Stuff Happens

October 19, 2013

Friday’s High			74
Friday’s Low			38
Days in Las Cruces			117
Steps/Miles walked Friday		6,809	3.4
Steps/Miles walked		925,998	463.0

Life in Las Cruces moves on, the ebb and flow of activity fills our days… sometimes with constant movement, sometimes not so much!

Yesterday Nikki, aka “Alarm Clock Dog”, let me sleep until 7 am! When I did finally drag myself out of bed, every muscle in my legs complained loudly. Still, I pulled myself out of bed, pulled on my clothes and dutifully took the girls for their morning walk.

We only got as far as the “Dog Green” for their morning “binness” as we call it. They did not get their daily “Long Walk”. So, yesterday I bare cracked the 6000 step needed.

Laundry and minor house keeping filled the remainder of the day.

This morning, Nikki made up for her laziness yesterday, starting at 5:15 or so to wake me up. I told her to go back to bed (I do this every morning) but she refused! Her whining finally succeeded at 6:10, and we set off into the dark of early morning.

Today, my legs felt much better, so we did our long walk, though perhaps not as long as most days. Poor Nikki. The reason for her early morning insistence became clear. She stopped for “business related efforts” no less than three times! Yeah, okay, I won’t go into the details beyond that!

Today, Scott and I are hosting the monthly potluck for our Mens’ Group.

Daily Gratitude

Scott and I joined MCC Omaha during the summer of 1996. One of the very first things we did with MCC O was to attend a weekend experience called Excel. This program is modelled after a Catholic experience called De Colores. Soon after this, we were recruited to help conduct weekend programs.

And, by 1999 or so, we were attending National gatherings of Excel teams which were called, appropriately, “All Team Gatherings”. We met about once a year to discuss the business of Excel International.

It was through these International Gatherings that I met a wonderful man. I don’t recall the year, but I think it was that first ATG we attended in 1999, in Houston, Texas, that we met Jerry Reitz. He was an inspiration to me from the very beginning. He was a tireless, energetic spokesperson for Excel, and for our Lord. His love of life was second only to his love of God. Oh, there were times he annoyed the living daylights out of me. I know just as certainly there were plenty of times, I reciprocated that by annoying the living daylights out of Jerry!

I speak of him in the past tense, but he is still VERY MUCH with us! In fact Scott and I are so thrilled that he is going to be our very first visitor at our home here in Las Cruces. Jerry will be travelling out from Houston to join us for Thanksgiving this year.

Jerry’s spirituality is infectious. I admit it’s a little different than mine. But in the dark years of 2005 to 2010, when I was struggling with faith, Jerry helped to keep my feet rooted.

And so, for 14 years of faithful friendship, for his years of spiritual support, I am, and always will be, grateful to my friend, Jerry.

Jerry, Thanksgiving just is NOT going to get here soon enough!

Prayer Intention

For this week’s quote, I paraphrase one I saw somewhere not long ago, but can no longer find:

“One can do much after first praying. One should do nothing before first praying.”

We carry on with our week’s them of “Caring”.

Care is helping others, being mindful of those in need.

Today, October 19, I do wish to add a very special prayer intention. A good friend of ours from Omaha, M, fell a few days ago in his kitchen. He has a Lifeline device. But, it was not hooked up properly, and M lay on the floor of his kitchen for 48 hours before a mutual friend stopped in to check on him yesterday. Forty eight hours with no food or water!

He is now in hospital in Omaha, and all of us, his friends and family, are asking for prayers for him.