Give up??

Does anyone really read these blogs?    I love reading the blogs, however, my life is so...well, life...I am not sure I need a blog...and who really cares?  
I lost my uncle Saturday morning.   He had lived a long good life.  He was a good man.   He loved his family and the Lord.   Death is still a sting to me...reminds me of the scripture..."oh death where is thy sting"   I wonder sometimes if I don't have enough faith.   I don't doubt he is in a better place...still living just not here...however, I feel bad for the family...and all those who love him.   I wanted to be able to go to represent the family on this side of the U.S.    I wanted to be able to be there for my Aunt and cousins.   It isn't going to happen.   They will be fine without me...will I be fine without seeing them?    I love them.   There are just the two girls left...my mom and her baby sister.   Life has gone so fast.   Enough of my blabbering.   Hugs to everyone.  

I GOT THE JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You know the saying...the road to .... is paved with good intentions.   Well, my intentions for this blog are great...not surfacing tho!  AHHHHHHHHH!!!    All is going ok in the Murphy household.  I hate to say that for the simple fact things can turn on a dime!  UGH.  
I got a job...or should I say the job I was working has turned into a full time benefited job.   I am happy...Jeff is happy...Penelope is happy and now I have to go forward and show myself I can do this.   I love the job...there is A LOT to do.   I am up for this.   Everyone else has complete faith in my abilities.   I do too...however, with all the kind words and comments I have gotten I have to be able to get in the door of the office first.   (since I have such a big head from all the compliments  lol)    I start tomorrow morning.   YAHOO!!!!!!   Heavenly Father knows the best...I have faith in His time table...most of the time...I am repenting.  :)  

MURPHY'S LAW UPDATE!

We're still alive.   HOT, but still alive.   Today it was about 89 degrees and we were thanking God for the weather.  It is pretty sad when it is so hot we are excited about 89 degrees.  All is well.
 Mom is doing well...she had a fall right after her birthday but it is healing up and the doctor says there is no serious damage.
Cherie has applied for the full-time position she has been working temporary part time since November last.    The job applications close on the 18 of July.  It is the same position Jeff held for the Fort Wayne FM Group for 10 years.    Hopefully, we will get it.  It would be a great opportunity for all of us.   Jeff is working for the Manchester School of Pharmacy through Manchester University...newly called...used to be Manchester College.    They have just moved into their new building on Dupont Road, Fort Wayne, at the corner of the New Parkview Regional Medical Center Campus.  It is quite beautiful.   Classes start for the students in August.
All is well that ends well.  Jeff visited his family in June for the Fitzgerald Reunion.  Busy busy...he enjoyed his time with his family.   Cherie stayed home to be with Penelope.   She is better but we won't leave her without making sure she has her shots for diabetes.   Love our family...furry and otherwise.   Hugs to all.

Memorial Day

Just a short one today.   Memorial Day is approaching.   I want to say I DO know what it is all about.  I am praying for the families of the lost soldiers.  I am grateful for ALL that has been done for me in their name.   I appreciate my opportunity to live in the US of A.   I don't worry for the fallen soldiers because I know my Heavenly Father has that taken care of...    I do pray for those who have been in the service and those who will be.  It can't be an easy life or one you can step out of quickly, if at all, when/if you come home.   God bless those who keep us safe.

Baby Girl still critical...

We went to the doctor again today.   Penelope is HOPEFULLY on the mend.   Her sugar levels were still high and she hasn't gone potty in her litter for almost two days.    She doesn't have control of her bladder much.   The doctor says it is kidneys...we are hoping with diet, insulin and special care her kidneys will come back around and work.    I don't know what we will do if we lose her.   I really don't.   It is just amazing how much she means to our family.   She is our daughter in every sense of the word, except not human.   The vet gave her vitaminies, liquids with a HUGE syringe and some more yummy food you add water to and she LOVES!!
She has eaten about a half a can of food today and I added about a fourth of a cup of water to it...maybe not quite that much.   This food is for critical care patients...it sucks up the water to hold it so they will get the liquids they need.   I haven't tasted the food but it must be good.   She was so sick yesterday she could hardly walk but she ate that food.   I fed it to her with a non needle syringe at first and then she ate it on her own.   She is walking a little today...she could hardly use her legs at all yesterday without falling sideways.   Today she is more steady. And I know this may be too much information, however, she went potty in her litter!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOHOO!!!    She still hasn't urinated but she will I just know it!    The vet emptied her bladder today...so she is fine.   Please keep praying.   I know she can get better...I hope I hope it is what Heavenly Father wants for us.   We love her!
Tonight she gets some more insulin.   She had 5 units this morning.   I will check the sugar levels tonight to see how much she gets at 8pm.    Jeff is beside himself.   We are a couple of saps.   Really, if you would have asked us 13 years ago if we would feel like this about a couple barn cats...we would have said we love animals but would have never guessed we would become so involved.   I can see why people leave so much money to their pets.   They want to make sure they are taken care of!  

Sick Baby...

Our Penelope Ann is a very sick little kitty.    She is in critical condition being cared for at home by her mama...and papi.    She is having some problems with her diabetes and the vet doesn't know whether it is a kidney problem because of the diabetes or what.   Her blood sugars are all over the place.   She wasn't eating and was so weak.   She isn't using the potty which can't be fun for her either.   We took her to the Kitty ER yesterday and she was loaded up on fluids, vitamins, insulin and had her blood and all checked.    She was given some food for critical care pets.   You add water to it so it gives them fluids as well as food nourishment.   Whatever they add to this it tastes really good so even critical care patients will eat it.   SHE DID!!!!!  She loved it.    She hadn't eaten for some time and I mixed the moist food with warm water and she ate a half a can mixed with water in a 12 hour period.   She went to the vet this morning and got more fluids, vitamins and insulin and checked out again.   She has more energy and was even not happy being there.  Yesterday she didn't feel well enough to complain.   She even meowed most of the way to Auburn (to the vets office)  from Fort Wayne today.   That was more normal.   Her voice sounds more normal today too.   Not as strong but much better than yesterday.   She ate a fourth of a can of food when she got home and is now resting comfortably in her favorite little corner in the closet.    We have been soooooo worried.   I know not many people read this blog of ours...however, whoever may read this will you please pray for our baby girl and her mama and papi...so all of us can continue to be the family we are.    She is all we have and we love her.   Hugs to all.
Cherie

WE LOVE OUR FAMILY!

Jeff and I have been so blessed to have great families.   I can't imagine what my life would be without his family and I know he feels the same way about mine.   We don't separate them in our minds...we are ALL
ONE BIG happy family.  
We have been back in Indiana for almost 7 months.  It has FLOWN by.    We are enjoying it all EXCEPT being away from family.   We miss EVERYONE of the family in Virginia/West Virginia.   We didn't get to see them all very much.  We did see Shawna and Pat and their kids and Patsy, my mom in law...we miss the girls, especially because we can talk to the others on the phone and stay in touch.   We felt like we were getting to know them and have them in our lives.   Sometimes it is lonely without a family of your own.    We love you all.
Penelope is our little girl who we give our love and attention to daily.    She is the most spoiled little kitty girl in the world.   She is getting better since her doctors appt about a month ago now.    She has gained ounces...not pounds but she is acting a bit better.   She meets her Papi at the door every night after work and follows him out into the dining room when he leaves in the morning.   They have their own little morning and evening rituals and she EXPECTS it.   No wavering to and fro!   Do it and she is happy.
God has blessed us a great deal always and especially since we have been back in Indiana.   Jeff has a job...and I have a few prospects.   I am hoping to be able to take some classes maybe starting in the summer...or fall...maybe start my master's or get a certification to add to my bachelor's degree.   We shall see...life keeps going on no matter what...so we may as well take advantage of all our opportunities!
I have started getting on Pinterest.   I am not even sure who invited us...however, I am making bread bowls today.   I have always LOVED the bread bowls with soup.   I will see how well they turn out.   I have found SOOO many great things to make, food, crafts and sewing!   It is exciting.  NOW, I have to do them!   Thanks to whomever invited us!
Have a great day everyone!   HUGS!

SUNSHINE!

Sunshine on my shoulder makes me happy!!!  I loved the sunshine today!   I hope tomorrow is another sunshiny day!  Sunshine Dayyy!!  There is sunshine in my soul today!   Hahaha    We sure hope everyone has a great day today!

Love is Hate?

Jeff and I email back and forth during the day while he is at work.   It is sometimes just amazing the things he sends to me.   I am sure you all have heard about the mess with Joe Paterno of Penn State University and all the boys in his football program.    The athletic director seems to have been a not nice man and things were not done correctly when others tried to expose him.   There was a story on Fox Sports this morning Jeff read.   Jeff and I have discussed in length many of the abuse issues going on in our society in the recent years.    Below are some comments I received from Jeff on what he felt about a few articles he has read in the news.   I thought it was worth sharing.   It made me think and hope it will help stir some thoughts in others to help us ALL take the action we need to be more Christlike.   Now some things you may not agree with, however, please notice and ponder on the overall thoughts in what is related below.   

I sent you a link to a story from Fox Sports.  I read it and thought it was very profound.  It’s hard to determine how to feel about Joe Paterno and Penn State.  Like the guy said, they had banned his wife from swimming in the pool after he was fired, but held a huge memorial for him on campus?  Weird.  It’s like people don’t know how to feel about the whole thing.  I do agree that things are becoming either black or white in our country.  You’re either left or right politically or religious or not.  I also read a story about a 16 year old girl from Rhode Island who is an atheist and she is coming under huge attack for petitioning her school to remove a prayer banner they have had up for 40+ years.  She is 16 years old and has received death threats.  There are some atheist organizations who have tried to send her flowers in support and the florists won’t deliver the flowers! It’s amazing to me how hypocritical people can be.  They stand on their religious, moral high ground but if you say anything against what they believe then they become evil and hateful.  Doesn’t that sound more like…”can you say…Satan?” ha.  Remember the Church lady from SNL?  Ha.  I mean really?  Why is that so many people find the only way to defend their belief in a loving and caring God is to defame and be cruel to others?  Where is the common sense in that?  OK, so you don’t believe her and disagree with her.  You can disagree and still be kind and loving towards her.  Why not just get rid of the sign and say, let’s all just believe how and what we may and not judge anyone?  OK, so the sign has been there for many years and most people who went to the school didn't even realize it was there.  They were never asked to recite it or anything, so what’s the big deal?  The big deal is that when people feel that someone is challenging “God” then they have to defend him violently.  Where, and I mean, where, anywhere did Jesus say to be violent towards others?  The only case of any real “violence” on his part was in making the money-changers leave the temple.  He got angry.  OH MY GOSH! You can get angry and be upset, but threatening a young girl’s life? Come on.  Calling her names?  Come on people.  Even a State Representative from Rhode Island called her “ an evil little girl” on a radio talk show – he was a Democrat, by the way.  J  I just don’t get our country.  We’re going through more growing pains here in the good ‘ole US of A.  Just like the ‘60’s were having to come to terms with who and what we are and how we believe.  The division is becoming as stark as it was then, too – maybe even more so.  It’s more than just wearing your hair long and smoking pot and protesting the war.  Now it’s religious beliefs, moral issues (gay marriage, etc.),  bullying and much, much more.  It’s hard to grow up.  It’s painful – hence the term, growing pains.  We’re all having to look at ourselves differently.  Just look at the church’s new commercials.  They are now portraying a lot of different ethnicity and facial hair! Ha.  I hate to say it, but for the LDS church that IS a big deal.  They have men on there with beards and mustaches that are not even “conservative” in the realm of facial hair.  It’s done purposefully to try to convince people that the LDS church is more than white shirts and ties.  However, with that said, I KNOW better.  Those people are still the vast minority in the church and I would bet do not hold major leadership callings.  That is not shared or even hinted about because that goes beyond just joining the church.  People everywhere are trying to come to terms with what life is all about.  We have all seen so much suffering,  natural disasters, death and loss in our world.  It’s making people reevaluate themselves.  Even major organizations like the church are having to do a side-step now to just stay afloat.  I sent the Joe Paterno thing because it is sad.  Sad that a man who had been looked up to by so many people had to have his life end this way.  I even looked up to him to some degree for the reputation I knew he had.  I think many people outside of the Penn State arena did.  He had a great record of not only winning but of helping young men become better than just football.  Unfortunately, like the man said in the article, he was a man.  We do want our heroes, but when we see that they are flawed, it challenges us once again.  How can they be human?  They were so above us, weren’t they?  No, not really.  It’s like the time I said to my mission companion that Pres. Kimball put his pants on one leg at a time just like the rest of us and he (my comp) became upset with me for making the prophet so “normal” and human.   Guess what?  They are.  All of them.  All of us.  We are all human.  We have created a society where there are those who sit above the rest of us on some glorified sphere and look down – politicians, celebrities, athletes and coaches.  In truth, we all die just like everyone else.  We are born and we try to live the best life we can.  Some of us achieve more visibly than others, but in the end, life does to each of us what  it has always done.  We all have choices.  I am hard on myself and want to[die] because of stupid pictures of myself.  I know it’s dumb.  It even sounds ridiculous in just writing it, but it’s a real thing to me.  Those young men, who are now much older, also deal with the abuse that was dealt them at the hands of a trusted coach.  The coach who was his boss didn’t follow up and make sure it stopped.  He said something and then let it go.  He should have done more.  We all should do more.  While Joe Paterno now lays in the ground, those people have to deal with the effects of being sexually abused, which is something [many] know can do real damage.  My picture thing isn’t just about looking fat and ugly.  It’s about all the years of being told I was not good enough because of my weight, my mannerisms or my status (being poor).  It’s all wound up into one person who struggles every single day to get out of bed and keep moving forward.  It’s a person who never feels like he is good enough.  I can’t imagine how these other people must feel... hope you can make some sense out of what I have written.  

A hug delights and warms and charms,

that must be why God gave us arms.

~Author Unknown

To all our friends out there in blogland.   Please know we haven't forgotten you and we miss seeing you...Consider yourself hugged. Love you all.  Hope you all have a wonderful, amazing, fantastic and brilliant day! 

Just a few quotes to lift you up.   Anyone that knows me much at all knows I am a hugger.   Love these quotes.  Cherie

Arm ourselves for war?  No!  All the arms we need are for hugging.  ~Author Unknown

Everybody needs a hug.  It changes your metabolism.  ~Leo Buscaglia

A hug is a handshake from the heart.  ~Author Unknown

Hugs are the universal medicine.  ~Author Unknown


Hugs grease the wheels of the world.  ~Author Unknown


I don't discriminate - I'm an equal-opportunity hugger.  ~Author Unknown

So today...enjoy hugs from Cherie and Jeff Murphy...it does a body good...haha

More Gratitude Give Me

Today I am grateful for everything!!!  Love love love my husband, family, friends and life.

JOHN 11:35

I have found another wonderful art piece which I love.   I have often contemplated the smallest scripture "Jesus wept."     It has always meant a great deal to me.   This is just as I have felt.   Liz Lemon Swindle is so fantastic at depicting her thoughts.  I add her picture and comments and remind everyone these may be copyrighted.   

HOW ANY TIMES DID JESUS WEEP FOR ME?   DO I DESERVE IT?  HE THOUGHT SO...

JESUS WEPT

By Liz Lemon Swindle

"When Lazarus became sick, Mary and Martha sent a messenger to Jesus. They were extremely concerned about their brother. Jesus assured them that their brother’s sickness was not unto death “but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.” John 11:1-5

Knowing that Lazarus was to be raised from the dead, Jesus did not leave immediately. He tarried two days with his apostles. The apostles did not wish to return to Jerusalem, knowing of the disposition of the Jews and that they wanted to take Jesus. Therefore, when Jesus informed them that Lazarus was sleeping and that he must go and wake him, his disciples misunderstood and told him that if Lazarus was sleeping it was a good thing. Then, so that they could not misunderstand, Jesus said, “Lazarus is dead.” John 11:14

By the time Jesus arrived at the outskirts of Bethany, Lazarus had been in the grave 4 days.

While this process of events was necessary that Jesus might show that he had power over death, He is the only one who seemed to know this. He was following the Father’s plan, yet he was greeted by Martha first, then by Mary with the same words: “if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.” John 11:21; John 11:32

With Mary at his feet weeping, Jesus “groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,” John 11:33

Though He knew that He would raise Lazarus from the dead, he felt great compassion for Mary and Martha. And as the scripture states, “Jesus wept.” John 11:35

In our lives, we face trials and difficulties. Our Father in heaven does not choose to intervene every time and take away our problems. Yet he has provided a way of escape through the atonement of Jesus Christ. Still, it must be difficult to see us in our trials. This small verse in the Bible teaches us this reality. As I think of this passage, I can’t help but wonder, “How many times has Jesus wept for me?”"

Lost In Reflection

I am reflecting on the past...the goals I had many years ago.   I am NOT what I had thought I would be by this age.   I am not the woman, the wife, the employee, the sister, mother, daughter and many others I thought I would be.    Life has gone very fast.  I can't say I have ANY regrets...no time for that...however, I would have liked to have one check mark on at least one of my major goals from my younger years.   Actually, I guess I do have ONE.   I am married to a wonderful man.   He keeps me going forward.   Gotta keep up with him...I can't haha.   I appreciate him so much.    
So as I have been lost in reflection of things today I am eternally grateful for the knowledge I have of eternity.   I am grateful I have more time to be who I am to be.   Sometimes it may seem impossible, however, with the help of Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, family and good friends, I believe I will make it!   Thanks to all of you who haven't given up even tho I definitely have great room for improvement.   Also, thanks to those who see and know who I am when you can't see it!   (Upon looking in the mirror, I hope I am not ONLY who you see looking at me.   I do NOT feel at all inside how I look outside...weird...just another thing I try to  work on)
I think of The Portrait of Dorian Gray--A corrupt young man somehow keeps his youthful beauty, but a special painting gradually reveals his inner ugliness to all.--My ugliness seems to stay right out here for the whole world to see.   It is curious to me how I can still feel the pain of each and every pound I have gained.   It has not been a good thing.   I am sorry for those who have to see it.   God bless those who struggle in this way...it isn't pretty. 
   
I have forced myself to get out into the world.  It is much harder than even I thought it would be.   I am striving to work a couple days a week...have the best person to work with/for.   I am grateful for the growth I have felt.   Maybe one day...full time?   Hopefully, this can't be all there is to life??

It's Crying Time Again...UGH

Well, here I go again.   For the last nearly a week I have been sooooo weepy.  ANYTHING sets me off.  I can sit somewhere laughing or having a good time and all of a sudden I begin to cry.  I think of something that reminds me of someone or a good, sad or bad experience and there I go.   It is quite unnerving actually.   I am getting old.  I blame my weirdness the last 5 years or so on one thing...when it is over...well I hope I am better because if I a not...maybe I just am nuts!  ugh.

I have always heard crying relieves stress...I should be very stress free then!  :)   I have to say to the fact above...the chemistry of crying relieves stress...it does not, however, put that ice cream cone back together...and that just isn't fair!!! ugh.  :D