Blessed...But Are We Thankful?

Sisters...Tori and Alayna

"Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits..." Psalms 68:19

Loadeth! Daily!

How long would it take us to count our blessings? Really count them...ALL, one by one. Quite possibly the list could take us weeks, with no break. I know a thing or two about blessings, and how they are, even in the worst of times, inexhaustible!!

Suppose that God began taking from us the many things for which we have failed to give him thanks. Which of our limbs and faculties would be left? Would we still have our hands, and our minds? What about loved ones? If God were to take from us all those persons and things for which we have not given thanks, who or what would be left of us?

Have we taken the time lately, to really thank God for His many blessings?

"In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you." I Thessalonians 5:18

Just a thought to ponder...

Lighthouses

I like lighthouses. I think they are beautiful and majestic looking. I love to be able to go take my own pictures of them. There are many beautiful lighthouses in the world, and I haven't been able to take pictures of very many, but I have taken a few. Here is a slide show of some of the ones I have taken.

Enjoy...

A Funny Thing Happened at Work Today

Something funny happened to me today, that I just have to tell you about. I thought it was hilarious!!

I have been working for the past three days. I have had one particular woman as a patient all three days. Her husband is very attentive, and stays with her all day, so I got to talk to both of them quite a lot. They are both very nice people, and it was my pleasure to care for her.

This part of the story may seem to be a bit braggadocios, but I must tell it in order for you to understand the funny part of the story. Mrs. Patient has several medical conditions that have caused her to be in hospital for the past month. She was not doing well on Friday evening just before I was to go home, and I called in the crisis team for another opinion. I was late getting off that night, because I wanted to make sure she was all right before I left. (She actually did stabilize before I went home.) In addition, over the last three days, I was able to “diagnose” some conditions that were plaguing her that the doctors had over looked.

Because of this, Mrs. Patient and Mr. Husband have thanked me profusely for my care. Mr. Husband came in to the hospital this morning, and handed me an envelope. He wanted me to read the letter inside, in his presence. It was a very nice letter that he had emailed to the hospital administrators telling them about the “great” care I have been giving his wife, and letting them know that he thinks I am an asset to the hospital, blah, blah, blah…. (It was a very nice letter and I thanked him for writing it.)

Okay, so here is the “funny” part of the story. This afternoon, I walked into Mrs. Patient’s room to give her insulin injection. Mr. Husband, and Mr. Visitor were having a discussion on the other side of the room from where I was preparing the medication. I heard Mr. Husband say to Mr. Visitor, “…you know, that small country that Iraq invaded several years ago when Daddy Bush was president”. Mr. Visitor said, “you mean the Kurds”? Mr. Husband said, “no, not the Kurds, the other small country”. So in my normal, silly, humorous way, I THINK, “the Kurds?”… then I SAY, “it was the Whey!” (you know, curds and whey…HA HA) Well, Mr. Husband says, “yeah! Kuwait! I should have asked Gayla, she knows everything!!!”. He thought I said Kuwait, the country he was trying to think of!! I started laughing so hard inside, that I had to leave the room so I could crack up out loud!!

After all the praise they had been giving me, do you think I could let him know what I REALLY said??? Of course, NOT!!

Ok, I don’t hear anyone laughing. Maybe it was one of those…”you had to be there things”. But it really WAS funny!!

Camp Meeting

The sawdust was so thick and high that I could hardly walk. I was holding my Mother’s hand and felt like I was being dragged down the isle as we looked for an empty row of seats.

This is one of my earliest memories of Camp Meeting at Frasier Park. I’m sure the sawdust was not as thick and high as I remember, but I was a small child, so it seemed so to me. I also remember a great crowd of people shouting and praising God in that Tent Tabernacle. As I grew to my teenage years, camp was moved to Beulah Park in Santa Cruz. I loved the cool weather of Santa Cruz and the fact that we were near the ocean. We teenagers would go to the beach and to the boardwalk in the afternoon between services. It was a great time to meet other young people from other churches as well as feeling the mighty power of God in the services.

Quite some time ago, Camp Meeting moved from Santa Cruz and is now held in Santa Maria. I love it because it is cool there also, and again, near the ocean. I did not get to attend Camp Meeting for many years, but I try to attend every year now. It is so wonderful to see so many young families camping on the grounds at Santa Maria. Their small children are riding their bikes, or skating and playing with other children that they have met. They are building memories that they will never forget. These young families are building traditions that include the power of God.

II Thessalonians 2:15 says “stand fast and hold the traditions which ye have been taught”. Camp Meeting is one of the best traditions of Pentecost. Where else can a family go on a camping vacation together, but also attend power packed services with so much wonderful preaching? Also, it is so much fun to see friends that we haven't seen in a while, and to make new friends.

Camp Meeting this year was one of the best. Bro. Bill Davis preached every day, and Bro. Jerry Jones preached every night. There was some MIGHTY preaching and some AWESOME singing. The choirs this year were the best!! Here is a slide show of some of my pictures. Enjoy!

Busy....Just Busy

To the two or three people who read my blog, you probably think I have died and gone to Heaven. Well, that doesn't sound like such a bad idea, but I have just been extremely busy!

I am working two jobs right now. I got a part-time job at a surgical hospital. I work in recovery there. This is completely different than what I do at my full time job, and that is why I wanted to do it. I have always thought I would enjoy working in PACU (post anesthesia care unit) and wanted to try it out. I like that I get a patient from OR, get the person stable, awake, pain and nausea under control and ship them off...either upstairs for the rest of the stay, or home. Then...NEXT...do it all over again. I'm working there at least 1 extra day a week. One thing I like about nursing...there are so many professions within a profession. If you don't enjoy what you are doing, you can find another position, nursing in a completely different capacity. Also...you can always find a job...or two, or three. I actually am employed three places, but I think I would fall over dead if I took on any more work, so I haven't worked for the 3rd place for quite a while.

Besides starting another job, I planned and gave a wedding reception for my son, Aaron and Candice on July 12. It turned out really good. Since they got married at the coast, I carried the beach theme throughout the party. I have pictures and may post some later.

I had another nerve block on my foot today. I have an old softball injury to my right foot, that turned into "reflex sympathetic dystrophy" or "regional pain syndrome". I won't go into detail, but it causes great pain in my foot, which is not good for someone who is always on her feet! The doctor has given me a series of 3 blocks, (this is the 3rd) to try to get an extra amount of blood flow to my foot, and "shock" the sympathetic nerve back into acting right. Anyway, it makes me feel like I am walking on a block of wood, since the feeling in my foot is completely gone. I have to be careful not to hurt my foot right now, as I would not feel it until tomorrow when this block wears off. (Great fun...!!)

Also, last week I got news from the orthopedic surgeon that I need knee surgery again. I have another torn meniscus to the same knee that I had done last year......SIGH.....I told her it won't be happening any time soon, if my knee will hold up.

So...see why I haven't posted anything lately? Not really anything worth while to blog about in my little world.

Oh, yeah....the second batch of bird eggs hatched this week. I've got two more baby birds.

It will be silent on here for a while, again. I am working the next three days, and then I am off to Santa Maria for Camp Meeting. I can't wait!! I need some time off!!! Maybe I will see you there....