Mar 06 2018

It’s My First Day ~ Oh No It’s Her

Author: Karan Gleddie • Discussion: No Comments

It’s My First Day!

A blonde was recently hired at an office. Her first task was to go out for coffee.

Eager to do well her first day on the job, she grabbed a large thermos and hurried to a nearby coffee shop.

She held up the thermos and the coffee shop worker quickly came over to take her order.

“Is this big enough to hold six cups of coffee?” the blonde asked.

The coffee shop worker looked at the thermos, hesitated a few seconds, then finally replied, “Yeah. It looks like about six cups to me.”

“Oh good!” the blonde sighed in relief. “I’ll have two regular, two black, and two decafs.” Unknown author

Reflections: Oh No It’s Her

Being thankful seems like a hard place to be when life is complicated. Many times I have listened as people share a heavy load they carry and admired how they survive the storms of life with thankful hearts. They press on with a confident determination, always seeing a brighter future and moving forward.

There have been many times in my life when I have been heartbroken, disappointed and saddened by life lessons that are hard to understand. I am often reminded when we live our lives touching others we cannot always know the loads they carry or the loneliness they feel.

My husband Lyle had a doctors’ appointment awhile back, and I also required blood tests at the same clinic. I took a number for the lab as the room was full of patients. After an hour I checked with the lab technician to see if I had missed her call for number 23. With a short snip, she told me to sit down and would let me know when she needed me!

As I walked back to my seat I told my husband the technician was a bag and rude; I prayed she would not do my blood work. I sat there and steamed a little, not nice I know but it felt justified. Lol. Do you feel like that some days?

Finally, my number 23 is called, “Oh no it’s her, Mrs. Grumpy pants.”

I sat down and answered her relevant questions, where I lived, name, age and such. I smiled and tried to be nice, and thanked her for her time and effort. As I left she shocked me with a thank you for being so kind and considerate. She said it had been a rough day.

Boy did I feel guilty! How often do I need reminding, “Assumptions are shaky things to rely on: and situations are not always as they appear?”

I am so thankful that God has given me flashpoints in my life to remind me He is faithful to His love and promises. I may get upset, angry and emotional, but when I stand still and look up I know that God is always with me, and continues to love me. I am thankful every day He still teaches me new lessons about myself and others. Even when I fail He is not finished with me yet! ©

Nothing can separate us from God’s Love, What shall we say about such wonderful things as these?

If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Romans 8:31 (NLT)

Yes, I can be thankful, with God I know am never alone.

Thank you for dropping by and sharing your time with me.
Do you ever have doubts about God and his plans?

I would love to hear from you. Have a great week! Hugs to All!
Lovingly, Karan

Jun 24 2017

Exercising for Seniors ~ Directions Please?

Author: Karan Gleddie • Discussion: No Comments

Exercising for Seniors

Begin by standing on a comfortable surface, where you have plenty of room at each side.

With a 5-lb potato bag in each hand, extend your arms straight out from your sides and hold them as long as you can, then relax.
Each day you’ll find you can hold this position longer. Try to reach a full minute.

After a couple of weeks, move up to 10-lb potato bags and then 50-lb potato bags. Eventually, you will be able to lift 100-lb potato bags and hold your arms straight for a full minute. (I’m at this level now).

After you feel confident at that level, put a potato in each bag.

Reflections: Directions Please?

When spring and summer arrive the planning for vacations and extra traveling is exciting. I love road trips and if I get lost, O’ well it’s a new adventure. However, Lyle likes to stick to the plan with no variations. My husband also does not like to ask for directions, he thinks if he keeps driving we will eventually get there.

While, I have been known to roll the window down at a stop light, and holler at the person next to me about directions. I was inquiring about directions with the lady next to us, the light changed, we took off down the road, the lady hung out the window of her car and handed me her map, waved and was gone.My husband was so embarrassed, “ I could have found it.” He said I assured him that our vacation was not that long!!!

Why are men and women’s driving directions so different?

If a man gives directions, it goes like this; Go three miles, turn left, go seven miles, turn right, then go a quarter of a mile and you will see it on your right, you can’t miss it! Now I am blonde and a creative thinker, is there a three-mile sign, how will I know? With these directions I could end up in someone’s cow pasture, never to be seen again.

I drive by landmarks, go to Target, turn left, go down to the Dairy Queen, and turn right. Drive to Starbucks, turn into parking lot, the place is right next to the shoe store that is having a huge sale, 70% off. You can’t miss it. (Now that is my kind of directions)

Thankfully we decided to get a GPS for the car, saves Lyle and I a lot of time, him from driving all over the country trying to find an address, and me from getting lost. However, in my creative moments, I have been known, to second guess the GPS system, and go a different way because it didn’t look right to me. Only to get lost, have the satellite locate me and turn me around.

It gives me great security and peace in my life to know that I am never off of God’s radar system. He always knows where I am, and even if I wander off, his eye on me. © The Bible says:

Psalm 139:16 NLT

You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

To know that God saw me and knew me before I was born and loved me, and has recorded the number of the days of my life in His book. Gives me the freedom to trust Him and not to worry, because my days are in His hands. His loving care sustains, guides, and protects me; I just need to follow his directions. ©

What are your summer plans?

Thank you, dear friends for spending your time with me, Have a wonderful weekend. Hugs to all.

Lovingly, Karan

Jun 10 2017

What Makes A Dad ~ Fathers’ Day

Author: Karan Gleddie • Discussion: 6 Comments

What Makes A Dad

God took the strength of a mountain,
The majesty of a tree,
The warmth of a summer sun,
The calm of a quiet sea,

The generous soul of nature,
The comforting arm of night,
The wisdom of the ages,
The power of the eagle’s flight,

The joy of a morning in spring,
The faith of a mustard seed,
The patience of eternity,
The depth of a family need,

Then God combined these qualities,
When there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete,
And so, He called it … Dad

~ Author Unknown

Reflections: Fathers’ Day

As a child growing up, I always wondered about the father I never knew. Did he have blonde hair, was I like him? My mother never talked about him, and I never inquired because it caused her great sadness to discuss that time in her life.

For years, I would think about meeting him, and dream about our wonderful reunion. But that scenario would not happen. I had found out that he had passed away many years before I had started to look for him. I was so disappointed, all my questions would go unanswered.

I remember at church the minister talked about how much God cares for each of us, and he knows our pain and hurt in the secret places where only he can see. And he quoted a Bible verse that I never forgot:

God in His holy house is a father to those who have no father.

And He keeps the women safe whose husbands have died.

God makes a home for those who are alone.

Psalm 67:5 & 6a

I found great comfort in that verse but wondered if it would happen for me.

Little did I know that God had prepared a father for me in Alberta, Canada. When I married Lyle, I not only got a husband but a new father who became my dad.

Trygve was a kind, loving and humble man who loved life and loved me. As the years passed by it amazed me, how much alike we were. We both loved books, collected funny stories and loved humor. He loved to sing, loved people and most of all loved God.

Trig passed away in 2000; there is not a day that goes by that I don’t reflect on all the times we spent together. We would both cry through “Little House on the Prairie”, sad movies and touching books. We liked to laugh, sing in the car, go shopping, eating out and share the important family stories and our walk with God. How I loved and miss him.

I am thankful for the great privilege to call Trygve my DAD.

God gave me the desire of my heart, and his timing is perfect.

Happy Fathers’ Day!

Do you have special memories of your Dad? I would love to hear them. Hugs

Thank you, dear friends, for spending your time with me.
Have a wonderful Fathers’ Day weekend. Hugs to all.

Lovingly, Karan

Nov 07 2015

Coffee With Grandma ~ The Cinnamon Dolce Latte

Author: Karan Gleddie • Discussion: 18 Comments

Coffee With Grandma ~ The Cinnamon Dolce Latte

Grandma and I have a special bond; she’s one of my best friends, and I couldn’t imagine our relationship being any more or less blonde.

I remember our many shopping trips, road trips, and excursions and not surprising, after a long day of walking, and shopping, we both just wanted to sit rest our feet and have something to drink.

Not Grandma. Now most people who know Karan will have already learned her quirks, habits, and acquired tastes, but I was one of a select few chosen to expand my mind and develop a strong skill to remember how she took her coffee.

We both love Starbucks, and when faced with a multitude of decisions for other coffee shops, we would always pick Starbucks. I would order something simple, like a Chai Latte or just a Latte. Grandma, on the other hand, would wreak havoc!

“I’ll have a venti, Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte with six pumps, Extra Hot, no whip and no foam. Oh, can I have that in a to-go cup with an extra-long straw?” Most baristas would ask her to repeat such an order at least Three times before we got the desired drink. And if they didn’t ask more than two times, chances are they got it wrong.

Again I reiterate, I was one of a few entrusted with remembering such an order.

When Grandma and I go for coffee, she will pick a table for us, and I’ll go order. In my mind, I know what’s coming as the barista tries to understand what exactly the order is. I simply apologize and say, it’s not for me. And as if there is some mental game going on between the ever growing line behind me and the
baristas in front of me, I can feel those customers all saying, “Yeah right, hurry up.”

In life, we all have our personal ideas and individual tastes. Regardless of how long it takes, or how difficult it is to put it together, we all want it a certain way. Most of the time there is no guarantees to “make it again if you don’t like it”. It’s one chance and one sh coffee ot to get it right.

To put this into perspective, now if God were to go to Starbucks, he would have his perfect drink order pre-planned and ready to go. God knows, if he orders a latte, it’s a simple task, a simple request that even Grandma could cope making it. But, if he were to order something more difficult, how many times would we complain and argue about how hard it is and make a mistake.

God gives us these opportunities on a daily basis, and he may put an opportunity in front of us to show us a bit of compassion, or practice some patience. He may tell you that he has other plans for your life different than the ones you have planned. Something a bit more life altering. How many times have we said, “That’s too hard, I’m happy with what I’m doing now,” and then make a wrong decision.

I read a great story in my last devotional,

“I had a fulfilling job, a regular paycheck and my name on the office door. But God said, “I’m finished with you here.” “How could that be?” I wondered. I continued to work where I was for a full year after God told me to leave, and that year was miserable. I did not understand why I was so unhappy, why there seemed to be no grace to do what I had the great grace to do in previous years. Finally, one morning, I cried out to God, “What is wrong?” He spoke to my heart, “I told you a year ago to leave and your still here.” That was all he said” –

Joyce Meyer.

God is merciful, if he has placed a difficult task on your heart or asked you to do something for him, you may decide it’s too hard and will choose to take the easier road. Eventually, you’ll find it is all wrong, and you’re reaping the consequences. But again, God is merciful, and he will give you that chance to try again. He Loves you!

I hope you enjoyed my granddaughters story, she is an excellent writer and I am so proud of her.

Thank you for sharing your time with me I love the privilege of hearing for each of you.

You bless my life. Have a wonderful weekend with the ones you love.

Lovingly, Karan

What is your favorite coffee, have you a particular order? Hugs

Karan K. Gleddie

Offering Love and Laughter to Women who need Hope

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