Mahoney's Musings

Broken Families

2011-04-20T05:45:00.002-05:00

When families are broken, we often feel deep down that no one cares. Because of carefully guarded family secrets, we don't always know about all the brokenness that is present. Financial debt, parental neglect, rebellion of children, favoritism, addictions and even verbal or physical abuse are just some of the many types of family brokenness we hear about that leaves us feeling empty inside. If you are living it, then the emptiness is almost palpable.

King David was at the center of one of the most dysfunctional families of his day. Honestly, I think the most dysfunctional of any day. In one of his family's most shocking scandals, his son Absalom was killed while leading a rebellion against his father, with the intent to kill him in order to take over the throne of Israel.

At the end of his life, David leaned on the promises of God for his descendants: "He has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and secure" (2 Samuel 23:5). That promise would come true through one of his own descendants, Jesus Christ. The good news for broken families today is that God is still sending his everlasting love to us in Jesus.

O Lord, restore the joy of your salvation to all the broken families!

Google God

2011-04-19T04:18:00.003-05:00

When I was a kid and you had questions or needed to research something, you went to the library. There, you searched through the index cards to find books on the subject you were researching. Then you either sat at a table in the library, taking notes or you checked the book out and went home and wrote down the information.

Today when we have questions we "Google it" -- we go to Google or some other internet search engine of our choosing. Google gives us a glimpse into why people believe in so many different gods.
The word "god' yields over 549 million results on Google. Godchecker.com identifies 3400 gods in today's world. Or if you prefer, one offering presented 50 proofs that God is imaginary. Pretty frightening to consider that people are being led astray in our Internet world from the one true God.
Paul told us in Romans why there was so much confusion over gods, even in his day. People "exchanged the truth about God for a lie," (Romans 1:25)and they "worshiped and served the creature rather than the creator." He mentions the various images of worship in Romans 1:23. The list of images we worship in our world today is endless, limited only by our imaginations or Internet searches. We could spend a lifetime wandering through the mazes of this world and its religions.
I often receive emails with church sign one-liners. One such said, "There are some questions that can't be answered by Google."
God is the only "search engine" that has the one true answer to the meaning of life and the way to salvation. That answer is JESUS.

Where is God?

2011-04-15T00:38:00.004-05:00

The turmoil surrounding us these days can make you scratch your head and wonder, "Where in the world is God?" The economic challenges we are facing in this country and the world in chaos, with riots, natural disasters and just out right insanity on many levels, can start to overwhelm us. As a result, our inner world becomes frantic, confused, empty and spiritual connection becomes difficult.

We can sort of remove ourselves from the chaos in other parts of the world because it doesn't seem to impact us personally. But when it comes to economic turmoil, like failing businesses and job losses we cannot ignore those problems. They hit us right between the eyes.

Investment firms crumble, banks fail, corporations downsize, causing unemployment lines to swell and fear to grip those who still have jobs. It is becoming easier each day to imagine what it must have been like in the Great Depression. We seem to be on the precipice, peering into the darkness.

In the past, people trusted banks and government guarantees along with prosperous corporations that created high-paying jobs. They didn't need to seek God because their world was fine. Proverbs 27 describes the folly of trusting in riches and a crown; "For riches do not last forever, nor a crown for all generations."

We either manage money, or it manages us. Solomon outlined 5 principles of money management in Proverbs 27 beginning in verse 23 through 27. God promises those who are wise in money management "enough goats' milk for your food, for the food of your household."

Seeking God and His guidance is the only way to make it during the trying times. We are made rich because Jesus "became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich." (2 Corinthians 8:9) The riches of Christ's love and grace dispensed to us on the cross will last long after the wealth of this world has been wiped out.

Lord, in these trying times help us to hunger for more of you!

Me? Wicked? No way!

2011-03-26T06:11:00.004-05:00

When I was a child, the very sight of the Wicked Queen in Snow White frightened me to the core. She was so evil. Wickedness only applies to evil queens, axe murderers and crooks, right? Not well mannered, polite, hard working, honest people like you and me. We read our devotions and Bible, help the less fortunate, do community works, no way could we be called wicked.
Sadly, the answer is yes, we are wicked, according to God's Word. We fail to really see ourselves the way God see us, through Holy eyes.

Scripture never flatters us, never downplays the seriousness of our sins just to stroke our egos. Instead, the Bible paints a plain - and most unflattering - picture of our condition before God, apart from Jesus.

Wickedness is a grave diagnosis, one left untreated leads to death -- separation from God now and forever. God provides a cure. He promises " I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." (Hebrews 8:12) When I see my gossip, my hateful thoughts, my self-centeredness as the sins they really are, as wickedness before God, then I also see the cure of Calvary is meant for me.

Calvary is for everyone willing to see themselves the way God sees them. No matter where you have been, no matter what you have done, you can come to the Cross right now. Repent, confess, and be refreshed in the Savior's love.

Lord, forgive us when we minimize the seriousness of sin. Our sins led to the death of Jesus on the Cross. Praise God for your tender mercies, your love and willingness to forgive when we confess our sins. (John 3:16)

My kingdom for a camera!

2011-03-21T04:37:00.006-05:00

A camera, a camera, my kingdom for a camera! Now I know how Richard III felt. Well, perhaps I am stretching it a bit, but oooooh the frustration when a your camera battery dies JUST when the moment you waited for happens.

For the past couple of years I have been faithfully putting out my hummingbird feeders to no avail. It seems I always missed the deadline and put them out after the fact. My friend Deb (Truth's Vessel) shared a link to the hummingbird migration map and it was then I realized I was waiting to late in the season to put the feeder out.

Occasionally I would see a hummer if I were lucky but NEVER on the feeder, mostly just flitting around a bush.

Yesterday it was almost as if the wanted to herald the first day of Spring and show up to say "Spring is here and so are we!" I nearly fell off the couch when movement caught my eye and there was the hummer, on MY feeder.

I jumped up, grabbed the camera and managed to get one shot that was not so great but it was my first ever shot of a hummer on my feeder. Actually, my first ever shot of a hummer....period. Anyway I decided to be all stealth like and sit on the steps, set up my tripod and capture a better shot. While doing all this the hummer just kept going back and forth from the Azalea bush to the feeder. When I got all set up, snapped one shot and just as it showed up again on the feeder I heard that all too familiar "zzzzzzzzz" sound the camera lens makes when it is cutting off. NO!!!! Sure enough the battery is dead.

I bolt back in, put it on the charger and grab my other digital camera, push the power button.....NOTHING. That battery was dead as well. ARGGGGGG! Last resort, grab the SLR, resort to film cause I WANT photos of this little guy. You guessed it, no film!

It's crazy to have four camera's none of which would work. One of them is so old, I don't even know if I remember how to use it. I am so spoiled to digital that I rarely use my SLR anymore, so I am not sure why I thought I would have film.

So, new batteries installed in one, other battery being charged and I will try again. I know there is a lesson in there, I just don't want to think about it. Just give me a working camera. I am off to stalk the hummers again.
Bonus photo of this little guy just sitting in the Azalea bush! I am sure he was wondering what the crazy human was doing.

A bit of bird watching.

2011-03-08T22:14:00.006-06:00

This beautiful creature has decided to visit our feeder every day. I managed to capture a few images and wanted to share them with you.

Red bellied Wood Pecker

What day is this?

2011-02-25T19:28:00.003-06:00

My goodness I cannot believe 11 days have passed since my last blog. It seemed longer. OK, let me explain. We had our 4 year old great grandson for two weeks and it seems like it was longer, yet the time just flew by. He is so much fun to be around. Outdoors is his private domain, well he thinks it is, and he loves exploring every inch of it. We watch the birds and he can name almost all the ones we see, as well as a lot of the trees. The sights, sounds and smells of outside just thrill him and it thrills me to watch him learn about it all.

Conversations are most interesting as well. As we watched a squirrel, he tried so hard to call the squirrel to him. I explained the squirrel was afraid of him because he is so much bigger. "Like a giant?, he asked. "Yes, to the squirrel you are a giant," I answered. He started calling the squirrel again and this time he said, "Come here squirrel, I am not a giant, I am a kid." You have to love the simplicity of his thoughts.

It's been great fun with him, but really tiring at the same time. I am too OLD for this. At least any thing beyond two or three days. I am cherishing each and every moment, every word, every look, every hug and every kiss. I realize that one day I will look and he will be a grown young man. Time just flies by and it is so hard to find time for the things we value most. You can't cram a twenty-fifth hour into a twenty-four hour day.

Time is a nonrenewable resource that's consumed at a constant and relentless rate. Once an hour is gone forever; you can never get it back. I intend to make the most out of the time that is still available to me. How about you?

Valentine's Day/ Tax Day...so not romantic.

2011-02-14T17:52:00.006-06:00

Valentine's Day is usually all about love. Today, for me, was all about trying not to panic. OK, this will sound terrible, but in January our tax accountant passed away suddenly. It was a moment of conflicting emotions. We lost a friend but we also lost the man who did all our tax returns. It sounds selfish but we also panicked at the thought of trying to find someone else.

We live in a very small town and there aren't that many individuals that do returns. Mostly we have the national chains and they charge a fortune and was the problem. For nearly three weeks now I have been in turmoil about what to do. Last week I saw a commercial about an online tax filing site, similar I suppose to Turbo Tax.

So, I woke this morning thinking, what can I do that is really special for Valentine's Day. I KNOW, file our income taxes. LOL.

I used a site called Tax Act Online and it was really simple considering we itemize. It probably doesn't take nearly as long as it took me, but shuffling through all the paperwork, making sure I have the information I am being prompted for, it was not really that bad. AND best of all it only cost $17 to file both Federal and State returns electronically. I would recommend it to anyone.

This may not be a big deal to some but it was a major event to me and now I think I need my super hero cape because I DID IT MYSELF.

Oh yeah, Happy Valentines Day honey. The refund is in the mail! Wooohoo!

The secret to anti aging.

2011-02-11T22:38:00.004-06:00

In a mere 18 days I will reach a real milestone in life. I will be 65 years old. Honestly, I suppose I am more interested in becoming more childlike than becoming more mature.

Our youth may be lost or fading, but by letting ourselves be a child again, we can tap into a boundless fountain within us. So, learn to laugh. I watch my great grandsons laugh out of sheer joy. No real big reason. They are enjoying life, finding joy in little things and they don't take themselves seriously like we do. Who made the rule that you have to stop skipping, wearing goofy hats on your head or mismatched clothes just because you are "grown up?' Stop being so serious.

Do some fun things just because you want to impulsive or adventurous. If life is so planned out and orderly you can't be childlike. Listen to that long lost child and catch the small, simple blessings. Remember how fun to roll ice cream on your tongue, smell the fragrance of a just peeled orange, or the sheer excitement of Christmas.

Remember what it was like to lay in the warm summer grass and watch the clouds float by overhead. Begin to see and appreciate these things through the eyes of a child, the child you left behind many years ago. The child who is waiting in the shadows, hoping you will summon him or her to the forefront and set them free again.

Be a child again. Let yourself capture the childlike essence. It is wonderful to be childlike, just don't confuse it with being childish. There is a difference.

OK, that's enough. I have on my jammys and fuzzy slippers. Now, I am off to find my blankets and build a tent in the living room. Anyone want to join me?

"I tell you the truth, you must change and become like little children. Otherwise, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. The greatest person in the kingdom of heaven is the one who makes himself humble like this child." ~ Matthew18:3-4

Carry me Father

2011-02-05T13:06:00.002-06:00

Earlier this week my hubby and I were reading our daily devotionals and one of them dealt with walking in the Spirit. If we are truly walking "in the Spirit" we don't have to think about if something is right or wrong. We don't think about breathing, walking or opening our eyes, we just do those things automatically. They are second nature to us.

Growth in Christ increases resistance to all that is uncharacteristic of Him. We become more internally motivated as our hearts learn to inhibit disobedience, instead of relying on our minds to memorize rules and wrestle to obey.

Learning to "walk in the Spirit" will bring a gradual movement from mental rules and disciplines to an obedience rooted in the heart's judgments and convictions. Eventually we become like a leaf in a stream, carried not by our will, but the path the stream carries us on, helpless in our own power, but carried by the "living water" in the streams of life.

The spiritual state of the church

2011-02-01T21:20:00.003-06:00

Do you wonder how the church affects God's blessing of a nation? Unlike ancient Israel, America is not a covenant nation. God has made no promise to our physical ancestors that guarantees our national status forever. As long as unbelief and disobedience of the Word of God color the soul of our nation, we simply cannot expect the blessing of God. Israel didn't get it in her unbelief.

But for those who are Christians, the covenant blessings do apply. "If you are Christ's then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Galatians 3:29). All the promises of salvation, mercy, forgiveness for our sins, and spiritual prosperity are ours to claim as long as we remain faithful to God.

That is why the spiritual state of the church in our nation is the key to blessing of the nation as a whole. If God is going to bless America, it will not be for the sake of the nation itself. He blesses the nation, and has always done so, for the sake of His people. If we who are called by His name are not fulfilling the conditions for divine blessing, there is not hope for whatsoever for the rest of the nation.

On the other hand, if the church is fit to receive God's blessing, the whole nation will be the beneficiary of that, because the Word of God will be proclaimed with power, God will add to His church, and spiritual blessings of all kinds will result. And those are the truest blessings of all.

The Scripture says, "Judgment must begin at the house of God" (1 Peter 4:17). It is equally true that blessing begins with the people of God, and it spills over from there. That is the one true hope for real blessing on our nation.
(Can God Bless America by John MacArthur)

Wait for it!

2011-01-31T07:42:00.004-06:00

My husband is part of a visitation team at our church that a goes to the hospitals or homes of those who want prayer. I can't imagine not wanting prayer. "Can I pray for you?" "YES" is my answer every time. I know I can pray for myself, but I am of the mindset "where two or more are gathered." Which brings me back to my story.

We have an neighbor who is approximately 86 years old. He is a small, somewhat frail looking gentleman, that drives around all day in the area visiting neighbors, mostly out of loneliness. Recently we found out he wrecked his car and were relieved to find out he only suffered a scrapped elbow. Our relief turned to horror when he told us, he had taken a sleeping pill about 2 hours before driving. According to him, the pill didn't work, so he decided to run errands.

Again, we were thankful that he wasn't hurt, killed or had killed someone else. As he was leaving our house, my husband asked him if the prayer team could come visit him and pray for him. He almost recoiled at the question, drew himself up and said, "MY CHURCH has it's own prayer people."

There it was, the 800lb gorilla in the room. It has shown its ugly face.....the "ISM." You know, legalism, schism or what other ism shows up to divide the people of God.

But wait, I don't want to jump off there, because I really want to talk about prayer. I still am surprised at the elderly man's response. Prayer from fellow believers has never hurt anyone to my knowledge.

Most of the time our prayers are about change. We want God to change something or someone in our lives/circumstances. C. S. Lewis noted that the best prayer is not for God to change our circumstances, but to change us. While I do believe God wants to change our circumstances from time to time, it is more important that I/we be changed in prayer than prayer to change our circumstances.

Look at JOB. He prayed for change. Through 40 chapters, his friends questioned his integrity and faith. In the end, JOB submits to the fact that God is just and knows his heart. Then God shows up and vindicates JOB.

JOB waited for a long time for change. If you are like me, I don't like to wait. Yet God can use our waiting to increase our faith. Ben Patterson said in his book Waiting, "As important as the answer for which we wait, is the work God does in us, while we wait."

Waiting for an answer to prayer is tough. We are such "instant" people. We want things NOW. The longer we wait for answers to prayer, the deeper the faith required. One only needs to remember JOB to know how true that is. When JOB was resigned to the fact that his situation was not going to change no matter how hard he prayed, he finally realized God is just. "Though he slay me, yet will I hope in HIM."

When we pray, our hope is in God. Most often we like JOB are praying for change. But I like what Patterson said, "More important, than the answer is the work God does in us while we wait."

Certainly gives a whole new perspective on "waiting for it."

Jesus vs other religious founders

2011-01-26T23:46:00.003-06:00

I was reading an article by Ravi Zacharias that discusses how Jesus is distinct from other religious founders.

He explained that at the heart of every major religion, a distinction emerges between the person and the teaching. Mohammed, to the Koran, Buddha, to the Noble Path, Krishna, to his philosophizing and Zoroaster, to his ethics. They are teachers who point to their teaching or to some particular way. In all of these, there emerges instructions, a way of living.

It is not Zoroaster to whom you turn. It is Zoroaster to whom you listen. It is not Buddha who delivers you; it is his Noble Truths that instruct you. It is not Mohammed who transforms you,; it is the Koran that woos you.

Here is where the major difference comes in. Jesus did not only teach or expound His message. HE WAS THE MESSAGE. "In Him, say the Scriptures, "dwelt the fullness of the Godhead bodily." He did not just proclaim the truth. He said, "I am the truth." He did not just show a way. He said, "I am the Way." He did not just open up vistas. He said, "I am the door." "I am the Good Shepherd." I am the resurrection and the life." "I am the I AM."

In Him is not just an offer of life's bread. He IS the bread. Jesus drew the real need of His audience to that hunger which is spiritual in nature, a hunger that is shared by every human, so that we are not human livings or human doings, we are human beings.

There is the one thing that all other worldly religions cannot do. Feed the soul. Only the Bread of Life is able to do that.

Proverbs 3 and 4

2011-01-25T10:37:00.004-06:00

I am behind on my posting of Proverbs so I combined Proverbs 3 and 4. We have several versions of the Bible at our house and it's really interesting to read the notes in each one. One version breaks all the words down and explains their meanings, while another deals with the historical times and the importance of the lessons. One of my favorites groups the verses and gives each group a heading. I want to share those headings.

Proverbs 3:1-12 - Trust and Honor God
Proverbs 3:13-20 - Consider the Value of Wisdom
Proverbs 3:21-35 - Be Kind and Generous with Others
Proverbs 4:1-9 - Acquire Wisdom
Proverbs 4:10-19 - Avoid Bad Company
Proverbs 4:20-27 - Watch Yourself

It is so interesting to find what each of these versions gleans from God's Word. I use to struggle with each publishers notes, pondering how could they vary so much. That was when I truly didn't understand that God speaks to each of us differently in HIS Word. There are different lessons that apply to various situations.

So, these learned men, Bullinger, Ryrie, Nelson, Scoffield, Dake, to name a few, all bring something different to the table. Each of their experiences with the living Word is different. Each encountered God in a way that met their own specific need and shared them with us in their study Bibles.

We don't all have a burning bush experience, but each experience is just as important and valid to our daily lives. God's Word never returns void. Each voice is echoing what the Creator places on his/her heart. Who am I to say there is only ONE correct way for God to speak.

Prayer vigil at midnight.

2011-01-24T00:06:00.008-06:00

Here I sit, watching my four year old great grandson sleeping in his paw-paw's recliner. Normally it would be cute but not tonight. He is in his paw-paw's chair because he is sick and the leather feels cool to his skin.

He is staying with us while his parents are out of state. We had to take him to the emergency room last night because his fever spiked and wouldn't come down. It turns out he has Strep throat. I was so impressed with him at the emergency room. He was listless and miserable, but he was a trooper. He did everything the nurse or doctor said to do and never let out a peep. We didn't have one of those five hour stays at the hospital, for which I was grateful. Once they diagnosed him, it was time to give him a shot of antibiotics. He lay very still, face down on the gurney and grimaced a bit and finally the tears rolled down his cheeks.

I held him and told him it was OK to cry, that he had been so very good. His head went on my shoulder, arms around my neck and he whimpered slightly and that was it. After the allotted amount of time to see if he would react in any way to the shot, we were allowed to leave. He walked out, clutching my hand and looked at me as if to say, "I am glad I am going home."

He slept good last night but today (Sunday) was rough. He has cat napped on and off all day and finally fell into a deep sleep on the couch. I picked him up and carried him to the bedroom and barely got back to the living room when I heard him cry out. I went to check on him, to find him throwing up in the bed.

So, here I am, washing bed linens and airing out the guest room. It smells of sickness. His fever had risen again, just an hour before his time to take his meds. We bathed him down with cool water, cleaned him up, and put him in the recliner and I feel that is where he will stay for the night.

I got a book and THE BOOK and will sit in my chair and read, doze off some, pray mostly and finish the laundry. It's one of those nights that all parents deal with occasionally. I think of how tired I am and the story of Jesus in the Garden comes to mind. He was praying and wanted his disciples to keep watch, yet they fell asleep. They truly didn't understand the importance of the situation.

Watching over a sick child is not to be compared with Jesus in the garden, but all parents know what it is like to keep watch. You check them, kiss them, caress their faces and kneel beside them and pray for Jesus to "just say the word and they will be healed." In the mean time, I will continue my prayer vigil at midnight. Keeping watch over this precious child that has been entrusted in my care.

How Great is our God!

2011-01-20T15:14:00.005-06:00

The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.

Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge.

There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard.

Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world......

Psalms 19:1-4

How awesome is it that God has revealed Himself to man; by general revelation (1)in His creation and by specific revelation (2)in His inspired Word!

1: Because what may be know of God is maifest in them (men), for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so they are without excuse. (Romans 1:19,20)

2. God who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets. (Hebrews 1:1)

Something wicked this way comes.

2011-01-18T09:16:00.005-06:00

Any of us who have ever read Macbeth are familiar with the line "By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes." The witch spoke that line and was referring to Macbeth. She recognized him for what he was!

Too late we recognize evil when we see it too. Not from some well written play, but torn from the very headlines of our newspapers. There are names we know all to well; Hitler, Stalin, Bundy, Dahmer, Peterson, and now Loughner. Just the mention of one of these names calls to our minds the unspeakable horrors each of these individuals inflicted on fellow human beings. We are shocked and sadden when events happen that remind us of how evil people can be.

But should we be shocked? We all have the potential to do unspeakable things, left to ourselves. Scripture tells us in Jeremiah 17:9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?" The wickedness is in our hearts! ".....the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; ....(Gen8:21)

The good news is, no matter what evil we may hold in our hearts, NOTHING, no act (sin), no matter how despicable can stand against the blood of Jesus. Our relationship with Jesus changes everything. Our hearts become new, miraculously changed by the precious blood of Christ. NO heart surgeon has the skills to fix the heart like the Great Physician.

When we have Christ dwelling in our hearts we are rooted and grounded in love. (Eph 3:17).

Be careful what you wish for!

2011-01-16T08:40:00.001-06:00

Last night, my kids stopped by for a rare visit.

We were sitting in the living room like one big happy family and I said to
them, “I never want to live in a vegetative state, dependent on some machine
and fluids from a bottle. If that ever happens, just pull the plug.”

They got up, unplugged the computer, and threw out my wine.

They are SO on my list …

Proverbs 2

2011-01-14T08:02:00.005-06:00

Adultery! The news is full of it and most of those involved are championed by the media and seemingly rewarded for their infidelities. Rock stars, movie stars, golfers, senators, governors, and presidents alike have been linked in scandal to affairs, but the public keeps adoring them.

Recently one country music star married the ex-husband of her best friend, who had an affair with the country music star's husband. Both got divorced and married the others spouse. Confused? I know I was. There are children involved and you have to wonder what message this sends to them. "It's OK, daddy and I just switched partners, but we still love you." Can you imagine how messed up the moral compass is for those children.

Proverbs 2 warns "avoid the adulteress." The language is plain, no mincing of words here. Follow the adulteress and she will lead you down a path that leads to death. Not all death spoken of in Scripture means physical death, sometimes it means spiritual death, but ultimately it is physical death and eternal separation from God. "The wicked shall be cut off the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it."

Like all of Proverbs, chapter 2 urges to seek wisdom, wherein lies the keys to right living. So many choose to ignore the instructions and dive right in for a few moments of pleasure and a life time of guilt.

Not to mention the consequences, both in the marriage relationship and the relationship with God. Sexual sins are an affront to the tabernacle of God. Our bodies! If we really thought about our bodies everyday as housing God, I think we would be more diligent about how we use them. But to sin against God in such a personal way is really scary to think about.

Yes, I know all sin is personal to God. But consider the reaction Christ had to the money changers in the temple. They were defiling Gods house. Adultery is defiling Gods house for those who are Christians. "If they are Christians they won't be committing adultery."
Really? How naive. I can think of several right off the top of my head that name the name of Jesus and were caught in adulteress affairs. All of them prominent in the ministry or in gospel music.

No one is excluded from the temptation of the flesh, but we do have choices how we respond to it. Some choose to say no and others choose to ignore the instructions of Proverbs 2 and give in to the lusts of the flesh. "For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead."

"When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and the knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee."

Consequences

2011-01-10T16:37:00.005-06:00

Every action, good or bad, has consequences. Sometimes we like the outcome and sometimes we would like to crawl in a hole and pull the dirt in behind us.

Nothing impacts our lives as much as the actions of our loved ones. It has such a ripple effect that it can sometimes be felt for years to come. I shudder to think of the legacy we leave by the choices we make. How will my actions affect those around me? I wonder about it, but there are many for whom this never enters their minds.

It's all about them. All about what they want, forget who it hurts or who is embarrassed by what they do and say. No amount of dialogue will persuade them to reconsider. They charge headlong, tunnel vision keeping them focused on the goal before them.

Such selfishness has no place in the kingdom of God. Jesus was always looking outward at the suffering of others, wanting to make things better, wanting them to taste the living water that only HE could provide. Never once did he think about what he wanted, only what others wanted/needed from him.

Gazing outward takes eyes off self. My sinful nature wants to focus on me, me, me, yet my spiritual nature tells me there are dire consequences for that type thinking. Jesus never once stopped looking at others, knowing full well the consequences of his obedience to the Father.

If I keep my eyes on HIM, the consequences of my actions will have a better outcome and so it would be with others. Just a thought.

Proverbs 1

2011-01-08T07:09:00.000-06:00

Of all the things Solomon could have asked God for, he asked for wisdom. Then he shared this wisdom with us in Proverbs. Wisdom for daily living. I read the following description:

In Psalms we find Christians on their knees. In Proverbs we find Christians on their feet.
The Psalms are for the Christians devotions.
The Proverbs are for the Christians walk.
The Psalms are for the closet of prayer.
The Proverbs are for the business place, home and playground.

Proverbs begins with explaining the usefulness of wisdom and instruction. Then it moves to explain the enticement of sinners and the consequences of following that path. Wisdom then cries in the streets warning against not listening to instruction.

God gave Solomon great wisdom and insight and he shares it a most poetic way. Wisdom found in Proverbs means far more than just an attribute. It is a way of life that embodies the Incarnate Word, the Christ himself.

What a great journey we take in Proverbs when we walk through the corridors of time with the great king Solomon guiding us through each and every pitfall life will throw at us and then giving instructions how to avoid them.

"A wise man will hear and increase in learning...." ~ Proverbs 1:5

Times they are a changing

2011-01-07T11:41:00.001-06:00

Bob Dlyan, most either love him or hate him, but his words are profound.
Come mothers and fathers Throughout the land And don't criticize What you can't understand Your sons and your daughters Are beyond your command Your old road is Rapidly agin'.

I don't know if I could possibly put down on paper all that I don't understand of this day and age. Sons and daughters beyond our command....sobering thought isn't it. These past months that I have not blogged, I have had time to do some reading, some reflecting and truthfully wasting some time. I discovered Face Book, reconnected with some long lost family members and friends. Learned of some friends who have long since passed away. Learned some family members are not who I thought they were and some were exceptional beyond what I thought they might ever be. I am sure some of them held similar views of me as well.

Have I learned anything worthwhile over these past few months? Yes, that I can waste a lot of time being sucked into games on Face Book. I learned I can't force myself to paint when I am not "feeling" it. The results are disastrous. I have learned that not being productive dulls the mind and your body follows along like some faithful dog. I have learned that boredom forces you to see who you really are and you may not like the person you have become. I have learned the real friends stick with you while you "discover" yourself. The friends in name only are gone like leaves in the wind.

But most importantly, I have learned that God doesn't force you to seek Him. He waits, wooing very subtly for those who have ears to hear. I also learned you can tune HIM out if you choose to and then it takes more prayer and more soul searching than you can ever imagine to renew your relationship. God wants us to want HIM. He has always wanted us, but we reject Him day in and day out with all the "things" of this world that occupy our minds.

The times they are a changing indeed. But is it a good thing? World wise no it isn't. I have seen more depravity over the past few months than I care to. More "worldly Christians" than I care to. More churches that preach watered down Bible than I care to. More people straddling the fence while claiming salvation than I cared to. People claiming to be Christian while accepting false beliefs and doctrines into their homes through other family members and entertaining them as honored guests.

Jesus went to those who needed Him, but he also left them to their own devices if they chose to reject the message. What I don't see today is "us" as Christians doing the same thing. I see us dancing around the truth in order to avoid hurting peoples feelings. I see us being afraid to tell people the real truth of the Gospel and doing as Christ did, leaving them if they chose to reject it. Instead we make excuses and try to manipulate the Word to their/our situations. "Truth is sacrificed on the altar of self justification."

Yes, times they are a changing...... dear God, please help me stand on YOUR Truth while the changes whirl around me!

Hugs and Farewell

2010-07-22T13:14:00.003-05:00

It's so tough to say goodbye to so many lovely friends, but I am being led in another direction right now. Each of you has made a difference in my life and I am so happy that we crossed paths.

I don't know exactly where God is leading but I do know that I must follow and see what He has in store for me and my family. I think time is so short and we are being called to a deeper walk with Him and wherever that takes us will be the journey of a lifetime!

I will be leaving my blog page up for a while if anyone wants to email me, you can find the link in my profile page. Of course this affects the Faded Ladies blog as well. I will not be writing on either blog.

Thank you all for all the love, care, prayers and friendship you have shown to me over the past months here. I love you all and look forward to seeing you when we are called HOME!

Until then....I will thank God at my every remembrance of you!

Rose

Be grateful!

2010-07-03T15:41:00.001-05:00

Please remember, only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you ...

JESUS CHRIST and the AMERICAN SOLDIER.

One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.

Be Grateful for both!!

Let freedom ring!

2010-06-30T22:11:00.005-05:00

Independence Day! Fourth of July! Fireworks, cookouts, hot dogs, swimming, and red, white and blue everything. All of these are symbolic of our nations celebration of independence from tyrannical rule.

Originally the Fourth was supposed to be a religious holiday. At least that is what our Founding Fathers had intended. But, year after year since the original framers of the Constitution spelled out the Declaration of Independence, God has been removed, a little here, a little there.

If you ask most people, they will tell you that America is not a Christian nation, and sadly, today I have to agree. But one cannot read the Declaration of Independence, The Constitution or our currency and say the Founding Fathers had NO intention of including God in our history.

Speeches given by great men of history show their constant intention of using God to guide them in their thoughts and actions.

Here are some examples:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. (Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776)

The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants....God forbid we should ever be twenty years without such a rebellion; what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take to arms. (Thomas Jefferson to William Stephens Smith, 1787)

I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man. (Thomas Jefferson in a letter to Dr. Benjamin Rush, September 23, 1800. Inscribed in the Jefferson Memorial)

It is vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace, but there is no peace. The war has actually begun. The next gale that sweeps from the North will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms. Our brethren are already in the field. Whey stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God. I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death. (Patrick Henry, March 23, 1775)

It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us - that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion - that we here highly resolve that these dead men shall not have died in vain-that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom and that government of the people, by the people, shall not perish from the earth. (President Abraham Lincoln, November 19, 1863)

These are just a few examples of the mindset of our Founding Fathers. They clearly thought God played a huge part in the success of this nation. The blood that was shed on the altar of freedom has been great, but a much greater price was shed on the altar by Jesus Christ. Jesus died that we may be free from sin and eternal separation from God. There is where true freedom lies.

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. - Psalm 33:12

Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. - Galatians 5:1

Freeom - Memorial Day

2010-05-31T06:33:00.004-05:00

Praise God for all those who were willing to sacrifice their lives in order that we may continue to live free in this country.

Greater love has no man than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. ~John 15:13

And Thank YOU God for the ONE who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.
~John 8:36

Hairspray and the Holy Spirit

2010-05-26T23:44:00.004-05:00

A day at the hair salon or whatever the PC term is nowadays, is something I look forward to each month. Having a short hair style I have to get it trimmed frequently to keep it in shape.

I don't know about the rest of you ladies, but changing hair stylist is almost a fate worse than death to me. But I recently had to change because of a conflict in schedules. My former stylist went part-time and it became nearly impossible to find a day or time that was OK for both of us.

I learned a long time ago if you do have to change, find someone's whose hair cut you like and find out who does their hair, which is exactly what I did. One of the ladies at church has a style almost identical to mine so I inquired about her stylist, called made an appointment and was thrilled to find out the shop was only 5 minutes from where I live as opposed to the 25 minutes I had been driving for the past 6 years. AND, she did the exact cut I wanted for half the price I had been paying. Well it can't get any better than this can it?

Wrong! When I went back Tuesday, I asked the stylist if she attends our church, because I thought I had spotted her across the other side of the church a couple of Sunday's ago and it turns out she does. Well how fun! So we get to talking about how much we love the church we attend and another lady that was there, who also goes to the church, started talking and before we knew it, we were sharing stories, sharing Scripture and just all around praising God. It was awesome! We had church at the beauty shop!

I don't think my feet were touching the ground when I left. I was so uplifted by sharing with fellow sisters in Christ. How often do you get the chance to get gorgeous and have a prayer meeting at the same time? Yep, right in the middle of all the hairspray, the Holy Spirit showed up and I can't wait to go again!

"For where two or three have gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst." ~ Matthew 18:20

Gravity VS Faith

2010-05-25T00:24:00.002-05:00

Over the weekend we watched some old footage we have on tape of one of the space shuttles and it was showing the affects of zero gravity and the astronauts floating around inside the cabin. I remembered how my grand kids thought that was so funny. One of the female astronauts pony tail was flying straight out behind her head. We explained, at the time, about the laws of gravity and how it works.

I got to thinking about it. When I wake up in the morning, I just get out of bed and start my day, with no thought whatsoever to gravity. I don't lay in bed with fear wondering, if I get up, "will it work?" I don't fear floating to the ceiling of my bedroom. I know the law of gravity and I trust it to work. I don't think about it. It's in place. I know it works.

Shouldn't my faith be like that too? Shouldn't it "just work" without a lot of wondering and thought. I should just know it's there, it is in place and it works. I should never fear that during the day I will float away to some faithless void. 1 Corinthians 4:20 says, "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk, but of power."

Some peoples faith is just that "talk." They know all the "God" words but its empty, because their lives do not reflect God's power in our lives. The power God gives us to be lived not just discussed. We are to trust that it works, because God has told us so in HIS Word.
If we are grounded in the Word, we don't have to worry about "gravity of faith." We just need to hold fast to the truth that is in us and believe that it works. According to the promise of God, our faith is secure and immovable. "We have this hope as and anchor for the soul, firm and secure. (Hebrews 6:19)

Zero gravity of faith? Not really a problem if we really believe what God has promised instead of wondering it it will work. We trust that gravity will keep us grounded, but we sometimes don't trust the Creator of that gravity. Step out, believe it, it works!

A foot in both worlds

2010-05-20T12:46:00.007-05:00

As I was talking with Deb yesterday, something came up that caused me to mention I may do a blog on light and darkness. Lo and behold the emailed devotional this morning was about light and darkness. "You can do nothing about this generation, but you can do plenty to be people of the Spirit and truth. Maintain your integrity even when surrounded by darkness and trouble. You are people of light and not darkness, so walk in the light, says the Lord. Walk in the Spirit!"

We try so hard to think we can serve God and fellowship with the sins of this world, but Scripture is very clear on that. "Be ye not equally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6:14"

Light is that which penetrates and dispels darkness. The concept of "light" appears numerous times in both the Old and New Testaments. God created light. The Bible declares that God Himself is light.

The Lord is my light and salvation. Psalms 27:1 Numerous other verses tell us God is light: John 8:12, John 3:19, Psalm 104:2.

The absence of light is used in both the physical and figurative senses in Scripture. The darkness which covered the deep before God's creation of light symbolizes the chaos in opposition to God's orderly creation (Genesis 1:2)

Elsewhere darkness, as well as light, is recognized as the creation of God. Darkness is a place for evil doers to hide; however, darkness does not hide from God. In the New Testament, the place of punishment for humans and sinful angels is designated "the outer darkness." Darkness often has an ethical sense. Scripture speaks of "ways of darkness (Proverbs 2:13), "walking in darkness( John 8:12, 2 Corinthians 6:14, Ephesians 5:8).

Darkness also symbolizes ignorance, especially of God and His ways: John 12:46, 1 Thessalonians 5:4. God's deliverance (either from ignorance or hostile powers) is described as lighting the darkness.

"No man can serve two master; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." Matthew 6:24

As Christians, then can we dabble with the occult (today that includes movies such as Twilight, games for the gaming devices, role playing on the computer in "virtual worlds, books that deal with these topics), play around in our marriages (that include virtual playing as well), take things that don't belong to us, gossip about our neighbors, tell lies when it suits us? Of course the answer is NO. There is no such thing as a "carnal Christian." We can serve God or we can serve Satan, but not both.

We are only fooling ourselves if we think we can be carnal, play around with the darkness and still claim the name of Jesus.

"Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain." Philippians 2:14-16

This Sister can preach it!

2010-05-18T22:53:00.000-05:00

This is a really amazing video. Tamara Lowe of Christ Fellowship.

An answer

2010-05-17T07:32:00.002-05:00

Wow! Talk about encouragement. All of the comments left by YOU, my blogging friends have been amazing.

This spiritual dryness or crisis of faith or whatever it is/was, I feel is over. While I am not ready to come back swinging, I do realize the problem is the enemy whispering in my ear, and I was listening.

After an amazing sermon at church, a great devotional and some "get off the pity party" advice I feel that there is still much to say and I need to listen to HIS voice instead of the voice of the enemy who would like nothing better than to shut us all up.

I would like to invite you to read my post on Faded Ladies today: I needed to post a blog on there because I have been remiss in my postings and didn't really want to do two, although it seems I am. Anyway, please read the blog on FL.

Love you all!

Decisions

2010-05-13T14:28:00.003-05:00

Some of you may have noticed my absence of late, others, maybe not. Most of you know I have been busy with the hubby and his physical therapy three times a week, work two days and church on Sunday, which doesn't leave a lot of free time. Then there is this funky, lower than a snake's belly mood I have been in.

I just hate it when I get in these moods, cause I am really not fit for human company. I keep trying to decide if I should delete my blog and start over when I feel more human or should I just lay low and wait till this "mood" passes and get back to blogging.

In this time away I have been asking my self, "Rose, is the blog all about you or all about God?" If it is only about me, then by all means shut it down, but if it really and truly is more about God and I take "me" out of the mix, then I cannot shut it down.

God's people can't retire. The job is for life, not only mine but also for the lives of others. The whole relationship with God is about life, eternal life. If I quit and one person misses hearing the Gospel of Good News, then that life is on my head. That is not really something I want to think about. I don't want to be remiss in sharing about Jesus.

But I have to be honest with myself and find out the real motive behind having a blog. Is it all about me or is it all about HIM?

Once I have this settled in my heart, I can move forward, one way or the other. I will be in prayer over this. In the mean time, I think of all of my blogging friends with much love and affection and wanted to let you know what's been going on.

HUGS!

Love this video

2010-05-05T22:47:00.005-05:00

I know it is a Christmas video, but bringing the troops home is a year round prayer. The person singing, Timothy Duff Morrison, is my cousin and we are really proud of him. I hope you enjoy this.

Amazing weekend

2010-05-03T20:08:00.005-05:00

This past week end was amazing. There was a three day Prophetic Conference at our church and the guest speakers were really good. We also had a special treat Sunday morning. Two time Dove Award winner Kari Jobe sang and we were all blessed by her God given talent.

During the service Sunday morning, one of the speakers pointed at my hubby and asked him to stand and asked him if his name is Jimmy. My hubby said, no, but that is my brothers name. The speaker then went on to say, that the word he had from the Lord was that my hubby would lead his brother to salvation and bring him out of the darkness. We both looked at each other and were thinking "WOW." Jimmy is so bound in doctrinal errors and false beliefs in a cult religion. We have been praying for him and were amazed that this stranger could know this, other than by divine revelation.

Then we listened to another speaker who was talking about the Ark of the Covenant(the mercy seat) and about when David was bringing the Ark back to Jerusalem on the ox cart. The cart tilted and Uzza, of the men reached out to steady the Ark and was immediately struck dead. On the surface it seems such a harsh punishment for trying to do a good deed.

But, when you read the instructions that God gave about how to carry the Ark in Joshua 3 you get a better understanding of the problem. They disobeyed God. Then the speaker said, "God would not be carried on something man made, he was to be carried on the shoulders of HIS creation, not man's creation. " Wow, that was one of those "light bulb" moments! The connection for this was that we, His creation are to carry the Word of the Lord, to tell about the "MERCY" of God.

We were so blessed by all that we heard!

"It is too small a thing that you should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel. I will make you a light of the nations so that MY salvation may reach to the end of the earth." ~ Isaiah 49:6

Sounds familiar - a voice from the past

2010-05-01T10:46:00.005-05:00

President John Kennedy once said to a assembled group of scholars in the White House, "I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent, of human knowledge, that has ever been gathered at the White House - with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone."

The following Jefferson quotes below could prove his point.

**********
The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not. ( I didn't know Jefferson knew Obama)

I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.

My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.

The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

********************

In light of the present financial crisis, it is interesting to read what Thomas Jefferson said in 1802:

Banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around banks will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.

Sounds eerily familiar to what is happening in America today! The sad part of it all is another quote that Jefferson said, which may be an indicator of what is needed!

"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."

Lest someone get the wrong idea, I am not suggesting killing anyone, but I am saying we had to fight for freedom from tyrants once before and the way this country is headed we may have to do it again if we are to remain free. God has his hand on all this, and if we do not start remembering this country was founded on Godly principles and beliefs then we are headed for disaster.

Jammed printer

2010-04-30T07:01:00.008-05:00

I know most of you are probably like me, love your computer/printer as long as it all is working. Now for myself, it is even more taxing because I am techie challenged so please don't put me on the phone with the person from support to walk me through fixing the problem.

Usually, talking with them only adds to my frustration because I begin to feel even more inadequate than I felt when I first called and had to ask for help. Oh how, I wish I could have been the person making the call for help with this repair!

Caller : Hi, our printer is not working.

Customer Service: What is wrong with it?

Caller : Mouse is jammed.

Customer Service: Mouse? Printers don't have a mouse you fool!

Caller: Mmmmm??.. Oh really?... I will send a picture!

You gotta love it!

Wonders Never Cease - Book Review

2010-04-27T13:55:00.001-05:00

Kemp McAvoy had a foolproof scheme, or so he thought. This doctor wanabe is arrogant, rude and self absorbed and thinks he has it all figured out. As a night nurse, his sole patient is an aging movie star who is in a coma from an automobile accident. All Kemp has to do is use a few placed bright lights, adjust her meds and when she wakes from her coma she will think she has had a heavenly visitor. Then they will have a best seller on her hands. It should work like a charm.

What Kemp never counted on was his girlfriend Natalie’s six year old daughter, Leah who sees real angels and the consequences that can result from impersonating angels.

Leah tells others about the angels and her mother, her teacher and the school counselor think there is a deeper problem. But what? He mother is trying to juggle her job, motherhood and a less than supporting self absorbed boyfriend in Kemp. Leah’s teacher thinks she just a vivid imagination and the school counselor thinks there are deeper problems. He thinks she has issues as a result of her parents divorce or something more sinister with her relationship with her mother’s boyfriend. The counselor even suggest to Natalie that Leah may even have a brain tumor.

As the story progresses with Kemps determination to make the movie star believe she sees angels, more characters are introduced and each plays an important part in the outcome of this get rich quick scheme.

Only six year old Leah believes there are angels and that she sees them. When Leah’s nanny abruptly quits, leaving Natalie no choice but to bring her daughter to work with her at night, leaving Leah free to roam the halls of the hospital that angelic encounters increase, the real and the not so real. One seemingly angelic person is Emmet, the night janitor, who takes an interest in the precious child.

Tim Downs, author of “Wonders Never Cease” keeps you turning page after page in this entertaining novel. His cast of characters is interesting. Some of them you love and some you can’t stand. This is a real easy read and I finished reading it in one day. I couldn’t wait to see how the good guys defeat the bad guys and to find out if Leah is really seeing angels or is it something much different.

Thomas Nelson publishers has made reading a delight for people like me who love to read. This is my second book I received for free as a book reviewer through Book Sneeze, a part of Nelson Publishers.

The real Earth Day

2010-04-22T09:43:00.003-05:00

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth ~ Genesis 1:1"

That was the real earth day!

All things new

2010-04-20T10:14:00.002-05:00

How many times have you heard an old song that transported you back to a place in time, that you wish you could return to? More than one person would like to be able to turn back the hands of time, to a day that use to be, or maybe a time that never was, but we wished it to be. We'd like to go back to before a decision was made, to before a loss was felt, to before a word was spoken.

How can we begin again? The life-cycle of a butterfly is an interesting study in beginning again. At one time the butterfly was nothing more than a caterpillar in a cocoon. In its dark cave something happened to the worm. Wings were formed and delicately painted. A metamorphosis, a change of life, transpired.

For us humans, that will never happen. We can't become something else, but we can begin again. We can go beyond our past, Jesus called it a "new birth." I cannot explain the new birth anymore than I can explain the metamorphosis, but I know something happens. People who have given up on themselves, suddenly have renewed hope and a purpose in life. Attitudes change. Habits change. God performs a work of grace in a person's spirit.

Helen Keller once said of her blindness, "I do not understand it, but I have learned the overcoming of it." Why should we long to go back, when we can go forward? Why long for the past when we have the newness of today and tomorrow? Our God is One who makes ALL things new - even us!

Believe it and be blessed.

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things have passed away; behold all things are become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17

Aim at heaven

2010-04-16T06:41:00.003-05:00

I have a book of wonderful quotes, sayings and devotionals from various notable Christians. Here is one of my favorites from C. S. Lewis.

"If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for this present world were those who thought most of the next.

The apostles themselves, who set out on foot to convert the Roman Empire, the great men who built up the Middle Ages, the English evangelicals who abolished the slave trade, all left their mark on earth, precisely because their minds were occupied with heaven.

It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become ineffective in this one. Aim at Heaven and you will get earth "thrown in." Aim at earth and you will get neither."

Book Review

2010-04-14T14:28:00.005-05:00

I recently joined Book Sneeze. In doing so, I am entitled to receive free books in exchange for writing a review of the book I read. This is such a good deal for me, because I love to read and what better way than to receive free books in the process.

This review is of my first book entitled “Will The World End In 2012?” by Raymond C. Hundley, PH. D. With all the hype over the Mayan Calendar and the movie”2012” this seemed a logical place for me to start.

Hundley uses 10 basic arguments that are currently circulating about the end occurring in 2012. As he dealt with each theory, he opened it with a brief story that involves the theory being discussed, then launched into the facts presented by those who agree or disagree with the particular theory.

I must admit, I was not aware there were 10 popular theories, from the Mayan Calendar to Religious predictions.In reading this book, I learned of some that I had never heard of. Hundley gives you quite a bit of information with regards to each theory and then finishes his book with an epilogue to Christians where he reminds us, God is the only one who knows the "when" of the world ending.

The epilogue, in my opinion, was worth the whole book. As Christians, we are told to be prepared, no matter when the end comes and Hundley outlines how to do just that.

It was a good,though some times tedious (due to all the facts) read. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in the discussion of 2012.

R E S P E C T

2010-04-12T06:57:00.005-05:00

" .....find out what it means to me. All I ask from you is just a little respect...." . Aretha sure struck a nerve with many women, when she sang that song. The desire to be respected.

There is a story about a car salesman who shot himself in the foot, figuratively, by not giving a woman respect. She was single, had cash to buy a car, but he thought all she could comprehend was the lighted vanity and the color of the vehicle. Then as if that were not enough, he said, "Honey, (you gotta love that), bring your husband in to approve it." He sealed his fate with that comment.

Sometimes we Christians fail to do the same thing, give respect. We sometimes approach the troubled and dying as if we have all the answers and they don't even know the questions. We demean them by ignoring what few questions they may have, we look away from their suffering and tell them, "all you have to do is believe."

Paul admonished us to be prepared to give the reason for the hope that is in us." (1 Peter 3:15) When we are questioned about it, we just admonish, "believe, stop doubting." I know we don't deliberately mean to offend, but if we want to help people find their direction, we have to meet them where they are.

Jesus did that with Peter after the Resurrection. The disciples had lost all hope and returned to their previous jobs. They were out fishing, when Jesus came walking out on the water to meet them. He met them where they were, in doubt, confused, not catching any fish and wondering what had gone so terribly wrong.

Respect draws people to the truth. When given time, people find the way to the truth. We have to honor/respect the search and by doing so, honor the image of Christ within.

God will provide- Isaac and Calvary

2010-04-02T00:45:00.006-05:00

Then God said, ‘Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.’” Genesis 22:2

Here is the story of when God tested Abraham’s faith. He told Abraham to take his only son Isaac to a mountaintop and sacrifice Isaac. Fortunately this was only a test, so when Abraham was ready to kill Isaac, God intervened and provided a ram as a substitute for Isaac.

Compare the story of Isaac to Jesus and the gospels. There are astonishing parallels: Like Jesus, Isaac was miraculously conceived. Sarah, Isaac’s mother, was 90 years old when she bore Isaac and had been barren all her life; Abraham was 100 years old (Genesis 17:17).

Like Jesus, Isaac was his father’s beloved son (Genesis 22:2).
Like Jesus carried the cross, Isaac carried the wood for his own sacrifice (Genesis 22:6).
Like Jesus spending three days in the tomb before the resurrection, the journey to Moriah took three days (Genesis 22:4).
The ram (sacrifice) had it’s head caught in a thicket (thorns). Jesus (the lamb) wore a crown of thorns.

Irenaeus, Tertullian, Clement, and Origen cited the Isaac-Christ parallels. Tertullian saw the firewood Isaac carried as a figure of the cross and emphasized Christ’s self-sacrifice: “Accordingly, to begin with, Isaac, when led by his father as a victim, and himself bearing his own ‘wood,’ was even at that early period pointing to Christ’s death; conceded, as He was, as a victim by the Father; carrying, as He did, the ‘wood’ of His own passion.”

That is not all! Where is mount Moriah? The region of Mount Moriah is once again mentioned as the location where Solomon built the temple: “Then Solomon began to build the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to his father David The location of the temple is in the same mountain range as where centuries earlier Abraham was commanded to go to sacrifice Isaac. The threshing floor of Araunah is described in 2 Samuel 24:15-25 and is the site currently known as the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

It is not on the top of the mountain, but at a saddle point about 1,500 feet southeast of the actual peak. The mountain peak itself is just outside the walls of Jerusalem as it was in the time of Jesus. That mountaintop, likely the actual location where Abraham was commanded to offer Isaac, was known in the time of Jesus as Golgotha; we now know it better as Calvary!

In the words of Genesis 22:14: “So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, ‘On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.’”
Not only are the parallels between Isaac and Jesus striking, but it is also compelling that Abraham is commanded to travel to the same area where we now know Jerusalem to be. Possibly this is even the same mountaintop where two thousand years later Jesus was suspended on the cross as a sacrifice for all people.

There is no way Moses, when he wrote Genesis, could have known the future location of Jerusalem . The site for the temple was revealed to David about five hundred years later, and the location of the crucifixion was chosen by the Romans (who preferred a prominent spot just outside the city walls for the maximum effect) fifteen hundred years after the Abraham – Isaac incident was recorded. There are no coincidences in the Word of God. Everything was done with a purpose in mind.

How amazing it is when you start putting it all together to see the whole picture.

CleoCATra

2010-03-31T16:53:00.002-05:00

Here is our cat, Cleo, looking through the glass front door. The white spot is an Easter decoration, those clingy things. She adopted us last year. As you can see she is a long hair tabby. She looks really fat, but its all fur!

This is her ignoring me because I wouldn't let her in. Even if I opened the door, she would scoot in and dart right back out. She is an outdoors cat and freaks out if you start shutting the door. I think she tries to make me feel guilty because I don't live outside with her.
I went out to take some pictures of my spring flowers and she was right in the middle of everything. Every step I took, she was there. The leaves are raked ready to be moved to a compost pile. Naturally she had to get in the middle of them.

She was wondering when I was going to be done taking pictures

Visit to a dairy farm

2010-03-31T10:04:00.007-05:00

This past weekend we went to a dairy farm about 40 minutes from our house. They have a cute store front where you can buy milk, eggs, butter, cheese and soaps. It was really cute but I failed to take a picture of the store. Towards the back of the store they had a holding pen with the calves in it and some puppies. We had our oldest great grandson with us and he was so excited to see the "tows" (he can't say the "C" , instead it is "T") up close.
This is one of the most adorable calves. It had just been born a couple of days prior.This is a couple of the other calves when we first got inside the barn.
One of them wanted a closer look!
At first he Tim was a bit shy with them, but as you can see in this next pic, he has his hand inside the cows mouth, feeling its tongue.

Then he started chatting with the cows. "Hey are you listening?"

I got to go...."give us a KISS!"

It was such fun with him there. We enjoyed loading up on all the homemade soaps and jellies and of course the cheeses, milk and butter. It was a wonderful day out and the weather was perfect.

For all the pet lovers out there!

2010-03-30T13:14:00.003-05:00

For those of you who have pets you will appreciate the humor in this. I received it in an email.

The following was found posted very low on a refrigerator door.

Dear Dogs and Cats: The dishes with the paw prints are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and/or food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.

The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Racing me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort, however. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other, stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out on the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.

For the last time, there is no secret exit from the bathroom! If, by some miracle, I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge in an attempt to open the door. I must exit through the same door I entered. Al so, I have been using the bathroom for years - canine/feline attendance is not required.

The proper order for kissing is: Kiss me first, then go smell the other dog or cat's. I cannot stress this enough.

Finally, in fairness, dear pets, I have posted the following message on the front door:

TO ALL NON-PET OWNERS WHO VISIT AND LIKE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT OUR PETS:

(1) They live here. You don't.
(2) If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. That's why they call it 'fur'-niture.
(3) I like my pets a lot better than I like most people..
(4) To you, they are animals. To me, they are adopted sons/daughters who are short, hairy, walk on all fours and don't speak clearly.

Yeah, I know....

2010-03-27T07:34:00.004-05:00

I know, I am remiss in posting an update on the hubby and yes I have no excuse, because I have managed to squeeze in a few blogs since his surgery. Having said all that, here is the update.

He is doing so good! It is amazing the transformation. So many people have commented they can tell he is better because they no longer see the pain all over his face.

Here we are almost 8 weeks after the surgery and he is like a racehorse at the starting gate...waiting to get OUT! The first three weeks or so at home were taxing to say the least. I had to do everything. He was not able to manage more than getting up, with a lot of assistance, and going to the bathroom. That's it. My daughter is here helping out. I don't think I could have managed with out her. When you think about all that you do in a day, all the small things suddenly become big, because you are doing them for yourself and someone else. 24/7 care is tough and I know many that do it with no end in sight. God bless them and strengthen them.

The hubs has now moved from his walker with no wheels (hospital issue) to his rolling walker and this week he was told to alternate between the rolling walker and his cane. YAY!!! He was getting physical therapy in home for a while but now we go out three days a week for his therapy. I think I am a bit jealous cause he is using all that exercise equipment and getting into shape. He looks really good. Gosh, I guess I have to move it, move it, move it. if I want to catch up. Can't have the hubs looking better than me *wink*.

Since the weather has warmed up he has enjoyed going outside and walking around the yard a bit. He wants to do so much and I am constantly saying, STOP! You can't do that yet. I was chatting with Deb the other day, and he was outside and I heard the lawnmower crank up. My heart jumped into my throat as I raced to the door. There he was behind the push mower! I yelled over the noise and said, "YOU BETTER NOT" in my best mommy voice. He said, "Relax, I am just making sure it runs OK after sitting up all Winter." MEN!

Then I wondered who he thinks is going to use the push mower. MOI??? Surely not. "I don't know nuthin bout no push mowers." That's what we have grand kids for.

Each day I can see him improving so much. It really is a blessing. He is off the narcotic pain meds he was taking before the surgery. He was in so much pain he was taking 40mg a day and it was doing nothing to relieve the pain. He took some mild pain killers after the surgery and now is off all pain relievers. Praise God!
I know he is as ready to be independent as I am for him. At least now there is an end in site. We go back to the doctors for a follow up in about three weeks.
We are looking forward to what they tell him and hopefully he will be released then.

I would go put on my little nurse uniform (OH stop, you know I am joking)
but that would give him heart failure or he may fall over backwards and we don't need to start over so I guess I will just keep on the jeans and t-shirt and fore go dressing up.

Thanks for all your prayers and support. It helped more than you know!

The shortness of Time

2010-03-25T09:26:00.004-05:00

I really enjoy those quiet moments, when you can kick-back, drink some coffee and just take in the moment. Memories sometimes flood my thoughts, maybe of times spent with family, or vacations or just pondering life in general. I look at the photos on top of the piano of our kids, grand kids and great grand-sons and I wonder where the time went.

Wasn't it just yesterday I was a young girl flying so high on my swing that I was sure my toes would touch the sky. What happened? How quickly it has all passed by. As I reminisced, I wondered had I taken any days for granted? Had I allowed the complexities of daily life cause me to be too busy, too hurried, or so stressed out that I missed what is really important.

The apostle James notes, "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." (James 4:14) How true that is. God gives us 24 hours in a day. We get to choose how we spend them. Are they wasted or do we fill them with things that matter, appreciating the time, seizing and making the most out of every moment?

As I grow older, I find the minutes, hours, days and weeks seem to fly by. I sometimes feel like shouting "WAIT, I have more to do!" I want to savor each moment, knowing it will soon be lost in the vastness of eternity, never to come my way again.

I know my days on earth are brief. Eternity is what really counts. Where will it be spent? What choice has been made with the gift of eternal salvation? Jesus endured the cross to guarantee mine and your place in His Kingdom, but it requires choosing to accept the gift or decline it. Life is fleeting. The end is drawing near. There is not one precious moment than can be wasted!

"You have made my days a mere hand breadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a breath. ~Psalm 39:5

Show me some ID

2010-03-24T08:25:00.003-05:00

If you want to write a check, use a credit card, check into a hotel, rent a car, receive medical attention, or travel in and out of the country, you must have documentation proving your identity.

There are all sorts of documentation. Dog tags, drivers licenses, passports, birth certificates, Social Security cards, press passes and so on. Companies have name badges, most with photo ID's. Even newborns are now given a SS# before leaving the hospital.

For the Christian, those who have answered the calling of the Holy Spirit, we are identified with Christ Jesus. We belong to Him. He knows our names, he has written and sealed them in the Book of Life. We don't need ID bracelets or badges with photo's on them, no account numbers, passports, or birth certificates in heaven. God knows who we are.

"The Lord knows those who are his" (2 Timothy 2:19). Jesus redeemed us at Calvary. We have been bought and paid for by His blood, shed on the cross for us. That's the only ID we need!

Epistemology?

2010-03-22T08:38:00.008-05:00

I bet you can't say that real fast, three times. The definition of epistemology is: Defined narrowly, epistemology is the study of knowledge and justified belief.

Justified belief! Do you think our beliefs are going to come into play anytime in the near future, much less having to justify them? Is this nation perishing from lack of knowledge?

The day after the passing of the Healthcare Reform Bill the answer is a resounding YES! We are sitting on the precipice of destruction in this country. Socialism/totalitarianism is coming down the pike and we haven't even begun to know how bad things are going to change.

So, as Christians, how will we handle all of this?If you don't think it's going to affect your beliefs in any way, my dear friend you are living in a dream world. The stakes are enormous. This president and this congress are determined to circumvent the wishes of the people and force their beliefs and ideals down our throats and this health care bill is just the beginning. Big brother is telling us they know better . They know what we need better than we do.

Don't get me wrong, I know God is in control, but does God expect us to lay down and wait for His return? Is that we are called to do? NO, we are called into battle. To gird our loins! The Bible tells us we are battling principalities and powers and it's not for the faint of heart. We battle by praying down all of heaven. We battle in the voting booths. We battle by not sitting idly by and watching this nation be plunged headlong into something totally contrary to what our founding fathers had in mind.

Prayer has changed the outcome of many a battle and if ever there was a need in this nation for prayer, fervent prayer, it is now. I hope that you will join with me in praying for our Nation. We need to be involved, not just sit by and wring our hands.

When adversity strikes, and it has, we must remember our principles and why we hold them dear. Philosophers refer to this thought process as epistemology, the rest of us call it common sense.

Please join me in prayer for a change in this nation and not the one our current president promised, but one that shows the hand of the Almighty God at work, turning the tide of immorality and anti-God justice system on it's knees.

"If My people, who are called by My Name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14

A peaceful place

2010-03-18T12:49:00.005-05:00

Every day we are seeing more and more reports of nature's destructive forces, wars, and overall chaos, world wide. We hear from friends and family and associates all that is wrong in their lives and if you are like me you find yourself overwhelmed at times.

It's in those times we need to take breaks and find a peaceful place. Not so much a logistical move, but a move of the mind and spirit. To be quiet and reflect. All these daily distractions are beyond our control. We have to look to the truth that is above and beyond the current situations. We have to seek the presence of God and his power.

Our quiet times put us in touch with spiritual truths for all people and it renews our faith and gives us strength. His time of refreshing gives us peace when chaos is spinning all around us.We can then interact creatively with the divine plan God has for us.

"The Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your needs in parched places."
~Isaiah 58:11

Exclusive Membership has a price

2010-03-16T07:16:00.004-05:00

There are certain privileges that accompany association:

If you are a member of AAA, you get hotel discounts
If you are affiliated with and airlines frequent flyer club, you get bonus miles for free travel
If you work at a fast food restaurant, you may get to eat French Fries for free

If you are a retail sales clerk, you may get an employee discount

Many people think they have similar exclusive "membership benefits" if they associate with God. They think there is some providential protection that surrounds everyone who believes in Him. They believe a guardian angel will protect them from trouble, tragedy and turmoil. Too bad for them - guess they didn't read the fine print in the celestial contract.

The fact is, God does not insulate those He loves from pain and suffering. God allowed his own son Jesus to suffer. If you are unclear about how Jesus suffered, read Matthew,Mark, Luke and John's account of the crucifixion. The movie, "The Passion of the Christ" gave us a bit of a visual, but I imagine it was much worse than the movie portrayed. But Jesus wasn't alone in suffering. Most of his close followers endured torture and/or painful deaths:

Stephen and Matthew were martyred
Luke and Philip were both hanged
Mark was dragged to his death in the streets of Alexandria
John was dunked into a pot of boiling water
Bartholomew was killed by having his skin ripped off while still alive

All of these men loved God. But if you were making up a recruiting brochure for being a Christian, you sure wouldn't include those stories. Their treatment runs contrary to our notion that God shelters those he loves from ANY harm. We tend to decorate our concept of God with thoughts of love, peace and blessings only. While those things are true about God, he is not the one-dimensional being we have made up in our minds. We need to expand our understanding of God. The Bible tells us to rejoice when hardships come our way:

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. ~James 1:2-4

God doesn't want us to rejoice in suffering because he has some perverse sense of humor. He wants us to realize our struggles drive us closer to Him. Difficulties force us to seek God, otherwise if our tranquil circumstances, we may totally ignore Him. Trials impress upon us our NEED for God. It exposes our lack of self-sufficiency, and we realize our need for HIM.

Just remember:

Easy times can make you spiritually indifferent, but hard times make you spiritually dependent.
Satan wants your life to be easy and complacent so you loose focus on God.
Loving God doesn't exempt you from troubles, but it does enable you to endure them and God promises we won't go through them alone
The Bible says rejoice in your troubles. Even when life gets bad, we still have something worthwhile to cling too.

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed to us. ~ Romans 8:18

His promise

2010-03-11T00:20:00.004-06:00

The creator of our universe, the commander of heaven's army, fell on his face in Gethsemane. Jesus cried out in anguish for the "bitter cup" to pass.Despite the divine rights he could have claimed, our Savior came to his heavenly Father on his knees, on his face, in utter dependence, submitting fully to the Father's will.

He knew the agonies that lay ahead, but he prayed, trusting his Father's love and he trusted the promise that death would be released at the proper time.

God kept his promise and the risen living Savior acts today on our behalf when we are surrendered to His will. When we cry out, he hears our prayers, because we bear his name...Christ - ians. We may not see the results right now, we may feel we are getting nowhere, but no matter what we see or feel, Jesus is at work. We have the promise of HIS WORD!

Do not be afraid....I am the Living One: I was dead, and behold I am now alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. ~ Revelation 1:17-18

When we cannot understand

2010-03-09T08:11:00.003-06:00

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith Jehovah.For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
~ Isaiah 55:8-9

No matter how hard we try, we can never fully understand God. A god we can understand is not really God at all. We see His handiwork; we can feel His presence; we can worship His Son; but we lack the capacity to comprehend a being of infinite power and infinite love. Someday, we when we are called home, we will understand, but until then we must trust Him completely.

The journey through life leads us over many peaks and valleys. When we reach the mountaintops, we find it easy to praise God, to trust Him, to give thanks. But when we are walking through the dark valleys of bitterness and despair, trusting God then becomes more difficult.

When our courage is tested to the limit, we must lean on God's promises. And we must remember that God rules both mountaintops and valleys --with limitless wisdom and unchanging love --now and forever.

Father God, helps us to learn to lean completely on you and not depend on our own wisdom on the mountaintops or in the valleys. Help us during the times when life makes no sense and we cannot understand. You alone are able to sustain us. It's you alone Lord!

Creeping compromise

2010-03-04T05:56:00.008-06:00

I am not even sure how I can say what I feel about this. Talk about having to call every thought into captivity in order to NOT say the first thing that pops into my head. Coming home from work a couple of days ago, I was riveted to my seat listening to my radio. The information that was being shared by the guest was overwhelming at best. One more time I wished for a digital recorder.

I like to think that I am "up" with things that are going on, but it became very clear to me that I really have no clue how far down this country is being dragged. While I could go on my "present administration" tirade I think the following will speak for itself!

It appears the Department of Defense Missile Defense Agency has a new logo. I looked it up and you should too, don't take my word for it.Check out the snazzy new logo! It appears to be a mixture of Obama's campaign logo and an Islamic crescent. Coincidence? I think not. Especially when you see the next picture.

The photo below is a picture of the logo of the Iranian Space Agency. I know this will not be lost on you. The similarities are to great to0 be ignored.

Can this really be happening? Are we being blended into something that we will no longer recognize as the United States of America? It would appear so! I just keep thinking how compromise is creeping into government everyday, right under our noses and nothing is being done about it. What happened to having logos that clearly said "USA" like stars and stripes, not some slick twist on the Islamic Crescent and Moon.

This offends me on so many levels. Mr. Obama promised change and President Obama is delivering on that promise. But how much change can we stand before the Stars and Stripes are replaced with the Crescent and Moon on everything including our flag. Won't happen you say? Don't be too sure. It seems like we just signaled all the Islamic countries that our missile defense program is no longer a threat.

Houston, I think we have a problem and its far more dangerous than we realized!

Marvelous are thy works

2010-03-02T23:20:00.006-06:00

The image, veiled and soft behind the curtain caught my eye. I looked at it, amazed at the beauty created on the glass, by the cold morning air. Fragile, delicate, so like our lives.
My window, now a canvas for nature, holds its creation as if to say, "Come, see what I have done for you."

I gently move the fabric, wishing to see it closer, to marvel at this wondrous creation. Breathtaking, soft, fragile, I am delighted by the handiwork and the artistry that could only come from the hand of God. I thank HIM for choosing my window on which to paint this gossamer creature.

I know it will soon be gone, only to become a memory, captured by my camera, but forever etched in my mind. I was a little sad to think that it would not stay, that it would soon be disappearing as the sun makes its way across the glass, but I also rejoiced, that it was mine for those few moments.

....Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory. ~Isaiah 6:3

Mirror, mirror

2010-03-01T09:32:00.003-06:00

Some day's I feel like going in the bathroom with my eyes closed (one wall is all mirrors). "WHO is that person?" I ponder when I see me in the mirror. At times I am not really sure that is me, because the changes to that face I have been looking at for years seems different. When did that new wrinkle appear? Why are there lines on that once smooth skin? Why are there dark circles? Where did that fresh face kid go?

I suppose on this eve of my 64th birthday, I really start looking at myself, outwardly and inwardly as well. There are times that I don't like what I see in either place.

Self acceptance is at best challenging. In the religious community it is claimed that self-acceptance isn't nearly as important as God's acceptance. What some say is that what you think of yourself isn't nearly as important as what God thinks of you.

I might agree, partially, but if we ignore the necessity of self-acceptance, then we render ourselves unable to take full advantage of the abundant life offered to us in our Redeemer.

Paul said, "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you. Do not think of yourselves more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you." (Romans 12:3)

Self acceptance is not pride. It is the proportional, "sober judgment" that allows us to see ourselves as we truly are, as God sees us. Almighty God, created us, redeemed us, called us, endowed us with gifts and abilitites and perceptions. To demean the gift is to insult the Giver.

So, instead of cringing and bemoaning the passing of time that seems to have marched right across my face, leaving its marks, I will celebrate. Celebrate not only the fact that I have reached such a milestone in my life, but also the person, the ONE unique individual that God created. Mmmm, when I put it in that perspective, those lines become badges of honor, chiseled by the hands of the creator, who keeps working on me, till I become the person HE sees.

The one God's sees in His mirror, not mine!

Saying "YES" to God

2010-02-27T09:54:00.009-06:00

Yes, God I know you loved me before I love you - Romans 5:8

Yes, God I know you have a dream for me and I want you to have your way in my life - Matthew 26:39

Yes, God, I know you ill suply all my need according to your riches in glory - Phillipians 4:19

Yes, God, I know I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
- Romans 8:37

Yes, God, I know that I am more than a conqueror through him who loves me.
- Romans 8:37

Yes, God, I know that all things are mine in Christ - 1Corinthians 3:21

Yes, God, I know I belong to Christ, and He belongs to you - 1 Corinthians 3:23

Yes, God, I know that all things have become new in my life - 2 Corinthians 5:17

Yes, God, Your abounding grace is always with me - 2 Corinthians 9:8

Yes, God, you daily load me with benefits - Psalm 68:19

YES LORD, YES LORD, YES, YES, LORD!

Let there be light

2010-02-26T10:16:00.002-06:00

Man is obsessed with pondering the beginnings of creation ever since the earth was his to explore and subdue. He has moved form observation of the earth's surface to analysis of it's atmosphere, and beyond the immediate atmosphere to the ionosphere , on, and on, to the upper regions of solar radiation, clear to the moon! Constant revelation.

The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters. And God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. ~ Genesis 1:2-3

"Without form and void," covered with darkness until the Spirit of God moved over the face of the waters. How strong is that image...it has survived for centuries in the minds of man. Surely it is a revelation of the imprint of time before there was any humanity to perceive time.

The image of the light which God has shed upon the human spirit is no less strong. From the beginning, he has moved across the face of consciousness: Let there be light!

Moreover, the miracle is never written in the past tense. It is a marvel to be claimed with each new day! Let there be LIGHT!

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let thy glory be over all the earth! ~ Psalm 108:5

Something blue ....and brown.

2010-02-25T14:45:00.004-06:00

I love nature. It refreshes my soul when I am able to get out and walk about, or just enjoy my flowers in the spring. Some of the flowers and shrubs are purposefully planted to attract hummingbirds and butterflies.

Butterflies have always captivated me with their fragile being and wonderful colors. A lot of the fascination comes from just know how they start as a not so wonderful looking caterpillar and emerge as breath taking beauties. Imagine the whole of your life changing to such an extreme you are unrecognizable at the end of the transformation. Mind you, this change takes place in a short span of about a month too (that’s how long the butterfly life cycle is).

I recently learned about this amazing butterfly called the blue morpho (Morpho peleides).the blue morpho butterfly’s wings are bright blue, edged with black. The blue morpho is among the largest butterflies in the world, with wings spanning from five to eight inches. Their vivid, iridescent blue coloring is a result of the microscopic scales on the backs of their wings, which reflect light.

The underside of the morpho’s wings, on the other hand, is a dull brown color with many eyespots, providing camouflage against predators such as birds and insects when its wings are closed. The best part is When the blue morpho flies, the contrasting bright blue and dull brown colors flash, making it look like the morpho is appearing and disappearing.

Blue morphos live in the tropical forests of Latin America from Mexico to Colombia. Pilots flying over the rain forests have reported being able to see the morpho when it is in the tree tops, because of the "flash" of their wings and the bright blue color. The morpho's group together in the tree tops to warm themselves in the sun.

We could never live long enough to discover all the beauty God's creation has to offer. I just never cease to be amazed at the splendor of this world, and this is in the fallen state, can you imagine how wonderful it was before the fall?

I just had to share this amazing find with you. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

A word from HIS Word

2010-02-23T09:10:00.007-06:00

Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagles. ~ Psalm 103:1-5

I love that verse of Scripture. We are to rise above the turmoil of our thoughts and emotions; quieten our soul and be still. God bids us to come into HIS presence where there is joy forevermore. Come and have a time of sweet communion. Come, and let HIM fill you with HIS peace. We need a time of refreshing and a new infilling of His Spirit. Come to be refreshed, restored, and renewed. Don't put it off; come now. Bask in the light and power of His love. You will not leave disappointed.You will leave, redeemed, refreshed, restored and renewed and you can then REJOICE!

Praise God!

The light in the darkness

2010-02-21T09:37:00.009-06:00

I was reading through some previous pages of a devotional and one of them mentioned how God's peace is like a shaft of light that shines on us continually.

It said, "During days of bright sunshine, it may blend in with your surroundings. On darker days, My peace stands out in sharp contrast to your circumstances."

Saturday was much like that for my family. We had the sunshine of joy celebrating my husbands 63rd birthday, surrounded by kids. The darkness came when we got the message that my aunt had died, also surrounded by kids. She was my mom's sister. Now there is only one left, my mom's brother, of the 17 children in my mom's family.

Then at church on Sunday, we were greeted by an older gentleman whose wife has been battling brain cancer, and found out she too had passed away late Saturday night. Here he was at church, praising God and rejoicing that his wife was praising better than we were. She was sitting at the feet of Jesus. He had peace, the joy of the SON was shining on him even in the darkness.

I am not sharing these things for the sympathy of a loss or well wishes for a celebration but to show how sunshine and darkness weaves itself in and out of our lives, sometimes daily. A lot of times it seems as if we are preaching to the choir, but you never know who reads your page and may read something that speaks to them about God and his love for us, and it does something to change the course of their lives.

So know you know the reason for me sharing this. We had the sunshine and darkness over the weekend, yet the peace that only God can give surrounded us. That's the peace that only the SONshine can give. Praise God!

...the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be
the name of the Lord. ~ Job:1

Some of my art

2010-02-19T23:15:00.006-06:00

Some of you read on Faded Ladies that I was involved in an art show and expressed an interest in seeing some of my work so I thought I would post it for you. I was very excited to be invited to participate in the art show, it was my first ever invitation art show and only the second time I have ever displayed any of my work publicly.

Morning Stroll

Fishing with the Master

Coming in for a landing

Golden dawn

Lady and her fan

Wash day

Watering day

Basket of flowers

Priceless Photo

2010-02-19T10:41:00.005-06:00

Some of my last blogs have been on the preachy, heavy side so I decided to lighten up a bit today. I thought this was really cute!

Potato Chips for a quick snack on the airplane ... $4

Aisle seat in 1st class from Miami to New Orleans ... $899

Falling asleep with the Lombardi Trophy in your lap ... Priceless

!

Sean Payton, Coach of the New Orleans Saints!

The rest of the story

2010-02-17T13:14:00.005-06:00

If you were expecting a Paul Harvey update, I am sorry, it's just me. I got one of those emails, you know the kind, they hit your in-box about once a month. As interesting as some of them are, I am amazed by how many people believe some of the stuff they send out with out a thought to the truth or if it's just another one of "those".

The one I got today was the "Folded Napkin in Jesus Tomb" story. I've lost count of how many times that has been sent to me and I know the people who send it mean well, but so many of them think it's gospel, when really it's just a nice story but not based in fact. Don't get me wrong, I have done the same thing on more than one occasion and one day it hit me. How do you know that's truth? Did you check? Did you dig into the Word to see if there is any validity to it and I can say, with some embarrassment, the answer was NO.

The folded napkin story is based on the verse found in John 20:7 "And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself." The Greek word used for napkin is saudarion, which comes from a Latin word for "sweat." It connotes, for example, a towel for wiping sweat. It is used in the Greek for a towel or cloth, but not specifically a table napkin. The same word is used in the story of Lazarus when referring to him having a cloth about his face (John 11:44). Most people don't use towels or the cloth used to wrap a corpse as a table napkin. At least no one I know.

When Jesus called Lazarus forth from the tomb, he was bound by his grave clothes or strips of linen and Jesus had to tell those standing by to "loose him and let him go." When Peter, goes into the sepulcher, and looks about and examines things more closely, he sees that this head binder, or napkin, was not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself: and was plainly the effect of thought, care, and composure; and clearly showed, that the body was not taken away in a hurry, or by thieves, since everything lay in such order and decency; and which was done, either by our Lord himself, or by the angels, unlike Lazarus who had to freed from his grave clothes.

Numerous Bible study sources and have found nothing about this alleged Jewish custom of the folded napkins. No have any Bible scholars used this story and illustration about the meaning of the folded napkin.

I also checked with a professor of archaeology from Hebron University, who was born and raised in Israel and a Professor Emeritus of Jewish archaeology in San Antonio, both who were friends of my father's and neither of them ever heard of such a custom.

The only references to this story that can be found are from Internet postings and emails that seem to have originated in 2007.

So now you know the rest of the story.....

Also, while I was digging around about myths I ran across a reference to the saying "God helps those who help themselves" and found that 78% of American's believe this is found in Scripture. For the record, the statement “God helps those who help themselves “ is not in the Bible it is first found in the writing of Aesop who said, “The gods help them that help themselves" and many since then have taken the words and rephrased them....but the bottom line is...it's not Scripture.

OK, I know...I am a spoil sport today, but shouldn't we be like the Berean's and study Scripture for ourselves and not be fooled by every story that hits our in-box.

Going for the Gold

2010-02-16T15:11:00.005-06:00

The Olympics always show us those athlete's who are the best of the best. During the 1996 Olympic games we saw Kerri Strug competing in the vault competition. We almost held our breath as this tiny slip of a girl, ran, hit the springboard, vaulted, and then.....

Her ankle twisted under her, and down she went. It looked as if all hope was lost. Kerri Strug, however, had inner resources no one had counted on. Limping, and in obvious pain, she went back for a second vault, landed beautifully, and brought home the gold, even on a broken ankle.

It was the ultimate of physical endurance. But you don't have to train for the Olympics to have the virtue of endurance. Other kinds of endurance are equally valuable, although not so publicly acclaimed; the stamina to hang in there with a rebellious teenager and help him turn his life around. The fortitude to weather a difficult storm in your marriage without giving up. The determination to finish your college degree even if you are the oldest student in the class. The ability to hold on to your faith during a long dark night of the soul.

The virtue of endurance is based on love. The love of the game if you are going for the gold. The love of your child or your spouse even when it seems more than you can bear. The love of learning. The love of God. First Corinthians tells us "love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails."

Athletes who are experts in endurance, often talk about "pushing trough the pain." You don't stop running because you're winded or exhausted or have a stitch in your side or a cramp in your calf. You keep going, knowing that somehow, at the end of the race, the prize is worth the pain.

So it is with our spiritual lives. When adversity comes, and make no mistake, they will come, the person of endurance keeps on going. When relationships get hopelessly bogged down, when the outcome doesn't seem worth the effort, when God is silent and the night grows dark, we push beyond the pain and look ahead to the finish line. We hold on. We endure. We trust. We keep going for the gold, that crown of righteousness. And we discover, eventually, that God is still there, even when we do not hear, the Divine whisper in our ear....."well done, thou good and faithful servant."

Passion

2010-02-15T08:56:00.001-06:00

Passion for life. The following quote sums it up."Never make life decisions based solely on money; do what you love, and love what you do."

Sadly, we live in a society that doesn't value passion. The majority, including me, drag themselves to work every day, hating what they do, but needing to hang on to the security of a paycheck. We lead, as Thoreau observed, "lives of quiet desperation," resigned to a routine existence, finding little joy even in the company of those we love the most.

As Christians, however, our perspective on the ordinariness of life is radically altered by the cross, and by our participation in the work of God. "Whatever you do," Paul says, "work at it with your heart, as working for the Lord...It is the Lord Christ you are serving." (Col. 3:23-24)

We are called to be a people of passion - people on fire with love for God and for one another. And that passions, that enthusiasm, infuses our world, our work, and our relationships with divine energy.The smallest act of love takes on eternal significance; the greatest opportunity leaves us humbled and breathless in the presence of the Spirit's power.

The Spirit calls us to reconcile the world to God, to give ourselves in an outpouring of redemptive love. It doesn't matter if you are a doctor, a plumber, a teacher or a stay at home mom ---all of us can embrace the call of God with joy and passion!

Do what you love. Follow your passion. It will lead you to your heart's true home.

The day of LUUUUV is approaching.

2010-02-12T14:28:00.007-06:00

If you have been to the stores to shop for Valentine goodies in the past day or so, you see the card racks and candy shelves look as if Mose's plague of locusts had come through. We are gearing up to celebrate LOVE for another year.

Even though St. Valentine has been adopted as the patron saint of lovers, the Feast of St. Valentine has nothing to do with candy, hearts or roses. Valentine a third-century martyr, was beheaded for his faith on February 14, 269 A. D. He died for love, but not the kind of love we celebrate. He died because he loved God more than life.

The society in which we live is obsessed with romance - or, more specifically, with sex. We are bombarded on all sides with romantic imagery, some positive, some negative, but all centering around one kind of love. Eros. Physical love. "Love makes the world go round."

It is true, love makes the world go round, but not that kind of love. Agape love, God's selfless love, set the world in motion and keeps the stars in place. No matter what the world tells us, God's love is the foundation for all other loves.

True love, the God kind of love, does not bargain or manipulate or see to control. It gives itself freely as a gift. Real love has its beginning and its consummation in the Divine.

Two hundred years after the resurrection, a man named Valentine bared his neck on a chopping block for love. Not for the love of a woman, or an idea, or philosophy, but for the love of Christ, who had already sacrificed his life for love.

Perhaps it's time for us as Christians to reclaim love and bring it back to where it belongs. We need to wrestle it away from the song writers, the movie producers and return it, worn and battered as it might be, back to the lap of God. Perhaps it is time for us to do a little re-evaluation of our own loves and bring them too, under the canopy of God's grace.

When someone says, "I love you", maybe we should question them as Christ did Peter, "do you Agape me?" If they say yes, then you know they are willing to lay down their life for you.....and that really is LOVE!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Agape:

Love as revealed in Jesus, seen as spiritual and selfless and a model for humanity.
Love that is spiritual, not sexual, in its nature.

Happy Valentines Day!

Broken Churches.

2010-02-09T22:41:00.003-06:00

I was reading through a book by Dr. A. W. Tozer and was stunned to read things that were written over 40 years ago that seemed to sum up Christianity today.

We need to seek the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Man's leadership has cost us too much. There are so many unspiritual and unscriptural activities in today's churches that threaten the very life of the church.

"Where are the prophets? The church today is overrun with publicans who cry in the market place. We need the tender voice of the saint who has penetrated the veil and has gazed with an inward eye upon the wonder of God.

Many of late are praying for revivial, but how little revival has resulted? The problem is that we have been trying to substitute praying for obeying and that will never work. If we ignore the precepts written in Scripture how can we pray for revival? We are just wasting words. Prayer will become effective when we stop using it as a substitute for obedience.

Two things we are in great need of: One is to know the Scriptures, the truth of them was testified to by our Lord, and the second is to be enlightened by the Holy Spirit, apart from the Holy Spirit the Scriptures will not be understood.

Unsaintly saints are a tragedy to Christianity. How can we win people when we are irritable, faultfinding, peevish, angry, resentful, cruel and uncharitable. We are long on talk and short on conduct. We use the language of power but our deeds are deeds of weakness. We settle for words of religion because real acts of Christianity are too costly. We would rather pray, "Lord help me carry my cross" than to pick it up and carry it daily. The mere request for help for something we really don't intend to do gives us a religious comfort and we become content with vain repetition.

These are days of great religious turmoil. The world is evil and the times are growing late and the glory of God has departed from the church just as the fiery cloud once lifted from the door of the Temple in the sight of Ezekiel and the prophets.

We have created a god we can understand. He can never surprise us, never overwhelm us, nor transcend us. The God of glory revealed himself like the sun to warm and bless, and often astonished, overwhelmed and blinded before He healed and restored sight.

That's the God I want, not some predictable, wimpy god who has no powers to heal, save or restore. We have to want the God of Glory bad enough that we prepare Him a place of love in faith and humility. We need a real longing for God to return to the evangelical churches. We don't need more doctrine. But we do need the real longing of God that brings spiritual torrents and whirlwinds and self-denial.....this is almost gone from us. "

I shudder to think what Tozer might think of the churches now, considering what he wrote over 40 years ago sounds so much like what we are dealing with today. There are too many monuments to men. Huge mega churches to say "look what I did". To many whose works are for their own glory rather than to glorify God. It's all about me. Churches are concerned with how many members, while people are dying lost in sin. Statistics are more important than souls. It certainly gives one something to think about.

It's good to be back!

2010-02-08T17:06:00.003-06:00

Hi all you wonderful blog buddies. Again, thank you so much for all your prayers and well wishes. It was greatly appreciated.

As you can imagine it has been a busy week. I won't go over all the info about the surgery, because I think Deb kept you all updated at Faded Ladies. We are home. We came home Friday night after a really stressful day of dealing with people who really shouldn't be working with the public.

Stressful times bring out the worst and the best of people. For most of the week we met the best, praise God the worst came on the last day. But that is all behind us now and we are in the recovery stage. The hubby is doing fairly well. Very sore but doing good, with no complications.

We have such wonderful family and friends it is so hard to describe how we feel. Our daughter stayed at our house while we were gone. We needed someone to feed the cat and answer the phone in case anyone wanted info. She is staying with us a while to help out while he recovers. I do have to get back to the real world of my part time job this week and he can't be left alone just yet.

When we arrived home, we had friends from church come by with loads of food, cooked, ready to eat so we didn't have to cook for a few days. I shared the details of an encounter I had with Deb about a young man who was stressed at the pharmacy because of miss-communications.

He was told he didn't have to pay for his meds but the woman behind the counter who was so unfeeling could care less. When she told him he had to pay, he got upset because he was out of work, no money and really needed his meds. All she did was hassle him, talked down to him and was totally rude. He only needed $5.00. I felt compelled to give him the money. I gave him the money which nearly reduced him to tears. He was struggling with his emotions; anger at the rude clerk, fear of not getting his much needed meds and shock that someone cared enough to give him the money.

I really didn't want it to be a big deal. I just did what I felt lead to do it. When we listen to that still small voice that says do something, we really never know what the outcome will be. I didn't give him the money because I expected anything in return, but I really hated seeing how the woman degraded him for his lack of ability to pay. God honors us, when we do the things the Holy Spirit guides us to do.

One of the church people who came by left us a card and when I opened it later, inside was $50.00. I believe with all my heart that we would not have been blessed had I ignored the prodding to give that young man the five dollars. I was really stunned to get the money. God repaid ten fold!!! So amazing!

I am not sharing this for my reward or accolades but to show that God is so good and does honor when we are obedient to Him.

There is still a long road of recovery ahead...about six weeks. I will be on when I can. I miss all you guys and thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your thoughts, comments and prayers. You are the best!!! Love you guys!

Thank You!

2010-02-02T14:50:00.005-06:00

My goodness you guys have been overwhelming with your thoughts, prayers and kind comments. I sometimes wondered who this "Rose" person was you were heaping praise and love on, it is so humbling! Thank you!

Those of you who read Faded Ladies read the updates posted by Deb. I truly appreciate her for doing that. I didn't ask her, she did it on her own, because that is the kind of friend she is.

My husband is doing extremely well. He has been up twice today going to physical therapy. We are amazed at how well he is doing. The surgery yesterday was about an hour and a half and about the same amount of time in recovery. When they brought him to his room, he was like a "Chatty Cathy" doll. I expected him to be knocked out and lethargic and he was anything but that.

He was so alert, got his cell phone and started calling friends and family to give a first hand report on how he is doing. We still don't know exactly how long he will be in here, but they keep saying it looks like he can go home Thursday. Physical therapist will come to our home to keep him on his exercises for a while.

The surgeon told me his hip was terrible and just before they took him to surgery, my husband moved a bit in bed and I could hear his bones cracking. YUCK! But he has a whole new hip! Praise God for the excellent surgeon and skilled care he is receiving.

We have so many to thank for all their prayers and concerns. I miss reading all your blogs and hope you understand I just haven't had time to do any of this. I MISS IT!!!

I hope to be back in some sort of routine before too long so I can try to catch up on reading. I wanted to thank each and everyone of you for being concerned and for the prayers you lifted up for both of us. I am blogging while my husband is in PT. I just felt the need to say THANK YOU personally although Deb has been doing a wonderful job on my behalf!

Love you guys!!!

Spotting the fakes

2010-01-25T20:41:00.005-06:00

People who work around money have to be very careful not to accept counterfeit bills. They have to know how to spot the difference between a counterfeit and an original at a moment's notice. It they aren't able to tell the difference, they are likely to be fooled and consequently loose money.

Spiritually speaking each of us should be able to tell a counterfeit belief from the real thing. We must not allow ourselves to be fooled into accepting a fake (2 Corinthians 2:11; 11:14) If we allow Satan to trick us with his counterfeits we loose more than money, we loose our very souls (Matthew 16:26).

When we attend church we should know if what is being preached is real or counterfeit. Christ established the church at Pentecost( Isaiah 2:2-3; Daniel 2:44; Joel 2:28-32; Matthew 16:18; Mark 9:1; Acts 2:47), but the devil has filled the world with counterfeits.

As is the case with most counterfeits, they bear enough marks of the original to deceive those who are not careful to notice every detail. Because the devil has many counterfeits, we must make sure that the church we attend is an original, founded on the truths found in Scripture.
None of wants to face judgment in a counterfeit church. Counterfeit churches will be uprooted (Matthew 15:13).

One thing for sure, Christ knows HIS church from the counterfeit with just a glance.

We've come a long way baby!

2010-01-25T05:26:00.004-06:00

WoooHooo, from the "Aints" to the SAINTS it's been a long 44 year journey. No brown paper bags now, just black and gold all the way!

No matter the outcome of the Super Bowl we love our boys in Black and Gold!

THE SAINTS ARE SUPER BOWL BOUND! Bless you BOYS!

WHO DAT SAY THEY GONNA BEAT DEM SAINTS!!!

WHO DAT!

The day before PRE-OP

2010-01-24T15:33:00.006-06:00

Tomorrow is pre-op day for my hubby. He is scheduled for total hip replacement surgery on February 1. It has a been a long road to get to this point but praise God it is finally happening.

Some of you may have read before that we are some of those who have fallen through the cracks. Too young for medicare and too old for premiums to be affordable.When my husband lost his job (it shut down due to the economy) we also lost health insurance because we could not afford the $1100 a month premium. Then he started having problems with his hip and every doctor we went to said the same thing....." no money or insurance" we can't do anything. Finally after months of prayer for the something to change, the right set of people were put in place.

We met people at church that we didn't know, who did know the RIGHT people to send us too. They kept telling us their were programs that would help him but all we had encountered were doors being shut. It took about three months but we got into the program we were directed too, the hubby qualified and we finally met with an orthopedic surgeon who told him he has Avascular Necrosis, which is bone death. His hip has totally crumpled in the joint. It looks like confetti. Eventually the other hip will have to be replaced as well but for now the one is needing it. The program we are in pays ALL his expenses. The doctor, the hospital, physical therapy, and modifications to our home, including ramps and whatever else we need to make life easy for him.

I need to digress for a moment. Things were rough for us financially for a while but we continued to be faithful in our tithing and now God is blessing us in return. There were times we wanted to just give up but didn't, we just pushed through believing God would make a way. Trust me when I tell you we had no idea how. Hip replacement surgery runs upward to $35,000+ and then all the other expenses. All of it is being paid for.

A friend bought a rolling walker for my husband that just needs flames on it to make it complete...lol. It is fancy. It's a bright electric blue! Another friend supplied all sorts of things to assist him in being independent.

As if all this wasn't enough proof that God has his hand on our lives, there is the matter of qualifying for disability. We were told by countless people to go ahead and hire an attorney, that SS NEVER approves anyone for disability without a fight. We said, OK, thank you for the info, but we will only go to an attorney if we are forced too. The application was made back in July of '09. As you know, with an thing involving government, there is tons of paper work. Back and forth it went. We had to get Xray's, then MRI's. The images were sent to SS then they wanted their own doctors to examine him and their own images done. So we did all the things again in November and the first week of December. On December 9th, my husband was approved for disability. FIRST TIME OUT! No hassles, no denials, APPROVED!

Several people we know are shaking their heads in disbelief that he got approved, no hassle on the first try. Not only that, the same day we got the letter of approval we were given the handicap parking decal.

God is so good! He is faithful to meet our needs when we are faithful to him. I won't say it has been easy, but we really never doubted God would make a way, because in the natural there was NO WAY. We just couldn't do it on our own, but God sent us those who could.

We have been humbled to see God step in and take over but yet we expected Him too, because He promised in His word to meet our needs! I hope that anyone who is discouraged and thinks God won't provide will see that HE will supply. He will take care of you. He will give you what you need. God doesn't give us our wants all the time, but he does give us what we need. We needed a miracle in the health care area and he provided. 100%!

Please keep us in prayer for tomorrow with all the pre-op tests and especially on Monday, February 1 when he has the surgery. We know God will be with us; HE has so far.

I intend to keep you all posted as much as possible when he has the surgery. The hospital stay is supposed to be 4 to 7 days and then several weeks of therapy after-wards. I will post more about it when I know more. Love you guys and thank you in advance for you prayers!

Now the real story.

2010-01-22T08:15:00.002-06:00

I do know you should never try to post a blog before you have coffee and while still half asleep. However, I was trying to use the first quiet moment I have had since Monday.

My two great grandsons (ages 3 and 7 mons) are here this week. Their mom is gone out of state for a week (she did promise to come back) and their father, who is a nurse, works nights and sleeps days, so VOILA, here they are. My daughter is also staying and she helps with the baby.

Did I mention I am almost 64? My poor body is going, "what were you thinking" and my heart and mind are rejoicing at how much fun they are. Well, almost. The seven month old is S P O I L E D! He want's to be held 24/7 or at least entertained. If not, he screams at the top of his lungs till you come back in view or pick him up. I think some of the paint has started to peel.

The three year old didn't want to be here. If we go to his house and get him, that's OK. He can leave but it was a totally different story when mommy and daddy dropped him off. He started crying and threw a fit. I was thinking it was going to be a long week. The next morning when his mom called to see how they were doing, he wanted to talk to his mom. I handed him the phone and he put it to his ear, dropped his voice to almost a whisper and said, "Nane (that is short for his mom's name which is Shana), Nane, come get me Nane."
She starts crying, he starts crying and I was thinking "Dear LORD, HELP."

Somewhere in the midst of this I went to the church the one day I volunteer in the office and then two days to my "real job" and doctor visits for the hubby with some of his pre-op tests. That is another blog for another day.

The house looks like there was an explosion of toys, baby food, bottles, wipes, diapers and crumbs everywhere. I waved the white flag of surrender on house keeping till they leave. We keep choking hazards off the floor but the rest will just have to wait. My world of order has tilted considerably...lol.

THEN.....as if all that wasn't enough as we were coming home from my job Wednesday, my hubby's cell phone rang and I looked at the caller ID and saw it was a friend of ours and just handed him the phone but didn't say anything about who it was. I heard him say, "Yes, this is he" and I was thinking why is he having to identify himself to this person. As the conversation continued I knew something was wrong. It was a Sheriffs deputy from a nearby town, using our friends cell phone, trying to find someone to come get her. She was completely passed out behind the wheel, had sided swiped a bridge and came to a stop in a gas station, perfectly along side a gas pump. NO, she wasn't drunk, she had over medicated herself by accident. She has two meds that look almost identical and in the midst of her pain, she mistook two of the narcotics for sleeping, instead of some lesser pain pills which knocked her out.

God was totally with her in that no one was killed, nor was she cited by the officer. He said he knew she wasn't drunk and he had run a check on her and saw all the meds in her purse. We had to explain that she was nearly beat to death a year ago and has been in physical therapy and in and out of the hospital since then. My husband asked the officer his name and it turns out, my husband use to work with the officers father and had also encountered the officer through the hubby's works about 4 years ago. Isn't it amazing how God works things out. The only person in our friends cell phone that answered when the officer called was US.

We brought her to our house till she woke up. Needless to say, she was terrified when she woke up, because she had no idea where she was, how she got there or what had happened. It took some doing to figure it out, but she drove nearly 20 miles, none of which she remembers. The last place she remembered was stopping to get a drink at Sonic so she could take some pills and when she woke up at our house some 10 hours later.

Sorry this was so long, but this is a condensed version of the past four days. We truly have seen God's hand at work. The kids really have been a joy. Yes we are tired. We were also grateful to be on hand when we were needed to help a friend. We know after piecing together all the events that took place with her, that God took over that car and got her safely to a well lighted place, one block from the Sheriffs Dept. It was dark when all of this unfolded. Can you imagine all the what if's that could have taken place. I shudder to think about it. So does she. God has some real purpose for her life because this is twice in one year she has cheated death.

Well that's been my past four days in a capsule.....I hope to have time to catch up reading...but the boys are still here for two more days. Maybe then I can get all the slobber and oatmeal out of my clothing, furniture and off of me...lol. Anyone got a large waterhose?

Hope

2010-01-19T06:02:00.004-06:00

"Even now I am full of hope, but the end lies in God" ~Pinder. There is hope. The winter has been very cold and unforgiving, but even so, the bulbs planted in the flower bed are pushing toward the light. They wait for the first warmth of the sun. They push their way up through the mulch and bask in the promise of Spring.

There's hope - that poetic kind of hope that Shelly expressed so well: "O wind! If winter come, can spring be far behind?" Sometimes it's further behind than we want it to be, but it will come. It always does.

Hope, the promise of spring. Christians, of all people, should be people of hope. We have every reason to be optimistic, to push aside cynicism, and believe in good things to come. God promised that "hope does not disappoint us." (Romans 5:5)

Hopefulness ia a future oriented virtue and sometimes we get so caught up in our present condition that we can't see past the present situation. Spiritual winter has set in, and we are convinced the sun will never come out again. Our lives sometimes seem like Narnia without Aslan - "always winter but never Christmas."

But if we really want to be hopeful, we have to know that our hope is not dependent upon our circumstances, but upon the character of God. When we focus on circumstances, we really are questioning the character of God. However, if we focus on God, our circumstances get put into their proper perspective.

God has assured us that our past, present and future are in far better hands than our own. "I know the plans I have for you, plans ot prosper you, and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

Our parents called it optimism. Self-help groups call it positive thinking. God calls it hope!

So put on your boots, take a walk in the garden and listen carefully. The bulbs are whispering to one another. They whisper in the wind: SPRING IS COMING!

One of those days....

2010-01-18T07:12:00.006-06:00

Do you have those days when you feel overwhelmed, not only by your own life, but all that you see going on around you? Today is that day for me. I am overwhelmed at all the sadness and suffering I see going on in Haiti.I am overwhelmed by hurtful comments from the "christian" community with regards to Haiti. I am overwhelmed by the news on TV. I am overwhelmed by tragedies within my own community. I am overwhelmed by many things, but not all of them are bad.

I am overwhelmed that God loves me. I am overwhelmed that Jesus gave HIS life for me while I was yet a sinner. I am overwhelmed by beautiful children, grand children and great grand children, whom I love. I am overwhelmed by the love of my husband. I am overwhelmed by all that I have.

Yet, today I am a bit out of sorts. I am weepy and emotional. This Psalm really spoke to me. (Psalm 130)

Out of the depths I have cried to Thee, O Lord.
Lord hear my voice!
Let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.
If Thou, Lord, shouldst mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?
(A question Mr. Robertson needs to consider.)
But there is forgiveness with Thee.
That Thou mayest be feared.

I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait. And in His word do I hope.
My soul waits for the Lord, more than the watchmen for the morning.........

Overwhelmed, YES! Without HOPE? NO! It's just one of those days, when everything sets me off to tears or righteous indignation. So, who wants to come spend the day with me? Lol, OK, unfair question. I don't even want to spend the day with me, but through prayer and some deep breaths, things are already improving. Praise God. This is HIS day, he has made, I will rejoice!

Trust

2010-01-16T23:18:00.009-06:00

In the action-packed movie, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Indiana's quest is to find the Holy Grail, the original chalice used by Christ at the Last Supper. But in order to prove himself pure in heart, Indy must face life-threatening challenges that test him in may ways but especially his trust.

In the final challenge, Indy finds himself teetering on the brink of a deep, vast chasm. The way across, according to the legends, lies right before him. But he cannot see it. He must step out on faith, with no tangible assurance of support. He must trust what his eyes cannot see. Fearful, yet determined, Indy steps out ... and discovers himself standing on a bridge of rock, solid and firm beneath his feet but invisible to the eye.

I don't know if George Lucas is a believer, but he sure gave a perfect example of what it means to trust God. Seeing is believing, the world tries to tell us. But not with God. From a faith perspective, it is the opposite, believing is seeing.

The power of trust lies in our ability to turn over everything in our lives to someone we have not seen, but who knows far more about what lies ahead than we do. It takes strength to trust. It's not being naive, instead, its wisdom. God is faithful.(2 Timothy 2:13)

Trust in God sets us free to live and act courageously. We can forgive easily, persevere when it seems all is lost, repent and obey, show compassion, tolerance and respect. Trust gives us the power to be honest in our daily dealings and patience in our waiting.

How ironic a that a Hollywood movie could give us such a good analogy on the way to trust God. We have to step out on that "invisible bridge". God is waiting on the other side, with wonders your heart cannot begin to imagine. Step out....you won't be sorry.

Strong Son of God, immortal love ... we that nave not seen thy face, by faith, and faith alone embrace, believing where we cannot prove.
~ Alfred, Lord Tennyson

1 Timothy 6:17 - Romans 15:13

Life boils down to this

2010-01-15T00:16:00.005-06:00

Life really boils down to 2 questions!

1. Should I get a dog?

OR..........

2. Should I have children?

Either way.......Have a great day and remember to give thanks!!!

Geesh, cats are so dramatic!

Lovely Award

2010-01-14T14:39:00.005-06:00

My thanks to Jackie at Fresh Oil Today for the lovely blog award. The rules are to link back to the person who gave it to you , choose 13 people to give it too and to contact the people you are giving it to.
So here are my 13 choices:

Shirl/Sketches of a Common Life
Tiffany/Tea with Tiffany
Sonja/Bits and Pieces
Debra /And it came to pass
Katherinellen /Welcome to Kat's Corner
Jennifer/Dust Bunny Hostage
Tammy/Finally Free
JBR/Just Be Real
Sue/Praise and Coffee
Kathleen / Sassy Granny
Lorie/Encouragement from my heart
Noreen/Life's Blessings
Deborah Ann/ Heavenly Humor

So many of you bless me each day with your comments and your own blogs it was so difficult to choose. Thank you so much to each of you for being special.

Don't tamper with ignorance, it could be dangerous

2010-01-12T08:01:00.002-06:00

Don't disturb ignorance. You will pay a price. Galileo trembled for his life before the council of the church. His crime? He dared to say the earth revolved around the sun. The irate church council felt that the foundation of moral conduct would crumble if mankind accepted the idea.

Columbus disturbed ignorance, as did Luther, Huss, Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. All of them tampered with ignorance and they paid a price!

William Cullen Bryant said, "Truth crushed to earth shall rise again; the eternal years of God are hers." He failed to add that when truth is crushed, the protagonists are often carried to destruction at the same time. But it is only when daring to risk life that we can span the chasm between ignorance and enlightenment.

Jesus spanned that chasm. In John 15:18-22 he explains why he was so hated. He showed people their sins. They preferred to remain ignorant of them. No responsibility, no accountability, just do what you want. Once the error of those ways was brought to THE light, they killed him. "If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin."

Should we be surprised the world becomes hostile when you say the name "Jesus"? I think if we are spanning the chasm of ignorance, we should expect to pay a price. Jesus did!

Relaxing

2010-01-10T07:15:00.000-06:00

It's 16degrees here this morning and we have been hibernating like bears these past few days. It's been very relaxing sitting around by the fire, drinking hot chocolate and just keeping snuggly warm.

We do have the three year old great grandson, Tim, for the weekend. That part, not so relaxing...lol.He keeps us hopping, but when he goes to sleep, ahhhhh. We say he has "kissy lips" when he is sleeping and I find it hard not to kiss him. The fear of waking him up keeps me in check. I know you mom's of three year olds understand that.

I love this photo of him and his paw-paw sleeping. It's almost like Tim wakes up, peeks at his paw-paw to see how he is laying, and then mimic's him. Neat "mirror image".

Our birdbath with ice in it. Something we aren't use to seeing.

In spite of the cold, we rejoice in this day and thank God for a warm home!

Good or evil?

2010-01-09T07:48:00.002-06:00

A horse can be made lame by picking up a stone in his shoe; a cinder in a man's eye could blind him; sand in a bearing may ruin a motor; a hidden stone in a field could break a plow; a rocky reef may wreck a ship.

It was only a pebble that gave David victory over Goliath; a bit of quartz crystal is the heart of a microscope; boulders may become the keystone of a temple doorway; and a house built on solid rock is less likely to suffer disaster.

Every thing found in nature can be used for good or evil. Attention to material things may make one thrifty, or greedy, or miserly, or generous, or even criminal. A laugh may give heart or it may break a heart. A kiss can bestow love, and yet the worst betrayal ever known was uttered in a kiss.

At once the glory or curse of man is that he is not at the mercy of blind fate but exercises the choices that dominate his whole life. Even in the face of calamity, he can choose good or evil, growth or defeat, hope or despair. He can give way or make way.

We choose and we live with the choices. "But for us there are moments, O, how solemn, when trembles in the balance, and the preponderance of either scale is by our own choice." ~ Mark Hopkins

Choice = consequences, good or bad. It's all in the choosing.

Choose this day whom you will serve. ~ Joshua 24:15

I didn't know it was THIS cold!

2010-01-08T05:54:00.006-06:00

My goodness it has been cold here in South Mississippi. I am such a wimp when it comes to cold. We are experiencing 16 degree temps overnight to a scorching low 30' s in the day.

I guess I had not realized just how cold it was till I heard about a polar bear attack that took place. POLAR BEAR? Yes, a polar bear. The really bad thing about the attack is several people witnessed it and no one did anything to stop it. Instead they stood by taking pictures. The good news is, the person who was attacked will make a full recovery.

Brace yourself, here are the photos:

May your troubles always be smaller than you

Imagine

Thank God for what you have.

Trust God for what you need.

Simply Praise

2010-01-06T07:00:00.000-06:00

I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, And will glorify Your name forever. ~ Psalm 86:12

Bless the LORD, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits; Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases; Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with loving kindness and compassion; Who satisfies your years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.~Psalm 103:1-5

O magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together. ~Psalm 34:3

You and I matter

2010-01-05T09:39:00.005-06:00

There is a humorous saying "If you think you don't matter to anyone, try missing a car payment." While it may be a cute saying, there are so many people who feel that they don't matter to anyone. All of us want to matter, it's a fundamental characteristic of human nature. Babies have instinctive ways of getting the attention they need and desire.

As we grow older, we start doing a lot of soul searching and wondering, if we matter. I can't image anything worse than finding you are insignificant. That your life doesn't matter to anyone. From the cradle to the grave, we face the reality of wanting to be significant.

Some think circumstances will make the difference. "I'll get rich; then I'll be noticed." Some say, "I'll do something spectacular; good or bad, but I'll get attention." That makes me think of the young man who attempted to assassinate President Reagan to gain attention from Jody Foster.

Many find ways to gain attention, they dress or undress; work hard at their professions; study and gain academic recognition; or play really hard (extreme sports). We do all sorts of things to make people notice us.

Sadly, in the end, being noticed doesn't fill that void in the person's life. All the booze, drugs, sex, fame, honors and recognition don't erase the feeling of being unimportant. In the alone hours, it creeps back into their thoughts and mind like some insidious vine, wrapping itself all around, trapping them in their miserable lonely thoughts. Sometimes we feel as if we could drop off the face of the earth and no one would miss us.

Consider what the Psalmist wrote:

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained;
What is man that You take thought of him,
And the son of man that You care for him?
Yet You have made him a little lower than God,
And You crown him with glory and majesty!
~Psalm 8:3-5

We are all significant in God's eyes. We matter. We matter so much that God gave His only Son to die for us! Think about it. Someone loved you enough to die for YOU! When you feel down, unappreciated and unloved remind yourself of the sacrifice Jesus made just for you.

We are all significant! Praise God!

Arrrrgggg!

2010-01-03T18:20:00.001-06:00

As you can see my blog has a new NON look. I totally messed it up and cannot seem to get it back like it was. So it will stay this way till I get the energy to figure out how to fix it.

I am so frustrated with it. I am not real good with techie stuff. Anyway, another day I will try to fix it.

Ready, set, March!

2010-01-01T06:49:00.005-06:00

What is it about drums? The minute we hear them our feet start moving. You just can't keep still when you hear a drumbeat. When many of us hear the drumbeat we are almost assuredly marching in step.

Thoreau said, "If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer."

Occasionally we hear a drumbeat that no one else appears to hear. We feel compelled to move, to march, to the beat that seems insistent, urgent, not to be denied. It beats louder in our souls than any near-by sound!

Florence Nightingale felt the drumbeat so distant that others could not hear it. But the beat pulled her from the comfort of her home to the bloody fields of the Crimea. Luther, crying out in agony, "My God, I can do no other!" was impelled by a call that others did not hear. Martin Luther King, Jr. heard distant drums, that moved him to "have a dream" that most of his brothers dared not dream.

Jesus entered into Jerusalem to the constant beat provided by "Hosannas" but he was listening to the drumbeat that compelled him to the Cross.

Each of us has music that only we hear. It molds us and shapes our lives, in the causes we believe in or fight for. We must listen carefully to that drumbeat that sets our pace. We must also be aware that the other person we consider out of step with us, may also be marching to a different drummer.

Do you hear it?Do you hear the drums? March, even if you are marching alone to the sound of a more distant drum.

Thus says the Lord,
Your redeemer, the Holy one of Israel;
"I am the Lord your God
Who teaches you to profit,
Who leads you in the way you should go." ~(Isaiah 48:17)

Got your party hat on?

2009-12-31T06:50:00.006-06:00

Out with the old in with the new. Starting a new year gives us a sense of moving forward and if you are like me, you have some regrets about things you may or may not have done. But shouldn’t we really be letting go of all that has passed. Move forward without regrets. There are so many who won’t or can’t seem to do that, let go, they cling to the past. Don’t mourn over what seems lost; things have to change, but in the process we never loose God. He is right there with us during all things.

We should be looking forward with hope for the things God has promised. Peace and joy. Many people believe the devil’s lies that there is nothing to live for or hope for. The Bible tells us differently.

But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him."(1 Corinthians 2:9)

Rather than looking at things around us that seem troubling we should know that when God moves us, shapes us, changes our direction , he brings us to a new vantage point. The desolate becomes fertile.

I will open rivers in desolate heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. (Isaiah 41:18)

Yes, it is a season of change, the old year to the new year, but embrace the change. See and discern the times and seasons. It is a time of renovation and restoration. It is a time of spiritual cleaning, repairing and rebuilding. The things we see going on in the natural realm are also transpiring in the spirit realm.
Whatever the LORD pleases He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deep places. (Psalms 135:6)
What a wonderful opportunity to get invigorated and move to a deeper level of understanding and relationship with God Bind up the old things and loose the new!

And I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven,” (Matthew 16:19.)

I don't know about you but that makes me want to put on my party hat for sure and REJOICE!

To be known!

2009-12-28T15:27:00.004-06:00

Hi everyone, it's good to be back. The holiday's were hectic, but nice, however, I am glad the chaos is over. I know everyone is getting ready for New Years. We have no plans, which suits me just fine. I will curl up by the fire and just enjoy being at home with my honey!

Over the past few days away from blogging, I had time to think and do some soul searching. I don't always like what I find when I do that, but it puts me on the right track to draw closer to God when I "search" my heart. Of course with the upcoming New Year everyone wants to know what resolutions I am making. I quit making resolutions years ago. They only serve to make me disappointed if I fail to meet the expectations I have for myself.

I am more of a one day at a time person since Scripture tells us that tomorrow is promised to no one. Anyway back to the New Year's thing...many people are discussing their resolutions and some got sidetracked to discussing the return of Christ, mostly fueled by the movie "2012".

One person asked, "What do you hope for when you think about the coming of Christ?" I thought about it and said, "To be recognized. I hope He knows me!" I think it set us both back a bit. But I think if most of us are honest with ourselves, that little bit of doubt is in the back of our minds. Oh, I know where that doubt comes from and I don't dwell on it, but occasionally it comes to the forefront.

I gave it some thought and decided that I too, like the prodigal, have made a mess of my life on occasion and concluded that like the prodigal, I want to be recognized by the Father. I want Him to know me, and wrap His loving arms around me and welcome me home!

That's my resolution....to be known by the Father!

From my house to yours!

2009-12-20T19:12:00.011-06:00

Everyone of you has made this a special year of
friendship that I will always treasure.

I would like to wish each of you a very special
Merry Christmas
from my family to yours!

I may take a few days off from blogging so I wanted to make sure to
send best wishes to all of YOU!

LOVE YOU ALL!

How deep should I drink?

2009-12-20T06:28:00.006-06:00

I was reading a blog this morning by Jennifer entitled "He Opened the Floodgates." It's a lovely story about being obedient to God and sharing.

It reminded me of a story about a six year old boy who was in the hospital. He was one of seven children, with three younger than him, all supported by a single mother. When the nurse brought him a cup of milk he too a few sips and then looked up at her and asked, "How deep shall I drink?" He had been taught at home to save part of his cup of milk for the younger ones.

A searching question for the well-fed, well clothed, well housed members of churches. How deep should we drink of the privileges of the world? How deep should we drink before we consider the rest of the earth's families?

What about those world wide and in our own country who live in need? Those kids who go hungry day in and day out? Those who don't have proper clothing to protect against bitter cold? The very lack we hear about day in and day out in this country alone is an indictment against the church.

Caring for the widows and orphans was never meant to be "big brothers" job. God said His people should take care of them. Sharing what God has blessed us with, with those who have less. Saving some for others.

How deep shall I drink, in all fairness and out of self respect?

But if any one has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or speech, but in deed and in truth. ~ 1 John 3:17-18

Use Caution

2009-12-19T06:29:00.005-06:00

NATIVITY EVENT AHEAD! USE CAUTION! Imagine seeing that sign on a road way. How strange would that be? Yet, this was an actual road sign. Does it make you wonder if there is some woman giving birth somewhere in the road ahead?Probably not.

But as you travel further down the road, another identical sign,"NATIVITY EVENT AHEAD! USE CAUTION! Just a bit beyond the sign was a church that had a drive through Christmas Nativity scene on their grounds. The signs were simply warning those of possible backed up traffic and traffic re-entering the roadway.

I am sure that the DOT that put the signs up had no idea they really were speaking a theological truth.

NATIVITY EVENT AHEAD! USE CAUTION!
The coming of Christ into your life will transform you.

NATIVITY EVENT AHEAD! USE CAUTION!
Church budgets and committee structures may not be able to contain the Spirit

NATIVITY EVENT AHEAD! USE CAUTION!
God's purpose for the event was not just for the church, but the whole world.

Yes, our true hope is in the coming of The Christ, who brings blessings of abundant life; the gift of true love; comfort for our grief; a balm for our pain; light to our darkness and life eternal even in the face of death!

Purchasing Spring

2009-12-18T09:09:00.004-06:00

Winter gives us some breath taking beauty in places where it covers everything in pristine white. It sort of makes me imagine what we must look like to God with the pure white covering from the Lamb of God.

As beautiful as winter can be, it has a desolate loneliness to it, it's starkness sometimes makes people depressed and it does cause problems that can be life threatening if caught in it. I imagine there are days when those who live in the areas that receive heavy snow fall must wish they could buy just one day of spring.

One dollar, say, for a ray of warm sunshine. Five dollars for the scent of blossoms, the buzz of bees, or the feel of the warm black earth. Ten dollars for a tree full of bloom in the moonlight....if we had to pay for a day of spring.

Too bad it comes prepaid, because, not having to pay for it, sometimes we don't take it all in. There is no compulsion about it. Some people walk outside and see a garden full of daffodils and still frown about the garbage that needs to be taken out. As if frowning will somehow make it better.

How could you miss the beauty of daffodils? "Let me feel like what I see" penned J. Newton, who lived in the 1700's. One spring morning he stepped outside his door, and behold, all of nature was celebrating! He knew whom it was celebrating and he wanted to be a part of it.

Kindly spring again is here,
Trees and field in bloom appear;
Hark! the birds with artless ways
Warble their Creator's praise.

Lord, afford a spring to me,
Let me feel like what I see;
Speak, and by thy gracious voice,
Make my drooping soul rejoice. Amen.
~ J. Newton

Fling open the door

2009-12-15T23:14:00.007-06:00

Have you ever considered if God is God, by definition, all powerful as well as all knowing, why does he need us to take freedom to the captive and healing to the sick? He is able to perform His own miracles without any help from this flawed creation.

It seems, like most parents, God holds back for our sakes, like a parent who doesn't carry a year old infant around all the time in order to save him from the bumps he will receive while learning to walk. However, God, just like the parent, stands ready to answer our cries when we fall.

Jesus understood holding back. "Behold, I stand at the door and knock, if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him..."(Revelation 3:20)

Often, when we hear the knocking, we open the door cautiously, one foot against it so that no gale force wind of the Holy Spirit can blow it open too wide. We want to control the amount of God we let in at any given time.

But, what if we just flung the door open, let that fresh wind blow over us, the very presence of God, wash over us like it did at Pentecost! Wow! We would know at once it was the very Presence we have been waiting for. We would gasp in wonder; we would sob with joy! It would be too much. HE has come!

O wondrous shining LIGHT, how pale our candles in the night.
And yet we boast their shining rays.
O make us humble, LIGHT of our days.

Marvelous light - in the beginning.

2009-12-14T19:52:00.000-06:00

What is it about light? We are drawn to it like moths to the flame. It draws us, closer and closer, till we are bathed in it's glow.

I was reading about "the light" mentioned in Genesis 1 and John 1. I debated should I blog about it or not and wouldn't you know, the sermon at church yesterday was about the exact same subject and a devotional I read, yep, you guessed it was about the light mentioned in Genesis and John.

With all that build up, you would think I had some epiphany I just had to share or some huge lesson on light. That really isn't the case. Just my musing over it a bit. Light seems to be a reoccurring theme in my life of late. Some of you may remember the blog I did not too long ago about being "awakened by the light."

I believe, we as creations, long to know more about our creator. There are those who deny it and yet in the scientific community alone, you find many die hard Atheists, who continually search the heavens and the earth for proof there is no God. Funny, they are drawn by the very source of creation they deny without being willing to admit it. "Moths to the flame."

"Let there be light" and all of a sudden there was a revelation of God, the true source of light. Every since the dawn of creation man has been seeking that source, willingly or unwittingly. Since the light moved across the face of the deep, that light (Jesus) has moved across the consciousness of man as well. Let there be light! The creative mind of man quickened and has been searching every since.

When you read Genesis 1 and John 1 you see the source of light revealed in the person-hood of Christ Jesus and the best part is, it's not written in the past tense! What a miracle. It is a miracle that we can claim everyday, and have been able too since "In the beginning."

Into marvelous light I am running out of darkness out of shame by the cross you´re the truth your are the life, you´re the way!

Beyond Lies God

2009-12-13T07:19:00.000-06:00

There is a quest that calls me,
In nights when I am lone,
The need to ride where the ways divide
The Known from the Unknown.
I mount what thought is near me
And soon I reach the place,
The tenuous rim where the Seen grows dim
And the Sightless hides its face.

I have ridden the wind,
I have ridden the sea,
I have ridden the moon and stars.
I have set my feet in the stirrup seat
Of a comet coursing Mars.
And everywhere
Thro' the earth and air
My thought speeds, lightning-shod,
It comes to a place where checking pace
It cries, "Beyond lies God!"

It calls me out of the darkness,
It calls me out of sleep,
"Ride! ride! for you must, to the end of Dust!"
It bids — and on I sweep
To the wide outposts of Being,
Where there is Gulf alone —
And thro' a Vast that was never passed
I listen for Life's tone.

I have ridden the wind,
I have ridden the night,
I have ridden the ghosts that flee
From the vaults of death like a chilling breath
Over eternity.
And everywhere
Is the world laid bare —
Ether and star and clod —
Until I wind to its brink and find
But the cry, "Beyond lies God!"

It calls me and ever calls me!
And vainly I reply,
"Fools only ride where the ways divide
What Is from the Whence and Why"!
I'm lifted into the saddle
Of thoughts too strong to tame
And down the deeps and over the steeps
I find — ever the same.

I have ridden the wind,
I have ridden the stars,
I have ridden the force that flies
With far intent thro' the firmament
And each to each allies.
And everywhere
That a thought may dare
To gallop, mine has trod —
Only to stand at last on the strand
Where just beyond lies God.
~Cale Young Rice

How beautifully Rice states what man in always doing; "trying to think God's thoughts".

Man explores the seas to both poles, mapping the continents, traveling to the moon, splitting the atom, discovering the chemical building blocks of not only the universe, but the human body as well. We implant hearts and other organs into failing bodies, transfusing with fresh blood, always exploring new ways to improve the mind and body.

We are always just on the precipice, so close, only to stand at last on the strand "Where just beyond lies God."

For my thoughts are not your thoughts.....(Isaiah 55:8-9)

Is there a cow in that box?

2009-12-12T10:05:00.006-06:00

If you want to have some fun and drive your mail carrier crazy, order something that makes noises. They will love you for it, trust me. *smile*

OK, that wasn't my intent, but when the mail lady dropped off a box with some items I had ordered, she said, "This box has been mooing at me ALL DAY!" "Do you have a cow in there?"

Well it never occurred to me that I might be able to order a cow through the mail, but who knows. I had to laugh and explained that it was a bowling game for my great grandson. It looks a bit on the baby side, but he loves rolling a ball and knocking things down and he loves imitating animal sounds so this seems perfect for him, even if he only plays with a few times.

Back to the mail lady. Again, she said, "Well it's been mooing at me ALL DAY!" I think she was a tad frazzled by the time she got to our house and I know I heard a heavy sigh of relief once she handed the box off to me.

I came inside with it, mooing all the way, and sat the box on the dining room table so I could open it and make sure everything was there and nothing was broken. The ball in the bowling set, not only moo's but it plays a song that makes you think of "HEHAW".

After having this thing in our home over night I am beginning to think that ball has a mind of it's own. It moo's and plays music when it feels like it and there is NO on/off switch. Oh boy, I am so glad this is going home with them!

I walked through the dining room this morning, and all of a sudden, MOOOOOOO! I heard my husband from the bedroom, "IS that THING mooing?" I told him it was and we both sort of sighed. It's going to be a long two weeks!

The mail lady got off lucky, she only had one day with it! Steer (no pun intended)clear of those boxes that moo! There may be a cow inside, or worse, a possessed bowling ball that moo's all day.

God's Gift

2009-12-11T07:28:00.007-06:00

This time of year brings almost a frenetic frenzy to gift buying. We want to get THE perfect gift for each person on our list. Gifts come in many shapes and sizes and mean many different things to equally as many different people. We all value different things.

I read a story, that took place during Easter, about a three year old at a Community Easter Egg Hunt. You know how those events are, several hundred children looking for several hundred eggs all at the same time.

All of a sudden, there it was, a baby blue egg in a clump of grass. What excitement for a three year old! He found it all by himself and he could keep it!
Clutching the egg, he got into the car with his parents to head for home. The child in his excitement clutched the egg a bit too tightly, and it broke. Really broke! Someone had not boiled the egg, and there it was, dripping all over, the back seat of the car. The child wept in despair over the loss of his "treasure."

I wonder how many people do that with life. We search and search for life's treasures. Some of them are golden; dollar marks cover them. Some of them may be multi-colored, exotic, or some may be erotic; whatever makes us feel good.
Some of them may be rotten, but we don't know it because they look pretty on the outside. But when we begin to clutch them and hold them close, they break, and we are left with crushed shells in our hands.

God's gift isn't like that. Jesus, a gift from God, in turn gives us the gift of salvation. That gift isn't rotten or fragile, and it won't break if we cling to it. In fact, the more we cling to it, the stronger it becomes.

"The pearl of great price" is the greatest gift of all.

Romans 5:15

Christmas at our house - updated!

2009-12-08T03:30:00.004-06:00

Here are a few photos of some of my Christmas decorations. The tree is one of those slim pre-lit trees. It looks better in person than in the photo. I like mostly the traditional colors, red, green and gold. Some of the ornaments look blue in the photo but are silver.The second view of the tree is better, I think.

The piano is a very old upright that belonged to my husband's mother. The little angels on the top left are some that were made by husband's sister, who passed away last year. As you can imagine, they are very special to us.
I love these old Santa's. I found this guy at a thrift store. I have several others but haven't put them up yet.
This little grouping has two of my favorite wooden trees. The little tree in the pot is lit, but you can't really tell it in the photo. I have another one in my kitchen with some rustic snowmen.

The rocking horse is one of my favorites. It's on the mantle.

I saved the best for last. The super power Chris-moose that came to visit! He is obviously wearing the tree skirt before I got the tree decorated. I may have to buy another one because he seems to have claimed this one for himself.