PRAY...GO!!!

My new pencil holder.
Reminder to PRAY and GO...PRAYGO.
Thanks, Gary.

As promised awhile ago, here are some pictures of our house BEFORE and AFTER. Today, the living room. The other rooms I'll get to in another blog.The wall to the right is as you enter the front door. There is a heater and our bedroom door. I wish I had better pictures of BEFORE on this one. Maybe you'll get the idea.
We bought the little computer desk because it fits SO much better than the one we had and we could put it in the living room since I like to be on the computer late and Dan goes to bed early.


This is to the left of the front door (the right side of the picture is the doorway to the kitchen that you see as you enter the house).
Our entertainment center fit perfectly there and I could have a few pictures and some of my scrapbooks and photo albums. The exercise ball is there to brag - that I haven't done anything yet. Actually, I have some barbells and some DVDs and a couple of other things handy and just started getting some use out of these things. If you look at the plant to the left (on top), I got that from my office staff. Truthfully, it got knocked over and I had to get a new pot, and IT'S STILL ALIVE!! I love it.
The wall to the left of the front door.
This is the only seating we have, other than our office chairs. So, when we have company, we bring those into the room and if we need more, our beach chairs.

I'll try to get some other pictures up once I get those room a little more "organized". Am finally enjoying the time here and love having a little house with no "wall neighbors."

Notice the Special Music! Yup, Joel Weldon. He was there to share about World Vision, too, but he led music with the worship team and then did a few songs himself. Haven't seen him forever - Hume Lake forever. He was a regular when I was going to JHigh camp back in the 90s. Wow! What memories and how fun to hear him again.

See...

Proof that we can sleep 3 people semi-comfortably in our living room. We have a full and twin inflatables. So come on by. :)

I love finding new blogs and websites that encourage, have fun tips and are just fun to read. I noticed that a couple of friends (Lisa and Lindsey) are going to be sharing some encouraging thoughts at (In)Courage. It looks like it will be a great place to lap up some strength for those days you need it. And find some other fun things, too. Check it out!

I've been leaving the house without my GPS lately, 1) because I'm going to places I know, 2) we are borrowing a car so it comes in and out and mostly stays in because I keep forgetting to take it back out to the car, and 3) I figure I can find my way home.

Today is Farmer's Market day and I was very confident I could find my way. Maybe too confident? I headed out and was just driving along, making my turns and watching for the market. I kept driving and driving and driving and found myself in Gardena. How did that happen? Well, I tried to turn back and kept driving and driving and driving and still not sure where I was. Then all of a sudden, things started looking familiar. The more things looked familiar, the more I knew I was heading the right way for home. I got home and was very tempted to not go back, but checked my GPS - it's only 4+ miles away. Good grief!!! I think I drove about 20. Well, using the GPS, I found my way very quickly and easily.

Amazing how well things go or how you can find your way if you just read the directions or use the right equipment - like the GPS. But more important, for life, we have an instruction book we can go to when we need to. But how about reading it BEFORE you need it? We have been given God's Word to teach us things for life. Funny how today's Proverbs reading is regarding Wisdom.

"Listen, for I will speak noble things; and the opening of my lips will reveal right things. For my mouth will utter truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips. All the utterances of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing crooked or perverted in them. They are all straightforward to him who understands, and right to those who find knowledge." Proverbs 8:6-9

The Bible tells us things we need to know in order to get through each day. It points us in the right direction and keeps us from getting lost. Rely on Him and speak to Him daily for strength, peace and to stay on the right path.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

South Bay Sunset

Just happened to catch this sunset. I took about a dozen pictures, but these three are the best ones...the others sort of blurred and I didn't think I was shaking. Oh, well. It was the first time I actually noticed this since we've been here and we were just hanging out watering the lawn and just taking in the evening in our neighborhood. Pretty nice.

To Market, to Market...

Every Saturday my mother-in-love would go to the Farmer's Market. I always thought it was a pretty good idea. I would go just for dinner, but didn't really get into the buying the goods. Don't know why. Well, with all the fresh food we ate, I decided to try doing that here. There is a Farmer's Market in Torrance, not far away, and on Saturday, the perfect day to go when you have a job (which I don't yet, but that's beside the point). I decided to go ahead and check it out. First thing, when you get out of the car, you smell the fresh kettlecorn. My friend, Noonie, wants to come down just for that.

There are the veggies.
There are crafts.
Flowers.Food...breakfast and lunch items. And the kettlecorn.

And even a taste of home...I bought asparagus and it was delicious. A new activity to enjoy in our new place.

God Answers Specifics

Since I moved to Redondo Beach, I have tried to make meals here and there. I'm not that interested in cooking, but I promised Dan I would try to do something so we wouldn't eat out so much. We don't have a huge fridge, but I've been able to scrounge a little and we've had a few actual sit down dinners at home. Recently I decided to have meatloaf. If you have the Grace Church cookbook, I used the recipe on page 116 because I happened to have all the ingredients. It was pretty good. And we had asparagus, too.

While it was cooking, I decided to sit down and read - so I opened up the front of the cookbook and began reading about the history of Grace Church. I know a lot of the history having gone there since I was a teenager and being a friend of Paulyne's, but one thing caught my eye on pages 4-5: "A church family asked the group to pray that they could sell some property and give half of the price toward buying the lot on the corner of Osos and Pismo Streets. A little widow lady walked across that vacant lot many times to and from town. As she walked she prayed and claimed the land by faith for the Lord. Similarly, Leroy regularly drove by the property praying that one day a place of worship (with a corner entrance) would stand there."

I love how the little widow walked across the lot and prayed in faith for that piece of land to become what is now Grace Church. I love how specific Pastor Leroy was about having a corner entrance. It made me think how general I usually pray and how infrequent I pray about certain things. Oh, there are times I will pray for friends or others in crisis, then when the crisis is "over", I'll stop except for an occasional "continue to bless this family" type of prayer.

When we decided to move to the LA area, I didn't know what to think or pray for. But, I knew one thing. I really, REALLY wanted to live near the beach and for some reason, I decided to pray specifically that we would have a beach address. I don't remember asking for BEACH as part of the name, but God humored me and answered my prayer beyond what I could imagine. First, we live in Redondo BEACH. Second, we are only 2 miles FROM the beach. And, more importantly, we live in a house, albeit small, but we don't have "wall" neighbors. I didn't really ask for that, but He blessed us with a small hosue. Our neighbors are in apartments behind us. We have four walls with four windows and when it's warm, we get a nice cross-breeze and it keeps it cool in our little place.

Thank You, Lord, that You answer our prayers in ways we can't fathom. Thank You for caring for every part of our lives and for giving us what we NEED and things You know we would like. I pray I never take for granted the things You give us or do for us. Amen.