Month: February 2013

Posted in 50 in 50 days, Family

42 to 50- Grandma day

Posted on by Christy Petty

Glorious day!  This was my first ALL my Grandboys day! I have had some granddaughter days, and a few all one family days, and those always involve girls. but never an all grand boy day. So fun! LIke the days I had ‘just’ boys.  The weather cooporated too, so we got to go out side and play some, feed the horses snacks, dig in the dirt, play with the dogs, throw some dirt a bit, it was good!

When the girls come and I say  “Lets go out side and…. .”  I usually get  Why? or  “But the doggies might tear my dress up dress”. Can’t we paint something instead? ” Or Cheyanne will ask “Can we look for horny toads/or frogs/ or lizards/?” and then “Why can’t we find horny toads/frongs or lizards after no looking and enough noise and shreiks  and whining about the stickers, dogs, heat/cold  from little sister, has almost run me away with the lizard toads and frogs.  I LOVE the girls, but they are sooooooooooo much harder to ‘please’ than the boys. Always in need.  I suppose this is from growing up with only boys and having only boys.  Boys seem to just do. Girls need to socialize and verbalize when they do.

So the boys and I needed to go and get the foster pup some food. On the way to the shop all the dogs were spoken to and tails were grabbed, rocks picked up and dropped again. We stopped by Evan’s apartment, he was home one more day after going on an antibiotic for throat infection. Evan had all of his matchbox car collection out, the boys were in heaven. Ty 4, Law, practically 3 and Colton 2 1/2 all drop to their knees and start driving and making car noises perfectly and, stating in their various stages of language, ‘tractor’ ‘truck’ race car’, helicopter’ bus’ . The next trip was to give the horses snacks, Colton who loves the horses from a distance was not as keen of big horse right next to him, so I held him as the other boys gave the snacks.  Back in the shop Colton found a cap to put on, just till he got to the door then he spied a helmet, threw the cap on the floor, which Ty picked up and put on, and put on the helmet. Law looked at them both like they were nuts to have something on their heads, other than a cowboy hat. We then went in grabbed a Glutino ‘oreo’ and headed for nap time.

At nap time, I first tried to put Colton down in the crib as his mom had suggested. There was no way that would happen, even with the helmet. His two older cousins were not in the baby bed  he was not going to have such and insult. So they all three lay in the bed, I below their feet reading the book Ty picked out, The 3 Little Pigs, and holding the book up so they could see the pictures. I made voices for each pig different and a big deep voice for the wolf, and huffed and puffed myself till I had a coughing fit.  The book is one I had as a child, so it is not so watered down as the 3 littlle pig story they have heard before, they were shocked to here that that big bad wolf dropped into the boiling water and boiled up, and that was the end of him.  Ty said “The wolf usuwally runned away, and didn’t die. I guess that is ok though. “I toughened em up today. 😉 and then they slept. DSCF3011

Posted in 50 in 50 days

Biggest wind in my 50 years! 43 to 50

Posted on by Christy Petty

So I sat out yet another day of my countdown to 50– No one said every stinking day- Just that there would be a countdown 😉

I spent yesterday not blogging. Yesterday was an absolutely gorgeous day! Especially after the Wicked Wind of  West Texas hit on the 25th. Truly it was so calm and warm it was like the day before never happened. I felt like Dorothy landing in Oz. All in living color.

The 25th, will be remembered for generations. All over Texas: Central North Texas with snow Lubbock and Amarillo.  Then good, old, pretty much the desert ,West Texas. When the 60 winds started slamming the house I let the dogs come into the fenced yard, thinking they could get on the south side of the house and be blocked from the COLD wind blowing 60+ miles an hour. NOPE. The wind was blowing on all four sides of the house. Blew our big star off the house, it was bouncing around the yard, along with whirlwinds of debris and tumbleweeds. It was really safer for the dogs to be in their pen, which is blocked well with the shop. So ‘we’ started to move, I carried foster pup and the bigs followed, very obedient to walk out in that wind. Phoebe the Border was blown off of her feet! I got them all in the pen then started to move the little dog house, for the foster pup. The bigs had  their igloos. I had to split the bottom from the top and make two trips. It would have been comical if I hadn’t had visions of Dorothy and Toto flying through the air. I could not walk against the wind with the dog house in hand, it slammed into me, HARD.  So, I walked backwards the 100 feet having to stop every few feet to just plant myself to not tumble away. At the end of it all, I had muddy streaks down my face from the tears that the wind blew out of my eyes, my hair was dirt dreadlocks, because I was stupid enough to have just taken a shower before going out, my ears were FULL of dirt, but the dogs were now safe.

We really fared pretty well. The wind blew off the star. Blew the rungs out of a side of a very ugly fort built with old fence sections. Blew a wall of tumbleweeds on the gate, which we set free. Blew the BBQ grill down the porch and over. All no loss really. Lee, my oldest lost part of his shingles, found out he has a 4800 deduct, I suspect he will replace them himself. Brian, the next, lost the kids super duper wooden playground, Ashton said “It may need duct tape.” 😉  Then there were those who had it really bad. Tumbleweeds Cover One Midland Home – KWES NewsWest 9 / Midland, Odessa, Big Spring, TX: newswest9.com |

West Texas Windstorm pict on facebook

 

Posted in 50 in 50 days, Missions of LIFE

Well with my soul- 40 days to 50

Posted on by Christy Petty

The funeral from Friday,  talk has prompted more death talk. I am going to die someday, we all are. And as mentioned before odd’s are I have less time to live than the 50 years I have lived.  Probably somewhere between 20 and 30  years. There is a possibility I get another 40 years out of this body, IF I lose this last 30 lbs, and I don’t kill myself trying to.

Of course there are the unforseen’s that could let me leave this world and enter God’s sooner. 2 Corinthians 5:8 8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. Bread trucks, cancer and such. If I have a choice, and I think, I do, there are a few ways don’t want to die.

I don’t want to die choking on food. To die because I put yet one more thing in my mouth I didn’t need and not even chew it correctly, would be a total fail on my part.

I don’t want to drown, at sea especially. I can’t think of any reason to be in the ocean other than a cruise or pleasure boating. An indulgence being the ‘cause’ of my death is just wrong. Also having been a lifeguard, it is insulting.

Drunk driver or stupid driver not paying attention, I don’t want to die because someone was too stupid to pull their head out. I don’t want to be the stupid driver either. I would hate for the last thought I had to be, “Damn’ that was stupid Chris”.

A random bullet from what we call ‘Little Mexico’. Which is within shooting distance of our home. A bullet has already ‘randomely’ come through the ceiling of MY closet, from those that reside there :(. If I die because of  the law not doing their job and taking care illegal activity, that I would be prosecuted for, I would be really ticked off.

Really, dying from something that could have been prevented, would just piss me off. Preventable, in that, someone somewhere could have made a better choice, me and others. Deliberate sins, mistakes, bad decisions.

God knows all, created all, and does allow or disallow, what ever He wills. We don’t understand, can’t understand the beginning and end and all the way throughness of God. He does not plan the future, he knows the future,he is beyond the future. God knows every future that can be, He hopes for our sake our future is the future without the sins, mistakes and bad decisions. He knows the future with just a few bumps in the road, and the future with a whole mountain of ‘explicit’, and the future that has not even a ripple in the path.

I know a lot of people say ‘It was God’s will’ or “God is in control” or ‘It is all in God’s plan’, when someone dies of ‘something’ . I say yes and no to that.  God does not will any one to die. God’s will is that we live to the full purpose he has planned for us. God does not plan for the drunk driver become drunk, to decide to drive, to kill. God does not make me pick up my phone and start reading a text while I drive.

God did not knock Kirk down in his driveway.   God did not manipulate the chromosomes of Evan to cause his craniofacial deformity. God did not cause the anesthesiologist to be ignorant of airways on Pierre Robin babies. God did not cause my bio parents to have premarital sex. God does not lead a woman to abort a child. God did not cause Herod to kill all baby boys. God does not cause cancer cells to grow. God did not genetically alter wheat so man can not digest it. God does not make an alcoholic drink.  God did not tell Eve to disobey. God knows it will be happening and to whom. God does use each and every stupid, evil thing we do, at the leading of our earthly parent, Satan, for His purpose. Whether we know it or not.

God did not create sin. God did not create disobedience. God does not control sin. God does not control disobedience. He tells us to.  We all die physical and spiritual death because of sin. We have illness, genetic flaws, cancer, accidents, because of disobedience. Maybe it is not our direct disobedience, it is ‘man’ disobedience, hundreds of years of man interfering with God’s perfect creation.

God’s plan is for man to live a long productive life for Him.

At first Man lived, forever, Adam 930 years, Noah 950  .Then God decided to change things up (He can do that you know)  Genesis 6:3 Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.”    So man’s life span started to dwindle, Abraham 175,  Isaac 180, Moses 120.

 

Our purpose is to be productive. Genesis 9:7As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it.”  

Ephesians 2:10 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them

Matthew 28:19–20 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

Deuteronomy 6:5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

Guess who does not want for ‘us’ to do our purpose?  1 Peter 5:8  Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

None are ‘purposed’ to die young, we are missioned to go out and do God’s work, to bring more and more of his lost back to him, if we die physical death young, that is the world ‘taking’ us out, not God.   Revelation 21:4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”  But it will be.

I used to pray the childhood prayer of ” Now I lay me down to sleep pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake I pray the Lord my soul to take.” I frightened me, the thought of waking up dead. Now I am not at all afraid of death, I know it is not an end, it is continuation.  But I will be pissed of if the world( whether it be me or thee) takes me out, before God, and He will be to!

Posted in 50 in 50 days

When I Die……

Posted on by Christy Petty

Keith and I went to a friends, mother’s funeral today. It was a couple of hour drive so we had a bit of time to talk about, our funerals and our ideas of an ideal funeral for ourselves. Of course the irony in planning your own funeral, you won’t be there to enjoy it, or know if those alive have followed through with your request, and I really doubt we will care much at that point either 😉

The funeral we attended was in a nice smaller town Methodist church. This lady was truly loved, the church was almost full, the family came in and filled about 6 rows.  This church was fairly old, it was a ‘1st’, the stain glassed windows were beautiful and the wooden pews made me feel in ‘church’, instead of a theater, as I do now in our newly built church. It brought back memories of  my grandparents church, another 1st Methodist, in Anson TX. It IS a beautiful OLD church.  The original church was built in 1908 (more was added when I was about 6) The sanctuary has dark wood floors, that creaked and echoed when you walked down the aisle, dark massive wooden pews, and stained glass windows all around, I loved looking at those windows during the service.

I thought of the funerals I have attended, not a lot, but a few. A few of those too too young to die. When Kirk died I started missing more funerals. It was not that they upset me, or I could not handle them, I just got the idea that the families might rather have their privacy.  I think I must have felt that way a bit at Kirk’s funeral.  Then I started to realize IF there is a service, it is because the families DO want their loved one to be recognized, it gives a sense of pride to know these people want to ‘honor’ your loved one.   I, like so many others, don’t attend the funerals of ‘older people’ as much as I attend the funerals of younger. This is obvious by the standing room only of those very young that die and the empty pews of a 70 yr olds service.  I know see how much comfort it brings the spouse of the 70 with  hugs and well wishes, and the grown children a sense of pride from the numbers of people who attend the funeral.

Funerals have changed since my grandparents died 30 some odd years ago, from a church service of describing the deceased and giving a quick sermon of faith and hope and maybe an invitation to believe before it is too late, with an optional invitation to attend the  graveyard service.  It is now a slide show of the deceased, solos and music productions, stories of the deceased from several in the crowd, to a preaching  ending with instructions of how to get to the graveside with not much option to miss, with a meal following in the fellowship hall. The graveyard is usually a lengthy preaching and reading all it own, with another long line of hugs and sympathy.

I suppose thinking bout funerals could be morbid to some, but it is just a part of life actually. We do all die. It seems like no one want’s to talk about it. My thought is to have a yearly write up of all the things I would want said to all those I love, rewrite it every year I survive another. Being 50 I am pretty sure I am closer to dying than living.  There is a small chance I am only halfway there, but still it is inevitable.

So after a bit of talk I think I like the idea of 1 service, either at the church or at the graveside, not both. I would like  headstone, so years later my ancestors can trace me into their tree with ‘Find A Grave. com.  Though I do have several pictures of family members graves, and many of those are seasonal pictures of Kirk’s, that mom and dad took, that I have no idea what to do with. Maybe Jesus could take all the worry of this funeral stuff away, and just come on down.

Posted in 50 in 50 days

A Star is Born?

Posted on by Christy Petty

We went to the Community Theater tonight and saw Shrek it was really funny! LOTS of singing, but then it was a musical 😉 . Lord Farquard was a guy who plays prominent parts in a lot of the show, pretty good actor. His costume was made so he crawled on his knees and had his little fake legs stuffed in boots strapped on his legs. It was hilarious!! So fun to watch him ‘run’ around the stage!

I played April Fool in our spring play, in 5th grade. I LOVED it. I had a green suit, which had been used as Peter Pan in another play. I knew my lines, did not mess up at all. This was really the only opportunity I have ever had to be in a play, but I KNOW I would love to do it.

Brian and Lee were in UIL 1 Act play for a couple of years, they did really well. Funny thing, Brian the introvert had an easier time ‘acting’ than Lee the extrovert. I am an introvert too. NOT shy, just not the ‘life’ of the party nor do I want to be. Actually party’s, people, suck the life from me, and I have to recharge a bit after.  My theory is we introverts can act because we can become whomever we are acting, thus know one is looking and US really they are looking at the person we are playing. Extroverts are so full of themselves they have no desire to act like anyone than themselves, so to act like someone else is a huge struggle.  Brian agrees with me.

Keith the master bullshiter. The life of the party, the room, the closet. You put him anywhere he will know everyone and they him, is really uncomfortable making a scripted speech. He can talk on the fly, but to speak on a subject in front of a crowd, He does not like.  I on the other hand can, I love to speak, do cooking demo’s, be a speaker, ‘tell’ people stuff.

I REALLY REALLY want to be in a play. They seem like a LOT of work though. Our nephew is with Midland Theater, he was in the Christmas Carol, and worked EVERY NIGHT with practice, and did the play every weekend for a month. I don’t know if I would love that.  But I want to try.

I really really want to be in a play.

That is going on my bucket list.

Lets pray that it happen.

 

Posted in 50 in 50 days

45 days to 50

Posted on by Christy Petty

We went to the movies last night- Identity Thief– It was HILARIOUS!  Do not believe any ratings that say less than that!!

Jason reminds me of Kirk a bit in looks, when Kirk had shorter hair, the animation of his face, and the ‘delivery’ of humor.  Melissa McCarthy is just funny, I love her in Mike and Molly, I sure hope she keeps her day job now that she is doing movies!

This is one of those movies that has lines in it I want to ‘use’ in everyday life. Then I walk away and forget them all. GRRR. I searched some out, of my favorite funny movies, maybe I can memorize them and be ready in 45 days!

Hall Pass Quotes, Wedding Crasher, Bridesmaids, Horrible Bosses,Bridget Jones Meet the Parents

Happy reading– Oh the links are are R rated.

Posted in 50 in 50 days

46 days to 50- Age Old Question

Posted on by Christy Petty

What is my purpose in life? This is a wonder I think we all have at some point in our lives.

The  happenings of life,struggles, success’, trials,births, failures, tragedies,  deaths, interventions, blessings, the ‘Wonder Why?” of lives. 50 years of wonder has given me answer. 50 years of wonder has given me the reason for my happenings. To make purpose of me.IMG_1635

The purpose of life is to glorify God.Isaiah 43:77 Everyone who is called by My name,Whom I have created for My glory;I have formed him, yes, I have made him.”I do that by becoming what He intends me to be.  He is the potter I am the clay. Isaiah 64:8 But now, O Lord, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand.  The happenings; His hands on my life, my yeilding, or not, to His molding, the water, the temperature, the air flow, the glaze, the firing,all of this is what makes me. The difference in me and clay, I have a choice to conform-Believe,obey,abide.

The Negatives and positives happenings are necessary to make our purpose.

James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

It is Satan that brings our doubt. Satan/the world has taught us that no good can come from the bad. This is not true.This leads to hopelessness.  We have to put away that way of thinking ,that doubt   Ephesians 4: 22 to oput off pyour old self,6 which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through qdeceitful desires, 23 and rto be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on sthe new self, tcreated after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. And once we remove the doubt we can literally do all things.

 Matthew 21:21So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done.

My being adopted is a happening,God purposed to make me me.  Satan has used it to throw (wonder)doubt of my need for existence.

Why didn’t my bio mother keep me? Why did I have to be ‘abandoned’? Why do I exist, since my own did not want me? Am I an accident to even God? If I am then I was not intended to be. What purpose is there in me, in my being born, if no one wanted me anyway?

What a bunch of crap Satan has dished out in doubt!!  God planned me even if my bio’s did not. Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

God created me on purpose Psalm 139:13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.

For purpose Colossians 1:16b all things were created by him and for him Ephesians 2:10 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them

My adoption has shown the purpose for 50 years.  I can preach the value of, the meaning of unconditional love, because I received that from my parents, my family. I know what that is.  I know what it is to be adopted to become what you were not born of. I understand the relation  believers have with our adoption from sin/Satan to our Father God.  I have witnessed the mighty hand of God in His reaching past mans laws and choices to bring my bio’s and me together. I know reconciliation as the prodigal son. I know faith hope and grace because of my adoption happening.

Trial happenings in : Evan  born with congenital deformity, and more. Kirk dying 6 weeks later. These trials added to the at least monthly dashes to the hospital with Brian’s ‘attacks’ from, what we years later found were, esophagus spasms from ulcers from untreated celiac. The  question “Why does God do bad things to us?”  was presented to me sometime in the midst of this. Had it not been for the happenings of great mentors (Mamaw, Mamie, Dad) and teachings from God in the past  I would not have known the answer. God does not do these bad things. God does not cause the ‘bad’ on purpose, but he does make purpose out of it all.

Evan. He has purpose, is purpose, gave me purpose. He was predicted to be exceptional even before he was born, none expected that included him being ‘less than perfect’ by the worlds standards.  That lack of worldly perfection has shown me, and others God measures perfection by different standards than we. I learned God speaks audibly, I just have to listen. God speaks, sometimes I just don’t understand. That does not make God wrong, nor me. I just need to learn to understand. What he says, like Evan is not always what I expect, but it is right. Evan asphyxiated and died and was brought back to life, 3 months after his cleft was repaired. I was on my knees in my home, as the paramedics were trying to find an airway, I cried out “ You just gave him back, why are you taking him.” God responded as loudly as those calling out from the bedroom, that they had an airway “ I am not TAKING him, he is always mine.” God speaks, in volumes. This statement meant more than Evan was now breathing.

Kirk dying at such a young age, was not what God desired for him. But ,choices made, led Kirk’s physical life to end here.  God saw the whole picture, Kirk reached his purpose with God. Kirk is eternalScan 125, the love he had from and of God will exist in his art, his music, our hearts, his daughter and grandchildren. John 10:27 nMy sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 oI give them eternal life, and pthey will never perish, and qno one will snatch them out of my hand  My fears of death were relieved as I mourned my brother, and wondered if my 6 week old son would survive.  God makes a purpose OF our tragedy.

The happenings of my children. Gives me purpose.  God showed me his purpose for me and my existence, his perfect purpose and design for my children,  in each conception. There was opportunity, before marriage for me to have become pregnant, I had ‘unprotected’ sex before I was married.  My son’s were each conceived through 1 ‘try’ without protection. With each pregnancy a prayer was for each to have exceptionally beautiful eyes. Each do, and each exceptional. Lee has almost black eyes deep and always smiling,IMG_3186 Brian has hazel eyes, huge with gorgeous lashes, brian and his 3Evan has  blue eyes framed by dark black lashes.DSCF3014  I prayed for my third baby to have O blood, not wanting him to suffer through the ABO factor my other two did, because their being A and myself O. Evan has O blood. My happenings have taught me prayers are answered no matter how small. Ask and I shall receive.

The Celiac/gluten intolerant gene that courses through our blood, a happening that has effects for myself, my son, my family and everyone that I can reach. The years of searching for a diagnosis and cure, strengthened our faith in God. We learned we could not, should not depend on man to heal, the great healer is God and the doctors only a tool. I see the miracle in Brian’s health and growth in spite of horrible illness The strength and courage God placed in that little boy was inspiring.  God gave me the desire and will to accept this life change, as a positive, for us all. We have been given many opportunity to share and support. Lives will be changed, maybe even saved, because we have been blessed with gluten intolerance.  John 15:16–1716 You did not choose me, but zI chose you and appointed you that you should go and abear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that bwhatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

The house that God built. Building our house happened. We were given the opportunity, the resources to build the house beyond our dreams. God placed the idea in our hearts. He educated us in Financial Peace. We learned to rely on God for everything; the sell, the profit, the workers we hired, the weather,the 5th wheel we found comfort in for a year, the design of the home, the materials we bought. I literally stand on the firm foundation everyday and know HE is my Provider, my Rock.

Life could have happened differently. Bio’s could have married and kept me. Mom and Dad could have ‘taken me back’ at the 6 month trial time. Kirk could have laid on the couch instead of going outside and falling in drive. We could have ignored Brian’s illness, and just pumped him with meds. I could have skipped giving Evan the food he choked on. But that is not how it happened. God knew that before it began. God knew the wrong decisions I would make, the few right ones too He knew the hurts I would suffer. God has provided the fixes and strengths all the while to make me a vessel for Him.

The ultimate strength, the major happening,  is the snoring lump I wake up next to every day. I would not be without him. He really does complete me and I him. fall 1980Genesis 2:24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.  16 years into my creation, the Potter added Keith, at the lake in cowboy boots and a swimming suit.  I was weak and mushy making all kinds of bad decisions and pretty much alone, I needed someone, I needed direction, I needed strength, so God added Keith, the polymer to my clay. Of all of the happenings in my life Keith is the only one that would not have happened differently. Maybe a different time or place, but I know Keith and I were planned by God specifically. Eve for Adam, Sarah for Abraham, Rebekah for Isaac Christy for Keith… all planned specifically by God, for God.IMG_2315 My purpose on this earth is to be Keith’s, his lover, his helper, his irritant, his support, his adored, all for the glory of God. Ephesians 5:23 (23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its SaviorDSCF3002

PURPOSE: the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists

The REASON God threw me on that wheel 50 years ago?

Ephesians 14 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.