. . . coming into 2009 . . .

As I enter the day January 1, 2009, I think, "Good grief!  Am going to be 73 yrs old in a few days!!!"  Oh well . . that's the way it goes.  Funny, I don't feel any different than I did at 35, but I sound different, act different (thank God), think differently, view the world and our issues differently, take a much stronger stand on everything, push my point home which isn't always welcome. But then I think, "however . . isn't my problem. I must take this point of view and stand for it, and it's about time I did that."  Maybe this is called "growing up"?

Then I looked at me in the mirror . . "Yep . . I'm old."  But this is a good thing.  I can now dress the way I want to (not that I haven't always), speak the truth the way I see it, and not, I repeat NOT, make excuses for it.  Just reasons for it which I will stand on.  So, having said all that, may all of you have an abundantly blessed 2009, peace be with you and your families, God bless America - ALWAYS - we stand under God, and in God we trust.  My love to you all.

FYI . . this blogspot will be replaced by my web site in a few days.  However, I will access this for comments until the site is up and will let everyone on my "list" know when and what that is.  

Bird's word for now     DG, I love you!

 

The Prince of Peace

It's so big, so huge, Christmas!  Just think, all over the world tonight we are celebrating the birth of a Baby who is a King!  Don't you ever wish you'd been there?  Aaa yeah, I sure do.  But I wasn't, as a matter of fact I'm here in my home in the 21st century sneezing, coughing, and wheezing, with a horrid cold.  My wonderful husband got on those highways & byways to Sacramento for Christmas Day.  We were both suppose to go, but alas, the cold fairy has been visiting me for several weeks, and suddenly, just as I thought I was getting better, I got worse.  So, went to urgent care, got an antibiotic, came home, and am watching all these great Christmas shows.  Want to share this . . one took place in Jerusalem, Israel.  An hour and a half of taking my breath away!  Me, a Babe who is King, our three kitties, and my thoughts.  Grateful I am.  An awesome husband, lots of children, even more grandchildren, and four great grandchildren, and a terrific new brother!  We have a home, they have homes, we have transpo, they have transpo, we are warm in the cold and cool in the heat, and they are as well.  Things are tight, yes, but we're all managing.  How blessed we are.  Aaah yes.  We are truly blessed.  As I watched the energy build in the square of Jerusalem, and the thousands of people, I thought, "Why doesn't everyone get this?!" The Temple Dome golden in the night light, music, worship, praise, all to the Babe who is King!  How big, how huge!  I earnestly hope & pray that the world gets "it" sooner than later. One of these days I'll be there to see that golden dome in person.  And who knows, maybe then we'll see Him? Blessed Christmas everyone, especially you our dear Benjamin, and a very prosperous New Year!  Shalom!  Aloha!  Bula!  Vive! Peace!  DG, I love you!

    

So . . . here we are with everybody else!

At the Apple Store with a few hundred other people waiting for a One to One class to begin at 5:pm.  This is the 22nd of Dec, a crazy time to be out with all these folks, but looking at it positively, I'm determined to make it through this hour and a half, then a good dinner with my husband, then home.  My email is next before bed, and maybe a new blog.  Most people are smiling - or frowning - I'll be one of the ones that smiles!!  My family is so huge now, I'm unable to think of it as "one" . . .catch you later!

What should I call this??

It used to be called Christmas, a Holyday.  Somehow it's become Xmas, a holiday.  How'd that happen?  How depressing.  What I want to do is celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, Christmas, Christ Mass, even tho' I know He wasn't really born on 12/25.  I will celebrate this Holy Birth as many of my friends and associates will, but how sad it is for those who don't realize the miracle of this in their own lives!  So many BIG problems become very small, and this small Baby becomes so very huge in our lives.  Every good thing is possible if we just let Him do it.  And the other things?  Aaaaa, no matter.  His ArchAngels take care of the "you know what" part of the "other things."  The good things?  The miracle of children, grandchildren, and now great grandchildren.  The miracle of a new rich, wonderful, gifted, relationship with Him. The miracle of a new healthy relationship with a man that He brought my way.  The "other things?"  The only reason I remember those is to witness to others about my miracles. Every day as I read a little, write a little, these important messages from Him become more important in this small Woman's life.  You see, I have a big life, a very big life and so thank You, my Dear, Dear Baby Jesus for coming into my life the way you did almost 3/4th of a century ago!

So - for all of you, I pray you have a wonderful, healthy, so very blessed Holy Christmas, and may your new year be abundantly blessed by Those above . . . you know, the Big Three up there, Father God, Son Jesus (Yeshua) and Holy Spirit who inspires all good and beautiful in our lives.

 . . . and that's the Bird's Word for today.

PS:  Next time I tell you how I got the name Raven!

ps:  DG, I love you!

 

Raven Bird's Word on Sobriety

It occurs to me today to say a few words about my sobriety.  It's been 22 years, 4 months, and 15 days, this day.  I sometimes don't notice this length of time because I know it's quality, not quantity, that really makes the difference.  Staying off of alcohol has been the easy part.  It's all the "substitute" addictions that have been the difficult part.  Nobody told me about those; had to stumble  into and onto them myself.  At the end of the day, I found I'd gone through $250,000 dollars, sold a home I still wanted, sold a yacht I purchased for $50K for $30K, you know, stuff like that.  But also something else happened.  God never left my side.  He pulled me up time after time from self pity, loneliness,  despair, looking for whatever in all the wrong places.  Finally it took going through all that loss to realize an incredible gain.  Some of that gain was self assurance, self respect, self esteem, and self love, a full time job with the USFS, a home, great truck, you know . . all that stuff.  Self love.  I came to know unless I truly love me, I don't "get" the unconditional love part of anything.  I learned that if I don't "take care of myself", I can't care for anyone else, or anything else for that matter.  I learned that when I truly love me, I'm doing what God expects of me, because through me comes His love to others.  I learned that unconditional love is His perfect love is perfectly loving through us to one another. How cool is that?  Wow!   What a concept!  My sobriety today is enriched by being active in a Christ centered recovery program.  CR.  Check it out.  Want to know more?  Ask me about it. 

Another terrific thing that's happened, I reconnected with a very dear American friend from my years in the Fiji Islands after thinking we'd lost each other.  She lives in the State of Washintgton.  This awesome husband of mine has a home in Oregon.  And that's another story for another blog.   

Other than that, life is happening here in this home, and all the places my awesome husband and I reach out to.   My family has grown from four children to 3 living children, 2 step children, 4 grandchildren, 7 step grandchildren, there're two daughters-in-law and 2 sons-in-law, 1 grandson-in-law, step daughter-in-law, step son-in-law, 2 of the step granddaughters are married to our two step grandsons-in-law,  And the most incredible new small person addition to my family is my 5 month old great-grandson!  AND I have a new brother.  Good grief!  Hope I haven't forgotten anyone!  Talk about holyday (holiday) changes.  My 72.11/12ths years of my life have been "not boring" ...  and the one thing I've always asked of God is please make my life "not boring"!  Oh, and by the way, this "awesome husband"?  God also sent him to me.  Check that out!  Cool?  You betcha . . . and that's the bird's word for now . . 

ps:  DG, I love you! 

Raven Bird's Word

Thanksgiving Day!

What a wonderful day it is. It's true that it is different every year, but I finally find I think that's a good thing. There's a saying, "Radicle change brings radicle growth". So, I've decided it's a good way of looking at it. Especially since I'm unable to change the changing of it. And it's God's way, if I believe that He's in control. One of the biggest things I'm grateful for is the posted photo. But I love and enjoy all of my grandchildren, and now my greatgrandson.