducive to a good relationship to live with hurting hearts; it is necessary to accept each other’s individuality and recognize the need to apologize when necessary.

BUT WHEN WE DO

Is to love those more

who love us less,

the answer to

broken-heartedness?

Love heals all things,

the pain subsides,

though tears at times

still touch our eyes.

Help us, Lord,

to learn from pain,

that we may not

cause hurt again.

But when we do,

may we be wise

and brave enough

to apologize.

(Reposted)

The Double Rainbow

Posted on July 21, 2015 by Patricia Ann

My best friend and her sister had never lived apart in their lives except for a brief period when one of them was first married. Their lives were intertwined through childhood, early adulthood, middle years and elder age.

Tanya died first in 2008 after a battle with lung cancer. She was seventy-one years old, and her passing had left her sister alone for the first time in her life.

In 2014 Virginia, in her seventy-fifth year, succumbed to life-threatening injuries after being struck by a bus one sunny September morning.

The “ladies”, as they were lovingly referred to by family and friends, were together once again as the urns containing their ashes sat side by side in the final home they had shared, awaiting an appropriate burial location to be mutually decided upon by the family.

It seems that whenever a rainbow was sighted after the ladies had left earth, it was a promising reminder that they were united again, because the rainbow is a sign of promise.

Their memorial was held just last week and they were interred together in their final resting place. It drizzled rain during the committal but when it was time to honor their lives with celebration, a beautiful double rainbow appeared in the heavens over the site.

What a wonderful sign of promise that my best friend and her sister will never be apart again.

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You Be the Judge

Posted on July 20, 2015 by Patricia Ann

Have you ever asked a departed loved one for a sign that they still exist somewhere?

The second love of my life died in 2007, after twenty-seven years together. We had shared a good life which included our pet Yorkshire terrier who was almost twenty years old when he went to doggie heaven.

I’m one of those cloud scanners…that is, always looking for meaningful cloud shapes, like angels for example. I’ve seen them along with elephants, ducks, pigs, whatever.

One day I silently asked Jerry to send me a cloud-shape of our beloved little Yorkie…just to satisfy my hunger for a sign.

It happened while visiting an out-of-town friend. We were enjoying a summer afternoon outdoors when I looked up and saw the distinct shape of my long deceased pet.

“Look at that cloud,” I exclaimed to my friend, “what does it look like to you?”

“Looks like a dog,” she said.

“Yes, but what kind?” I pressed, needing reassurance.

“Looks like a Yorkshire terrier,” she responded.

Need I say more? Of course I breathed a silent “thank you” and have carried that sign in my heart from that day to this. Who or what was I thanking..Jerry, God, the universe? You be the judge..

“Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.” Isaiah 7:11

Tomorrow: The double rainbow.

I’m Glad I’m Still Alive

Posted on July 17, 2015 by Patricia Ann

She’s ninety-two years old and in long term care after a fall left her with a broken hip. My visit with her on Tuesday was a delight, as she reminisced about various people in her life (many times over). Dementia is often a side effect of longevity, and repetition of conversation is one of the tell-tale signs of this disease.

My friend misses her euchre games with her old friends, misses her Sundays at church, misses her home which she is sure she will return to when her hip heals.

Nevertheless, this dear lady loves her life and told me, “I know my children appreciate me and I love that.”

When it was time for me to leave, she took my hand and smiled, “You know, Pat, I’m glad I’m still alive,” she said.

How happy I was to hear those words. I look forward to my next visit with this plucky ninety-two year old.

Buyer Beware Part Two

Posted on July 14, 2015 by Patricia Ann

It happened in a supermarket. My eleven-year-old grandson had accompanied me on a short shopping trip for a few groceries.

“Look, Nana, these chocolate bars are only sixty-nine cents!” He was old enough to know the price of candy. What are grandmas for if not to treat their grandchildren once in awhile, so I told him to get one each for himself and younger brother, and one for me.

We went through the checkout and Liam had scarfed his bar down before we had left the store.

I always check my receipts and was surprised to see that the candy bars had cost a dollar-twenty-five instead of the sixty-nine cents advertised.

There was nothing I could do about Liam’s bar but I took the other two back to the store and presented the cashier with the difference in prices and was told it was not these bars on sale but another brand. And it was indeed the case when I checked the display. The sale price was in bold letters and the brand on sale was in fine print. Our chocolate bars, a different brand, were smack in the middle of the display, and not on sale.

I told the clerk that an eleven-year-old wasn’t about to read the fine print on a candy sale sign and that the non-sale candy should not have been on that display. I asked for and received a refund. The amount was less than two dollars but the lesson to all concerned was invaluable.

Leviticus 19:11 says in part, “Do not deceive one another.”

Again, buyer beware.

What’s In A Name?

Posted on July 12, 2015 by Patricia Ann

Trying to catch up on the first five “Blogging 101″ days, this is day two’s assignment. We are told to consider changing the title of our Blog or as WordPress puts it…”edit your title and tagline”.

Yesterday I wrote about possibly changing my title but hadn’t quite decided on a new one and would love a little input from you readers.

Insight seems to be one of my stronger personality traits. Also, I love seeking guidance in my Bible and have always believed my writing is Spirit led; maybe not all of it but certainly much of it.

Yesterday, I came across this in 2 Timothy 2:7 Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.

Now, what drew my attention was the fact that I have been toying with THE INSIGHT PAGE as a possible title; or possibly just INSIGHTS.

I’m hoping some faithful readers will also give me some insight into this; what would make a good new name to replace My Precious Life, the Blog?

Buyer Beware

Posted on July 12, 2015 by Patricia Ann

Assignment number three in Blogging 101 is: follow five new topics in the Reader and five new blogs. I will complete that assignment but we may also blog a bit if we so desire. And I do.

One of my pet peaves is retail stores trying to trick customers into buying something at regular price by displaying it among sale priced items. Let me give you an example.

A huge display of Cola products was greatly reduced, with the low price being the predominant feature on the sign, and the brand name in significantly smaller print. Included in the display were a few cases of ice tea and I snatched one up at this low price.

My tea checked out at double the price advertised. When I complained, I was told it was only the Cola products on sale. A blank stare was the response to my question, “Why is the ice tea included in the display?” At this, the manager offered me the beverage for the sale price but I declined on principle. Buyer beware!

Tomorrow I will relate another incident, this time involving a child.

Leviticus 19:35 says “Do not use dishonest standards…”

An Introduction of Sorts

Posted on July 11, 2015 by Patricia Ann

This post is basically for new readers, but of course it’s open to everyone. I’m participating in something on WordPress called Blogging 101 and am to introduce myself and why and what I’m blogging. This is the first assignment.

So here goes. I began blogging on April 5, 2014 to introduce a book I would be publishing in June of that year. After posting a snippet from each of forty chapters of the book, I decided to continue to keep on blogging to see where it would take me.

I love to write, hope to inspire, pray to reach as many people as possible and have met many new people from all over the world.

My blog is called My Precious Life and so is my book, so now I am thinking of renaming the blog so as not to confuse the two.

A new name is on the tip of my pen but has not yet made contact with the page…perhaps soon, and that will be another introduction of sorts.

I’ll keep you posted; pardon the pun.

Lord of the Dance

Posted on July 9, 2015 by Patricia Ann

It is said that one thing leads to another and I have found this to be true recently. A couple of days ago I mentioned liturgical dance in a blog about dancing in church, and a viewer sent me a link about universal dancing, which in turn caused me to think of the song “Lord Of The Dance”. It is worth checking this out on You Tube just to hear the music to it.

Lord Of The Dance

I danced in the morning when the world was young
I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun
I came down from heaven and I danced on the earth
At Bethlehem I had my birth