My second birthday in California....

Today I turned 51. Did I say that out loud? In so many ways I feel like that is so old and also so young. I have so many things I haven't done and have done a lot of the things I've wanted to do. I am in no way the person I want to be. But happier with my life than I thought I'd be.
God has changed me this past year that I have lived in California. I can't really explain how. I hope it is for the better, to see things more the way He see's them,. To be content in all things. 

I made a list in my journal this morning of things I want for myself this next year in my life. Things like kinder, friendlier, healthier and fit. A better daughter, mother and wife. A good grandma to my unborn grand-baby. But most of all is to be closer to God, and closer to his people. And to bring people closer to Him.
I don't want to hurt people with my words or actions. I want to show love, Gods love and my love for them.
So I am asking God for help and I hope my friends and family will help me too! This past year has been a good year, a fun year, a sad year and a lonely year. This next year is going to be even better, they always are!

Kale!?

So tomorrow is Nat'l Kale Day....I have ate plant based for over a year and a half, and just this week I found a recipe for kale salad that I LOVE! I have tried kale all kinds of ways and most of the time I just didn't care for it. But this salad is to die for...and hubby loved it too!

Kale is a super food...(so I hear)

So here is the recipe....

KALE SALAD

3 cups kale chopped up small

tomato diced

1 garlic clove

1 TBS Dijon mustard

1 TBS maple syrup or agave

1 ts balsamic vinegar

slat and pepper to taste

Chopped up the kale add to a bowl, mix mustard, syrup and vinegar. Add minced garlic.

Mix dressing with the kale use your HAND and massage it! Yup it breaks down the kale a bit and gets rid of the bitter flavor... Now let it sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes

Add diced tomatoes, salt and pepper

Enjoy!

It tastes even better after it is refrigerated. 

Try it and let me know if you like it.....

Weekend.....

Hubby is in Utah this weekend doing some winterizing at our house. So I have just been shopping, watching movies and decorating.
Every month I have changed my fireplace mantel. It has been fun and I wish I'd taken pictures. But I haven't until now....

So here is Fall

I will try to remember to take pictures when I change it next month.

One Year...

It has been a busy few weeks. My son and his wife came for a visit. We had a great time with them. I miss them so much!

This past weekend marked our one year anniversary of living in California.....
What to say about it? The first thing that comes to mind is how lonely I've been. I didn't think moving to a place with so many people could be so lonely. I have not made any friends and don't really know how. We have our niece and nephew (thank you God), and hubby has "work" friends. But that's it! We have some people we talk to at church some times and say hi to some neighbors. But no one to call for help or to hang out with.
I think the thing I've learned from this is to value the friendships you have. I miss that I can't just call one of my girlfriends and go to lunch or coffee. Or do a craft day. I miss the ladies bible studies I had at my home. I miss my kids. I miss my church family!
I've also learned that where ever you are God is there. He is still here in the morning to talk to, he is still here when I am lonely. I'm not sure I could of done this move without knowing God has this! What a comfort!
I know when I get back to Utah, I will spend more time working on friendships, more time with family and more time reaching out to people that are alone....

I am a sinner...forgiven

This morning I was looking over facebook and I came across a funny that a friend posted that really has bothered me. Most of the time if I see something offensive or political  I just ignore it. But this one I commented on and I can't seem to let it go. So I will say what I think here....

 The funny said  "You call yourself a Christian, but Jesus wasn't a snob who judged people for their imperfections. You may wanna get your bible out and check up on that." I replied "Christians are sinners...only difference we are forgiven".

The first thing that came to mind was, that this joke was being a snob to a Christian's imperfection. We don't become sinless once we follow Christ. We still  do and think the same as a none believer, we struggle to live up to a world that thinks we should act like God. We are sinners that is why Jesus died for us. We need the Holy spirit to empower us. We need Gods Grace! Even others Christians will throw in our faces our imperfection, with things like "where is your grace". I don't give much grace...Jesus does that. I need to die daily to sin and that is not always easy. I constantly have to ask the Holy Spirit to change my heart and actions. We want to be like Jesus, but we will never be Jesus. On this earth we will never be perfect. But the good news is we do have the blood of Christ to cover that sin and one day in front of God we will be forgiven. Something we Do Not deserve.

Paul said in Romans 7 14-25

14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[c] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature[d] a slave to the law of sin.

So no Jesus wasn't a snob....But I am some times. 

I am forgiven

Anniversary Weekend Fun....

We spent the whole weekend having fun for our anniversary. Hubby has Mondays off so with the Labor Day holiday it gave him a four day weekend! So we played and ate (a lot of junk food).

Friday night we went to Disneyland and watched the Fireworks! And we rode on the Teacups....I never go on the teacups, but it was fun and we didn't make it spin.

We drove up to Glendora on Monday to get a donut at the Donut Man on Route 66. But it was Closed for Labor Day!
This is what they have....So I guess we go another time.
http://www.thedonutmanca.com/

So  we ate breakfast at a cafe across the street. We sat at the counter.
Not sure we have ever done that before.

On Tuesday we went back to Disneyland. We got Happy Anniversary buttons!

 And  shared a muffin and blended mocha....

 We had a nice lunch and when we were finished and very stuffed the waiter brought us an anniversary dessert....Mickey Shaped Beignets!!!! 

Yes we ate all of it.... We did Not eat vegan this weekend, And by the end of the day I did not feel well. But I had a great time with my love. Here's to another 27 years together!

27 years seems like a long time...

On Monday September 2nd my hubby and I will celebrate our 27th wedding anniversary. That is a long time. It does not seem like that long. I can honestly say we have had a happy marriage. Not to say we haven't had some rough patches or hard times because we have. But for the most part we like to be together, we are on the same page about most everything, we respect each other, we laugh, and we love each other.
When you say the words "love each other" all kinds of things can come to mind. That giddy love of a teenager, or romantic love, or that desperate love that you can't breath if they are away. I don't think we have had any of these. Our love has come from a place I could never had thought I could or would have. It comes from God and His love for us. 

1 Corinthians 13 4-7 says:

 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 

 Shortly after we were married we gave our lives to Christ. These verses are how we try to treat each other. But not on our own but through the Holy Spirit. On our own we could not to this. Jesus is the center of our marriage. The one thing we have always keep in the mind is the last part of verse 5, "it keeps no record of wrongs." We all sin and make mistakes. We don't need to be reminded of something we did or said years ago. We never let a disagreement linger. We just don't like to be mad at each other. If we do have a big fight one of us usually starts laughing and then we say sorry and we're done. To me nothing is that important to not try and see his point of view. The thing is we are on the same side, it's "us" not him and me. He has my back and I have his!

I feel very blessed to have been able to spend 27 years married to my friend, partner and soul mate. Together we have raised two wonderful sons, have had a ton of fun and more laughs than I though was possible. God is Good!