Obtaining Mercy

A Wild and Crazy Week

Whew!  It's been a little bit busy this week at our house, so I thought I'd try to catch you up-to-date.

Doug and Isaac had quite a time trying to get home from therapy on Tuesday.  Our truck died "the big death" on the way back.  They did not get home until 1:45 a.m. Wednesday morning, after having to sit on the side of the road in the middle of 192-no-whereville for 3 hours.  (You locals will know exactly where that is, too!)

The rest of the week, then, proved to be very interesting, having no working vehicle.  It worked out ok, though, as so many family, friends and co-workers gave us rides and lended their cars for grocery shopping and such.  We are so thankful for them!

My sister-in-love and I had been planning a trip to the beach for a few weeks, and I decided to not let the circumstances deter me.  I was so glad we went.  It was a beautifully slow-paced day and I took in about a week's worth of vitamin D, and we were home by 3 p.m.  Can't beat that, can you?

On Friday, Doug took part in the graduation ceremony/service of the school where he teaches.  They graduated 4 seniors, and he said the service and reception were very nice.

Meanwhile, Isaac and I attended my cousin's wedding at our church, thanks to 2 different vehicles from 2 different families.  It was a labor of love to get us there, and I am so grateful I could go.  Isaac sat with the younger children in the toddlers' building for the ceremony, but then joined me for the reception.  Let me tell you, my boy can put away some potato salad!!!  He just loved it and I was glad to have such a happy escort.

Today, Saturday, my mom and I attended the Mother-Daughter Luncheon at our church.  The cafeteria was still set up with the gorgeous decorations from the wedding the night before, and the food was yuuummmmy!  We heard a lovely pastor's wife speak about serving the Lord in the beauty of holiness and came home with sweet little plants donated from a church member's nursery. :)

So...cRaZy, busy week, full of wonderful blessings and unexpected catastrophes.  We still have no idea what we are going to do for a vehicle.  We are in no position to purchase a new one, but the old one is beyond repair.  We are truly waiting on a miracle from the Lord!

We are, however, focused on the Lord, yielding ourselves and our lives to Him on a moment by moment basis.  Occasionally, we feel ourselves growing very agitated, and have to stop to realize we are just feeling very "out of control" of everything in our lives right now; and once again, surrender it all to the Lord.

Doug is also out of work for the summer and has no prospects; but perhaps the Lord knew he wouldn't have a way to get to a job??? :o/  We don't know...so we just keep trusting and doing what we know to do each day, with the ability that we DO have.

Now that you have an update on us, I will leave you with some glorious pictures from my day at the beach!

 

 

 

 

 

 

HopeFULLy,

Alesha Kay

Alive and Well in Central Florida

Well, hey there!  Did you wonder how things were going over here on the east coast?  I know I've been quiet for a little while, except for my devotional posts each day, but we are doing very well. 

The school year is winding down, and as usual, there are many extra things in the schedule during the month of May.  Some of those activities are planned and expected every year. 

Other things, like funerals, are not expected.  This week I attended the funeral service of one of God's choicest servants, Dr. Gary Herring.

He was a mighty man of God his whole life, even though he had only served with us at our church and college for the past 11 years.  He pastored in his hometown for 32 years!  Isn't that amazing?! 

It was wonderful to hear stories of those who knew him "back when" and to realize that his faithful service had been well established, even before he came to bless us with his ministry at our church.

His wife, Mrs. Earla, showed amazing fortitude and graciousness at the service.  Her spirit of faithfulness and cheerfulness have been a real blessing to us as well.

 

Our prayers are with her now, as she goes through her first weekend without her best friend.  I'm thinking that the first church service without him will be difficult.  If you think of it, would you pray for her this Sunday?

On the home garden front, our cucumbers are doing quite well on the front porch, but we had to move the tomatoes outside.  Just yesterday, Doug woke me up an HOUR BEFORE my alarm to tell me that we had our first cucumber blossom!  It IS exciting, but boy - his timing needs a little work!!! :) (Apologies for the less-than-spectacular photos.)

Isaac has been doing well.  He is sleeping a LOT these days.  I think it must be that pre-teen growth spurt.  He turns 12 this month, can you believe it???

He has been very healthy the past few months and we are so, SO grateful for that!  This summer, he will be having some dental work done, under sedation, but other than that, he is having no problems at present.

We are getting pretty desperate to get a wheelchair-accessible vehicle.  Poor Doug has had severe tendonitis in his left elbow and forearm.  It has been very difficult for him to get Isaac in and out of his carseat with the injured arm. He's left-handed, so it is particularly bothersome to him; but fortunately, he is very ambidextrous, and can write on the chalkboard with either hand for school! :)

I am having good days and not-so-good days with my back, but I am trying to stay busy every day.  I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis, but I am not discouraged about that.  It could have been a much worse diagnosis when it comes to back problems!  I am continuing to try to eat in a healthy way, take all my supplements and get exercise.  The exercise is coming along very slowly, but I am determined to keep at it.

The dogs are doing very well.  We've been able to go out in the evenings and let them run for a while.  They really love that.  Newton can still run Kepler into the ground.  She just cannot keep up with his long legs; but she sure does have fun trying! ;)

I did manage to catch a really fabulous video of them running with the dogs next door, but unfortunately, my phone won't download it into an email.  It says I don't have enough memory.  I'll keep working on that, and maybe I can share it with you later.

By the way, I have a coupon code that is active right now in my Etsy shop:  ILUVMOM  Feel free to use it for 20% off any purchase:  Alesha Kay Jewelry

I pray that you have a wonderful weekend.  Ours is supposed to be a hot one with temps in the 90's.  I will be attended a family reunion outdoors tomorrow...we are praying that we will be blessed with a nice breeze!

HopeFULLy,

Alesha Kay

 

 

Whew! What a Week!

We have had such a great and busy week this week; and today my mind is tumbling and twirling with so many thoughts that I thought I'd stop by and share some of them with you.

Shall we do a Bullet Blog?  We haven't had one of those in a while, and I find those little round dots are very freeing...no need to connect the thoughts as we go along!

• We had an AMAZing Bible Conference this week.  I mean we literally had several services in-a-row where we listened to preachers preach the Bible!  There was no grand-standing.  There were no overinflated "preacher" egos.  There were no personality conflicts.  It was just GOOD BIBLE Preaching!!!  (For the record, we don't usually have all those negative things in our conferences any way.  I just wanted you to know what kind of services we really had!)
• My tomatoes and cucumbers are growing so well.  I am really pleased.  I put the lattice work in to the cucumber pots this morning, and we moved the tomatoes outside to get a little more sunshine.
• Ike's caregiver is not here today.  She is "caregiving" for her son.  He broke 3 fingers yesterday and is making all the necessary doctor's visits today.  Please pray for Nathan's fingers to heal quickly and completely.
• I am so SO weary of reading CHRISTIAN blogs with CURSE words!!!  You know, I expect it from the world, but NOT from fellow Christians.  I think this whole "being real", "being transparent" trend is just giving us excuses to live and act according to the flesh.  I know there are times when we all slip and say (or think) a "cuss" word.  However, to type that word out and proudly hit the "publish" button???  Shame on you!  You ought to know better!  It shows a lack of class and a serious lack of imagination and creativity.
• Isaac is sleeping the day away today...and has done that several times in the last few weeks.  I think he's going through a growth spurt.
• We are attending a family reunion on Saturday, and for the first time in years, I am excited to cook for it --- because of PINTEREST!!!  There are just so many easy recipes that it makes it really fun to pick out a few things to try.
• Next Tuesday I will be posting a "Do Over Challenge" post on my jewelry blog.  I am looking forward to that!  I re-made the necklace that was sent to me a couple of weeks ago, and have already worn it twice!  Now I just have to discipline myself to take some pictures for my post!  I'm looking forward to seeing what the other jewelry bloggers have done with their "do over" pieces!
• My cousin Joy, of Case Crossings, had her baby girl on Monday!  We are all so excited about her.  Joy and her husband like to "meet" their babies before deciding on a name, so we have called her "Tadpole" for months.  It was very difficult for 3-year-old Josiah to accept that his baby sister is now called "Joanna"! LOL!  Hopefully, he will pick up on it quickly, as he hears other people say it! :)

Yep, we've had a fun and busy week!  So now, I'd best get up from here and see what I can get accomplished!

HopeFULLy,

Alesha Kay

What a Wonderful Weekend

Managing My Monday - Ike and I are hanging out by ourselves this morning.  Julie is not feeling well today.  I did manage to get all of his dvds back in their jackets and videos rewound and on the shelf.  That's something that Daddy doesn't manage to keep up with on the weekend, and it is no problem to do them on Monday morning. :)

We had a wonderful Resurrection Sunday together yesterday.  As I stood up in the choir and looked out at the church congregation, in their spring-colored clothing, singing "I serve a RISEN Saviour.  He's in the world today!  I know that He is living, whatever men may say, " it seemed to be the happiest holiday ever!!!

Really, it is a day of such victory, such triumph, such incredible sacrifice ending in Christ's resurrection.  How can we not LOVE the celebration of all of that?!

Of course, I also indulged a bit over the weekend in my favorite Easter candy eeeeever - Robin's eggs.

We didn't get any pictures yesterday.  We were focused on the basics - all of us getting to church together. :)  So some of the fun extras were dropped; but we had a good day!  The weather here was just gorgeous!  Ike and Doug spent some time out on the front porch while I was at church for the evening service.  They were able to listen to the service on the radio out there. :)

I do have a pic of our newly planted veggies, though!  Our friend, Mike, potted some plants for us and Doug brought them home last Tuesday.  I am trying really hard not to kill them! ;)

 

 

From left to right these are Yellow Brandywine Tomato, Yellow Pear Tomato, Boston Pickling Cucumber and Straight Eight Cucumber.  He also sent this little pot of Basil.

 

 

They are on my front porch, but are getting plenty of sunshine and fresh air.  This is really an experiment of sorts, to see if I can grow things on this porch.  We do have bamboo stakes and a mesh that is used for gutters that we'll be inserting into the pots for the cukes.  The tomatoes are a determinite variety and will not need to be staked.

I just got an email from him, reminding me that these will need to be pollenated, since they aren't outside to get the help from the bees.  I'll be researching that to see what needs to be done.  If you are knowledgeable about this process, I sure would appreciate some advice or perhaps a web site that might help.

Well, I have several more things listed on my "To Do" list on my phone for today, so I'd best get busy!

Wishing you a happy week,

Alesha

 

 

Success!

 

Finally, by making use of the freebies offered us by our Creator (i.e. planning, perspiring and persevering), I have achieved my goal:

Lunch, on my porch, with a view!

It's the Little Things that Make Me Smile

 

I really think she needs a name, too.  Any suggestions???

What a Lovely Day!

 

Doug and I had such a nice day together on Friday.

It was one of those days when not one thing went according to plan!  It was, however, a day full of fun surprises:

• avoiding the traffic jam on I-4 by doing a u-turn on the ramp, driving through the median and hopping a curb to get back on the road.
• wandering around Kissimmee looking for a place to eat, but finding all the nice restaurants closed.
• seeing a road that Doug recognized, taking it and ending up on the road on which we meant to end our day.
• eating Turkish cuisine for the first time.
• looking for a used bookstore, with written directions from a barista, and never finding the store.
• deciding to not return the way we came, and looking for a bead store.
• finding the mall that the bead store was supposed to be in, and learning that the entire mall was empty except for a few store on the end near Outdoor World.
• walking through Bass Pro Shop (now, I can say that I've been...nothing spectacular, in my opinion)
• finding a new way to get to the road we were on before, so that we could go to Whole Foods before we headed home.
• going home with freshly ground cashew butter (yum!)

Now a few pictures from our lovely lunch. (I do apologize for the poor quality - my cell phone is notoriously difficult to hold still while pressing the shutter button.)

Hot Lemon Green Tea

 

Fabulous Turkish Bread.  We were amazed and asked for instructions!

 

"Just use your knife and poke it!"  Steam billowed out as it collapsed.

It was served with amazing authentic hummus (very similar to mine, I am proud to say), pickled cabbage and Kalamata olives.  The taste combinations were extraordinarily delicious!

 

Soup of the Day - Lentil, with a squeeze of lemon on top

 

Falafel Wrap with Tahini dipping sauce

 

Lamb Kabob with grilled Veggies and Rice (that Doug said was amazing!)

 

Turkish Pistachio Baklava

 

Anatolia - our Lovely Surprise of the Day

 

And of course, one of the best things about being out in Florida is the always breathtaking Sky!

Our day was full of twists and turns (literally and figuratively); but we enjoyed our time together and made some wonderful memories.

Changes to our plans are not necessarily bad!

Embrace the unexpected with an air of expectancy.

God will surprise you in ways you would never imagine.

:)

Blessings,

Alesha

Foto Friday - Macro Vision

 

I'm trying to learn how to use the "macro" setting on my camera.

 

Hmmm...seems like my focus is a bit skewed,

Sorta like my internal focus sometimes...

Only seeing clearly the dried, dying, ugly parts of my life...

Somehow overlooking the new, vibrant bits of color that are popping up all over.

I need to appreciate the new growth, the new beauty...

Inspite of the barren background.

What are you focused on today?

Blessings to you,

Alesha

Drilling for... Juice?

I've been spending some time outdoors each morning, when I take the dogs out for their morning exercise.  We've had some absolutely beautiful weather, and I'm trying to enjoy it while it lasts.

The last few days, along with Kepler, I've had another friend join me in the backyard.  Can you see him?

He's a cute little red-headed woodpecker!

Some days he fusses at us, but other days he has a little breakfast while we watch.

I had no idea that they drilled right into the fruit!

He was not bashful at all, as he enjoyed his daily dose of vitamin C!

I was talking with my dad today about growing some vegetables in the backyard this spring. 

I sure hope our little friend will not be peck-peck-pecking into my tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers!!!

Hmmm...I might need to do a little "googling" about what woodpeckers eat and then we could plant something especially for him.

Do you plan to do any gardening this spring?  Have you started your preparations yet?  I'd love to hear what you have planned!

Blessings,

Alesha

 

Anniversary Adjectives

 

hot

overwhelming

yummmmy

perky

unusual

 mediocre

ingenious

 

cushiony

long-awaited

 

favorite



decadent

impressive

We ate.

We walked.

We laughed.

We laughed ALOT!

It was an exceptional day to be together.

The best adjective to describe it:

Blessed.