A Birthday Garden

I received a vegetable garden for my birthday! On the way home from church we stopped at "Osh" and bought the vegetables. Then I got busy! It's very simple—just a few plants—but I'm excited. I spent the afternoon digging. I have a Roma tomato plant, 2 cherry tomato plants, six types of chili peppers (including jalapeno), and 3 yellow bell pepper plants. I'll take another photo in about a month. It will be fun to see how they change!



Secondly, my mom's gift to me was a haircut (we're very practical people) and highlights. Thanks mom!

A girlfriend and I went for a walk in a beautiful neighborhood today. We enjoyed the big old homes and their gardens. Afterwards we enjoyed a unique yogurt/creme cheese cup in a pastry shop.

I also went out to dinner with my husband, last night, and had a great time!

Okay, I'll be brave and tell you how old I am. 51!!

I Heard a Scream

This morning was quiet.

I didn't have to go in to work.

I set off on a walk.

...in an unfamiliar neighborhood.

Suddenly I heard a blood curdling SCREAM!









It was a peacock! Standing on a driveway. Trying to get my attention.

He did a little dance for me.

The pea fowl are actually escaped convicts. They love to break out of the nearby expansive county arboretum and have wild adventures.

Hey! It's Becky Wolfe's birthday on 4/28! Let's go for a visit!
Words of a Wolfe

A Slice of Life

About a 10 days ago Dylan and his friend put soda cans on the hills of the Mojave desert.Later, under Tom's supervision, they used them for target practice. (later they cleaned up all the battle scarred cans) A day in the desert was good for Dylan. On the drive they passed the Jawbone Canyon store, which sits alone in the sagebrush offering refreshments to weary travelers.

About 8 days ago I took a walk in a beautiful park. It felt good to get away for a couple of hours.

About 6 days ago Tom finished his Olympic CD. This included composing...arranging...then recording the music. He used live drums and brass. He has a contract with a music library in Canada.

About 4 days ago my California poppies posed for a photo. They grow wild in the desert...and also grow in our backyard. It's a miracle they bloomed—after Dylan accidently ran the lawn mower over them about a month ago.

About 2 days ago my orange tree still kindly offered me an orange. She is already getting busy for next year, by covering herself in white blossoms.

Today I'm wishing all of you a wonderful day!

Believers, Doubters, Searchers, Non-believers...

...are welcome here. Don't be shy if you'd like to leave some of your thoughts on the post below "Does God Exist?".

Does God Exist?

I choose to believe he does. But it doesn't mean I don't struggle.

I've never seen him.

If a person believes that supernatural phenomena exists, then it is not hard to believe in God. I've never seen anything supernatural. I haven't seen amazing miracles...like someone's withered hand healed right before my eyes.

I have seen good things happen and prayers answered. But even my non-believing friends have good things happen to them. I've watched tragedies befall my Christian and non-Christian friends. And I've watched God or "time" redeem the bad and bring good out of the hard times. But is that God bringing good out of bad? Or did time pass...for time has a way of healing things. Is there a God in control of life events..working all things for good, or do our life events just eb and flow and work themselves out.

The Bible is a strong case for faith. The prophecy, the archeology, the accuracy of transmission. Yet it was written by men. The study notes in my Bible tell me that. Were these men truly inspired and guided by a spirit? How did Moses know how the world began?

I yearn for the days of old when I was stronger in my faith. Losing faith can be the worst nightmare. Thinking that there is nothing...no God in life...no God in death is a frightening feeling. Especially when one needs to desperately know that someone beyond themselves is in control and truly loves them.

I rarely confide in anyone about doubts. I'm not sure what they'd think. But recently I've been a little braver. I said a little something about it to my mother the other day. She said, "All you have to do is look at a sunset to know there is a God!" I asked my friend Lynn who is an geologist, about her feelings. She said she sees God in creation. And nothing could ever convince her that he doesn't exist.



One thing I know for sure. I'm not giving up my faith. Out of all the religions, or belief systems in the world, Christianity has the most convincing proofs.

And I know I've said this once before...but it takes a lot of faith to believe there ISN'T a God.

It would be interesting to hear some of your thoughts. Why do you believe there is...or isn't a God?

Where is God?
God
knowing God
Does God Exist?

Just a note...to my treasured blogging buddies

I've been a little quiet because life is sweeping me away and there is no time to blog or visit. I'm a little sad about that...

About Writing

But in the midst of the flurry, I've been trying to take a few minutes here and there to polish up a couple of articles I wrote a while back, for publication. I'm going to submit three of them soon. It's better to have them sit at a publisher's than to sit in my computer. Oh..and the monthly writer's critique group is coming over here on Friday!

Parenting issues are taking a lot of my time and emotion presently.

Have a nice day. It's April--my favorite month of the year. The season of Spring is so short. Try to take a moment each day to walk outside and feel the breeze on your cheeks, look up to the sky...and look around to see what's blooming!

Happy Easter

Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland.
Isaiah 43:18-19


Have a wonderful Easter everyone!

My Grandmother's Writing Desk

This morning I turned the key and opened my grandmother’s old desk. The door swung down providing a small writing table. My grandmother passed on many years ago, but I can still visualize her sitting in front of her writing desk.

My grandmother liked to write...but she didn’t write for publishers. She wrote for people.

I searched through the dark cubby holes looking for some stationery. I found a couple of odd-sized envelopes, four wrinkled stickers, a dried up pen and a few old stamps. It was a letter-writing ghost town.

Apparently, now, a larger town has taken over…called “Email”.

After searching a bit deeper into the desk, I found some lightly speckled stationery that looked like a bird’s egg. A small blue bird perched near the top. On the speckled envelope, I wrote my friend's name. My friend needed encouragement. And what can be more encouraging than discovering a speckled envelope in your mailbox!

Writing the letter took a bit more time than I thought. I wanted to include an encouraging scripture. Then I had to copy it on to the stationery. After composing my message, my eyes fell on a piece of paper I had printed off the internet the day before. It was a prayer. I quicky copied it via the fax machine, and folded it together with my message, and sealed the envelope. I felt excited, like one feels when one is giving a gift!

Maybe I’ll save my pennies and fill my grandmother’s old desk with colorful stationery once again! It feels nice to be able to encourage a friend, and I need to do it more often.

Good Books for Young Adults?

Does anyone know of a good book for my 19 year old son? Fiction preferably. He is a good reader. Our son is going through a rough time..just got fired again...and struggling in his walk (faith) and family relationships. He is very depressed. He asked me today if I would go out and buy him a book. (At an earlier time of life he read Left Behind series, Lord of the Rings series...and several Tom Clancy and Grisham novels.)