God, Me & the PC

As I sit here licking my wounds from yet another betrayal, from yet another friend, God brings peace and joy in the midst of it.  The more I focus on Him, the more the hurts hurt less.   The more I trust Him, the more I know I have so much to learn to walk in His steps.  The more I walk in His steps, the better my life is.  So many thoughts swirling through my mind as I process His goodness.

 

This July, and only God knows why and how, I bit on a carrot from my long ago past.  A friend, Leslie, has sold Pampered Chef for 23 years.  For 23 years, I never even held a party, sad I know.  23 years ago, I had to start the process of a divorce, devasting I know.   And about 23 years ago I had my feelings hurt with my church and left it for the Baptist Church across the street, stupid decision, I know.   Are you seeing what I’m seeing?  I don’t know what it means yet, but I know one day I will stand before Jesus, and it will all be clear.  There’s a part of this story I can’t even put into words, because it is locked in emotions in my heart and soul for no one to understand but God and sometimes me.

 

So let’s fast forward to 3 months ago.  The carrot I bit was “playing” a game Leslie had on her fb page.  I ‘won’ an ice cream cake pan.  I still wonder if I really won, or if she even knew God was using her.  Before I could blink, she had me doing what you call an Online Party.  And by the last day of the party, I was signing up to be a consultant.  Why?  I don’t know.   I have no clue.  I really don’t.  I do know that my hubby prayed, I prayed, and friends prayed about the decision. And I had the distinct vision of Leslie just sitting on the sidelines watching; and me wondering does she know what she is watching?  I was not looking or ready to, and I didn't want to start down yet another path.  But, as all things in prayer do, it became clear it was the right thing to do.  At least for this time and for this season of lessons I need to learn, it is.

  

As in anything with sales, there are goals and challenges.   I have never in 30+ years of dabbling in sales jobs (and I’ve tried a LOT of different venues), ever met one, exceeded one, or enjoyed one.  Then along came this...   “This” was:  sell $xxx within 30 days and get a, wait for it, a FREE Ice Cream Maker.  Know me? Know me don’t do dairy then!  I can’t, don’t, won’t eat anything dairy.  Period.    My body does not process it or respond nicely to it.   So why would I work so hard for it?  Again, I don’t know.  I just know God is in the middle of this whirlwind, the eye of my current storm, and I am along for the ride.  Instead of boarding up the windows to my soul, cramming all my hurts into my heart, I’m stocking up on more of Him to ride it out.   Trying to trust Him for every sale, every contact; after all, if He is the one that got me into it, “it” will only be successful if I keep Him centered in it.  I did fairly well for me in the trust department. It was a battle of wills the whole last day when the on-going party that had the most active participates (15 playing games) and least spenders ($130 in sales) and I needed $488.  Trust, trust, trust.  He whispered.  I shouted.  I whispered.  I tried. And I tried.  And I really tried not to pout, mope, spend a lot of my own money, and at the same time still the constant calculating my brain was performing to hit the goal.  Hindsight I’d say I got to about 80% of truly trusting He would send me the last amounts.  Sad to admit, I know.  Because they trickled in all day, and I do mean trickled.  Painfully slow trickle.  I won’t bore you will every excruciating detail of the day, but I did learn a lot.  Like, if I had just trusted Him fully, I wouldn’t have spent my whole day trying to figure it all out and I wouldn’t have raised my anxiety level to a painful level either.  I could have rested, played the piano, sewn, written my Sunday School lesson…

Lessons…  Why do we make them so hard to learn?   As parents we expect our kids to learn them quickly or pay a price.  God lessons are no different.  Every time I think I’ve learned that; he peels back another layer and the process begins once again.  But I still love Him, I’ll still follow Him anywhere, and I’ll still keep trying!

So what started this Rambling Riting??  Leslie’s simple post this morning, that she probably has no clue what it did for me, was just 18 words and 12 exclamation points long, but dropped me to my knees in tears as I began to understand the 1st lesson -

               “Wahooo Cheryl, so proud of you - you set goals, worked hard and it paid off!!! Way to go!!!!!!!!!”

It’s not like I haven’t been told those words before.  But that’s not the point, it’s what God whispered to me as I went to write this “reply” to her message:  “haha you dangled a carrot in front of me and without you and Ms Bev I couldn’t have done it.  You see, Ms Bev was the last order placed to reach the goal!  You 2 are like bookends on a period of my life that needs to be buried.”  Wait!, What?, Where did that last thought come from??

 Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost....As it was in the beginning; is now and ever shall be…..  ~~~   

 

~And this my friends, is just another day, another lesson, in Life With Cheryl~

and I'd be remiss if I also didn't include my website, now wouldn't I?  lol
https://pamperedchef.com/pws/lifewithcheryl

Stools, Submission, and Sheryl

In February 2015 the Lord convicted me to submit to my husband. Well it wasn't quite like that. He didn't write it in the heavens with a sky-writer plane for me to read; wasn't a bolt of lightening for me to feel; it also wasn't in a loud booming voice so that I could unmistakably hear the words. No, just like He always does: quietly, but not with words; gently, but not with feelings; but strongly, with conviction.

The latest example He used was with kitchen stools. I feel like I am getting to be a better listener though. The stools only took about 8 months; my dishes issue was closer to 4 years. If you haven't heard of that debacle; check out my blog for that story. I have been asking God to put things in black and white so I could read them. The dishes were a white issue; the stools black. I love hindsight and God's sense of humor!

Anyway, back to the stools. I have searched for 4 years for new stools for our counter. High and low; online and retail; from the hills of Pennsylvania to the coasts of Virginia and pretty much anywhere I've been in the last 4 years. Yes, including people's houses. Tried bartering, buying and even guilting some friends into giving theirs to me. But nothing. nada. zip. A local store I went into asked what price range I was looking for: low, medium or high. Not knowing, I choose medium. She said "Great, I'll get you the catalogs for them". I started flipping through and those medium priced stools were $500+. per stool. 4 stools = @$2000. I could buy a whole dining room suite! Saving face, I picked a few stools and said I needed to bring my husband back to help choose. Needless to say, I didn't return by myself or with dear hubby. Yes, throughout my searching, there were the proverbial "lesser expensive" stools but none seemed to work - too flimsy, too modern, too uncomfortable, wrong colors, wrong materials; you name it, I said it.

Anyway, back to being convicted. As I was telling my Ladies Bible study group (more commonly referred to as the Yakker's; but that explanation is for another day) once again, or perhaps more accurately, whining again, there it happened. It came right out of my mouth. Don't know how, but it did. What I was trying to say, was: "Yes Ladies, I know all the tricks to get a husband to do what you want without him realizing it;" "Yes, I agree I could just order the chairs and ask for forgiveness later;"  " Yes, yes, and yes to all the suggestions that the wise married ladies were spewing forth."  But what came out of my mouth you ask? "Ladies, it's not about the stools; it's a heart issue; it's about submission."

WAIT! WHAT? WHOA!!! Oh, no you didn't just say that!!

It was like I was E.F. Hutton. Dead silence for a minute. Well, they are the yakkers so it was more like 20 seconds. Then the ohs, the hmmms, the ouches.

My mind was scrambling wondering where in the world did the words come from? I tried to ignore them. Shove them aside. Forget them. Pretend they didn't happen. Assume they were just some annoying voices in my head. But guess what? What the Lord convicts, you can't erase. So I did the next best thing in my eyes. I decided that He had convicted me to submit more to Him. After all, daily devotions are uncommon for me; prayer life is scattered (although in my defense I do pray throughout the day!!); thankfulness in all things is difficult for me; joy had been escaping me. So there you go - He wanted me to submit to Him and I could begin immediately to do that. Grabbed the phone, downloaded a devotion app; got paper, wrote a prayer list to follow; continually hummed, "It is well with my soul."

But here was this deep, annoying, persistent, niggling thought. "Ah, dear child, not to me but to your husband. If you can't submit yourself to him, how will you ever be able to fully submit yourself to me?"

WAIT!  WHAT? WHOA!!! Oh no you didn't just hear that!!

Please Lord, no. Not that. You know there are so many things I know so much better how to handle then he does. So then unknowingly to dear hubby, the Lord even spouts words out of his mouth at me. Alright, I shouldn't say spouts. He did say them quietly and gently, but none-the-less the words cut right through me and I knew they were really from the Lord.

So I am now on this incredible journey that I should have started 18 yrs, 4 months, 7 days ago. And in my heart, I know that it will be a life-changing, mind-blowing, soul-growing path if I can just stay on it. I know my Lord, I know this is His will, I know His strength is but for my grabbing. But I know me too, so it will be challenging with lots of side excursions to smell the earthly roses causing many pricks by thorns, skinned knees, bruised hearts, and tears of joy, pain, and healing.

So this morning I sit here writing this while I think I should have been helping at our monthly food bank. He on the other hand believes I should rest. You know, he just may be right.

When we first married, my mom used to say he protected me from myself. 18 years later, after having suffered from a myriad of issues, I think my mom just might have been right too.

So what has God been chasing you about?

Cheryl

p.s. 5 days later after my revelation and acceptance, I ordered the perfect stools for the perfect price...


                                   God is perfect!!

Moments in Gettysburg

Sometimes I get what the Lord is trying to tell me and sometimes I don't.  This winter I have been painfully made aware of just how many moments slip by and are never to be recovered again.  But that's for another blog on another day.  This week I tried to be more intentional in my living and recognize the importance of individual moments by recording them.  Since my darling daughter needed an appointment with her orthodontist and he is conveniently located in beautiful Gettysburg PA; I was blessed with a trip up to see friends.  Let me share with you a few of my moments while hanging out in Gettysburg this week. 

Happiest Moment?  Pulling safely into Len’s driveway after driving over 5 hours through rain, sleet, snow and rush hour traffic.

Gladest Moment (Lisa is that even a real word?)?  That happened 5 years ago when my Dad finally blessed me with a sister! It took til I was 49 to get one, but I say better late then never!!

Most Harrowing Moment?  When I realized I shouldn’t have decided to drive by our old house in the dark.  Remember it had been sleeting and snowing all evening.  And you have to drive up 2 BIG hills, around a downhill curve, and then down a hill to get to the house.  Actually the moment happened when I was almost to the top of that biggest hill and realized I would have to come back down it.  I remembered why I don't like roller coaster rides during that moment also.  

Smelliest Moment?  Insisting to Katy that we just had to go into Kennie’s to smell the wonderful smells.  Apparently, the smells at night are not the same as the one’s that have always greeted me earlier in the days on my previous trips.  She was most unimpressed. 

Most Humbling Moment?  That 3 friends would give up a whole day and night of their lives to just hang out with me!!

Funniest moment #1?  When my Springhouse Spread lunch that was highly recommended by Lisa was served and she exclaimed:  “Well that doesn’t look like what Wayne and I always order;.  Oh dear, we actually order Adam’s Delight….  I’m so sorry”  It was OK – I thoroughly enjoyed my Springhouse Spread!  For those of you wondering - lunch was at the Dobbin House down in the quaint cellar tavern.

Funniest Moment #2? Walking out of Len’s house and her asking me if I wanted her to drive  to Needle & Thread – Well I guess you would only realize this was funny if you knew I didn’t have a car with me.  I love that now I know I’m not the only one that says stuff like this!

Fun Moments?  Going with Len to Needle and Thread to pick out quilt fabrics.

Hardest moment?  Making the decision to not fill every moment.  I always want to fit everyone in each trip; but this trip I felt led to limit myself to a core of 3 and had to make hard choices. 

Most tender moments?  Chatting with my niece about high school coming to a close and her excitement for the next phase of life to begin.

Sadest Moment?  As Katy turned onto 15 South outside of the Outlets.  Always a tearful time as reality sets back in.

Most poignant moment?  Seeing the results of following God-ordained footsteps and realizing what we would have missed had we not gone around the block and stopped in to say a quick Hi to our favorite old neighbor. 

Sweetest Moment?  Auntie Ann’s cinnamon and sugar pretzel bites.  My belly still hurts hours later from all that sweetness!

Awkward Moment?  11:30 pm when I realized I hadn’t called dear hubby all day.  I just got so caught up in living every moment that I plum forgot about him.  How embarrassing is that!

Most Aggravating Moment?  None, I just made a decision I was not going to have any!  However, Katy would probably tell you it was that moment when I was supposed to be navigating on our trip home and we somehow got off of Route 15S and were heading somewhere west.

Best Hug Moment?  Hmmm.. this is hard cause all my friends are great huggers, but this trip I think it has to go to Judy; what a hugger she is; words just wouldn’t do it justice.  But everyone else was a close second!!

Strangest Moment?  When I decided I looked better with a big black mustache….  Words won’t do it justice; you’ll have to check out my Facebook page for the picture.

And that my friends is another peek into LifeWithCheryl on the NorthernNeck!

Tag, I'm it.

Apparently my friend Lisa decided that I needed to write a blog and this is the sneaky way she went about it!

1. Where were you born? South Baltimore General Hospital (Baltimore MD) and went home to Pasadena MD.  Then I continued growing in Wheaton MD, Rockville MD , Bad Aibling Germany, San Diego CA, Eldersburg Md, Glen Burnie MD, Orrtanna PA), Kilmarnock VA, Heathsville VA.  Yup that’s a total of 9 towns with 18 moves (not including a 3 month stay in a pop-up camper in my grandfather’s yard with a very loudly snoring father while we were transitioning from Germany back to the USA). If you average it, that’s less than 3 years in a place.  Did I mention that I hate change? 

2. Were you named after someone? No.  My mother originally wanted Mary Louise after some of her relatives and would have called me Mary Lou.  Hmmm... one wonders if Mary Lou would have had to move all those times that Cheryl Lynn did?  Perhaps I will rename myself tomorrow on my birthday and spend the next half of my life as Mary Lou!

3. If you have children, how many do you have? 1 beautiful daughter that we both lay claim to.  There are 2 others but we’re not sure how they are related to us or where they are living.

4. How many pets do I have? Just when I thought I was safe (at 49 yrs old) and on the home stretch from having no pets ever; Princess Jasmine of Orrtanna, a little ball of black fur that is really a pure bred toy poodle that acts and walks like an old hound dog, joined us 5 years ago. 

5. What was your worst injury? Most definitely a dislocated subcalcaneus.  It was not a pretty sight, nor were my actions in the ambulance and subsequent hospital visit.  I grabbed the rescue worker in the ambulance (hey at least it wasn’t around his throat) and told him I wanted a private room where I would not hear any noises other than my own.  He didn’t think they had them at Hershey Medical Center.  I informed him that all hospitals have padded rooms for crazies and I could certainly prove that I was if needed…. 

6. Do I have a special talent?  Not unless you call irritating people one. Although my family and true friends would say I have several – knitting, crocheting, and quilting.

7. What's your favorite thing to bake? Chocolate chip cookies because they are SO good right out of the oven when they're all gooey and succulent.

8. What's your favorite fast food? Chik-fil-A of course!!!  Chicken strips, waffle fries, iced tea and a brownie with ice cream for dessert  

9. Would you bungee jump? No.  You can't make me.  I won't do it.

10. What is the first thing you notice about people?    Their shoes.  Once while a gawky teenager I only had brown dress shoes.  I begged my mom for a pair of black shoes for a dress I had that did not go with brown shoes.  Her reply?  You don’t NEED them, no one looks at shoes.  That was also probably the moment when I figured out that my mom also lied about the tooth fairy. 

11. When was the last time you cried? I’ve gotten quite good at not crying lately.  Gosh, I think it’s been at least 2 weeks; unless you count pouting in that category…

12. Any current worries? . I have kids.  I have parents.  I have worries.  But fortunately, God's in charge and I'm not, so I try not to let my worries grow roots

13. Name three drinks you drink regularly. Coffee, tea, cocoa.  That’s Lisa that drinks the coffee; I prefer water.

14. What is your favorite book? Just one?  I can't really pick because I read a LOT.  Chasing Fireflies by Charles Martin is really good though.  And Quaker Summer by Lisa Samson.    Lisa (not Lisa Samson, but my friend Lisa) really has good answers however I haven’t read Chasing Fireflies and I hate to lie so I’m fessing up now that some of these answers have been her’s.  And it’s her fault that I read Quaker Summer and gave away all of my dinner dishes and bowls and only had 3 melamine plate and 3 melamine bowls for 4 years to feed my family on.  Luckily there are only 3 of us.

15. Would you like to be a pirate? No.  Pirates break rules.  That would make me nervous.  But Lisa, being a pirate and breaking rules is fun!!  I have even gotten Skip to go in an exit door!

16. What are your favorite smells? Honeysuckle, lilacs, baking bread.  See – I told you Lisa has good answers although I might add lavender also.

17. Why do you blog?  I enjoy writing and photography, and I hope people are encouraged or uplifted by what I post.  Here I draw the line about using Lisa’s answers; I hate to write and only blog when Lisa tells me it’s time for me to.

18. What song do you want played at your funeral?  I don’t want a funeral.  I want a celebration that I finally got to join the popular club; a celebration that I have joined the parade to worship my God forever; a celebration of songs because even though I can’t sing well, it’s something I struggle not to covet of others who can; a celebration that in heaven, I will be able to carry that note in that bucket and that I will even actually remember the words to that song I’m trying to sing!  Oh, and I want all those songs played on a guitar with a piano accompaniment.  Oh and a bell choir ringing away!  But probably not at the same time as the guitar…

19. What is your least favorite thing about yourself?  Hmm, how to narrow that one down?  Probably number 6 above.

20. What is your favorite hobby? Crocheting, knitting, or quilting, reading, solving the world’s problems according to Skip and Cheryl’s philosophies

21. What do you look for in a friend? Someone who takes turns talking and listening-- if you know what I mean.  And someone whose sense of humor agrees with mine.  Again, Lisa just gets me and can always say it so much better than I can.  Guess that’s why she likes to write and I don’t.  But luckily she’s my friend and can usually tell me what I need but can’t articulate myself. 

22. Name something you have done you never thought you would do. Went into the hospital with my husband.  Wait, does sitting in a waiting room somewhere while he’s sitting in the ER waiting room count?   OK, on the serious side, got divorced and didn’t think I would live through it.  Wow, that was heavy.  Ok let me pick something else.  I rode a roller coaster once when I was 19; I lived and I didn’t think I would. Let’s just say I’m not very adventurous. 

23. What are your favorite things to do? Popping a Dove dark chocolate candy during the sermon on Sunday mornings and reveling in the intense flavor.  Laying on a hill watching the clouds go by, listening to ocean waves, kayaking – well I did it once and it was fun.  Laughing - about anything and with anybody.  It is such a universal, all encompassing, don’t need words even, fun thing to do.

24. Any pet peeves? Drumming fingers on a hard surface, clicking pens in, out, in out, in out..grrr; 

25. What's the last thing that made you laugh? Jazzy burping.  Really.  After she eats, she walks out to where we are and lets it rip.  What’s even funnier is we all know it’s coming so we wait for it; we stop talking, we mute the T.V., and just wait for it.

p.s.  Lisa this counts as a blog; I just spent several  hrs writing a few answers.  This is one reason I don’t like to write; it takes me forever to get my thoughts out and a quarter of them weren’t even my thoughts!! 

Love you Lisa for pushing me!  I mean encouraging me : )

p.s.s.  If you are just dying to know and haven't figured it out yet, the answers in italics are Lisa's 

So now, Logan O'Bier http://www.loganmakesamess.com/, you are it!

To breathe or not to breathe - oh the choices we must make...

For the second time in two weeks, or more precisely 11 days, I have had a sinus migraine that nothing seems to help dissipate.  I used to take Sudafed until I was in my 40’s.   Then I started having a little problem after I took the Sudafed so I went to my husband’s urologist. He didn’t think it was funny when I told him my symptoms were identical to any man over 40 that you catch talking in the restroom.  Well, I didn’t really overhear them in the restroom but it is what they say.  But after a very expensive uncomfortable and for me scary outpatient procedure (OK, so it wasn’t really that bad, but for me anything near a doctor or hospital constitutes scary and uncomfortable) my doctor said not to take Sudafed anymore because it makes my prostate swell up real big and I can’t, as my sweet grandma would say – make water. OK, you got me, he didn’t exactly say that but he did say not to take Sudafed anymore if I want to use the water closet.    Then I figured out 3 Advil and some coke and voila!  In less than 10 minutes, complete relief from upset tummy and all other sinus issues.  Now, nothing seems to work and my head just spins.  Well not exactly my head, but what’s inside my head.  So imagine all those weird thoughts and conversations I have in my head and then putting them on that little merry-go-round that you played on as a kid and then you will see my problem.  It’s kind of a cross between being pregnant and a 3 day drunk.  Although I don’t recall ever being on a 3 day drunk, this is what I think it would feel like.  So, to P or not to P?   (haha, my attempt at Shakespearian humor)  Yep, I did.   I just took the Sudafed and ahhh.. the sweet relief of breathing!  Hey, a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.  I will deal with tomorrow when tomorrow comes!

And that my friends, is  Life Wtih Cheryl on the Northern Neck! 

Books and Me!

What a senior moment when technically I'm not even a senior yet.  I wanted to post a status on FB and decided it was rather long so I would just blog it.  By the time my computer loaded my blog site, I had already thought so many other things that now I have forgotten what I was going to say that I thought was worthy of your time!  Oh, now I remember...

I have realized that I should be very careful of what I read.  Several years ago, I think it might even have been close to 4 by now, our fearless leader of my famous Micah Ladies (or infamous?  just kidding ladies!) decided we would read "Quaker Summer" by Lisa Samson for our devotion studies.  It was life changing for me and my family.  Me? Because I read it and God spoke to me.  My family?  Because clearly I heard God tell me to give all of our dishes (among other things) to a family that was victim to a house fire and buy 3 plastic plates and 3 plastic bowls to use until we moved.  The rest of that story is for another day.   This past week I read "Ireland Rose" by Patricia Strefling set in the 1800's.  Many of their meals were described as pulling off a chunk of bread, a hunk of cheese and an apple.  Last week I picked up a loaf of delicious looking Pumpernickle bread from the Walmart bakery.  For lunch the past few days I have enjoyed a chunk of bread, a hunk of cheese and an apple.  Yes, I have walked on the wild side - I did not cut off a slice of bread, I just tore off a nice large piece.  No butter, mayo, or other spreads:  after all they weren't used in the book either.  It has been a welcome change from sandwiches, yogurt, or peanut butter crackers.  So, I'm wondering what my next novel and adventure will be about.  Any suggestions for a good book?  Please just keep in mind that I will imitate some part of the book so please be careful with your suggestions!!

And that my friends, is another day in the Life with Cheryl!

Just another day in the Northern Neck for me...

1st - my husband's birthname is Calvin but we have always called him Skip.  No idea why, it just is what it is.

2nd - the only reason I mention the race of the below individuals is because it will explain my faux pax to a point.

3rd - I try hard.  I really do.

Monday a Hispanic man came in from company A to pick up his order and I said "Hey Salvador"!  He said "I'm not Salvador, I'm Julian."  So I asked him who was Salvador; and he said a guy that works for company B.  Tuesday a black man comes in from company B and I said "Hey Salvador!".  He said "I aint Salvado".  So I said "who the heck is Salvador then anyway?!!"   He said some Mexican that works for us.  I asked him his name and he said "Calvin".  I said great, no way I'll forget your name, it's the same as my husband's.  I'm off on Wednesdays so on Thursday when he came in for his order, I smiled really big and said "Hey Skip! How ya doing?"  He looked at me weird (weirder than on Tuesday when I called him Salvador) and said "Who?".  I said "Skip".  He asked who Skip was and I said stop teasing me,  I know your name is Skip - it's the same as my husband's.  He shook his head and said "no, my name is Calvin."  Friday Calvin came in and .....just kidding, I finally got it right, along with a big "ole smile from him.  I still don't know who the heck Salvador is but I must tell you that Jose and Ubaldo get a kick out of never knowing what's coming out of my mouth!  They are teaching me Spanish and I have an auditory issue.....  hmm... I think that will be a blog for another day!!

And that my friends, is another day in the Live with Cheryl on the Northern Neck : )