MOVING FORWARD

Tuesday of this week my pink Christmas Catcus began to bloom and that bit of cheerfulness catapulted me into moving forward – that brilliant burst of color gave me a nudge to get on with a purpose and a goal; this is what Hub’s would have wanted: he would not have wanted me to shroud myself in mourning misery and despondency as most think I should. He is not dead … he is alive, and more alive than he has ever been! All that took place in OHSU last Friday – on that final day of his life here on Earth – was that he shed that ravished body that housed his spirit. Now his spirit will live on forever throughout eternity. And so I am getting busy with getting on with my life until I join him there ;-)

I did a couple decorations … nothing fancy, just enough to be festive:

The candles in my windows this year remind me that we are to be a light to the world ... Hubs never ceased witnessing to those who attended him in the hospitals, or to those that visited him. He believed that even if he was not healed, his testimony was supposed to be given/heard. He truly believed that whether he got yet another reprieve, or whether he left his body, “maybe I’m going through this because someone needs to hear my testimony about God’s love and faithfulness”. With every breath he took and expelled, he talked about God. He was a light to the world – and I believe that light will continue to go forward in the lives of the people he ministered to before Yeshua gathered his spirit home.

Christmas Ivy Basket

Hanging Christmas Ivy

Kitchen tinsel garland along archway leading to Dining Room

Dining Room tinsel garland along archway leading to kitchen

Tinsel garland running along hallway leading to back rooms. Same tinsel garland runs along the LV archways. I like tinsel garlands at Christmas time, but it is getting very hard to find locally.

I received some Christmas orders (Thank Elohim! I needed those to redirect my thoughts) that I started working on and finished in record time; now that I am the only one in the house, I can work for hours on end with very little breaks ….

MOD Santa Hat ready for pick up – started late in the evening Monday, and finished the next afternoon.

I worked 2 adult sized (XL/male) Slipper Socks Tuesday – just standard; nothing fancy – so no pictures of those;LOL. But these cute little slipper socks for a child were fun to work up ;-)

MOD Pikachu Slipper pair ready for pick up – I started these yesterday morning and finished around 9 p.m. last night

I went online and looked at some pictures of the Pokemon Pikachu figure, and added those features to the original ‘Unisex Slipper Sock’ pattern I found online a few years ago. I only took time away from working on them to get another cup of coffee and eat a few sandwiches now and then. I like the way they turned out, and I think the recipient of these slippers will too :-D

Started MOD Pikachu Slippers yesterday – face in place

Stripes along the side ...

Ears designed, worked up, and sewn on. Back closed up.

Finished slipper.

And I went into town this afternoon to do some grocery shopping … all the way into town, not just to Wal*Mart a few blocks away from home. It went better than anticipated and I even figured out how to work the car heater … don’t laugh! It was a big moment for me ;-) I have driven this car a lot, but basically Hubs did the driving since he retired, and I never paid attention to the little details. Now I HAVE TO … so I will. I only had one weepy moment when I stopped at AT/T and had Hubs & 1 phone removed from the account: I was fine until he was deleted, and then the tears came and rolled down my face before I could stop them.

One step at a time.

But at least I AM moving forward. I know some people who have stopped in their tracks when a death hits them where they live – I refuse to let that happen to me: that is not living, and we are meant to live until we are called home. I can … and will … live alone, but I will not become a mourning zombie.

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ACTS ~ Chapter 26

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ACTS ~ Chapter 26

Agrippa then said to Pal. ‘You may now give an account of yourself.’ So Paul, extending his hand, began to defend.

“I consider myself fortunate, king Agrippa, that I may defend myself before you today, against all the charges that the Jews have made against me. And since you are so very familiar with all the customs and controversial questions of the Jews, I ask you to hear me patiently. All the Jews are familiar with my mode of life from my youth on, for it was spent from the beginning among my own people, and here at Jerusalem. Their earliest memory of  me, if they would admit it, would be that I lived the life of a Pharisee – the strictest sect of our religion. And now I am on trial for the hope in the promise that Elohei made to our fathers. In the hope of seeing that promise fulfilled, our 12 tribes served Elohei zealously night and day. And it is on account of that hope, O king Agrippa, that I am being accused by the Jews. Why do you think it incredible that Elohei should raise the dead? Yes, I too once thought it my duty to do many things in opposition to Yeshua of Nazareth. I did so in Jerusalem. There I locked up numbers of saints in the prisons by orders from the chief priests. And when they were to be put to death, I voted against them. In all the synagogues, many times I punished them and forced them to blaspheme. And in my burning zeal and furious rage against them, I kept after them even unto foreign cities. So when I was going to Damascus on such an errand, I had authority and commission from the chief priests. I was on the road at noon, O king, when I saw a light from heaven brighter than the sun shining around me and my fellow travelers. Then, as we all fell down to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me saying in the Hebrew tongue, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? It will be hard for you to rebel and resist.” And I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Yeshua Whom you are persecuting. But get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you for the specific purpose of appointing you to serve Me and to bear witness of what you have seen and also of what I will reveal to you. I will save you from your people and from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you. You are to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Lucifer to Elohei, so that through faith in Me they may have their sins forgiven and have an inheritance among those who are holy.’ And so, O king Agrippa, I did not disobey that heavenly vision. I witnessed first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and then throughout the whole of Judea, and I preached even to the Gentiles that they must repent and turn to Elohei and live their lives consistent with repentance. That is why the Jews laid hold of me in the Temple and tried to kill me. And Elohei has helped me to this very day, therefore I have stood up and witnessed to both small and great, claiming nothing else than what the prophets and Moshe said would take place – namely this, that Mashiach must suffer, that he was the 1^st tor rise from the dead, and that He would give light to the Jewish people and the Gentiles.”

When he had spoken thus for his defense, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, ‘Paul, you are insane! Much learning has made you mad!’

“Most noble Festus,” answered Paul, I am not crazy. On the contrary, I am speaking the sober truth. And since the king is well informed of these matters, therefore I I dare speak to him more freely. Nothing that I have said is news to him; of that I am sure, for these things did not happen in some obscure corner. King Agrippa, you believe the prophets, don’t you I know you do!”

Then Agrippa said to Paul, You almost persuade me to become a Christian!’

To this Paul replied, “Oh, I could wish to Elohim that not only you, but also everyone who hears me today, whether with little or much persuasion, would become such as I am, except for these chains!”

After this was said, the king rose, as did also the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them. When they had gone out, they talked the matter over together and concluded, ‘This man has not done anything punishable by death or even imprisonment.’ And Agrippa added this remark to Festus, ‘If he had not appealed to the emperor, he could have been set free.’

**ACTS 25: https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-gospel-according-to-acts-chapter-25.html