This past week was one of my busiest.

After a five-day hospitalization from COVID in 2021, I asked the Lord to help me with a meaningful project. He gave me the word “nonprofit.” I was uncertain as to what that entailed, I asked again and I heard the word “backpacks.” So this is how the Ciriza/Driscoll Project got its start. We started with 50, but have now expanded our project to 75 backpacks. This is our fourth year.

The Great Deals

After we had delivered all the backpacks to  five different schools, we were well pleased with our efforts.

The following week, when I went shopping, I noticed that backpacks were on sale at Marshalls, Ross, TJ Maxx and Macy’s. On different days I started to purchase them; some were marked down as low as $9.00, and if there were five available I purchased all of them. Before long, I had accumulated 26 backpacks that I needed to hide from my husband Mike. This  merchandise filled three large-sized bags that I had to store. I kept this tiny secret from Mike for two weeks.

Our attic is not a safe area for someone  my age to venture into. I always bump my head on the wood beams and sometimes I can hear the plywood crack under my feet. Regardless, the attic is very large, so without telling anyone, I stored the bags there. No one needed to know until next summer; besides, we rarely go into the attic. Shortly after storing them, for some strange reason Mike went into the attic looking for something. When he came out he asked me about these large bags in the attic. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I answered. “There are three large bags in the attic, who put them there?” he asked. “How should I know?” I lied.

The Confession

My guilty conscience got the better of me, so I went to confession. After confessing all my transgressions about the backpacks and lying to Mike, I received penance. But now my confessor told me that I had to come clean and tell Mike the truth. My character is a lot like that of Lucy Ricardo from the I Love Lucy television show. Lucy was forever getting into trouble, and Ricky would always come to her rescue. That’s how it works for us, as Mike will, at first, get upset, but then  he quickly forgives me.

I cannot hide supplies for 75 backpacks and, since Mike is one of the major donors, I started to  include him in the ordering. When we work together everything falls into place. For the greater part of this week our home will be a mess, but soon all will return to normal.

We got a late start  ordering supplies. I was in a panic; so many of the bulk items had to be picked up at Walmart because I’m still boycotting Target. On the way to Walmart I made a few phone calls to ask for donations. My grandson Jacob, who was with me, asked, “Why are you calling people and asking for money? That’s embarrassing, grandma.” I quickly answered, “Embarrassing? No, it’s an opportunity for them to get blessed as well.” Then he said, “Either way, it’s still wrong.” I ignored him and made a few more calls.

We needed two shopping carts for all  the supplies. Both Jacob and I were taking careful inventory and clearing some of the merchandise off the shelves. As I was checking for the best price on Bic pens, a stranger approached me. “What are you doing?” he asked. “I’m purchasing supplies for 75 backpacks” I answered. “What do you do with them?” he asked. “We distribute them to local schools to help parents who cannot afford to purchase school  supplies for their children,” I answered. Then the man pulled out his wallet and said, “I want to bless you. How much money do you need?” I think my eyes must have dilated with this surprising generosity from a complete stranger. “Whatever the Lord leads you to give,” I replied. He gave me $120 in 20-dollar bills. My eyes filled with soft, grateful tears as I hugged him and thanked him.

As I turned the corner with the shopping cart I looked over at Jacob and said, “I forgot to ask his name!”  So I went back to get a photo with him and his son. This special young man’s name is Emery, and his son’s name is Levi. He was shopping with his beautiful mother, whose name is Celeste.

This gracious act of kindness taught Jacob a great lesson on benevolence. Sometimes when we distrust and question God about important matters, He always confirms our doubts with a favorable miracle. This is how our Lord works. He also directs us to pray for those in need.

Praying for Ricky

My cousin Rick’s 42-year-old son, Ricky,  is at Loma Linda University Hospital  fighting for his life. After several attempts to reach Rick, I finally got through. I asked if I could visit Ricky and pray for him. Rick welcomed the gesture, so on Wednesday I drove to Loma Linda University Hospital. When I arrived, I could not believe the grave condition of Ricky. I had a blessed St. Jude medal, some water from Lourdes, and some anointing oil from the lamps of the tomb of Jesus at the  Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. I made it clear that I was not there to give the anointing of the sick; but to  pray for Ricky’s healing. Ricky needs a miracle, so I will continue to stand alongside  his family in asking God to intervene on his behalf. Jesus, we trust in You!

For those of you who do not understand the powerful intercession of the  saints, St. Jude will change your mind. He is the saint of the impossible. For is the reason  all the St. Jude Hospitals all over the world are named in his honor . Saints are our heavenly example of how we should live our lives. To put it simply, we Catholics ask for their intercession. The great divide is this: Protestants believe we pray to the saints. We do not! We know Who our Lord and Savior is, and we pray to Him directly.

My Prayer

Dear Lord, thank You for sending Emery and blessing our ministry with his kind donation. Continue to bless him and his family. Heavenly Father, my cousin Rick and his family are at the foot of Your Cross, asking for a miracle for Ricky. I am asking for anyone who reads this prayer to come alongside us in agreement. Lord, nothing is impossible for You. Amen.

Isaiah 46:4   New American Bible (Revised Edition)

I received a letter in early June from the DMV stating that I needed to take a written test in order to renew my license. I was frantic with worry. My thoughts reflected my panic: “A written test! The last time I took a written test was in my teens!” To prepare for the test,  three times a week I would practice to familiarize myself with the questions. I failed miserably! The more I studied, the worse it got. Needless to say, I was nervous about the entire ordeal.

Last Thursday I got the letter out again and reread it.  I had totally missed the part that said I had to appear in person! This new information was forcing me to take action. I got on the DMV website and found what I thought was a practice test. It took over three hours to review and go over all the questions that I’d missed.

To prepare for the test Mike, who also has to renew his license purchased the “booklet” from the DMV.  There are over 100 questions in the booklet, so to try to memorize even half of the answers was a impossible. After practicing the test, I was able to make an appointment to appear in person. One big problem!  The earliest date available was August 29th and my birthday is on the sixth! So I had to go to the DMV in person to take care of the matter.

DMV Visit

Everyone in the entire world knows what going to the DMV is going to entail. The DMV is notorious for making people wait; the experience can traumatize you to never return. As a result, not having an appointment makes matters worse. For starters, I parked in the wrong parking lot and had to cross over a line of teens in cars that were taking the behind-the-wheel test.

It was 11:30 a.m. and I, along with all the losers who did not make appointments, were in a line with over 30 persons. It was well into the high 80’s, and only some of the crowd had covering from the sun. The perfect scenario would be sitting on a bench, under a shaded tree and drinking cold water, but that was a far-fetched dream. The scorching sun was dehydrating me and there was no refuge, just me and a bunch of foreigners from God-knows-where. As the line moved closer to the covering, I stood side-by-side with the young man in front of me. When he looked at me, I smiled and pointed to the umbrella.  All I could think was, “If the line is this bad outside, how is it going to be inside?”

The Broken Kiosk

It was not a bit surprising when an announcement was made that the Kiosk was down. This was par for the course, like the rest of our state.  Those waiting for the Kiosk inside got to go ahead of us. No problem, I thought, “This is what I get for not reading the notification better.”  My greatest fear was getting pulled over and having an expired license.

Inside the DMV

I finally made it inside, was given the number G291, and told to find a seat. “A seat? In this sea of people?” There I was, and, just like all my plane rides, smack in the middle of two strangers. I looked up at the monitor and noticed that G79 was called. The letter G was not the only alphabet being used, so I knew I was going to be there awhile.  I pulled out the booklet that Mike had purchased and started studying. All the information about the different signs and the painted lines on the road were confusing, so I was all studied out and prayed instead.

My Turn

Finally at 2:30 p.m. I heard G291 called. I took a deep breath and walked up to window 25. The kind woman took my right thumb print and asked me why I was there. As usual, I gave her my life story and told her that I needed to renew my license.  She asked,”Did you take the online written test?” I was confused. I answered, “What do you mean? I took a practice test.”  She replied, “Let me check, you did take the test, and passed.” Believe me, I was not only surprised but greatly relieved! The rest is in the history books!

The New DMV

They say a leopard can’t change its spots, but the DMV has changed. Even though I had to wait without an appointment, the four employees I encountered were not only helpful but efficient and kind. They displayed this demeanor to everyone and, from what I witnessed, everyone was given the same professional treatment.

The Real ID

As life would have it, I did not think of getting the “Real ID,” which will soon be required by law. Like Scarlett O’Hara said, “After all, tomorrow is an other day.”

New Hobby

I’ve started making bracelets again.  This time instead of thread, I’m using stretch magic. I was selling these bracelets for $25 a piece. In the past my bracelets always broke apart and I never got return buyers. In some cases I had to return their money. With the recent trip to Spain and Portugal, I purchased more than 30 medals to add to the hundreds I already had.  I pray that my new business endeavor will be successful.

This weekend, when we took a short trip to check on our property in Santa Barbara, I wore two of my bracelets. As I was getting ready to leave, my Jesus medal fell off the bracelet. Not again! When we got back home, I made a quick run to the local bead store and asked for advice. The owner sold me a device that fastens the medals more securely. I worked on getting the ring on one of my religious medals for over two hours, but at this point I’m already in the red! Pray for me.

My Prayer

Dear Lord, thank You for my health and the ability to drive. Lord, help us all to be kinder on the road and to follow the traffic laws. Grant me the grace to not get angry or grow impatient with other drivers. Jesus, deliver us from road rage. Amen.

The attempted assassination of former President Trump is another wake-up call for us to unite as a nation.

God’s Protection

Why was President Trump’s life spared? It’s not because the Secret Service was doing a great job (they failed),  but because God has a grand purpose for his life. In my lifetime, never have I witnessed such vicious attack on a human. They tried to destroy him emotional and fined him millions of dollars, tried to him impeached twice, yet he remains steadfast. Anyone else who had gone through that kind of scrutiny would never have survived. He survived because he will protect our country, and we will once again be able to wave our banner for God.

How quickly we forget that when Obama was president we were not allowed to use God in the workplace or wish anyone a Merry Christmas. We need to re-establish God’s rightful place in our country again.

United We Stand

I believe in God and all that His Word stands for.  For centuries skeptics have made many attempts to alter the Bible to fit their personal lifestyles. When I see this type of foolishness, I wait for the truth to be revealed. If we all would take time to read and understand the Ten Commandments, our country would be a better place.

The Devil has been assigned to divide our country, and, so far, he has  been quite successful. So many doors have been opened wide for demons to bring an army of evil to infiltrate our hallowed ground. Our country was founded  on Judeo-Christian principles, and our forefathers, who wrote the Constitution, were God-fearing men. For these words to stand the test of time is only a testament of how richly they are filled with the wisdom of God.

If wisdom does open our eyes to the truth, why are so many blinded by lies? The simple answer to this question is this:  they are not yielded to receive God’s truth.

Fearing God

I know many God-fearing, good Christians who are misled by the lies that are blaring over the airwaves. They are not voting with their God-given conscience because they lack the wisdom to really comprehend the Word of God. If you are constantly hearing how evil a person is and how he is going to take the rights of Americans away, you have fallen into the pit of lies!

I recently did a study on Luke Chapter One, which is about the annunciation of the birth of Christ. When Mary went to visit her cousin Elizabeth to share the news of her Immaculate Conception, the baby in her womb leaped with joy. But to those who deny the truth about pregnancies this baby “John the Baptist” is not a real human being! This unborn baby, John the Baptist,  had a heartbeat, tiny arms and legs and moved around in his mother’s womb. Yet in today’s world, some well-meaning but misguided Christians would vote to kill him.

More than 40% of transgender adults in the US have attempted suicide!

A new study from the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law finds that 81% of transgender adults in the U.S. have thought about suicide, 42% of transgender adults have attempted it, and 56% have engaged in non-suicidal self-injury over their lifetimes.

Pride Month

This all started in 1999, when then President Clinton declared the month of June “Gay and Lesbian Pride Month.” It continued with Obama who in 2009 declared June LGBTQ Pride Month. In 2021 our current President Biden, added a plus to the LGBTQ+. Do you see a pattern here?  I can accept one day, but an entire month is ridiculous! Christmas has one day and so does the Fourth of July.

My prayer is, “Lord, please let  the month of June  pass quickly.” The media’s constant barrage of parades and news reports of how happy and prideful these events have become is a facade. Where is the joy? These are  still the elusive questions. But is there joy in their hearts? Are they free of anger?  No, because anger is what they thrive on, and there is never peace when you are in this frame of mind.

I have nothing against a person who, as an adult, decided to change how God created them.  I will not judge any decision an adult makes because in the end it’s between them and God. I’m not homophobic or racist, I’m an American grandmother concerned for the future of my grandchildren. Don’t insert your ideologies into the minds of our children, God hates this!

Matthew 18:6   New Catholic Bible

⁶ But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

There are many decent gay people who do not want to be included in this mess. They live a life of peace.

 

Who Do You Represent?

I stand on the Word of God, and I will continue to share the truth. God gave me this Blog to share my beliefs in Him and to be an example of courage in this fallen world. I’m human and fall short of living a godly life daily, but I know Who lifts me up, dusts me off and gets me ready for another battle. Listen to the Words of God! It will change your heart!

My Prayer

Thank You, Lord, for sparing the life of former President Trump. We all witnessed the miracle of the angels that were surrounding himeto protect President Trump’s life. Lord, I lift up those who were injured at this event and for the gentleman Corey Comperatore  who was killed. Comfort them Lord! Amen.