Kelatlifepoint’s Blog

Okay, so I had the greatest weekend in a long time. (Outside of hanging out with my wonderful husband.)

Sunday at church was great! I felt so good when I left there. Pastor Phil gave a great message; Mike R. delivered a touching communion message; and I had a great time with all the people!

Sunday night I finally made it to my first sHe event! What a great time I had at the sHe Christmas party! It was fun getting to know Kim A. more; laughing; eating; and watching everyone steal the cutest ornaments during the Chinese Gift Exchange.

Thursday afternoon Pastor Phil treated us Staff to a delicious Columbian lunch. We had fun fellowshiping, laughing, and of course… eating! Thanks, Phil!

That night we had our staff and elders Christmas party. Stef made delicious soups and we all brought something to compliment the meal. We watched an interesting documentary about the North Star.

I’m still floating on a little happy cloud! I just had a wonderful time…. Very needed.

Until next week… May God bless your eyes….

Okay, for those of you that know me by now, you know that I just love the Chevrolet Corvette.  And if you’ve seen the movie “Transformers 2 – Revenge of the Fallen” then you know I was lovin’ it!  ”Sideswipe” was the Corvette Stingray concept car that was in that movie.  Beautiful, sleek, silver wonderment!

I went to the Central Florida International Auto Show at the Orange County Convention Center over the Thanksgiving holiday, and got to experience the beauty of this amazing car firsthand!  I was mesmerized by it’s shiny, silver paint; it’s sleek stingray body style with the split rear window; it’s flashing lights; the cool stingray emblem; the doors – everything.  It was just a dream to be in the presence of such a beautiful automobile.  I think I spent more time around “Sideswipe” than all the other cars combined at that show.  Oh, but this beauty-of-a-car was roped off… sadly, I was unable to sit in it and get the full affect of such a beautiful car.  But, I so enjoyed being that close to it!  :)

There were all kinds of cars there.  Mostly 2010 models of the cars you can buy.  There were some really amazing old cars; muscle and race cars; and 4 classic Corvettes, too!

One of these days I hope to have another Corvette.  Would I love to have a 2010 Stingray? – Umm, YES!  It’s so fun to dream.  Fun dream, fast dream, fun dream!

I’ve loved Corvettes for as long as I can remember.  In fact, I carried around a picture of a green one in my wallet (I had cut out of a magazine).  Remember when you’d have pictures of all your school friends in your wallet?  Well, amongst my friends was my “future” Corvette – that cut-out picture from a magazine.  I actually still have that today… it’s on my desk at home to enjoy.  (I know, I’m a big goofball! – HA HA!)

My dad was always into cars.  I think that’s why I love cars like I do, today.  Now that the weather is cooler, I’m looking forward to going to some local car shows in the area.  Anyone care to join me?  :)

What’s your favorite car?  Why do you like it?

Until next week, may God bless your eyes….

Among the craziness of these days lately, I have to sing out “Oh happy day!”  I know we are all struggling with different things right now… the stress from the holidays; the economy; loss of a job or income; loss of a loved one; settling for less just to make it by… the list goes on, right?!  Well my oh happy day began on Saturday morning.  I can’t wait to tell you what happened!

I found my long-lost penpal!  That’s right…. I said penpal.  Those of you youngens that are all digital probably don’t know what that means…. it means that we wrote letters and sent them via mail.  :)

Back in 1977 or 1978, I skipped school one day (6th grade – it’s a long story…. perhaps another blog), and I went home and watched television (we didn’t have computers or cell phones back in that day! – ha ha).  On this show, there was a section where you could send in information about yourself (likes/dislikes/hobbies/etc.), and you could get hooked up with a penpal with the same.  My penpal’s name was Cesar.  He lived in Calexico, CA – all the way across the United States.  I was thrilled!

Cesar and I wrote on a very regular basis and stayed in touch for many years (till probably the late 80’s).  We went through a lot together, in that all of our changes that we endured as young children and into to lives of teenagers, family problems, and so forth.  It was so nice to have someone to “write” to, and a friendship that would never fail.

In 1980, I moved to Florida from PA, and we still remained in touch.  In fact, I had kept every single letter he had ever sent me!  Until my (evil) x came into my life.  He threw away MY letters from Cesar!  As much as I know forgiving is what we are commanded to do, sometimes I have a hard time dealing with this one.

Anyway, so I’m on Facebook Friday night typing in Cesar’s name…. oh boy… there are over 500 of them!  You have to know I tried finding him for years after we lost touch (he only had a PO Box, so I had no other way to find him except to crack out the phone book – still no computers!) – and call every Cesar in CA… to no avail.   I was determined, yet not having much hope, that I was going to find him this particular night.  Well, you know how you can send someone a message on facebook even if they aren’t your friend?  That’s exactly what I did.  However, another interesting thing you must know is that I sent a message to only one of the 500+ Cesar’s on facebook.  It was very late, so after I sent the message I went to bed.

The next morning I woke up to find a message in my email – a message from Cesar!!!  Yes, it was indeed the right Cesar!  He mentioned a few things that confirmed he was the Cesar that I was looking for.  Oh happy day indeed it is!  That night, we talked on the phone for almost an hour getting caught up with each other.  (I’m smiling really big right now!)

Cesar and I have never met each other; and we’ve only spoken over the phone maybe 3 or 4 times since we’ve been corresponding with each other.  We would always talk about meeting someday.  He still lives in CA, and I’ve never been there.  However, I have a precious cousin who lives in CA who will be getting married in the next few years, and Cesar lives about an hour and a half from where she lives!  This means I will get to meet my childhood penpal and his partner!  I can’t wait!

I was so exited to share the news of my oh happy day with Keith and my mom.  Thank you, God, in the midst of all the not-so-great-stuff, for putting Cesar back into my path, and bringing joy and sunshine to my day.

Until next week, I pray you find that long lost something or someone… ask God to lead you; and He will in His timing.

May God bless your eyes….

PS – do you ever wonder why I end with “May God bless your eyes...?”  :)

Today is the day that my dad left this earth three years ago.  I miss him so much.  He wasn’t my biological father; but we loved each other as if we were.  And he made sure to tell me; and vise-versa.  He loved my mom so much!  I know they were each others’ true loves.  And if it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t know what true love is all about.  I always thought it was just a fairytale!

He came into my life when I was 12-years-old.  And I wasn’t a great kid (I know… hard to believe, right?!  HA HA!!).  He let me know right away that he was in charge; and I respected that.  Finally a man who loved my mother, and would do anything for her… including loving her kids!

No, dad wasn’t perfect, but I’ll tell ya… I’m so glad he was my dad!  We had so much fun as a “family unit” on Friday and Saturday nights, especially.  He’d play his records, and we’d all sing along.  None of us ever had the heart to tell him how incredibly tone-deaf he was!!    He was having a great time, and that’s all that mattered.

He struggled with addictions.  His addictions ultimately destroyed the “family unit.”  He and my mom sadly divorced 14-15 years ago.  Like I said, I know they were each others’ one and only true loves.  But alcoholism wreaked havoc on their marriage.  We hated watching him destroy himself.  Back then (1980’s), we didn’t know of a thing called “intervention” and I certainly did not know there were treatment facilities that help people conquer addictions.  Sometimes, I feel responsible for not fighting harder… but I know it’s not my fault.  He did die of alcohol-related complications.  And he was only 60-years-old.

I remember I was supposed to talk to him before he went into surgery.  My life was so hectic – dealing with my own life and it’s problems; I never got that chance to talk to him.  However, I did talk to him briefly after the surgery, and he sounded great!  All of the sudden, he went down hill – FAST!  I never got to speak with him again.  Don (my brother) and I immediately jumped into my truck and began to drive to AL.  Dad was in ICU, and this was our final opportunity to see him alive.  Though, I almost wish I hadn’t.  He was so frail and looked so lifeless.  He looked as if he were in his 90s!  That wasn’t dad!  The sad thing is, we all knew that if/when he ended up in the hospital, his body was so weak and sick that he’d probably never make it out alive.  And that’s exactly what happened.  He had cancer of the esophagus (common among alcoholics); and had to have part of it removed.  At that point, the doctors discovered his body was loaded with cancer!  He then had complications (obstructions of the bowels, etc.), was put on a ventilator, and had to have 24/7 care.

He heard my brother’s voice!  He has 3 daughters and 1 son.  Of course, he favored his son – and that thrilled me to death.    So when his eyes lit up when he heard Don’s voice, it gave me hope that he could hear our voices.  Even though I had told him a zillion times how much I love him and how blessed my life is having him as my dad, I needed to tell him one more time.  I told him that it was okay… he didn’t have to fight anymore.

He never was a godly man.  He wasn’t a punk, or whatever you want to call it, either!  But I was never sure if he had a relationship with Jesus.  I felt as though he never did.  But remember I told you he moved to AL?  Well, he got a job where he worked one-on-one with a Christian man who loved the Lord; and loved to spread the good news!  I learned from my dad’s new wife that he said the prayer, with tears in his eyes, accepting Jesus as his savior with his co-worker guiding him through it.  Thank you, God… THANK YOU!!!  There was a reason he moved to AL…. shame on me for wishing he had moved there!

I know I will see my dad again…. in HEAVEN!  And we will laugh, and dance and sing (in key – ha ha!!) together again.  He is the wing beneath my wings… the reason I am who I am today…. an angel in my life.

Back in April of 2006 (just before my dad was diagnosed with the cancer, married his new wife, and visited with us kids in FL), my mom felt compelled to give me the wedding rings she wore when she was married to my dad.  May was when he was diagnosed; got remarried; and visited us.  To this day, I wear those wedding rings on my right hand – ring finger.  Every time I look at them; touch them; adjust them; EVERY TIME – I think of the love my mom and dad had, and the love we had as a family, and how grateful I am for his love and life.

I write in his guest book online every once and a while.  It always makes me feel a little bit closer to him.  If you’d like to visit or sign his guest book:  http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/orlandosentinel/obituary.aspx?page=lifestory&pid=20071815 – feel free. 

Until next week…. May God bless your eyes….

Veteran’s Day is this Wednesday.  November 11.  I learned something I had never known about Veteran’s Day.  The reason it’s on November 11th, is because back during WWI, a truce was called on the 11th day, of the 11th month, at the 11th hour.

Veteran’s Day is an important day to me and my family.  My grandfather was an Army Infantryman who served in WWII, and is a survivor of Pearl Harbor.  Yes, he was there that infamous day of December 7, 1941.  He was the biggest man in his platoon, so he was the one that carried the heaviest machine gun and artillery.  He’s been hit by shrapnel, and suffered malaria.  He is 87 today, and still runs circles around me!    I love my Pappap!  I’m so proud of him.

My brother served in the Air Force and went to Desert Storm/Desert Shield.  He was responsible for making sure the F15s and F16s stayed in the air.  Initially he was not scheduled to fight in the war; however, he chose to take the place of a fellow soldier (and friend) that had a family.  What a selfless act!  Today my brother is married and has given me two beautiful and precious nieces.  I’m very proud of my only sibling! 

Many other members of my family served in our United States Military.  I have another grandfather that flew the Berlin Airlift in WWII, for instance.  I’m so grateful and proud of my family, and their commitment, courage and sacrifice to this great Nation, and MY freedom.

If you are out, and you see a person wearing a hat that says he/she is a Veteran – make sure you go up to that person and let them know you appreciate them and what they’ve done for you!  That’s the least we can do for them!  Imagine what they’ve been through and seen.  It takes a special individual to do what our military personnel do, and I don’t take that for granted.  Please don’t you, either.

We had a wonderful turnout today at church of those who wrote out Thank You cards to our local Veterans.  138 cards were written!  THANK YOU LifePoint!!  And thank you Kevin and Chip for helping prepare them for delivery to the VFW. 

Until next week…. May God bless your eyes….

Back in 1980 my mother, brother and I moved to Orlando, Florida from Pittsburgh, PA.  (Go Steelers!!)  I had just turned 12, and my brother was 11.

I remember sitting in the living room of our 113-year-old house in the not-so-nice part of the city of Pittsburgh.  It was the three of us.  My father was either at work or at the local bar around the corner… I can’t remember which.  It was just another day in that time of our lives.  My brother and I would begged our mom to leave our father… to divorce him and take us away from him.  Being a child, we didn’t really understand what our mom was going through and all the impacts a change in her life would make.

My mom and her parents would take a vacation to Orlando, FL almost annually.  She would always make sure to bring something back to my brother and me from Disney World.  So we became very excited about going there some day.

One day in maybe July of 1980, mom asked my brother and I where we would like to live.  Naturally, we said with Mickey Mouse!  Little did we know that our lives were about to change!  One of my aunts showed up with her big SUV and started putting only our necessities in it.  Pappap (my mom’s dad) took my brother and me up to Eat N Park just around the corner, for a bear claw pastry (yum!).   Next thing I knew, mom and my aunt showed up at the Eat N Park and rushed us out of there.  Our father would soon be home!  My brother and I weren’t sure what was quiet going on yet.  We could feel panic and fear from mom, though, that was for sure.

We got in Pappap’s Cadillac, mom riding with Aunt Nancy.  Destination:  Aunt Barb’s house.  The three of us were moving in with another aunt, uncle and cousin.  Once we got settled in, mom took my brother and I aside and told us that we were finally leaving our father.  It was a weird feeling, even though that’s what we always begged her to do.

I don’t know how long we stayed at Aunt Barb’s, but it wasn’t too long… maybe a month, few weeks, not sure.  Pappap showed up in August with a red box truck.  We put all of our “necessities” in it, and then the four of us piled into the front seat of the truck and headed south.

I don’t remember a whole lot of detail during all that I mentioned above.  But I do remember it was August of 1980 that we arrived in Orlando.  We met our soon-to-be step-dad (who, in my heart, consider my father), and moved in with him.  I do remember he had this long bright yellow vinyl couch!

When we got to Florida, my mom and (step) dad said they’d take us to Disney World.  My brother and I patiently waited, because we knew money was always so very tight.  But after about 7 years of being in Florida and still not setting foot on Disney property, I took it upon myself to skip school and go there myself.  Oh yes, I did!  It was a blast, too!  As I walked around the Park, it brought back all the memories that I had of living in Pittsburgh, and why we were in Florida.  I know my mom didn’t move us to Florida because my brother and I wanted to live with Mickey Mouse!  But it was fun to think that… like a little childhood fantasy, if you will.  She moved us here because she met the man of her dreams, and she needed to get as far away as she could from her abusive situation.  Side note:  Hats off to my mother for having the courage to move her and her 2 small children far away from her family to start a new and better life for us.  And the good thing, we have a wonderful relationship with our family back up in Pittsburgh (minus that one individual that turned our lives upside down).

So why did I move to Florida… I wanted to live with Mickey Mouse!  Hee heee!    All in all, I wouldn’t change a thing!

Until next week, I hope you take a moment to daydream about that one childhood fantasy you had… and smile like that little kid that you were would!

May God bless your eyes…..

Oh my gosh!  What a wonderful few days I had with my nieces!  Madison (in the pink) and Kaitlin (in the green) were so much fun!

I started my visit off with them by picking them up from school.  It was SO precious seeing them holding hands when their names were called, as they walked towards my vehicle.  And to see their faces light up when they saw me… that just made my day!

I miss being a kid!  Kids have such an awesome imagination; and they laugh so much!  They just frolic (yes, I said “frolic” – ha ha!) around without a care in the world.  Well, I shouldn’t say without a care in the world…. The DVD of Casper is still in my truck.  I don’t know how to get it out of the DVD player!! Madison is so worried I’ll never be able to remove it from the DVD player in my truck.  Wish I had those worries.  HA HA!

My brother, the girl’s dad, is a Desert Storm/Desert Shield Veteran.  So, I thought it would be great to have them make a homemade Veteran’s Day card for him.  They loved the idea!  In fact, they made several cards… one for my Grandfather (Pappap is what I call him… Great-Pappap to the girls), even!  My Pappap was at Pearl Harbor the day is was bombed back on December 7, 1941.  I know he will be pleasantly surprised when he receives their cards!   They so loved making cards for everyone… and I enjoyed helping them.

So picking up and dropping them off at school was a breeze; watching Madison at soccer practice Friday night was a lot of fun (I got to meet some of the other mother’s of the kids that play soccer with her), and then witnessing Madison’s team win their game on Saturday was awesome!  Kaitlin sat on my lap, sipped on her water, as we cheered for the team.

I loved watching Madison and Kaitlin play so well together.  It was so sweet how Madison looked out after her younger sister (yet kind of bossed her around because “she’s in 2nd grade” – ha ha!  She kept saying she knew so much because she’s in the 2nd grade – how funny!).  They are both so very different.  Madison is very scheduled and has her plan that she needs to stick to.  Kaitlin just goes with the flow, dancing and skipping as she sings and has no worries.  They love to be silly; they love their picture being taken; they love being creative; they love their Aunt Kel (hee hee!! – had to throw that in there).  Oh, and how sweet was it that Madison put a note in my purse thanking me for watching them.  So sweet!!

I’ve never wanted to have children of my own (I think I’m afraid of the responsibility, or that I’d be a horrible mom!!), but I’ve always wanted to be an aunt.  And OH how rewarding it has been so far.  I just LOVE LOVE LOVE my girls!  I am so blessed!

Until next week, I hope you take a moment to be a kid again… look at all the colors around you, and put your cares to the side.  Sing, dance, skip around…. enjoy that child inside of you!

May God bless your eyes…

Okay, I have to admit, I’m not much of a reader. Don’t get me wrong, I like to read… but it has to be interesting to me… VERY interesting, or I won’t look at the book twice. Plus, I don’t have much time to read. However, I do have to tell you of a few books that I absolutely love and want to recommend to you. And these books I MAKE time for!

My most favorite book is called “Who You Are When No One’s Looking” by Bill Hybels. It’s just a little over 100 pages, with not too small print (my kind of book!). One of the things I love about this book is it talks about character. It says on the front of the book “Choosing Consistency, Resisting Compromise.” We know we have to be on our “best behavior” when we are around people, but what are we like when we are by ourselves? Sure, it may not matter if we are alone, but really it does, because this is where character is created in us. With God’s strength and guidance in our lives (and allowing Him to guide us!), we can maintain character that lasts despite temptations and troubles that we are faced with. This book, I feel, EVERYONE should read. I absolutely LOVE this book. In fact, I think I’m going to set it by my bedside and read a few pages each night. It’s worth reading more than once!

Another one of my most favorite books is called “Feminine Appeal” – Seven Virtues of a Godly Wife and Mother, by Carolyn Mahaney. It’s based on Titus 2. I feel as though this coinsides with the Proverbs Woman. I think every woman, young or old, should read this book. I also think it’s a wonderful gift for a young lady, or a soon-to-be bride or mother. And you don’t have to be a mother or a wife to read it. What a gift it is to be a woman, especially in this world today. Okay, I know… some of you are saying “a gift?!” – more like “a challenge!” Well, Titus 2 prepares us to be the woman God wants us to be; and that is good enough for me.

The other book I really love is called “The Worn Out Woman” – When Your Life Is Full and Your Spirit Is Empty, by Dr. Steve Stephens and Alice Gray. The back of the book explains it perfectly. It reads: Ther are more than 60 milllion worn-out women in the U.S. today. If you’re among them, this book will be like a retreat for your soul. With each chapter, you’ll find simple steps to bring back the joy and energy of a rich life. You will also finally understand and learn to manage the sources of your exhaustion – perfectionism, guilt, unrealistic expectations and difficult people – in a healthy way. PERFECT for me!! I recommend every woman that feels overwhelmed or too busy to read this book! And re-read it (like I am going to do). It’s very refreshing, and I finally feel like someone understands what I’m going through. Even more so, they know how to make me feel better and deal with all the stress… through God’s Word, of course.

That’s my book review for now. So 2 of them are for women to read, but one is for everyone to read. If you’ve read any of these books, I’d love to hear your opinion on them and how they changed your life or just dealing with the everyday hustle and bustle of this crazy, busy world we live in.

Until next week, I pray you pick out a source of negativity in your life and transform it into something positive.

May God bless your eyes….

I’ll tell ya, once I hit 40 things just don’t seem to be the same. I’m noticing gray hairs (too many to count!), wrinkles, health issues, and it’s so hard to lose the weight!

But no worries. One thing I’ll be sure to do is grow old gracefully. I don’t want to do the botox thing, get injections, tummy tucks, or whatever is out there to be done these days. God made me the way I am, and I am good with that!

Besides, every gray hair and wrinkle represents something I’ve gone through in my life. Whether good or bad, I like that it’s there to remind me of my past, the good stuff and the not-so-good stuff that made me a stronger person.

As I get older, I am finding that I am more afraid of things. Silly things, really. Heights, for instance. And I’m not really interested in getting on a tall tree top and jumping (with one of those safety ropes attached to me)… so don’t ask! HA HA!

The gray hairs, I believe, represent the hurt and pain I’ve been through. The loss of my grandmother (Me-mo), and dad 2005 and 2006. The scare with this economy, and other tribulations during my life on this earth, I’m sure are amongst all these grays, as well.

Then I have the laugh lines and wrinkles in my face… to remind me of what an amazing life I have… a wonderful husband and mother. Beautiful nieces that bring me so much joy, and a “bonus” son that I love like my very own. All the great people that I meet weekly at church… how they bring a big smile on my face.  And I certainly can’t leave out all my friends and family that have brightened my life. 

I’m happy for my grays and wrinkles. They represent who I am – and I like me! But, I didn’t like myself until I gave my life to the Lord and finally understood what it meant to give it all to Him… to let Him control my life.

Do you have grays and wrinkles? Can you contribute them to a life well lived, and great lessons learned? I pray that you take a moment to step back, exam your grays and wrinkles, and realize those are just little reminders of gifts from God.

Until next week…. May God bless your eyes…

Remember the saying you would always hear from your parents, teachers, and other adults who cared for you?… “Don’t take candy from strangers.” Well, though it holds very true, I did take candy from a stranger… or was he?

Growing up in Pittsburgh, in the little alley that I lived in, there were quite a few kids my age. We would play in the alley, ride our bicycles, play kickball and football, but we also took candy from what you would think was a stranger.

There was an old man who would walk up and down our alley maybe once a day. He was quiet and very nice. He probably lived in one of the houses nearby, but that was a mystery to us kids – kids don’t pay attention to that sort of thing. Anyway, we all named him “Ziggy,” because he looked like the Ziggy cartoon (remember that in the Sunday paper?). Ziggy always had a huge bag full of candy that he would give to us kids. I don’t ever remember hearing him speak… just holding out the bag for us to reach in and let us grab a handful of candy.

I have friends that still live in that little alley in Pittsburgh. I often wonder what happened to that sweet old man we called Ziggy. I’ve asked my childhood friends when the last time they saw him, but now that we are in our 40’s, well, you can imagine.

No one knows what ever happened with Ziggy. I would imagine he’s since passed away because he was an old man when I was a little girl. But, I’ll never forget that sweet old man, and his bag of candy! Ziggy wasn’t a stranger to us kids at all. In fact, I would have to say he was an angel to us. In the hard times in that part of Pittsburgh we lived in, it’s nice to look back and remember there were angels in such hard times. Ziggy will always be remembered by me and my childhood friends…..

May God bless your eyes….