Happy #2 Auggie Doggie!

 Auggie is two today. Two cute, two cool, two adorable that is our grandson. This little guy is just so happy and loving. His Mama’s hair is probably his favorite thing along with the Yeti stuffie that any little guy living in Tacoma should have. 

I am so thankful that he was born a New Mexican and lived here for the first months of his life. Papa and I have got to see him in Washington as well as on FaceTime. I just love when he recognizes my voice and says he loves his Noni. What a charmer. 

There were a lot of people praying for this little one. His mom was involved in a near fatal accident when a truck turned in front of her vehicle. She tirelessly went for ultrasounds every week for the last months of her pregnancy to make sure this little man was okay. We were so grateful for all who prayed and for the answered prayers when he was born as a perfect baby boy. What a faith it took to bring him into our family. We are forever grateful for his health and adorability. Is that a word? 

Happy birthday August Elliot Madlem. Noni and Papa adore you. 

In Him,

Joyful

8-23-25

Rest and Play are Worth Spending Your Time On

 

I am in my retirement phase of life with my kids grown and my classroom teaching days are behind me. It is an easy choice to choose rest and play in this season of life. What is more difficult and I believe more important is to carve out time for both in the busyness that is our thirties and forties. When our homes are filled with the laughter and joy of kids and their activities. That is a time when one must be intentional about scheduling in the time to rest as well as the time to play. 

It is so easy to get caught up in all the things on our calendar that we ignore the need to stop and recharge. God’s intention is not for us to run on empty or just fumes. A pastor said this morning that McDonald’s is open 24/7 while Chik-fila is open limited hours during the week and closed on Sunday. You would think that McDonalds would be receiving higher profits. The reality is that Chik-fila consistently has higher profits. That is just one example to us that running faster and plowing through is not always the best strategy to achieve more. 

Some people put their kids in every activity that they can. They are providing a broad base in their kids for the future. While all these programs are beneficial, it is also easy to over schedule and miss out on our kids just laying on the living room floor with a single toy or book. As adults we can also get busy with our FOMO Fear of missing out spirit and let it become like running a marathon. Isolating is not the answer to joy either but there needs to be a time for rest balanced with a time to play. 

It feels like I am lecturing but the truth is I am speaking to myself. You see even in this senior phase of my life I can put too much on my plate with travel, family, and my to do list. When I don’t make time for rest my body screams at me to slow down. Whether it is a ruptured disc in my back, or pheumonis in my lungs, my body makes it necessary for me to park it and breathe. My heart is to do for ohters and that is often where I find myself overdoing it. Reality is that when i do too much there is nothing left in my tank to help others or even take care of my own business. What is your reason for pushing yourself too hard? What drives you to not get enough rest or have time for the fun in life? Let’s take a breath this week and perhaps say no to a couple things even if they are worthy of our time and attention. Then replace it with a nap or read your Bible. Don’t replace it with cleaning the closet or doing that task you have been putting off. Put it off a bit longer and just sit and breath. It will refill your tank, I promise. 

In Him,

Joyful

8-22-25

I Love Our Pub and the People We Get to Share a Goofy Smile

 What fun it is to live in my little town, this sweet community. I love that when Ronnie B and I go out for a beer at our local brewery we run into kiddos that we have watched grow into incredible adults. This is Caleb. He has his life together as you can see in this picture. Living a lifetime, raising our kids and loving coworkers, friends, and family in a small town makes even a grocery trip a chance to catch up with others. 

The thought of moving to a new location where we would be anonymous breaks my heart. So when someone asks if we will stay in Los Alamos when our kids are not here, the answer is not yes but absolutely. I want to spend the rest of my life living on Noni’s Park aka Western Park hearing happy sounds of soccer games and kids swinging and going down the slides again and again. It seems they never tire of climbing that ladder to whiz down and bump their little butts in the sand. The park is filled with Noni Park toys that everyone plays in the sand and enjoys. Having a cup of coffee with my Bible open on a park bench is my heaven on earth. I am even grateful when a passer by stops for a quick good morning chat. 

So thank you Caleb for the hug and goofy smile. It was good to share how your life is going and catch you up on our Natalie’s that you remember so fondly. God’s timing is perfect to place us in each other’s paths; me on a barstool and you with a goofy grin. Come back to Loss often because you are a part of the joy that is our small community.

In Him,

Joyful

8-21-25

God is Our Father and Wants to Listen to All Our Prayers

 

Pastor Shawn Johnson of Red Rocks Church is doing a series on Let’s Talk About It and what a powerful word on prayer. Prayer is after all about being in relationship with Jesus. I listened to the second sermon today and it is worth sharing. https://youtu.be/N6tRUJZ2tkI?si=_JxPepdWS9ysdW-T

First when I am praying I need to remember these truths that God is my Father who loves me and wants to spend time listening to me. He can handle even my darkest shames and embraces me even when He doesn’t give me a yes to every ask. It is comforting that there is nothing I can do that will lessen His love for me. His love is like that of a parent and is unconditional. Praying and reading His word keeps me close to Him. It gives me a better chance to hear His voice and allows Him to guide my steps. Having a conversation with Him is simple when I am reminded of who it is I am speaking with……..my father.

This is a perfect reminder of how to pray and Jesus gave it to me in His Word. Don’t start with what I need but with who God is…..my Father. 

When I pray and I am finding it hard to find the right words, I can always pray the prayer He gave me that has all that I need to say. He wants me to come to Him with praise, repentance, direction  requests, and to temper those requests in His will. I love when I am in church and the whole congregation recites the Lord’s Prayer. 

Another way to pray is to pray the Bible. Especially the Psalms are a way to pray when I can’t find the words. Years ago I lead an incredible group of middle school Young Life girls and we came up with three word prayers. It was a powerful, simple way to pray. Each of us had a prayer and we prayed them for one another. Mine was under one roof. You see Ronnie B and I were separated at the time. My heart’s desire was to renew our relationship and love and live under one roof. God granted that prayer that these young ladies deligently prayed for me. What an act of love. Many of them are still in my life and are one of the greatest gifts God has given me. 

The Lord’s Prayer is set up like this. But Shawn shared this simple way of directing my prayers. First praise, then ask for forgiveness, then bring my requests in His will, and finally ask for direction for Him to show me the way. I love that. 

Once a friend believed that she needed a certain friend to pray for a frightening circumstance. She believed that this lady’s prayers would somehow be more powerful or be heard above her prayers or mine. The truth is each of us can connect with our Father and He listens and loves all of us. Our prayers don’t have to be in a certain place. They don’t have to be elegant or have a certain cadence to them. They can be as simple as three words. God loves each of us and hears our prayers in all languages, locations, and wants to spend time in conversation with us. What a comforting thought that is. 

Please consider clicking the link and listening to Pastor Shawn Johnson. He is a powerful speaker and the bonus is that he is relatable and very good looking. You are welcome ladies. lol

In Him,

Joyful

8-20-25

Turtle Tracks in Wet Concrete. Horrifying or Incredible?

 

"Today, I spent the whole morning pouring this concrete path, carefully making sure every inch was smooth and perfect. Took a short break, came back, and boom, this turtle had taken its sweet time strolling through like it was making a VIP entrance. At first, I was pretty pissed, knowing I’d have to redo the whole thing. 

But as I looked at those little tracks, I couldn’t help but laugh. I guess I learned something important today: no matter how slow you are, you can still leave a big mark… and I don’t know if I should redo it or leave it as a piece of art." 

The best made plans don’t always turn out as we envisioned. The truth is that life gets interrupts our plans and that is when we need to pivot. The more rigid we are the more upsetting the hiccups feel. The more flexible we are the easier it is to step over that stone in our path. What would happen if this concrete guy left those turtle tracks in the sidewalk? Perhaps the imperfection would make that section more interesting and memorable as others journey past. But whether he chooses to leave it or repair it, this caused him to shift his day and his task. 

Jesus was always journeying toward a place in his ministry but he also paused along the way to interact with those who interrupted him. Those are the moments that made it into the Bible. They mattered. The destination was not the only lesson to be learned or the only miracle to come to life. One of my prayers is to be more flexible. It is so much easier now that I am retired. But even in the hurried seasons it is important to embrace the segways along the way. 

This Japanese repair speaks to this. It doesn’t look at an accidental break as damaging beyond repair but rather as an opportunity to create an even more valuable object than the original. I love that way of thinking. To often I am frustrated by the missteps in life rather than viewing them as the opportunities that they are.  

This week I had a long list of to do items before our upcoming trip. Saturday I sat on the floor in my closet to discard clothes I no longer wear. I wrenched my back. This led me to cancel appointments that I thought were crucial, add appointments that were now critical with my chiropractor. I had to pause to ice when I wanted to be preparing for my trip. But this has also allowed my grandgirl to help me when I am usually helping her. She is incredible in her assistance and it matters to both of us. Things will get done. I will be healed. The trip will be incredible with my Ronnie B. I just need to be flexible about what my last week at home for awhile will look like. 

Opportunities come desguised as hiccups in life. Let’s be flexible enough to see just what treasures they can bring. 

In Him,

Joyful

8-19-25

The Size of my Heart Doesn’t Need a Diet Plan

 It is true that I am always looking for the shortcut, the easy way out. The truth is that I cannot fit in my dryer so I have not tried this weight loss gimmick. But oh the crazy ways I have tried to lose weight. Now it is the pink salt trick that has caught my attention. I have even said I would cut off an arm to not have to worry about weight ever again in my life. 

The truth is so simple and not at all a fad but so difficult to follow. Eat less. Move more. 

Of course, each of us is different biologically and can use help with metabolism boosting and hunger suppressing. Would the world’s economy shrivel up if everyone quit spending their hard earned dollars on weight loss? Whether it is a wrist band to snap on our wrists or a pincher to place on our earlobe, we are willing to try just about anything to slim down and get healthier. I wonder if the new focus on ridding our food of unhealthy stuff will help the next generations from needing to focus so much attention on staying out of the obese classification. I sure hope so. 

When I look back at my own life through pictures. I am happy to say that whatever size I was due to the exhausting rebounds of weight loss and weight gain, I still lived the adventures that life gave me. I climbed the ladder with my kids and grandkids to the high diving board whether I was a size ten or a size eighteen. It is one consolation that I was never the person who wouldn’t be seen in a swimsuit because of my size. My mom is the reason for that. She always felt fat and yet never weighted over 145 in her life. But even when she was not happy with her figure she always was up for any and all that life presented. Good teacher that mom of mine. 

Today, I sit here in a lesser version of myself. I would say that a couple years ago as a size 2x that I would have doubted you that I could ever be a medium or a large. But Wegovy has changed me. The food noise is gone from my head and I am a thin eater. What I have learned is that this slimmer version of me does not have any more value or lovability than my fluffier self. Will I look back on pictures from this season and hope to get back to this size? Perhaps. Weight is a yo-yo at best. I am hopeful with this medication but also aware that it may not be forever. What I know is that I need to love myself in my fat clothes and in these skinny jeans. Weight is a size and number on a scale. My heart for others and how I treat people is what makes me valued. That is something that I don’t gain and lose in life. Okay, I do gossip more than I should but I also live life generously, pray for others, share my faith walk, and step in to help when I see a need. That is the real weight and success of my journey. 

In Him

Joyful

8-16-25

Together Again and Off on a Great Adventure Together

Ronnie B is home! 

This summer has been an adventurous one.

It started with us going together to California then going on our own adventures.

We last saw one another on July 5th.

I think this is the longest we have been apart.

What a wonderful hug we shared when I picked him up at the airport. 

Now onto the next adventures. We have less than two weeks before we fly off to Ireland for an archeology trip. Then a few days in Barcelona, Spain to swim and explore. 

I am so looking forward to our together adventure. 

The summer has been amazing and we have a lot of stories to share with one another. 

But I am excited to share our next trip.

For this girl who has never been to Europe in my life, now I am off for the second time in less than a year. 

All because Ronnie B is a research associate to the Jarnada Archeology group.

Let the adventures begin!

 In Him,

Joyful

8-14-25