Thoughts for Holy Week...

    Happy be your Easter-tide. Peace and joy with you abide,

and upon you one above, shed his blessing and his love.

 

Some days are for searching for that "something"...that cork to fill the empty spaces...The words that bring "hope" to the light, healing to the broken hearted.   Words that bring peace to those that feel there is no peace in sight.   Help to find joy where joy is hard to come by.  There are days that you wonder why we have such heartache and pain in this world.  Why we have a hard time seeing the beautiful blessings that are in our lives.  Why we can be drug so far under that we can't see and feel the blessings that are right in front of us.  Joy feels so very far away.  We dwell on the hard times, the mistakes, the why me's, the I screwed up agains...  I don't know about you but I could use a little "Easter"...a little BLESSING, a little FORGIVENESS...alot of JOY...  What in the world made God send His only Son to die for me?  For this world?  We hurt each other...we take each other for granted.  We grow hard in our hearts and we don't forgive.  We forget about the BIG ...major...unselfish LOVE that we've been given.  We've been given a clean slate...(I don't deserve it)...probably not many of us do.  We are a poor excuse for His children.  We just want more more more (like the commercial says) and just expect it to be so...to be given without anything in return.  Only with Jesus is that gift given.  And let us know...and believe in our heart of hearts that yes, we are here because it was planned...and it was planned to be good, full of joy and hope for the future.  If things are tough maybe it's so we'll see the blessings in the little things...we'll appreciate where our "help" is coming from...from whom the sacrifices have been made.  Jesus didn't have to go to the cross for us.  He had the capability to say no...not today, they aren't worth it Dad...they won't even appreciate what's been done for them.  Please God...during this HOLY WEEK , help me to see the LOVE around me...feel the PEACE you've given me...glimpse the HOPE that can come in believing in YOU, and dance for the JOY that you want me to have...that I was born to have...

Jeremiah 29:11  New International Version (NIV)     ¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Isaiah 55:12 - "You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands." (NIV)

Thinking back...homecoming...so blessed

Tonight I'm thinking back on so many years ago.  My dad left us ( due to brain cancer on the 15th of March) 40 plus years ago..  My sweet brothers birthday is tomorrow.  yes St. Patty's Day...he'll be 49,  most people don't count each birthday as a wonderful milestone.   Unless you have a devastating loss of someone you love at such an early age.  I remember being so afraid.  That I'd loose my mom, that i wouldn't make it past 34...  It's funny what molds your life.  I have been very blessed.  yes there have been very tough times...Losing a parent at 10 years is tough... But...daddy died at 34...on March 15th...buried on March 17th...on my brother's birtday.  Yes that sucks.  Life can suck.  But through faith, love,  and perserverance....that same life can be good.  You see the people that have supported you through the years...you understand the unique way you have been raised...(by the amazingingly strong super woman strength)   Monte and I were blessed with the most amazing parents. I can't event begin to explain that.  I don't have the words.  I just know that it has been terribly difficult to live up to in my life time.  But I also know that the good Lord doesn't expect me to be compared...just to carry on the amazing lives that have carried me forward.  We (my family) has been carried by the good Lord and people that have meant so much to us...people that daddy touched in his life, people mom touched in hers. and people that I've had the great priviledge to cross paths with in my life.  I am daily blown away by the beauty and compassion that I come across daily.  I have total positive feelings toward the people in our world today. Daily I cross paths with amazing, compassionate, caring people.  yes...there are the negative aspects out there...but I know they are hurting in ways that they can't get past right now.  I've been there, felt the pain...over and over again.  I just pray that those people who need to feel the love and compassion of their savior allow HIM to come into their lives, totally wrap them in HIS arms...feel HIS comfort...HIS compassion...HIS love...  Bask in it, believe in it...be healed by it.  Totally pass it on to those you love and to those that you feel a blockage to...we are here on this earth to show love, compassion, blessings to others.  We are all here because HE chose us to be here...Yes at the same time, together, with HIM...bringing others to HIM...sharing HIM with others we love, we know, we don't know, we see at the store.  Do  it, it's your job, it's your calling...it's the reason you are put on this earth.
Love you all...especially those that are closest to me...you know who you are.

Amazing Wine...Amazing Food

Some of you may not know this...but I love wine. :)  I love good wine.  I love going to Wine Country...everything about it...  I also appreciate really good food, clean food, prepared so that you taste the real essence of what you've started with.  It's been a long time since I've been able to escape to Wine Country, but last night I was in heaven as Wine Country came to Castroville!  Don Hartford of Hartford Family Winery (facebook page)and Republic Dist. worked with Chef Lynn Oefinger at Le Chat Noir (facebook page)to bring us an amazing evening that we just don't get to experience too often.  Lynn & Monte started off by tasting the Harford Wines last week and along with Don Hartford they chose 5 to highlight with a food pairing in a 5 course meal that we experienced last night.  Lynn did an amazing job pairing the foods with the wines and Don Hartford praised  her for the great job that she did.  Mr. Hartford was amazing to listen to...how he described his wines, how he described the food with the wines and how they complemented each other.  I can't even begin to tell you how much I loved listening to him!  He was also a truly nice gentleman.  Now I didn't sit down and enjoy the meal with everyone, but I had the priviledge to help serve it.  And it really was a priviledge.  I forget how much I enjoy enabling people to have a good time...funny...I know, but I really enjoyed pouring, serving, removing dishes.  I got a taste here and there of the wonderful food, learned a little bit about how to get that wonderful panacotta out of those darn little cups!  I had my own wine glass around the corner and every one of the 5 wines was superb!  Only down side was that my feet were killing me by the end of the night...but it was worth it.  Thank you to everyone that came out...and I so wish that everyone has a chance to enjoy that kind of quality food and wine some time in their lives...even if you don't think you like wine, or that weird looking food, or whatever your preconceptions are.  Try something new in life and start off with the best...you may learn of a new kind of heaven...