First pictures of the beautiful bride and her handsome groom... wedding date August 16, 2009... I think that after realizing how expensive weddings can be they have decided to do away with a formal ceremony and are focusing on a reception only...
As you can see in the pictures they were listening intensely while the Justice of the Peace was doing the ceremony! I will have pictures with them smiling in a few more weeks.
Meanwhile, may I introduce to you my daughter & son-in-law, Mr & Mrs. Alejandro Morales.
The last several days have been filled with energy and relatively speaking, I've been experiencing good health. I'm extremely grateful to my Lord for the 'good' days and find it hard not over-doing it when feeling this good.
I've got some big plans for this week... let's see how much actually comes to be...
Last night I was able to spend some time with my two favorite boys, Nicholas and Nathaniel... I've learned that whenever my grandsons are over, or if Jennifer or Rick is willing to talk then I need to stop what I am doing... regardless of what it is. Life is too short to for 'things' to take priority over them!
The proud grandma & Nathaniel
<- Nathaniel looking up at Nicholas
Tonight (Tuesday) I am looking forward to having dinner, spending some time in prayer and having a chance to catch up with a very good friend (she also happens to be our church secretary).
Starting tomorrow (Wednesday) I will begin going thru the garage which is packed to the ceiling; the yard sale 'stuff' needs to be weeded out from the eBay 'stuff'. It's time to begin preparation for the big sale over Labor Day weekend! I need to start now because 30 – 45 minutes a day is pushing it for me... but that is my goal.
Several have asked if I am still accepting donations for 'stuff' to sell in yard sales, on Craigslist, and thru eBay... the answer is a big YES!
The next question is how can I do it alone... I can't, I depend on family and friends helping me out... so if anyone wants to volunteer to help on the Saturday of Labor Day Weekend let me know.
I'm still living penny to penny and appreciate all the treasures that have been sent my way over the past few years as well as the treasures that are currently being donated. In case you are wondering, the money that comes in from the yard sales, eBay, Craiglist, etc... has gone and continues to goes solely toward paying for rent, utilities, medication and medical bills.
The next big event for this week comes Saturday when I will be having a surprise guest... well it's not a surprise to me... but it will be to those of you who know this person. Sadly, I need to be told about surprises in advance; that way I can rest enough to have the needed energy to participate in said surprises.
And we are back at Sunday... going to church and worshiping with my church family is so very important to me... and then it's home to hopefully spend lunch and the rest of the afternoon with my children and grandchildren.
Like I said, I have big plans for this week... we will see how much actually gets accomplished. There is always an open invitation for me at Holy Cross Hospital if things get out of control... the problem is every time I think I'm going for a short visit to reunite with the ER staff I end up staying for a few days.
Now for a health update... I'm trying a new approach in regards to my health.... I finally made the switch to a new doctor who is just a short distance from home... it makes it easier for those who transport me to/from appointments. She is across the street from Holy Cross Hospital which is an added benefit to allow for easy access if I need immediate testing done.
I'm trying to get control of little areas of my health and then slowly expand until every area of my health is under control... right now I'm working hard at exercising every day. Now you need to understand that exercise for me consists of using an upper / lower body cycle... I'm trying to dedicate 15 - 30 minutes a day using this machine... this means using it whether I'm having a 'good' health day or not.
It appears as though I may be gaining some control in the area of diabetes ... for the first time in a long time my sugars are decent. I was doing so good for so long and then last year there was a period of time that I could no longer afford the medication and I had to stop taking it... that really messed me up.
I'm so thankful that I now have a supply of test strips, syringes, insulin, and pills to treat the diabetes part of my health.
It's still a struggle to always eat right... sometimes because I just don't want to... sometimes for lack of the right kind of food... but I've definitely made this a priority and it's constantly a work in progress.
When I was hospitalized a couple months ago it was for a couple reasons; because of a COPD flare-up, but more importantly it was due to a rapid heart rate. I had been experiencing a rapid heart rate for quit a while but it never showed up while I was at the doctor. I was grateful that my heart decided to act up while I was in the ER...
The doctors believe the problem appears to be the result of an electrolyte imbalance; well, that along with a magnesium and vitamin D deficiency. The vitamin D deficiency is also believed to be the cause for my aches and pains (muscle and bone).
In addition to diabetic medication I'm also making sure I have a supply of medication to treat COPD along with the mineral and vitamin deficiencies.
The other areas of health that I am working on but haven't yet conquered are high blood pressure, high and low cholesterol (the bad is too high and the good is too low), high triglycerides, migraines, vertigo, diabetic neuropathy, kidney disease, needing to be on oxygen... and the list goes on.
Yes, I realize the importance of dealing with each of these diseases, but it's walking a fine line of having the money, making the time and putting forth the energy into this fight for life.
There was a time that I wasn't sure it was worth the fight... for those of you who might care, I've decided to move forward with this fight for life!
If you read my previous postings then you may recall my writing that God is getting ready to do great and mighty things in my life. With each new day He continues to reveal Himself to me in ways that I can't explain.
Sunday at church was a milestone in my walk with my Lord... He removed yet another layer from my eyes.. I was able to see Him clearer then I had ever seen Him before... I didn't think that I could get any closer to my Savior then I had been... but WOW! I'm so excited about whatever it is that He has planned for my life.
Those of you who have known me for a long time may have known me when I "thought" I was a Christian... I thought I was going to heaven... I did all the right things and I even knew what to say.
I now believe that if I truly had a relationship with my Lord and Savior I would have never lived the life that I led... a life that I now look back on that was full of sin and regret.
God gives us warnings in the scriptures as to what our punishment will be for sinning... if you die without turning from your sin and receiving God's gift of salvation then you will be punished for your sin. Without question... you will spend eternity in hell.
It's not all bad news, He has given us a way out... by confessing and renouncing our sin we can turn to Him for deliverance.
God is always faithful to His people; He is a merciful God. To those of you who say that you are saved... take a look at your life. Is there a consistent work of refining and polishing going on in your life? As my Lord continues to make apparent those areas in my life that are not reflective of His work in my life it is up to me to pray and seek forgiveness, to ask for deliverance for whatever it is that He has revealed to me.
If you are claiming to be a follower of Jesus Christ and yet you continue down a path of destruction such as using the name of my Lord or listening to the name of my Lord being said in any way except for glorification and edification of His name then you will face the consequences of rebelling against God.
The Lord I serve is a merciful God... I am so grateful for the mercies He has shown on me. There are consequences for every action we take on this earth... be it good or bad... from a greater degree to a lessor degree... there are consequences when one chooses to live in sin.
The life I have now with my Lord and Savior is better then I could have ever imagined... Only God can deliver us (me) from sin. Without Him I would have no comfort or hope... because Christ died on the cross for us (me), I have a bright hope for tomorrow.
Love to all,
Diana
Lamentations 3:19-66
19Remember my affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and bitterness.
20Surely my soul remembers and is bowed down within me.
21 This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope.
22 The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.
24 "The Lord is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I have hope in Him."
25 The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him.
26 It is good that he waits silently for the salvation of the LORD.
27 It is good for a man that he should bear the yoke in his youth.
28 Let him sit alone and be silent since He has laid it on him.
29 Let him put his mouth in the dust, perhaps there is hope.
30 Let him give his cheek to the smiter, let him be filled with reproach.
31 For the Lord will not reject forever,
32 For if He causes grief, then He will have compassion according to His abundant lovingkindness.
33 For He does not afflict willingly or grieve the sons of men.
34 To crush under His feet all the prisoners of the land,
35 To deprive a man of justice in the presence of the Most High,
36 To defraud a man in his lawsuit -- Of these things the Lord does not approve.
37 Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it?
38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both good and ill go forth?
39 Why should any living mortal, or any man, offer complaint in view of his sins?
40 Let us examine and probe our ways, and let us return to the LORD.
41 We lift up our heart and hands toward God in heaven;
42 We have transgressed and rebelled, you have not pardoned.
43 You have covered Yourself with anger and pursued us; You have slain and have not spared.
44 You have covered Yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can pass through.
45 You have made us mere offscouring and refuse in the midst of the peoples.
46 All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.
47 Panic and pitfall have befallen us, devastation and destruction;
48 My eyes run down with streams of water because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 My eyes pour down unceasingly, without stopping,
50Until the Lord looks down and sees from heaven.
51 My eyes bring pain to my soul because of all the daughters of my city.
52 My enemies without cause hunted me down like a bird;
53 They have silenced me in the pit and have placed a stone on me.
54 Waters flowed over my head; I said, "I am cut off!"
55 I called on Your name, O Lord, out of the lowest pit.
56 You have heard my voice, "Do not hide Your ear from my prayer for relief, from my cry for help."
57 You drew near when I called on You; You said, "Do not fear!"
58 O Lord, You have pleaded my soul's cause; You have redeemed my life.
59 O Lord, You have seen my oppression; Judge my case.
60 You have seen all their vengeance, all their schemes against me.
61 You have heard their reproach, O Lord, all their schemes against me.
62 The lips of my assailants and their whispering are against me all day long.
63 Look on their sitting and their rising; I am their mocking song.
64 You will recompense them, O Lord, according to the work of their hands.
65 You will give them hardness of heart, Your curse will be on them.
66 You will pursue them in anger and destroy them from under the heavens of the Lord!
