March 16, 2004

F.R.O.G.

Im sure that most of you have seen the bits of "Jesus Junk" wrist bands and key fobs, lapel pins and book bags with the letters "W.W.J.D.?" What Would Jesus Do? Its a bit of kitsch spirituality based on a book by the same name. Its meant to remind us to think about the how's and the whys of what we say and do...but I think that is a bit shallow as "doing" was important to Jesus, but his "being" and the everyday was equally as important and I know that He did all that He did through a close relationship with the Father.

Did you know that there is an "answer" to W.W.J.D.?... Really what would Jesus
do? He Fully Relied On God or F.R.O.G.. So if you see a Believer with a little
frog on you know what that means...

I am F.R.O.G.ing. Maybe this is the first time I've truly done so. Nothing is my power can change things as they stand.

Woody went out in the hideous weather yesterday, thinking he'd have the undivided
attention of whoever he talked to which he did. He is seeing a lot of people and
maybe something will come of it. I heard on the news that extention of 2003
unemployment benefits is stalled in Congress. I started to pray and stopped. God
knows what we need and frankly I need to stop whining and get to work.

It is so wonderful here at #60 I cant believe it. We are not selling much but we
are seeing a increase in traffic and a better quality of people (that sounds so
nasty but how else do you say it)sales will come. Putting some items on sale and resurrecting the discount case we had last summer...Did you all check out the photos
in the snapshots page?

I have my system back, but it will be a while before its... Well its never going
to be the same and thats another thing I need to quit complaining about too. I
found myself looking for things to be thankful for at home yesterday. My
Mother's seeming contentment...(she tricked them into letter her go out
unescorted, she went all over Bellflower on her scooter... I found myself
smirking as she described her adventures. To the camera shop, closed out of
business, to Johnson's Jewelers, my best example of being a great jeweler, I
think Kevin and Ron watched out for her as she went up and down the Blvd. and to
lunch at Salazars. Little Escapee, she was, from the asylum ...)Food stocked up in the pantry, most of the bills were up to date last month...Cats are fat and furry and more loving than ever as if they sense the growing anxiety of the situation...("No, Makkie we are not going to have to live under a blue tarp"... Nani would enjoy it, little wild
thing that she is... a survivor... Mak would die of fright...)Im weary but not
ill and my teeth seem to have let up on me, and dont hurt as much.

Woody just drives me crazy...so what else is new? He has the childlike faith and
I am... Well... Its like this

When things were melting down at the Calvary Chapel and I got kicked out of
ministry, the man that could re-instate me (the guy I lead worship with for 7
years, who gave me away at our wedding and has known Woody since they were 8)
said "Aletha, your problem is that you have no faith... When my kids were
little, they'd run in and ask for a PB&J and run back outside and not think
twice about it, they knew I'd get it for them. God is the same way...Why cant
you trust Him and wait?" (He didnt understand the pressures that I was under by
other staff and church members. I was ill to the point of dying and the rope in
a tug of war called a "church split"...) I looked at Ron and said... "No, you were a
great Dad.... When I was little, and came in and was hungry I knew better than to
ask, because it would be forgotten in the press of surviving day to day in our
home... so I would push up a chair and climb up to get the peanut butter myself,
make my own sandwich and often two, one for later, cause you never know how
things are going to be "later"...I thought that God was the same way my parents
were and by the time I was 10 had given up on Him because nothing improved in my
life no matter how much I prayed. It took an audible voice Experience from God
at 27 to change that mindset..."

Ron Bloom later told me that shook him to the core and he realized that he never
really knew me at all and that no one else in that church really did either after working closely together for all of those years... Woody doesn't know me either. He had easy PB&J's too...

Time for Woody to push that chair up and time for me to learn to wait. Im too old
for this...

I think what made me mad was that he doesn't think that he has to do this. If he
had wanted to be a Dad and I said no after we were married, It would be the same
thing. Am I old fashioned or wrong that Husbands should "Husband" and Wives
should "Wive"...Let me know as I have had some interesting feedback from friends
on this.

I have another "Grandma" with broken jewelry. We actually repaired this piece already. There is no visible reason for the stone to keep falling out of this ring. Giving her credit right away. That lady Candy is another story and I have no idea how to make that work out. No one wants to work on that and she doesnt want credit just the piece whole again...


Got to stop and go back to work. I have 500 items that I bought that need to be
inventoried and tagged. I had some funds separated for this buy. No Stock No
sales no store...

Thanks again for all the kind words of encouragement. They mean a lot to me. I am researching some things to blog about the island and will have time maybe to do somewritng at home now that my system is up at the house.