Oh my! It's been awhile...

Sorry everone! Life caught up with me this weekend.

Saturday night we jammed in our 'new' basement studio. My grandkids came down with the chicken pox on Monday and last night we jammed again.

It is such fun, learing to play instruments especially when you have other people with like desire. I think we started around 7 pm and no one left til 10:30.

Even my dog enjoys the music. She guards the 'mosh pit'. Sometimes though, we catch her napping. I don't know if that's because of the sounds or she's just tired.

I tossed and turned all night, reliving the music and fun. When my husband got up this morning I told him 'I'm too excited to sleep.' (TV commercial about Disney)

If anyone out there is bored with their life, learn to play guitar. It's a blast.

WHEW!

It's the third week in a row that I've entered the writing challenges on Faithwriters. They keep my mind busy with writing. They sure aren't on the top 40 list but at least I am putting something on paper (or computer screen, anyway).

Had music practice last night. They're encouraging me to sing louder but I don't want to step on anyone's toes.

My husband and I love the song by Josh Turner called 'The Long Black Train'. I can't believe that my husband loves and sings a Christian song. God sure does find the exact way into a man's heart. My husband's is music.

If we leave it up to God, He moves through the desires of those He's trying to reach. It may be through video games, songs, books, science or whatever a heart desire is crying.

Will I never cease to be amazed even though I know God is above all and in all.

The more I know of Him, the more there is to know. Praise God, You're amazing!

Public Display

We'll we did it! My husband and I debuted at a local nursing home on Saturday.

Thankfully we weren't alone and the rest of the group carried our feeble attempts as backup.

Inexplicable joy filled our hearts as we watched the residents tapping their feet, clapping their hands and singing along. We may have been out of tune a few times but they wanted more.

We felt that we gave them a little of the sunshine of remembered times and tunes. Many wanted to know when we were coming back.

We only lost one resident during the performance. The ambulance attendents came and took one out on the stretcher. They assured us it was a routine pickup and nothing more. As they wheeled out the gurney, the one attendent danced a jig out through the doors and into the hallway. What fun!

It's a Dandy

This spring is truly blessed by God, that is, unless you have allergies.

The trees are engulfed with masses of blossoms turning trees into total color.

I hope for abundant fruit this summer. I can't wait for cherries, blackberries and pears. But that will mean that the season has started its downhill climb to fall and winter.

One thing for sure, we have piles of dandelions. How can my mown yard have myriads of yellow bursts and the wild fields have just a little?

Does that mean that the more exposed you are, the weeds grow all the more? I don't know. It sure is tough to get rid of them...dandelions.

I'm just going to enjoy the month of May. May flowers, brought by April showers, refresh my soul and cause a stirring of adoration for my Creator.

Even if they are just dandelions, the Lord God made them all.

Nailed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

'Tis the season of prom. Prom, prom....prom.

This world is getting scarier all the time. Have you seen the new fashions?

Where are the parents when these girls make the dress decisions? I can't imagine schools letting girls in the door with their stomachs and thighs showing.

I came across this picture, the other day and wondered how a person could balance themselves.



Agree?

Apprehended At Last

Someone has been eating my young hosta plants.

He exposed himself yesterday evening and we got him on film.

HURRAY! USA!

Ya know, I'm getting very tired of the news and politicians these days. I'm fed up with the propaganda fed to us about the war in Iraq.

There was a time that it was honorable to support our troops in their efforts to give freedom to some one else. It was patriotic to be in the military, to serve your country.

There are also people who say we are a country that will disintegrate from within, as most 'empires' have in the past. Sure, we're experiencing a lot of internal problems, mostly of our own making.

One aspect that cannot be denied, is that the MAJORITY of Americans are inherently STRONG, MORAL, COURAGEOUS AND PATRIOTIC. It is an undeniable fact that we can and will rise up together to defeat any threat to our country.

We all want peace and isn't peace worth any cost? Isn't the laying down of our personal lives for the lives or life of another, valuable? Of course it is.

Without the laying down of ONE life for the lives of ALL, we would have no hope of a BETTER life to come. It's what we are all striving for, if we are honest with ourselves.

That's the problem...SELF. The power-hungry want it all. They want control.

But, that's where they go wrong. You cannot control the 'will' of a person. The person has to give up their 'will'. There is no way anyone can do that because they always maintain possession of their will.

One thing about Americans...you can kick us, abuse us, attack us, buy us out, accuse us, threaten us, defeat us...BUT WE WILL ALWAYS GET BACK UP TO FIGHT ANOTHER DAY. And watch out...because the old saying goes: Beat me once...shame on you, beat me twice...shame on me. We don't like shame because we have pride in what we stand for as a country.

Americans still believe that we are One Country Under God. Just take a look at the pictures below, courtesy of Ray "Bubba" Sorensen, artist.

I'm told that there is a huge rock near a gravel pit on Hwy.25 in rural Iowa. For generations, kids have painted slogans, names, and obscenities on this rock, changing its character many times. A few months back, the rock received its latest paint job, and since then it has been left completely undisturbed. It's quite an impressive sight. Be sure to scroll down and check out the multiple photos (all angles) of the rock. I thought the flag was draped over the rock, but it's not. It's actually painted on the rock too.

Legacies

Do you ever wonder how you look to others? I do.

Can they see Christ in me?

As I wandered through the flea market on Sunday morning, I came to a stand with a lot of books. The seller had arranged the books on a table, along with jewelry and little oddities.

My husband asked her a question about a cd she had for sale.

She said 'I don't know. They were my sister's.'

Just from what she said, I assumed that her sister has died. I looked closer at the books and thought 'Is this her legacy? Is this all that is left behind for a stranger to get a glimpse into her life?'

She certainly had a seeking heart. Her book interests were laid bare to the world. Such topics as Buddha, inner peace, healing, how to get in touch with your inner self and so forth. I only saw one book about God.

A man standing next to me purchased a gold cross for $40 from the seller. Was that her sister's too?

I would have liked to know the story of this woman. If there was an ending, I hope it was salvation.

When I'm gone, what will my belongings tell others who didn't know me? Will they look at my writer's manuals and say 'She should have read them more'?

Will they find my unfinished cross-stitch pieces? How about the treasured items of jewelry from my mother?

I hope that they 'read' more than earthly objects. I pray they know that I knew Jesus.

Sign in a Diner

Serendipi-Teas

Morali-tea
Securi-tea
Sereni-tea
Integri-tea
Hones-tea
Loyal-tea
Fideli-tea
Sinceri-tea
Humili-tea
Humani-tea



Thanks for sharing a 'cuppa' with me today.

Who

Who is it lurking

On the edge of time
Ever just out of reach?

At the corner of my eye
A passing shadow
I turn…..but where?

A scent on a breeze
Stirs a memory of my soul
I turn…but where?

A soft touch
On the apple of my cheek
I turn…but where?

An elusive wisp of thought
Circling in my mind
I turn…but where?

A melodic note
From some song
I turn…but where?

Who is it just afar,
A step away, beyond the touch?
I turn….it’s Jesus.

Merciful One

Judges 10:13-16 “But you have forsaken me and served other gods, so I will no longer save you. Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you are in trouble!” But the Israelites said to the Lord, “We have sinned. Do with us whatever you think best, but please rescue us now.” Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them and served the Lord. And he could bear Israel’s misery no longer. (NIV)

How many times have we turned away from God and worshiped other gods? Our world creates advertising to lure us into desires that become our needs.

There are many comforts today that use to be just ideas. We have been overtaken by ads that claim the fulfillment of any desire. These have become our ‘other gods’.

God will let us go our own way until those ‘gods’ own our worship. Then He will turn away and allow sin to wreak havoc in our lives. Let the other gods save us. When we knock on wood or burn it in the fireplace, call upon that wood to save us.

But God will raise up those who remind us of Him and His saving grace for repentance and mercy. Listen to the prophet for he will tell you of your errors.

Repent, therefore, and confess our sins. Then tear down those idols we have cast for ourselves and turn to the Living God.

Then, our miseries, He will bear no longer.

Dropping the Word

“The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground.”
Lord, forgive me for ‘letting your words fall to the ground’. Many times I have heard you and many times I have discounted what You said. Open my ears that I may hear and my heart that I might gain understanding. Continue to speak Lord, for your servant is listening. Your Word is food to my soul. Help me to receive and store up the Truth of You. I want to capture every morsel within my being. In Jesus Name I ask and thank the Lord of all.

"Just" A Path

Scripture: “In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the roads were abandoned; travelers took to winding paths.” Judges 5:6 NIV

The above verse could read as “In the days of George Walker Bush, son of George Herbert Walker Bush, in the days of Laura, the churches were empty; worshippers compromised their values.”

The churches of today are empty of worshippers, true worshippers in Spirit and in Truth. The attendees are compromisers, those who try to live in the world and change what God says in His Word, adapting to their lifestyles.

In much of the world, I see where the laws of God are tested daily. Human cloning, embryo stem cell research, same sex marriages are just some of the issues.

We do take the winding paths. We, the travelers on the paths of righteousness, pussyfoot around the inherent truth of life. With our apathetic stances on these important issues we open our selves to satan and fail to speak what we know to be the truth.

If we would just stick to the ‘paths of righteousness’ He will ‘make our path straight’. When we take to the winding paths, we’re treading on dangerous ground.

Grab It

“Agreed,” they answered, “We will only tie you up and hand you over to them. We will not kill you.” So they bound him with two new ropes and led him up from the rock. As he approached Lehi, the Philistines came toward him shouting. The Spirit of the Lord came upon him in power. The ropes on his arms became like charred flax, and the bindings dropped from his hands. Finding a fresh jawbone of a donkey, he grabbed it and stuck down a thousand men.Judges 15:13-15

In this story Samson allowed himself to be captured by the men of Judah. (The Philistines ruled over Israel and the Lord raised up Samson to deliver Israel.)

The men of Judah found him in a cave in the rock of Etam. Bound by new ropes, his own brothers would deliver him to his enemy.

We too, may be facing a situation that is ‘new’ to us. It may forcibly try to lead us, leaving our Rock of hiding, to our destruction.

Then the enemy will come at us shouting! The enemy can only make a lot of noise, for we are covered by the Blood of Jesus. He roams about ‘like a roaring lion’ seeking someone to devour. It’s up to us to realize he is just smoke and mirrors, not able to 'lay a finger' on our bodies.

When we stand on our rock of salvation, He will provide us with fresh weapons. The Spirit of the Lord will give us the power to resist, the fire to burn off the ties that bind. He will also give us a ‘fresh’ or new weapon that is specifically designed to bring victory in our time of need.

All we need to do is to ‘grab’ the provision and ‘strike down a thousand men’. Our deliverance is at hand!

Workin' Day

Today I'm staying home. I need to get more stock on my ebay store and decided to do it today. I borrowed a mannequin from Bonnie and worked all morning taking pictures. I really should have picked a rainy day. It's gorgeous here.

Tonight I'm attending a writer's workshop at the local college. It's for non-fiction writers.

I seem to be drawn to non-fiction writing more than fiction and it's easier for me to write.

Maybe this 'season' will open new avenues of thought as I draw closer to the Lord for inspiration. Prayer before thought is the best way to write.

Effective Fervant Prayer

If you have never heard of David Wilkerson, I would recommend that you find out about him.

He pastors the Times Square Church in NYC and publishes a monthly newsletter called the "World Challenge Pulpit Series".

The words that he sends forth from God have blessed me each time I get his newsletter and sometimes it's the attached letter with it.

This month his words were about 'The Lord Has Promised to Deliver You'. He spoke about how David wrote Psalm 34 after God saved him from his own foolishness when he entered the Philistine town of Gath, ruled by King Achish. He faked insanity, which was feared by all as they thought they were demons, to save himself.

As he was faking the insanity with wierd movements and frothing at the mouth, he was praying inside...silently, fervently and passionately.

God heard him and delivered him back into the land of safety where he fled to a cave and penned the psalm of thanksgiving and deliverance.

Many times I have prayed silently and not even a 'prescribed prayer'. It has been just one word at times...HELP! Other times it was maybe five words, whatever.

Quote from Pastor Wilkerson: Sometimes the loudest cry is made without an audible voice.

God has answered them. He answered them swiftly and more acurately than I could have imagined. My brain wants to be totally surprised at his deliverance, but my heart knows it with a calm peaceful acceptance and thankfulness.

Praise God that He just takes care of us, even the smallest details of our lives. He is truly with us always and will never leave us or forsake us. We'll leave Him before He'll leave us.

It order to be called a 'deliverer' you must be one. God is the Deliverer.

Daved declares, "I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears... The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them... The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles... Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the Lord delivereth him out of them all" Ps.34:4, 7, 17, 19.

Quenched Thirst

Judges 15:18 “Because he was very thirsty, he cried out to the lord, “You have given your servant this great victory. Must I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?” Then God opened up the hollow place in Lehi, and water came out of it. When Samson drank, his strength returned and he revived. So the spring was called En Hakkore, and it is still there in Lehi."

We know the battle is the Lord’s and we are His instruments. When we finally see the deliverance and are wearied from the battle, the Lord will send refreshment to revive us. It is necessary to continue in strength for there will be another conflict, but take heart for He is with us.

One of the most interesting details in this account of Samson is the name of this spring that God brought forth out of a rock. It means ‘caller’s spring’.

Call out to the Lord and He will bring rivers of living waters when He hears our cry.

Dear Father, we call out to the Living Water. This war has left us dry and thirsting. Thank you for the victory. Revive us, oh Lord. Pour out your Grace and Mercy upon us. In Jesus Name. Amen

Monday Monday

A new day has dawned. The birds are at the feeder and the sun has barely risen.



I have a squirrel, with white ears and black circles on his/her belly, that visits my feeder rock. He is quite a messy eater and very territorial. Today, I inadvertantly scared him away, but, I know he'll be back.

On Saturday, one squirrel was so angry at the lack of his kind of food that he took the top of my wooden feeder and tried to carry it off to his tree. He got halfway down the yard and another squirrel came by. I'm sure he told him that he was being silly and vindictive. Needless to say, they started carousing and both took off towards the trees.

Easter gave me a yellow-shafted flicker to watch. Even though he is of the woodpecker family, he likes to dig in the yard for grubs and other things.


Speaking of Sunday, God gave me another gift.

I had been praying for my husband to come to church with me and He worked it out...totally.

My mom, who usually goes with me, went away with my sister. My granddaughters, three of them, went to their other parents. My husband and I went to his parents on Saturday night. Everything was out of the way.

I got up on Easter morning and my husband asked what time was church. I told him 10 am because I attend Sunday School. He said 'Well, I have some time before we go to do some other things.' He went with me. Hallelujah!

My husband is not one to express his emotions, much less his faith. But in church, when Pastor Dann gave communion, he said 'We believe that only Christians should partake of communion. If you aren't one, please let the plate pass you by.'

My husband took communion, so I believe that is his 'statement of faith'. He thoroughly enjoyed the service and the people whom he hasn't seen for awhile. He even remembers the sermon.

God is so good to give us the desires of our hearts...sometimes when we don't even ask anymore. Maybe that's when God enjoys making our day.

Imagine...

The iniquity of the whole world was cast upon Him. He became sin for us so that we might live with Him. He came into the world as a whisper and the whisper of death could not hold Him. Now, it's our turn to spread the whisper of Him to the world. He lives. In Him there is no darkness. Where He is, there is only light. The Light of the world is here.

Share...

Imagine...