Month: February 2019

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As I have written about in previous posts, both Randy and I are in a new season of life…retirement. Not by his choosing, but circumstances out of his control. So we find ourselves home much more than we have ever been. When I think about Randy and how well he has adjusted to not working, it was so amazing to find this story that I had long ago forgot. It is just as applicable today as it was back in 2002. Here it is. “Wow, what a seemingly hard, almost impossible, for so many, myself included to do..to sit and be still. The world we live in today is so fast paced, so busy, that we have a hard time just sitting and doing nothing. It seems that we have to have some noise around us at all times. We just do not know what to do with the quiet. A couple of years ago a dear friend of mine told me that I was addicted to business. I laughed and said that I probably was, but just didn’t think too much about what she had just told me. One day, while having a quiet time and praying to the Lord, I thought of what my friend had told me. In the deepest part of my soul, I felt that God was telling me that what Simone had told me was true. I had been so busy with things. I was in the habit of telling the Lord what I wanted to do and then wondered why He was not speaking to me or using me like I felt He should. It was then that I realized that as soon as I finished telling God what I thought my day should look like and what I needed from Him, I would hurry off and proceed with my day; never giving Him a chance to speak to me or showing me through His Word what He might have for me. Guessing that He would send me a message via billboard, text message or hear something through a radio message, I would quickly go about my busy day. Yes, He can speak to us anyway He chooses, but what if He was wanting to speak to us in the quiet? Would He have a chance to do that? After years of running kids around, working, spending time with friends for lunch, hobbies, it has been hard to stay home, after being in the habit of staying gone all day. But moving to California, took so many things away that for the first time in years, I had time on my hands. no more friends until I had the chance to make some. No church activities to keep me busy until we found a church and got involved. I fought it, I griped about it and tried to tell the Lord that this was not going to work. I needed lots of things to do and I wanted Him to keep me busy…NOW! When He didn’t answer in the way I felt He should, I began to look at my life and realize that for so many years, I was asking Him to walk with me in the paths that I wanted to go, doing what I wanted and expecting Him to bless me. Now, I realized that when I didn’t give Him the chance to work in my life, or give Him a chance to speak to me, He “helped” me find the quiet times. Slowly and finally in surrender I began to see that when we give Him the opportunity to speak, He is more than willing. He did create us for His pleasure. He doesn’t need anything from us, but he desires things from us..a humble, quiet and surrendered heart. I began to pray each day that I will be willing to “be still and know” that He is God and then allow His truths and light to flow through me to others He places in my path.” Even though that story was written back in 2002, I read it and realize how easy it is to once again fall into business of life. With both of us home now, we have to try a little harder to spend some alone time with God each day. We think that the older we get that we will have more time to spend with the Lord, but somehow, we seem to always find other things to do. My prayer for 2015 is that I will give Him more of my time and more of my heart. That each day I will “Be still and know that He is God.” And then trust Him for His timing, leading and guidance in my life. He is always faithful, I pray that He will be able to say that about me one day.

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Italian Nut Balls

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We have settled here in Orlando for two months before heading to italy for hopefully 3 months! So in these two months we have time to not only bond with our Florida kids, but to go explore some of Florida’s great attractions. This week we have driven to Daytona Beach and New Smyrna Beach! We took an extra vitamin yesterday and walked around Downtown Disney! Tickets have been purchased for a lake tour and a day next week we will drive back to Daytona to experience the Daytona Race Track Tour!

When we visited Daytona on Tuesday we walked thru an antique mall where I found a basket of all kinds of little recipe booklets. You know the kind that is always right by the register when you check out! I love those little cookbooks and have a million of them! Well maybe not a million but enough to warrant their own shelf in the bookcase! So what did i do but buy 5 more. After getting back to the condo and leafing thru the cookie one, i found this little recipe for Italian Nut Balls! I started reading over the recipe when Guido ask me what i was reading. I told him I was reading a recipe that sounded just like what we are! Italian Nut Balls. Do not think we don’t know what some of you are saying! “What do they think they are doing, selling their home and traveling for 6-8 months? Don’t they realize they are old and need to stay close to a hospital or nursing home?” Yes, we can only imagine what friends must be thinking or saying! Lucky for them we are hard of hearing and can’t hear what they say!

So in the meantime, think I’ll bake these little gems and pack them in my suitcase to snack on while flying to Italy! Will help me remember why we are doing what we are doing……because we truly are Italian Nut Balls!!! taken from a Pillsbury Cookie Cookbook 1987

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Miracle on High Street

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Today marks 60 days until we leave for Italy for 3 months. On Dec 29th we began our adventure of being gypsies! We have traveled a little more than 3000 miles and have driven from sea to shining sea! We have experienced some awesome memories and have seen Gods Hand at work already in so many ways! To say that God shows up in unexpected ways is an-understatement! God continues to show us that He goes before us and behind us!

We are settled in downtown Orlando now for a couple months! I have to admit that it felt so good to unpack and know i wouldn’t have to repack for 2 months! It also felt good to go grocery shopping yesterday! For those of you who know me, you know that i am not one of those who “eat to exists”. The slogan ” i love to eat” was created for me! So se have had a ball traveling from California to Florida eating at places which have, in the past, made it to our “must return to this place” list or to new places which had been recommended to us!

When we stopped in Albuquerque for one night, we were blessed to stay at a B&B downtown! We had stayed there one other time. This was our first little “unexpected” blessing that God had provided! I had booked us in an Airbnb the week before but had put the wrong dates in so as we approached Albuquerque I texted the man who had leased his apartment to us for the night which he called immediately and told Randy that I had put in the wrong dates and he was full that night. So I had to quickly find a location for us to stay. I began looking at all the hotels and exuberant prices and finally Randy told me to check the bed-and-breakfast where we had stayed on a previous visit. I told him that it did not show up as being available for that night and he told me to just call them directly and see if maybe there was a chance they had a room. So I did. The lady answered on the second ring and I told her that we had stayed there before did she possibly have a room. She informed me that she only had one room left and the reason why it was not on the availability list was that when it didn’t rent by noon time she pulled it off because then she didn’t have a maid service but she did have the downstairs room which is what we needed anyway. When we got there the room is ready and we woke up to a magnificent gourmet breakfast. I went in the kitchen to tell Carly how wonderful the breakfast was and we were so thankful that we were able to stay there! she told me that she normally does not answer the phone after 5 o’clock but for some reason she was sitting there watching TV with her daughter and decided to pick up the phone. We knew God had provided this wonderful place for us! Also as we were eating breakfast I realized Randy was talking to a couple of the guests that were eating breakfast at our table! It amazed me because he’s the one that never wants to stay at a bed-and-breakfast as he does not enjoy visiting with total strangers! When I saw him talking and enjoying himself, i knew i was experiencing a miracle! If you are ever in Albequerque, remember this B&B on High St. You will be so glad you did!

It has been almost two months that we have been on this adventure! As we settled here on Tues night, we thought back over the last 6 weeks and realized that we have had precious times with the kids we dont get to spend time with as often as we wanted! It has been fun to cook in different kitchens at our kids houses and sit and visit with new friends as well!

So here we are Feb. 14th in a condo owned by a precious friend who is allowing us to stay here! God continues to be faithful to us in so many different ways. No matter the season, no matter the circumstance we see His great love shining down on us! Happy Valentines day to all….as we bask in the glory of His great love by the giving of His Son….Jesus who loved us so much to lay down His life for us!