And now it is April

Where did the rest of winter go? I thought I was writing a bit more often than this! I don't work so you would think that I would have more time to write. Evidently I don't!
Things are normal here. Air conditioner man here to check the air.   I may have to have a new one.  some strange whistling noise and it is loud.
I put down sod in the front of my house. Actually I paid to have a landscaper do it. Now every day for three weeks I have to water it. I suppose if I lived in dry state I would have to water it for a lot longer than three weeks.

Julie

Just thinking about Julie Andrews in the Sound of Music. She sang a song with the lyrics "Nothing comes from nothing.  Nothing ever will." What does that really mean? I guess that if you do nothing you will have nothing and be nothing. Or some such philosophy; in that same song she also has a line that says, "somewhere in my wicked miserable past I must have done something  good." I don't really think that good things happen because you do good things or that evil things happen if you do evil. I think that it is just life.
In both of these she is posing with Christopher Plumber. I always liked him as an actor, but he has been in some very blah movies recently. I didn't like the Girl with the Dragon Tatoo.

Board of Education

This week I went to the Talawanda School District Board of Education meeting as the League of Women Voters representative. 

Various procedural Items were addressed. The recently elected members were sworn in and Mr. Butterfield and Dr. Crowder were elected President and Vice President of the board.  Board members were appointed as liaisons for the year. Dr. Roberts and Dr. Crowder were appointed academic liaisons and will submit quarterly reports.  Mr. Butterfield and Mr. Otto were appointed athletic liaison and will submit quarterly reports. Ms. Vollmer will continue as the Butler Tech liaison and Dr. Roberts will continue as the legislation liaison both submitting monthly reports.  Members also selected buildings for which they will represent the board at various functions.

The issue that interested me the most was the building of a new Kramer.  I wondered how they could build and pour concrete with the freezing cold and the snow. Evidently they raise tents and have heaters there to keep the ground an even temperature and things moving on a schedule. Of course the next day I had to go by Kramer to see what he was talking about.  But I only saw plastic flapping in the breeze no big tents.

Lessons Learned

What did I learn about God in 2015?

In the "Study Of Moses" I learned about Jewish traditional sacrifices and about the one true living sacrifice. The tribe of Levi was the tribe of priests. They were given a responsibility from God to lead the Jewish people in worship. Part of the worship was the sacrificial offering. Within their practice there were 5 types of offerings: the burnt offering,  fellowship offering, the sin offering, the grain offering and the guilt offering. The burnt offering was totally incinerated, the blood was sprinkled on the alter, and made atonement for sins. For the grain offering not blood was shed so it was a offering of thanksgiving. With the Fellowship offering the worshipper celebrated (shalom or) peace with God. Again with the sin offering blood was shed and in the book of Leviticus a list of acceptable offerings and steps people were to take to be reconciled with God.  The guilt offering was given as an offering done to another person or his property through carelessness. Reconciliation was its primary purpose. 
All of this was terribly interesting to me. I had previously thought that there was only one sacrifice made at the temple for all the people and then the blood was sprinkled on the congregation. I learned that some were to give a pleasing aroma for/to God; others were to be as an atonement for sins.

Today Christians have a relationship with God because Jesus was the supreme sacrifice. His death was the final and now only necessary sacrifice. He died who knew no sin that we might live a holy relationship with God our Father. Jesus died that we could approach God. In the book of Ephesians,  Apostle Paul urges us to walk in a  manner worthy of the calling according to the power of the Holy Spirit within us.    I believe this is possible only when we listen to what God is telling us to do daily.

Goals for 2016

Measureable goals are the best. I can keep track on my phone or on the calendar.
I have a food diary app and a diet coach of sorts. So I am on my way to improving my health.
GOALS
1.  Record my food intake daily.
2.  Take blood sugar 4 times a week both a.m. and p.m..
3.  Go to the Aqua aerobics class three times a week or more.
4.  Continue to Attend BSF classes.
5.  Continue to attend other Bible study classes as are available.
6.  Continue to tithe regularly at church.
7.  Continue to listen to what God is telling me in my ear and to follow where he leads.
8.  Persevere.
9.  Make an afghan for Lita.
10. Make a baby afghan for baby Thea.
11. Read and write some Daily.
12. Keep a prayer journal weekly.
13. Go to one thrift store a month and record the adventure.
14.  So somewhere I have never been.
15.  Go to Denver.
16.  Go to Robin Wagner's wedding.
17.  Visit my friends and family who live in Maryland, Deleware, Virginia, and North Carolina.
18.  Learn to post pictures on this blog.
19.  Visit Jo-Ann in Kentucky.
20.  Be an active member of the League of Women Voters.
21.  Attend Board of Education meetings and take notes.
22.  Help my daughter with Baby Thea to the best of my ability.

Last year's goals which were written in February

1.  Eat more fruit and vegetables by trying to include two at each meal.
 Yes I feel like I did this.  I have even been including some only vegge meals.
 2.  Exercise every day.
 No but possibility of 3 days a week
 3.  Have a daily quiet time. Yes for about 5 days a week.
4.  Try a new craft. Yes, painting
5.  Read and write some every day. Yes.
6.  Things I would like to do:
      a. Go somewhere I have never been.  I went to Patterson place and even rode the Miami Metro!
       b. Call my sister more often. no
      c.  Find some antique children's books. no
      d.  Finish my embroidery projects. Yes!
      e.  Take a vacation. Yes at Mothers day
7.  Go to Lita's wedding. Yes
8.  Help the poor in a meaningful way. Yes
9. Visit Jonathan and Lauren in Denver. No
10.  Plant flowers with Alicia in May No

So for the only 10 goals I made I have a 76% rate.

Happy New Year!

So last year was a bust as far as things that I wrote. I could actually write something about each  month on three outsides of envelopes.
January: I baby sat that adorable grandson for 16 of the days. I also went to two Bible studies,  One was BSF about Moses and the other was from the book of Romans.
 I couldn't figure out how to get photos here from my phone.  I think I need a Mac computer.
February: In February I babysat 16 days and didn't have a valentine. Boo hoo!
March: I babysat for 12 days. We had Lita's wedding shower at La Rosas and I visited JoAnn in Kentucky.
April: Kathy and Mick visited Ohio and stayed here while I was in Indy babysitting for 15 days .  We did some yard work and cut down the vines on the back porch.
May: I went to visit friends and family over Mothers day weekend in Maryland and Virginia. JJ took me to the movies. We saw the "Longest Ride" a feel good romance.  the spring field theater had recliners for seats. I baby sat for 10 days.
June: I went to two baby showers for three children on the same Saturday. Lori and Chuck's twins and Pam's little girl, Olive.  Lita's wedding was the main event.

Thea and Paul, Dad, Rachel and Jay and Rob all came and stayed in Oxford. Kathy and Mick also came and stayed here through the fourth of July. Tutu and Ayo's son Deji son got married.
July: I baby sat and Nora and Ronnie moved to Florida. I also worked on the kitchen crew for VBS at OBF.
August: I went to a slew of doctors appointments and found that the only thing wrong is diabetes.  I have had that for a long time. I need to get a handle on the diet and exercise parts of it. This was a wake up call do something or else.
September: Began two new Bible studies: Jeremiah and Revelations. I can see God's had moving in these studies.  I feel that since I have retired I no longer have a major purpose. So the purpose now is to live Day by day.
October: Studying God's prophecy is amazing. Began to attend some political events for various things. Notably when Time Derickson threw his hat into the ring for congressional representative.
November: Involved with  Tim and Kelly Derickson's campaign through prayer and attending political events.  Went to League of women voters meeting and got involved peripherally. Had an adventure riding the Miami Metro/BCRTA bus. Met and entertained a new Chinese student Qi.  Baby sat 2 days. Helped Tutu have a party. Picked up Suzette from the Cincinnati Airport and got lost coming home.
 December: Played cards with Wanda and Carolyn Garnett. Continued with two Bible studies and reading Mere Christianity. I attended a fund raiser for a charity called the Jingle Bell Ball and a fund raiser for Tim Derickson in Middletown. I spent some time with Nancy Jobe Hawkins.  She is trying to decide to come to OBF.  Her husband is very nice and works at Gilmans.She and I also went to Metamora for a breakfast.  Christmas  was a Joe and Alicia's house in Zionsville.

And so a quick year in review without any photos because I don't know how to do that.