I’m not exactly sure where or how to start so I am just gonna roll with it, and yes, I said gonna.
Somehow, putting thoughts or memories down on paper, I always struggled with trying to write in a way that satisfied all the learned Scholars out there. Well, you never know, they might want to read something in the waiting room at the dentist or something. I am at a point in our journey that I can simply write from my heart and let God do the rest. It’s been a bumpy ride, to say the least.
Now, just because I keep mentioning the bumpy ride doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing. It means you were wide awake as we zigged and zagged like some of the best cats out there.
God and God alone could ever manage us because we might have been small in stature, but within our vessel is a raging river of emotions, strengths, weaknesses and a love so powerful it’s a bit off putting at times. We spent way too many years of our life trying to satisfy every other person’s requirement of us to be what they wanted, and the enemy used that to nearly destroy us.
It is nearly the end of March 2023, and the last 4 years have brought us to what I refer to as our base line. God met us at our lowest and has begun building up a soul capable of seeing ourself and others in a loving and truthful way. We learned to see ourself and others through the Fathers eyes.
You exhausted yourself trying to be enough for everyone around you, while often feeling empty inside. God taught you to love You, with all your flaws and failures, and the truths of yourself that made you the way God intended. The Father used our truths to show us how beautiful we are.
The only way for this to make sense is to tell you what brought you to that place where you could finally get up and walk on. Just so that you know, you didn’t get there with any form of wisdom quickly, rather, it took you all of your 100 years to try to really let God hold you. That is the truth of it!
He brought you this far, for just his purpose… when you see it, I’ll be there waiting.
I know it’s rather childish, but what do I care… if it sells furry babies, I’m in!
Seriously, if there was an opportunity for a shopping spree of any kind, I’d pick a farm and garden store. Something like Farm and Tractor Supply, or one of those feed stores that often have kitten’s running around in the warehouse. I wouldn’t care!
But, just for the sake of being thoroughly responsible, I’d probably settle for a store that also offered vet and grooming services. This way, I’m not being too hasty in my decision to fill our home with hungry, furry creatures. I already care for a hungry, hairy husband, so I’m well prepared for feeding, snuggling, and cleaning up messes around the house. It’s a win win!
If I picked the right store for said shopping spree, I’d make short work of all their departments, from the pet food and supply section, to lawn and garden, and a full walk through of the clothing and camping section. Before taking my bounty home, there would be full memberships in a lifetime supply of pet care and grooming services. Now my fur babies would be set for life!
You know, if it was a decent size store, maybe they’d have those prebuilt little garden sheds, too… I need room for my other hobbies, as well as, my Easy-Bake Oven.
If a fellow shooter, like myself, were the one asking, I’d say that it really gets on my nerves if they keep asking whether I brought enough bullets. Duh! I’ve three different weapons, all taking a different gauge ammunition, plus a compression bow. For the bow, I make my own poison tipped arrows. I keep a full quiver of those, at all times!
If it’s a child doing the talking, the last thing I wish to hear from the back seat is “are we there yet?” It feels somewhat like Chinese water torture, if I’m to give an actual descriptor.
If the questioner is your boss, most likely it’d be something akin to that child’s question. The adult version would be, “are you finished with that paperwork I gave you?” The difference between the two questions is that one annoys, while the other causes anxiety, or possibly visa versa. Maybe both, depending on the boss, or on which child was tormenting you from the back seat!
But, what if you’re the fellow, the child, or the boss? What about them?
I suppose if I were the fellow shooter, it’d be really aggravating to be asked why I forgot all my ammo? Trader Rect’s prices feel like Zombie highway robbery!
Gaining the perspective of a child, I’d guess that the most hated question might be, “have you finished cleaning your room?” Don’t blame the child because grown ups buy too much stuff. There’s never enough room in that bottom drawer for cramming things. While that question seems right on point, for today’s prompt, I can’t help but think on a couple good runner ups. There’s “Have you finished your homework?, Did you take out the trash yet?, or Is the dishwasher emptied?”
Considering what it’d be like as the boss, one would assume the dreaded questions would be along the lines of, “Can I take the day off?, or Can I leave early?” I imagine other questions and requests floating through the office, but as the boss, I’d be very grateful to have a decent HR department, for forwarding all those annoying questions to someone else to answer. That’s what I pay them for, right?!
Why did I write out this lengthy answer to the prompt, you may be asking yourselves?
Well, as I mostly write, study scripture, and play computer games with fictional characters, I don’t have any real questions that bother me. So I tried to assume what it’d feel like if I were in the shoes of those who do spend more time around others.
There you have it folks! A long winded answer to a question you never asked me in the first place. It’s sort of funny how we all read each others answers to a computer generated prompt. I will admit, though, sometimes creating random answers to the more ridiculous questions is fun. At least I make myself laugh, so there’s that!
Plus, you get a cookie out of the deal, so it’s not a total loss…
While one may consider it failure, God calls it an opportunity! Our failures are His perfect moments of teaching, bringing good for His purposes. God does that with all of our choices, you know… the good and the bad.
God sent his only son to earth for us, where we promptly crucified him, so one might assume that this was a big epic failure!
What did God do?
He resurrected Jesus and rolled that stone away, leaving an empty tomb behind!
God has been righting our wrongs, healing our wounds and miraculously turning our failures into successes from the beginning of time! The Bible says that God is faithful, so logic dictates that only success will follow, from both our triumphs and mistakes.
I am a work in progress, and as God is not done with me yet, failure is just a means for Him to continually show me how He can do anything… the sky’s the limit, as they say.
My future is very bright, as the bible confirms…
“For I know the plans I have for you”, declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”. Jeremiah 29:11
I remember the days before technology allowed kids to spend 6 hours straight in an automobile Movie Theatre, laps filled with juice boxes and snack bags. Nope! I don’t even think I ever saw the inside of a car seat! Just our old station wagon, with parents in the front comfortably seated, while we all were stuffed into the back rows.
The only theatre entertainment we saw, was the live action movie of one of the two grown ups in the front, trying rather unsuccessfully to smack us for one reason or another! Our little ears were unceremoniously greeted with the musical threats of the time… some of the greatest hits to listen to were, If I Have To Come Back There, sung by the driver, or Just You Wait Til We Get Home, played by the assistant driver.
What were we to do for entertainment, as well as for our survival? After we tired of picking on each other, as no parent ever stopped the car for the child who cried, Mom, he won’t stop poking me… we looked for games that kept our attentions. We couldn’t play the “That’s who you’re gonna marry”, as we were not stuck in the parking lot of a grocery store, while our parents sought peaceful shelter within the local food mart! When the car is careening down the highway, kids had to get creative!
There were three games we could play for some much needed automobile on-board entertainment…
I’m Going on a Picnic! In this game, since we didn’t have those snacks and drinks, one would call out an item they would take to eat if they could. There was a catch, however, as the next kid had to figure out why that item was chosen, and add an item that matched. It might be the color of the food, or perhaps its shape, flavor or the way it was prepared and packaged. The goal was to figure out the common denominator and add to the picnic.
I Spy With My Little Eye! One child would select something within sight of the car, and then give clues to the others, as to what they were looking at. One could ask about size, color, shape or use… things like that, until someone figured it out.
Punch Bug! This game was usually toward the end of the car ride, as by now we really didn’t like each other very much, there was nothing else to do, and it was a free chance to hit each other. This was a savored game and we saved up all our personal traveling grievances for the opportune DOUBLE PUNCH BUG attack!
So, here ya have it folks… If I were riding in an automobile, my opening sentence would most likely be “Yellow Cloth Top PUNCH BUG!” I’m very talented in using my middle knuckle when I tag your thigh, as it leaves the perfect little round bruise for later.
Yes, I am aware of what the prompt asked us today, but as this is the second attempt at sticking their nose into my business, I chose to write my response the way I wished. If they are so interested in my Autobiography, they can buy the book when it’s released and read the answer there… just sayin.
There’s nothing more jarring and/or disconcerting than when your car tire hits a pothole, when you’re driving down the road at full speed!
You’re lucky to keep the car on the road, not to mention, trying to hold onto your coffee without wearing it… am I right?!
I suppose it’s nearly as jarring to hit a speed bump, but at least you get vaulted into the air, so you can keep going. Not a pothole, no no! Those will either stop you in your tracks, trying to catapult you through the windshield… or worse yet, you might just find yourself trying to stay out of oncoming traffic. If you’re lucky, the car’s tires will only rub the curb. I think we’ve all been there at one time, or another.
That’s kind of how life experiences tend to make us grow… by sheer force! Sink or swim, life or death! You have to think fast, choose wisely, and definitely know how to put out fires, stop the bleeding, as well as, knowing where the Band-Aids are hiding!
At least my car (life) comes with a stellar manufacturers warranty. My agent always fixes the damages, putting me back on the road, quickly. I will admit that my car usually ends up facing a new direction, but with a full tank of gas and new driving instructions.
Pothole experiences are where God does his best work, I think. He makes the best corrections, top notch repairs to all damages, and he even provides the most beautiful band-aids.
The most precious time in my journey, hands down, was having and raising my three daughters when they were babies!
Don’t get me wrong, I carry their older years in my heart as well, but the baby phase was the most difficult to leave behind.
The doctors said I would never conceive … and if I did, I would not be able to carry a baby to full term, due to my medical history. I had a great many difficulties in my young life, of which, now is not the time or place to go into in any great detail. I will simply say that babies were not supposed to be in my future!
I became pregnant 8 times, losing 5 in order to have the three that I did carry to full term. The sicker I was, the better, because I knew my body was holding on to the pregnancy. I relished every bit of morning sickness, every stretch mark, crazy cravings and chubby pounds I gained.
My first daughter didn’t want to exit the building, forcing the doctor to induce my labor 2 full weeks after my due date… she is my stubborn Drama Queen, to this day!
My second daughter and I both nearly died in childbirth, as my placenta ruptured prematurely, causing an emergency Caesarian section. She was born 2 weeks early and still weighed in at 8 lbs. 6 oz. when she arrived. She was a very fussy baby, being dubbed Kaitlungs… though, to this day, she’s the quietest and most reserved daughter of all three!
My third daughter was the easiest pregnancy, easiest delivery, and tiniest of the three… born 2 weeks early and weighing in at a solid 8 lbs. She literally shot out and landed in my doctors arms, being dubbed the surfing baby! She is most like me, of all my girls… just as strong minded, sassy and bright!
It was after her delivery that my doctor said, no more pregnancies … the risk was just too great for me to continue having babies. Thus, my season of bearing children had finally come to an end.
You may scoff, but I miss every detail of those years… every sleepless night, every tantrum, every band-aid handed out! I miss nursing my babies, changing their diapers, cuddling and rocking them gently, while they slept in my arms.
If I could, I would have bottled up and saved the smell of their breath, their skin… their hair!
If only I had made recordings of their laughter, cries, shouts, whispers and bickering… oh well, no more woulda coulda shoulda, in that regard!
I did make journals for each of them, with letters and stories of things they did and said, that I have saved all these years… I tried so hard to plan ahead, knowing that memories fade and things can so easily be forgotten over time.
Thank goodness I did that, because even if I had to say goodbye to that phase, I can easily go back through those books and memories, remembering and cherishing them over and over. Who knows, maybe one day my daughters will want those books to read with their children… maybe not. I’m still glad I dreamt of them, birthed them, raised them, and wrote things down for them… that way it’s not really goodbye to that phase, is it? My blood runs through their veins… they will always be my babies… and I will forever be their mother!
As a parent, we all know that when your kids are not making noise, it never bodes well! When it gets silent… we usually go looking for the noise makers that are now abnormally quiet!
Not my parents… no no… somehow, they were never really concerned about where we were, or what we were doing. Due to this lack of supervision, we tended to get into trouble.
Some time ago, I shared a funny story about how we let nearly 2 dozen baby mice loose in the house by accident, only to have my mother discover the mass graveyard in between the cushions of her favorite couch, some months later!
There was also the time when I was riding on the back of my brothers bike and he nearly decapitated me while trying to cut through a trailer park that had one of those steel cords strung across the driveway! Try explaining the burn mark to my parents… there aren’t many believable stories to cover over what looked like an attempted murder.
Then there was the time we tied helium balloons around our cats tails and they tore through the house in terror, knocking over anything that wasn’t nailed down… that was a crazy mess! We hadn’t thought about how hard it would be, recapturing the the little fur balls, in order to remove said balloons.
Anyway, I think you can see a picture developing in your minds, as to how unsupervised we were, thereby providing ample time for one of our best DIY projects!
My brother was about 9 and I was barely 7, when we came up with an idea to build a fort, but not just any fort… we needed a secret one! The problem lay in the fact that we lived in Eastern Oregon… hot, dry, and flat, with no trees available for making into forts!
What’s a kid going to do? If you can’t build up, then the logical thing to do is to build down… but where?
We decided among ourselves that the back yard seemed the best place to work, because no one went back there and it was easy to hear my mom call us in for dinner.
At first it was easy to cover the hole with the grass we had cut out for digging down underground, but eventually we had to steal a plank of wood to lay over the hole, covering that with the grass. We had nearly dug up against the foundation of the house, before anyone noticed the mounds of dirt we had been throwing willy nilly over the backyard fence.
Yup!
Got our hind ends paddled and the hole was caved in, refilled and the grass restored.
If you’re thinking that this was the end of our DIY ing… think again, my friends!
All true DIY ers know the golden rule… if you fail the first time… try, try again! And again, we did!
We simply moved our construction zone further out into the desert behind the neighborhood we lived in at the time.
First, we set to work digging down nearly 6 feet, carving out steps for us to climb up and down out of the hole. From there we dug straight in nearly 15 feet before carving out a hobbit house sized hole under the desert above us. We took the dirt from the hole and spread it all over the area nearby, so that there would be no mounds to be seen by spying eyes; lessons had been learned from our first attempt. We spent nearly a week sneaking blankets, toys, food and water from our home, to stock our new underground bunker.
It wasn’t until my brother got a spanking for stealing candy out of the cupboard, and angrily running away to hide in the tunnel, that anybody had any reason to go looking for our hideaway. All the grown-ups cornered me and questioned if I knew where he was, scaring me into giving up the coordinates of our outlaw camp… the gig was up!
It was a good thing that we were in the heat of summer, when there was no rain to fill the hole and drown us, or worse yet, cave in on us. I will never forget the look of shock, surprise, fear, and awe on my stepdads face as he climbed 6 feet down into our DIY creation. He was both impressed and terrified at what we’d managed to do without accidentally killing ourselves. But he also never trusted us again, regularly patrolling the property and surrounding areas, and locking up all of his tools!
What can I say… if I’m gonna DIY something, I say, “go big or go home!”
When will we learn that words, just like guns, can be use for both good and evil alike?
You can remove all weapons from the hands of a man, but if his heart is still filled with wickedness, he will find a different weapon to replace the one taken!
If you’ve unsuccessfully changed the heart of a man, it won’t matter what words, weapons, or any other tools you give or remove from him… the heart is what determines how the tool is used!
Last I checked, only God can change the heart of a man. So, there simply aren’t any words worth removing, in my humble opinion. There are, however, a couple nefarious characters I’d like to permanently ban, but that’s not what the prompt was asking. We must stick to the prompt, right?!
Here, have a cookie, but you might want to pick off the cartridges first…
What a silly question to ask me? Six months is a long ways from here, so I really can’t tell you what challenges I’ll be facing, as I don’t fully know what they are yet!
Until such a time as I actually have a challenge worthy of bringing up to everyone, you’ll just have to make do with my stories, antics, ditties, and pity party shout outs… sorry. Don’t take my response as one of sarcasm, or even one that takes challenges lightly. If you know anything about my story, you know that I’ve had my share of challenges over the last several years. By no means do I think this prompt is a bad one, but it’s just not one I wish to dwell on.
I can imagine that there will be a large number of responses to the prompt, regarding other’s upcoming challenges, some good, and some quite difficult. For all of you, my heart goes out to you, as well as my prayers and well wishes for success in these challenges. I pray that you’ll be a go getter, tenacious, and dedicated. If I’m not going to share my challenges, the least I can do is support you in all of yours, right?!
Actually, if I had to come up with an answer for this prompt, I could talk about baking. Every morning I make you virtual cookies, and since they were a bit of a chore to create without adding in any calories, we can use that task as one of the challenges I’m facing.
If you think about it, I suppose that virtual cookie baking will still be one of my bigger challenges six months from now. That is, unless they come out with those food replicators that Star Trek always had. A girl can dream, can’t she?
Journey With Me! 