sandi lou's musings

2010-03-24T13:15:00.001-04:00

i have launched blog # 2! this time it is for REAL....so go to my profile and click on the 2nd edition...sandi lou's musings too...

2009-09-24T11:29:00.003-04:00

Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name." Psalm 86:11 (NIV)

Devotion:

by Lysa Terkeurst

It is very early in the morning. Not many people are stirring yet.

Though my body begs me just to roll over and go back to sleep, my soul is stirring to get up and go sit with Jesus.

Though I can't physically see Him, I know He is present.

I decide to open my Bible to the Psalms and use the verses I read as prayers to start my day. And the more I pray those verses out loud the less I hear all the nagging things of the world. A beautiful melody of truth starts to rise up and suddenly my worries fade in the light of God's truth.

His perspective on things that are troubling me starts to overshadow my anxiety. Like shade on a hot summer's day, I feel relief in His presence.

I know that He is preparing me for what I will need throughout this day. He is already standing in every minute of my day and He sees what I will face. So, He's equipping me to be able to handle what is ahead of me with His gentle boldness, quiet strength, and loving grace.

In Psalm 81:10b, God instructs me, "Open wide your mouth and I will fill it." He will give me what to say today. What to say in happy moments. What to say in aggravating moments. What to say in moments where I feel insecure and what to say when I feel completely confident. What to say in disappointing moments. What to say in response to questions.

He also reminds me that sometimes it is good to keep my mouth closed and say nothing at all.

All the words that rumble about in my brain and those that will proceed out of my mouth, Lord, You be the author of those.

Psalm 84:1 reminds me that God's dwelling place is lovely. So, I ask God to dwell in me richly. I want Him to be what radiates about me. I want Him to be my pretty today.

Not my hair. Not my outfit. Not my efforts. But simply Him and His spirit dancing invisibly about me... shifting a wrong attitude, guarding my words, and whispering constant truths into my heart.

Psalm 86:11 is what I ask the Lord to give me. "Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart..."

Lord, may nothing separate me from You today. Teach me how to choose only Your way today so each step will lead me closer to You. Help me walk by the truth and not my feelings.

Help me to keep my heart pure and undivided. Protect me from my own careless thoughts, words and actions. And keep me from being distracted by MY wants, MY desires, MY thoughts on how things should be.

Help me to embrace what comes my way as an opportunity...rather than a personal inconvenience.

And finally, help me to rest in the truth of Psalm 86:13a, "Great is your love toward me."

You already see all the many ways I will surely fall short and mess up. But right now, I consciously tuck Your whisper of absolute love for me into the deepest part of my heart. I recognize Your love for me is not based on my performance. You love me warts and all.

Have mercy, that's amazing.

But what's most amazing is that the God of the Universe, the Savior of the world, would desire a few minutes with me this morning. Lord, help me to forever remember what a gift it is to sit with You like this.

Dear Lord, I love You. All that I have read here is the desire of my heart. I know and confess that sometimes my actions and reactions betray my love for You. Please forgive me. Thank You for Your grace that is able to recognize this new day as a new chance to walk closer with You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Goodbye blog

2009-08-25T11:00:00.004-04:00

.....here is a quickie post .....i stayed up late last nite trying to get rid of my SPRING background, being ever so disgusted with myself to have let it stay so long...and i seemingly have ruined my entire blog! i can't seem to get anywhere with it now...at least the basic history of the blog has been saved...so here is my announcement...i shall keep this blog, of course...but as soon as i get a chance...i am going to start a new blog!!! it will be titled: Sandi Lou's Musings II....this current blog is plain white, now do you think i can possibly live with a plain white blog??? uh...i don't think so, girlfriend....
...so when it is up and running...i will leave the address here!!!.....adios, for now!!

she's coming baaaaaackkkkk!

2009-08-19T10:17:00.002-04:00

dear blog....i have missed you terribly...i promise to return...i know my bloggy friends have given up on me...but i will seek them out again...i have been unfaithful, tis true...FaceBook has turned my head for a while, but it has never replaced you, dear BLOG....see you soon,
Sandi Lou

the joy of a grandparent!

2009-07-25T14:21:00.001-04:00

1. She was in the bathroom, putting on her makeup, under t he watchful eyes of her young granddaughter, as she'd done many times before. After she applied her lipstick and started to leave, the little one said, "But Gramma, you forgot to kiss the toilet paper good-bye!" I will probably never put lipstick on again without thinking about kissing the toilet paper good-bye...

2. My young grandson called the other day to wish me Happy Birthday. He asked me how old I was, and I told him, 62. My grandson was quiet for a moment, and then he asked, "Did you start at 1?"

3.. After putting her grandchildren to bed, a grandmother
changed into old slacks and a droopy blouse and proceeded to wash her hair. As she heard the children getting more and more rambunctious, her patience grew thin. Finally, she
threw a towel around her head and stormed into their room,
putting them back to bed with stern warnings. As she left the
room, she heard the three-year-old say with a trembling voice,
"Who was THAT?"

4. A grandmother was telling her little granddaughter what
her own childhood was like: "We used to skate outside
on a pond I had a swing made from a tire; it hung from a
tree in our front yard. We rode our pony. We picked wild
raspberries in the woods." The little girl was wide-eyed,
taking this all in. At last she said, "I sure wish I'd gotten to
know you sooner!"

5. My grandson was visiting one day when he asked,
"Grandma, do you know how you and God are alike?" I
mentally polished my halo and I said, "No, how are we
alike?'' "You're both old," he replied.

6. A little girl was diligently pounding away on her
grandfather's word processor. She told him she was
writing a story. "What's it about?" he asked.
"I don't know," she replied. "I can't read."

7. I didn't know if my granddaughter had learned her
colors yet, so I decided to test her. I would point out
something and ask what color it was. She would tell me and
was always correct. It was fun for me, so I continued. At
last, she headed for the door, saying, "Grandma, I think
you should try to figure out some of these, yourself!"

8. When my grandson Billy and I entered our vacation cabin,
we kept the lights off until we were inside to keep from
attracting pesky insects. Still, a few fireflies followed us in.
Noticing them before I did, Billy whispered, "It's no use Grandpa.
Now the mosquitoes are coming after us with flashlights."

9. When my grandson asked me how old I was, I teasingly
replied, "I'm not sure."
"Look in your underwear, Grandpa," he advised, "mine says
I'm 4 to 6."

10. A second grader came home from school and s aid to her
grandmother, "Grandma, guess what? We learned how to
make babies today." The grandmother, more than a little
surprised, tried to keep her cool. "That's interesting," she said,
"how do you make babies?"
"It's simple," replied the girl.
"You just change 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'."

11. Children's Logic: "Give me a sentence about a
public servant," said a teacher. The small boy wrote:
"The fireman came down the ladder pregnant." The
teacher took the lad aside to correct him. "Don't
you know what pregnant means?" she asked.
"Sure," said the young boy confidently. 'It means
carrying a child."

12. A grandfather was delivering his grandchildren to
their home one day when a fire truck zoomed past.
Sitting in the front seat of the fire truck was a Dalmatian dog.
The children started discussing the dog's duties.
"They use him to keep crowds back," said one child.
"No," said another. "He's just for good luck."
A third child brought the argument to a close."They use
the dogs," she said firmly, "to find the fire hydrants."

13. A 6-year-old was asked where his grandma lived.
"Oh," he said, "she lives at the airport, and when we want
her, we just go get her. Then, when we're done having her
visit, we take her back to the airport."

14. Grandpa is the smartest man on earth! He teaches me good
good things, but I don't get to see him enough to get as smar t
as him!

15. My Grandparents are funny, when they bend over; you
hear gas leaks, and they blame their dog.

BUSTED!!!!!

2009-07-08T11:49:00.003-04:00

...hey guys...i am sooo busted on this one.......very convicting, and i have a feeling it will touch all of "us"....i am going to change my ways...how bout you?

Faith Book

Susanne Scheppmann

"They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the Lord their God." Nehemiah 9:3 (NIV)

Devotion:

A new addiction slipped into my life recently - Facebook. Internet social networking slid in quietly and unobtrusively. Each day I found myself reading and posting a bit more. I learned how to create my visual bookshelf, so my "friends" could check out what I was reading. I linked my blog. My time seeped into Facebook like grains of sand slide through the hourglass.

My addiction soon took a turn for the worst. I began to put off my personal quiet time with God until after I had Facebooked. Sadly, scripture seemed boring next to my friends' postings. Strangely, the mundane posts intrigued me. I had fallen under the spell of social networking.

Then one day, I dragged myself away from my laptop. I had Bible study that night and needed to finish my lesson. The lesson pointed us to the book of Nehemiah. I read, "They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the Lord their God." (Nehemiah 9:3, NIV).

Yikes! They read God's Word for a quarter of the day, then spent another quarter of the day in confession and worshiping? These words haunted me the rest of the afternoon. When was the last time I spent that much time with God? How much time did I spend on the Internet? I felt a deep conviction about my Facebook addiction.

I determined that day to read my Bible, my FaithBook, before I turned on my computer each day. I would network with God, before networking with my friends. When I made this decision, I saw scripture jump back to life. God's Word spoke to me with a freshness that seemed as if He had just posted it Himself.

The addiction stopped. Oh, I still enjoy Facebook and other social networks, but I have learned to keep them in proper perspective. Psalm 119:59-60 sums up my new intent: "I pondered the direction of my life, and I turned to follow your laws. I will hurry, without delay, to obey your commands" (NLT).

Will you join me in the commitment to spending time in God's Word before time spent on Facebook?

Dear Lord, I recognize that I spend too much time on the computer. Forgive my inattention to Your Word. Help me each day to place You first in my life. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

2009-06-24T12:10:00.001-04:00

THE QUESTION that CHANGED MY LIFE
-by David Ryser.

A number of years ago, I had the privilege of teaching at a school
of ministry. My students were hungry for God, and I was constantly
searching for ways to challenge them to fall more in love with
Jesus and to become voices for revival in the Church. I came across
a quote attributed most often to Rev. Sam Pascoe. It is a short
version of the history of Christianity, and it goes like this:

Christianity started in Palestine as a fellowship; it moved to Greece
and became a philosophy; it moved to Italy and became an institution;
it moved to Europe and became a culture; it came to America and
became an enterprise.

Some of the students were only 18 or 19 years old--barely out of diapers--and I wanted them to understand and appreciate the import of the last line, so I clarified it by adding,

"An enterprise. That's a business."

After a few moments Martha, the youngest student in the class, raised her hand. I could not imagine what her question might be. I thought the little vignette was self-explanatory, and that I had performed it brilliantly. Nevertheless,

I acknowledged Martha's raised hand, "Yes, Martha."

She asked such a simple question, "A business? But isn't it supposed to be

a body?"

I could not envision where this line of questioning was going,
and the only response I could think of was, "Yes."

She continued, "But when a body becomes a business, isn't that a prostitute?"

The room went dead silent. For several seconds no one moved or
spoke. We were stunned, afraid to make a sound because the
presence of God had flooded into the room, and we knew we were
on holy ground. All I could think in those sacred moments was,
"Wow, I wish I'd thought of that." I didn't dare express that thought
aloud. God had taken over the class.

Martha's question changed my life. For six months, I thought about
her question at least once every day. "When a body becomes a
business, isn't that a prostitute?" There is only one answer to her
question. The answer is "Yes." The American Church, tragically,
is heavily populated by people who do not love God. How can we
love Him? We don't even know Him; and I mean really know Him.

I stand by my statement that most American Christians do not
know God--much less love Him. The root of this condition originates
in how we came to God. Most of us came to Him because of what
we were told He would do for us. We were promised that He would
bless us in life and take us to heaven after death. We married Him
for His money, and we don't care if He lives or dies as long as we
can get His stuff. We have made the Kingdom of God into a business,
merchandising His anointing. This should not be. We are commanded
to love God, and are called to be the Bride of Christ--that's pretty
intimate stuff. We are supposed to be His lovers. How can we love
someone we don't even know? And even if we do know someone,
is that a guarantee that we truly love them? Are we lovers or
prostitutes?

I was pondering Martha's question again one day, and considered
the question, "What's the difference between a lover and a prostitute?"
I realized that both do many of the same things, but a lover does
what she does because she loves. A prostitute pretends to love, but
only as long as you pay. Then I asked the question, "What would
happen if God stopped paying me?"

For the next several months, I allowed God to search me to uncover
my motives for loving and serving Him. Was I really a true lover of
God? What would happen if He stopped blessing me? What if He
never did another thing for me? Would I still love Him? Please
understand, I believe in the promises and blessings of God. The
issue here is not whether God blesses His children; the issue is
the condition of my heart. Why do I serve Him? Are His blessings
in my life the gifts of a loving Father, or are they a wage that I have
earned or a bribe/payment to love Him? Do I love God without any
conditions? It took several months to work through these questions.
Even now I wonder if my desire to love God is always matched by
my attitude and behavior. I still catch myself being disappointed
with God and angry that He has not met some perceived need in
my life. I suspect this is something which is never fully resolved,
but I want more than anything else to be a true lover of God.

So what is it going to be? Which are we, lover or prostitute?
There are no prostitutes in heaven, or in the Kingdom of God for
that matter, but there are plenty of former prostitutes in both
places. Take it from a recovering prostitute when I say there is no
substitute or unconditional, intimate relationship with God. And I
mean there is no palatable substitute available to us (take another
look at Matthew 7:21-23 sometime). We must choose.

-Dr. David Ryser.

2009-05-22T11:52:00.001-04:00

I’m Right; You Must Be Wrong

READ: Luke 6:37-42

Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. —Luke 6:37
My friend Ria admires the great blue heron’s amazing 6-foot spread of wings and marvels at his majestic appearance. She welcomes the sight of him gliding in for a landing on a small island in the middle of the pond near her home.
Now, I can appreciate that the heron is a marvelous and unique creature. But I don’t ever want to spot him in my backyard! That’s because I know he won’t be there just to admire the garden. No, this not-so-fine-feathered version of persona non grata (someone not welcome) will be checking out our pond for a take-out fish dinner!
So, am I right? Or is Ria? Why can’t we agree? Different personalities, history, or knowledge can color people’s views. It doesn’t mean that one person is right and the other wrong, yet sometimes we can be unkind, rigid, and judgmental if there is not agreement. I’m not talking about sin—but just a difference in opinion or perspective. We need to take care in judging others’ thinking, motives, and actions because we too desire that kind of benefit of the doubt (Luke 6:37).
Can we learn from someone who sees things with a different perspective? Do we need to practice a little patience and love? I’m so grateful that God is abundantly patient and loving with me. —Cindy Hess Kasper

You’ve been so patient with us, Lord,Though we are slow to hear;Give us the grace to show such loveTo those we hold so dear. —K. De Haan

A little love can make a big difference.

becoming OLD

2009-05-19T12:11:00.005-04:00

SERENITY

Just before the funeral services, the undertaker came up to the very elderly widow and asked, 'How old was your husband?' '98,' she replied, 'Two years older than me' 'So you're 96,' the undertaker commented.. She responded , 'Hardly worth go ing home, is it?

Reporter interviewing a 104-year-old woman: 'And what do you think is the best thing about being 104?' the reporter asked. She simply replied, 'No peer pressure.'

The nice thing about being senile is You can hide your own Easter eggs.

I've sure gotten old! I've had two bypass surgeries, a hip replacement, New knees, fought prostate cancer and diabetes I'm half blind, Can't hear anything quieter than a jet engine, Take 40 different medications that Make me dizzy, winded, and subject to blackouts. Have bouts with dementia .. Have poor circulation; Hardly feel my hands and feet anymore. Can't remember if I'm 89 or 98. Have lost all my friends. But, thank God, I still have my driver's license.

I feel like my body has gotten totally out of shape, So I got my doctor's permission to Join a fitness club and start exercising. I decided to take an aerobics class for seniors. I bent, twisted, gyrated, jumped up and down, and perspired for an hour. But, By the time I got my leotards on, The class was over.

My memory's not as sharp as it used to be. Also, my memory's not as sharp as it used to be.

Know how to prevent sagging? Just eat till the wrinkles fill out.

It's scary when you start making the same noises As your coffee maker.

These days about half the stuff In my shopping cart says,' For fast relief.'

THE SENILITY PRAYER : Grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway, The good fortune to run into the ones I do, and The eyesight to tell the difference.

2009-05-04T10:13:00.001-04:00

White House Staffer: Two Million Red Envelopes Came to Obama Against Abortion
by Steven ErteltLifeNews.com EditorApril 7, 2009
addthis_pub = 'sertelt';

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Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A White House mailroom staffer has confirmed that nearly 2.5 million red envelopes have made their way to President Barack Obama to protest his pro-abortion record. The staff member says the campaign is one of the largest efforts he can recall in his 35 years working at the White House.
The mailroom worker, identified in a WorldNetDaily interview as Steve, helps oversee the mail destined for the president.
Asked if he had seen a deluge of red envelopes in recent weeks, Steve responded: "Uh, yes. Believe me, they made it here."
"Quite frankly, there was definitely a deluge of mail coming through," he laughed. "I had to handle them all."
Though President Obama is in Europe on a foreign trip, the White House worker said the Obama administration has noticed the flood of red envelopes against abortion.
"I've been here 35 years, so I've seen presidents come and go," he told WND. "This campaign ranks up there with the big ones."
Inspired during a prayer, Massachusetts resident Christ Otto came up with the idea of sending red envelopes to President Barack Obama to protest his pro-abortion policies.
As he told LifeNews.com back in February, what started out as an email request to 120 of his ministry friends and supporters turned into a nationwide phenomenon that saw others ask pro-life advocates to coordinate sending their red envelopes to Obama this week.
"We are trying to change the president's heart," Otto says. "This is a message to a man that God hears the cry of innocent blood. It is not a political stunt, although I hope it changes policy in Washington."
"If the capital is flooded with so many letters that no one can deny it, I am hoping the image will be burned into Barack Obama's mind that this is about human blood, and that he lies awake at night until he cannot resist doing something about it," he continued.
A Texas man named Brian Potter set March 31 as the date for sending the red envelopes and that coordination appeared evident in the comments from the White House mailroom employee.
Several web sites have been set up in support of the project and the people who have responded saying they sent or will send envelopes has reached over 1.5 million, though not everyone has registered with the web sites.
"For me, this has been a living parable of my philosophy of life and ministry, : 'Listen to the Lord, and do what He tells you,'" Otto tells LifeNews.com. "I was not expecting such a dramatic outcome."
Related web sites:Red Envelope Project - http://www.redenvelopeproject.org/Send a Red Envelope - http://SendARedEnvelope.orgRed Envelopes for Life - http://redenvelopesforlife.org/

Buzz up!

beautiful Scripture

2009-05-01T11:56:00.002-04:00

Psalm 119:129-136

(New International Version)

129 Your statutes are wonderful; therefore I obey them.
130 The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.
131 I open my mouth and pant, longing for your commands.
132 Turn to me and have mercy on me, as you always do to those who love your name.
133 Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me.
134 Redeem me from the oppression of men, that I may obey your precepts.
135 Make your face shine upon your servant and teach me your decrees.
136 Streams of tears flow from my eyes, for your law is not obeyed.

Happy May Day

2009-05-01T09:54:00.003-04:00

Any recipient of this May Day flower basket will count themselves a lucky duck.
CRAFT MATERIALS:
Construction paper
Stapler
Tape or glue
Craft feathers
Pom-poms
Googly eyes
Time needed: Under 1 Hour
1. Hold a sheet of yellow construction paper with the shorter ends at the top and bottom. Starting at the lower right-hand corner, roll the sheet into a cone and tape or staple the overlap. Trim the top to create a rounded head on the front side. 2. Cut out scallop-shaped wings, a broad breast feather, and webbed feet from construction paper. Glue or tape the pieces in place. 3. Glue small colored tail feathers to the tip of the cone and googly eyes to the head. Finally, cut out a bill from a small folded piece of orange paper using the fold for the top edge. Attach the bottom flap to the cone, then glue a pair of mini pom-poms to the top. 4. For a hanger, make holes in opposite sides of the cone a half inch from the top. Thread a length of ribbon through the holes from inside the cone and tie each end into an overhand knot.

Bee Bouquet

Create a buzz this May Day with easy-to-make flower baskets.
CRAFT MATERIALS:
Construction paper
Stapler
Pipe cleaner
Torn strips of yellow paper
Tape or glue
Pom-poms
Googly eyes
Time needed: Under 1 Hour
1. Hold a sheet of black construction paper with the shorter ends at the top and bottom. Starting at the lower right-hand corner, roll the sheet into a cone and tape or staple the overlap. Trim the top to create a rounded head on the front side. 2. Form antennae by folding a pipe cleaner in half, stapling the bend to the back side of the head, then curl each tip around a small black pom-pom. 3. Create stripes by wrapping torn strips of yellow paper around the cone and gluing them in place. Tape or glue on paper wings and a heart-shaped paper face complete with a drawn mouth and glued-on pom-pom eyeballs topped with googly-eye pupils. 4. For a hanger, make holes in opposite sides of the cone a half inch from the top. Thread a length of ribbon through the holes from inside the cone and tie each end into an overhand knot.

another timely devotional ...for me..for sure...

2009-04-24T15:34:00.002-04:00

What We Can't See
Marybeth Whalen

"'Don't be afraid,' the prophet answered. 'Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.' And Elisha prayed, 'O Lord, open his eyes so he may see.'" II Kings 6:16-17a (NIV)

Devotion:
Have you ever asked God to help you see what He's up to in the spiritual realm?

In II Kings 6:15-17, the prophet Elisha prays for his servant to be able to see beyond his circumstances. They are surrounded by a great army and the odds look to be overwhelmingly against them. He asks God to show the servant what is taking place beyond what the eye can see. The servant's eyes are opened to a supernatural realm and he is able to see the Lord's armies gathered to fight on their behalf. Elisha knew his servant was feeling hopeless and simply needed a different perspective.

We need eyes to see just like that servant did. Make no mistake, we are fighting a war. As Christians, we must suit up every day and face another battle. We have an enemy who wants to defeat us. And some days it seems like he gets the victory. We look around at the failing economy, the fractured families, and the fast pace of our lives and feel that the odds are overwhelmingly against us. We grow weary and feel like giving up.

In those moments we need to stop worrying and pray for a new vision. We need to ask God to change our perspective so that we can look past what we can see to what He is taking care of in the unseen. We need to remember to trust Him and to ask Him to help us see His activity--no matter how overwhelmed and unworthy we may feel. God sees us and He will send help when we need it.

The odds are never stacked against us because God is waging a battle we can't see. I love that He is always fighting on our behalf, even when we don't see it--and especially when we need it the most.
Dear Lord, please help me to remember that You are fighting even when I don't see it. Help me to have a vision for what You do daily on my behalf and not grow discouraged by the battles I face. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

God's faithfulness...

2009-04-24T13:39:00.006-04:00

The Father’s Faithfulness
ODB RADIO: Listen Now DOWNLOAD: DownloadREAD: Psalm 107:1-16
Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. . . . Great is Your faithfulness. —Lamentations 3:22-23
Hudson Taylor, the humble servant of God to China, demonstrated extraordinary trust in God’s faithfulness. In his journal he wrote:
“Our heavenly Father is a very experienced One. He knows very well that His children wake up with a good appetite every morning. . . . He sustained 3 million Israelites in the wilderness for 40 years. We do not expect He will send 3 million missionaries to China; but if He did, He would have ample means to sustain them all. . . . Depend on it, God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply.”
We may be faint and weary, but our heavenly Father is all-powerful. Our feelings may fluctuate, but He is unchangeable. Even creation itself is a record of His steadfastness. That’s why we can sing these words from a hymn by Thomas Chisholm: “Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest, sun, moon, and stars in their courses above join with all nature in manifold witness to Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.”
What an encouragement to live for Him! Our strength for the present and hope for the future are not based on the stability of our own perseverance but on the fidelity of God. No matter what our need, we can count on the Father’s faithfulness. —Paul Van Gorder
Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!Morning by morning new mercies I see;All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me! —Chisholm© Renewal 1951 Hope Publishing.
He who abandons himself to God will never be abandoned by God.

i was just thinking today how the devotional booklet, Our Daily Bread...has been a "staple" in my life since my first year in Bible school...oh so many years ago....it was at that time i discovered the truth of taking time each day to be with the Lord, to love him and worship him and learn from Him in His Word.....often when in a hurry...Our Daily Bread is the "least" of my daily time with Him.....and when not in a hurry...it is a "part" of my time...but mostly it is "always" an important part of my daily devotions! i am so thankful for faithful people who have given us this devotional for so many years....i am sure they will never know, til heaven, the great impact these devotionals have had on this world....

i must admit that i have totally fallen for the online version...which is wonderful....but sometimes i miss just sitting down with the paper copy, inside the front cover of my Bible....always there, month by month...

but...technology changes the least of us, right???

Joe Stowell

2009-04-23T13:08:00.002-04:00

What's In The Name?
“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.” Exodus 20:7
There are a lot of fun events associated with being a pastor. And while great food at church dinners and getting invited to cool events with people in your church are near the top of the list, there may be nothing that quite compares to sharing some great moments with people — like the birth of babies. But in the joy of it all, there is a problem.
When you arrive at the hospital, you encounter a weary, but thrilled, couple who hand you this tightly wrapped little bundle and then impose on you a serious ethical dilemma. Of course, you are supposed to say, “Oh, my goodness, what a pretty little girl,” or “What a handsome little boy!” The reality is that I’ve never seen a child fresh out that looks anything like handsome or pretty. (Come to think of it, I have seen three really beautiful babies.)
But once I get past the ethical dilemma by saying something like, “My, isn’t she precious,” the conversation ultimately morphs into an easier realm of interaction regarding the child’s name: “What’s the baby’s name?” . . . “That’s a great name. What does it mean?” The answers vary:
“Oh, it’s his grandfather’s name.”
“Her name means ‘Father’s delight’” or,
“We have no idea; we just chose it from a baby book!”
For most of us, names are relatively insignificant. They are easily changed into nicknames and serve basically to distinguish us from Bob or Ted. But if we look at God’s view of names in the same way, we may have trouble understanding what the big deal is about God’s name. Why would He include the importance of His name in His top-10 list of “Thou Shalt Nots”? How could diminishing His name rank up there with murder, stealing, and adultery?
It doesn’t take much digging through the Bible to realize that names are important to God. Think about Genesis, when God was often giving new names to the main characters—Abram became Abraham, Sarai became Sarah, Jacob became Israel. Each change signaled a statement from God about that individual’s character and his or her place in His plan. It wasn’t about God giving a nickname, it was about God assigning identity and worth to these individuals through the meaning of their name.
Most importantly, names are one of God’s key means of revealing His own identity and worth. He reveals His identity when He tells Moses that He is named “Yahweh,” which means, “I Am.” It means that He is eternally existent. He also identifies Himself as “Elohim,” the Almighty God, the God of great power. His names are who He is, not just what we call Him.
God’s names also describe His worth. You may be familiar with names like “Jehovah-Jireh,” meaning that He is the God who will provide. Or “El-Shaddai,” which means that He is completely sufficient. There are, in fact, 210 different names of God throughout Scripture, adding incredible richness and depth to our understanding of God’s identity, worth, and character.
Which is exactly why He takes it so seriously when we degrade His name by using it as though it weren’t sacred and lowering it to mere casual conversation as though it were ordinary. The exclamation, “Oh my God” should be an urgent prayer, not a verbal exclamation point. When we lower the name of God to drag it through a moment of anger or to use it to intimidate or manipulate, we have taken God Himself and lowered Him from His holy position. His name is intrinsically locked into who He is and what He is like. To put it simply, when we hit on His name, we have hit on Him. No wonder He is offended.
So, what’s in a name? If you’re talking about God, the answer is everything!

daily bread followed by some musings

2009-04-21T11:03:00.005-04:00

Thunderstorm Thoughts
ODB RADIO: Listen Now DOWNLOAD: DownloadREAD: Matthew 8:23-27
The God of peace will be with you. —Philippians 4:9
I laugh every time I hear the radio commercial that has a woman shouting to her friend in conversation. She’s trying to talk above the sounds of the thunderstorm in her own head. Ever since a storm damaged part of her home, that’s all she hears because her insurance company isn’t taking care of her claims.
I’ve heard thunderstorms in my head, and maybe you have too. It happens when a tragedy occurs—to us, to someone close to us, or to someone we hear about in the news. Our minds become a tempest of “what if” questions. We focus on all the possible bad outcomes. Our fear, worry, and trust in God fluctuate as we wait, we pray, we grieve, and we wonder what the Lord will do.
It’s natural for us to be fearful in a storm (literal or figurative). The disciples had Jesus right there in the boat with them, yet they were afraid (Matt. 8:23-27). He used the calming of the storm as a lesson to show them who He was—a powerful God who also cares for them.
We wish that Jesus would always calm the storms of our life as He calmed the storm for the disciples that day. But we can find moments of peace when we’re anchored to the truth that He’s in the boat with us and He cares. —Anne Cetas
Fierce drives the storm, but wind and wavesWithin His hand are held,And trusting His omnipotenceMy fears are sweetly quelled. —Brown
To realize the worth of the anchor, we need to feel the stress of the storm.

wow! this really touched me today...i have to admit...i have had a lot of "thunderstorms" in my head lately...sometimes they drive me to the brink of pure panic...i guess especially over the political environment as of late...i must admit..it scares me..and it scares me to death...it is not a light feeling...it is a heavy heavy feeling...i KNOW God is with me, watching over me and taking care of my best interest daily, second by second...BUT i don't always FEEL like he is.....i tend to wander down the path of "what if's" and find myself at the brink of a DARK HOLE.....it is then that i must snap to attention and "crawl" back to my Saviour...and get that child-like trust back in place!

i believe that christians will be tested to their core in the next few years.....and i am guessing that my own panic is because i do not WANT to go down this road...i want life to be simple, uncomplicated, and lovely....i like life THAT way.....but i fear it will not be.....what i need is the child-like faith as i mentioned before...to put my hand into God's hand and follow, trust, and believe. this is easily written, easily said but NOT easily done in most cases!...wow...just think, in the devotion, above, the disciples had Jesus right there in the boat WITH them...they could touch and feel him...let alone SEE him with their eyes!...they could SPEAK to Him, FACE to FACE! and yet they were scared to death! i have always said as somewhat of a "joke", if you will, that if "only" i could touch Jesus...if only i could SEE Jesus...and yet....here these disciples were...with all the "if onlys" and they were still scared!...now we would like to say to them....YOU IDIOTS! what more could you ask for???...we , in the modern century wish we could have HIM here with us to touch, to speak to, let alone SEE Him....and you had him in the midst of the storm...right there IN THE BOAT ...and YET you panicked!.......

well people.....we are IDIOTS too.......for we have every bit of power, protection, and strength from Jesus as those disciples did, YET we do not trust....and therefore we do not obey... ONE DAY...we shall SEE HIM...FACE to FACE.......oh glorious day!

great video

2009-04-19T21:48:00.001-04:00

http://www.foxnews.com/video/index.html?playerId=videolandingpage&streamingFormat=FLASH&referralObject=4347816&referralPlaylistId=playlist

Daily Bread devotional...good!

2009-04-17T14:12:00.001-04:00

The Bus Driver
ODB RADIO: Listen Now DOWNLOAD: DownloadREAD: 1 John 4:7-12
Be imitators of God . . . and walk in love. —Ephesians 5:1-2
In the middle of carting 70 pieces of luggage, an electronic piano, and other equipment through airports and on and off a tour bus, it’s easy to wonder, “Why are we doing this?”
Taking 28 teenagers on an 11-day ministry trip to a land across the ocean is not easy. But at the end of the trip our bus driver, who had carted us all over England and Scotland, grabbed the bus microphone and in tears thanked the kids for how wonderful they had been. Then after we got home, he e-mailed us to say how much he appreciated the thank you cards the kids had written to him—many of which contained the gospel.
Although the students ministered to hundreds through song during the trip, perhaps it was the bus driver who most benefited from their Christlikeness. In Ephesians we are told to be imitators of God and to walk in love (Eph. 5:1-2). Others see God in us when we show love to one another (1 John 4:12). The bus driver saw Jesus in the students and told them that they might just convert him to faith in Christ. Maybe it was for this man that we took that trip.
Why do you do what you do? Whose life are you affecting? Sometimes it’s not our target audience that we impact most. Sometimes it’s the bus drivers of the world. —Dave Branon
Lord, may I be a shining lightFor all the world to seeYour goodness and Your love displayedAs You reach out through me. —Sper

Witnessing is not just something a Christian says, but what he is.

the 2009 Easter Egg Hunt!

2009-04-16T14:09:00.002-04:00

we had our "annual" egg hunt again this year on the 11th in Heidi's neighborhood. last year we had it in the area around the lake and gazebo, which was beautiful...but it was taken this year...so we ventured to the clubhouse/pool area and claimed our hunting grounds, which actually turned out to be a better place to "hide" the eggs!

the weather was cold and threatening rain...but our spirits were HIGH and we forged on!

the favorite eggs were those with MONEY in them...hmmmm.......a little "young" for money hunger, don't you think??? ha!.......of course, along the way were their silly antics and playing...so cute!

we had planned to have a picnic meal, with red checked cloths and ALL...but the weather changed that plan...we ate our picnic lunches in the warmth of Heidi's kitchen......and so goes the plans for the "first" picnic of the year!...

John 3:16

2009-04-16T11:56:00.002-04:00

John 3:16

A little boy was selling newspapers on the corner, the people were in and out of the cold. The little boy was so cold that he wasn't trying to sell many papers. He walked up to a policeman and said, 'Mister, you wouldn't happen to know where a poor boy could find a warm place to sleep tonight would you ? You see, I sleep in a box up around the corner there and down the alley and it's awful cold in there for tonight. Sure would be nice to have a warm place to stay.' The policeman looked down at the little boy and said, 'You go down the street to that big white house and you knock on the door. When they come out the door you just say John 3:16, and they will let you in.' So he did. He walked up the steps and knocked on the door, and a lady answered. He looked up and said, 'John 3:16.' The lady said, 'Come on in, Son.' She took him in and she sat him down in a split bottom rocker in front of a great big old fireplace, and she went off. The boy sat there for a while and thought to himself: John 3:16...I don't understand it, but it sure makes a cold boy warm. Later she came back and asked him 'Are you hungry ? ' He said, 'Well, just a little. I haven't eaten in a couple of days, and I guess I could stand a little bit of food,' The lady took him in the kitchen and sat him down to a table full of wonderful food. He ate and ate until he couldn't eat any more. Then he thought to himself: John 3:16 ...Boy, I sure don't understand it but it sure makes a hungry boy full. She took him upstairs to a bathroom to a huge bathtub filled with warm water, and he sat there and soaked for a while. As he soaked, he thought to himself: John 3:16 .. I sure don't understand it, but it sure makes a dirty boy clean. You know, I've not had a bath, a real bath, in my whole life. The only bath I ever had was when I stood in front of that big old fire hydrant as they flushed it out.
The lady came in and got him. She took him to a room, tucked him into a big old feather bed, pulled the covers up around his neck, kissed him goodnight and turned out the lights. As he lay in the darkness and looked out the window at the snow coming down on that cold night, he thought to himself: John 3:16 ...I don't understand it but it sure makes a tired boy rested. The next morning the lady came back up and took him down again to that same big table full of food. After he ate, she took him back to that same big old split bottom rocker in front of the fireplace and picked up a big old Bible. She sat down in front of him and looked into his young face. 'Do you understand John 3:16 ? ' she asked gently. He replied, 'No, Ma'am, I don't. The first time I ever heard it was last night when the policeman told me to use it,' She opened the Bible to John 3:16 and began to explain to him about Jesus . Right there, in front of that big old fireplace, he gave his heart and life to Jesus.. He sat there and thought: John 3:16 -- don't understand it, but it sure makes a lost boy feel safe. You know, I have to confess I don't understand it either, how God was willing to send His Son to die for me, and how Jesus would agree to do such a thing. I don't understand the agony of the Father and every angel in heaven as they watched Jesus suffer and die. I don't understand the intense love for ME that kept Jesus on the cross till the end. I don't understand it, but it sure does make life worth living.

John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life

my Dad is going to Washington!

2009-04-15T12:30:00.003-04:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

this is a smilebox card i am sending to my Dad, who is going to go on a bus with fellow veterans to Washington DC, this Saturday! he is so excited! we are truly grateful the Lord has been gracious to allow this opportunity to happen, because of his fragile health condition! please pray for him! we are so proud of him for serving our country!.....most of these men are "up" in years...thus they will be accompanied by nurses, doctors and wheelchairs! i can't wait to see the pictures!

How to Dance in the Rain

It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80s arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He said he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am.
I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound. On exam, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.While taking care of his wound, I asked him if he had another doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry. The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife. I inquired as to her health.He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer's Disease. As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late.He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now. I was surprised, and asked him, 'And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?'He smiled as he patted my hand and said, 'She doesn't know me, but I still know who she is.' I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arm, and thought,'That is the kind of love I want in my life.'True love is neither physical, nor romantic. True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be.
The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.

Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain.

another good one from Joe Stowell!

2009-04-14T12:13:00.003-04:00

Let's Hear it for the Rules
“So then, the law is holy… righteous and good.” Romans 7:12
Most of us don’t really like rules. I don’t know why, but deep down inside we have an aversion to people telling us what to do and what not to do. Wanting to dump the rules and “go it on our own” implies that we think we know what is best and that left to ourselves we can manage life in good and productive ways. But you and I both know by experience that this is not always the case.
I wonder if God ever feels like I used to feel as a father. We lived in a neighborhood where the best place to play ball was in the street. One evening, my 5-year-old came to me with his glove and bat slung over his shoulder and said, “Hey, Dad, I’m going to play ball!”
“Where?” I asked, to which he replied, “In the street with my friends.”
Nothing made me happier than seeing my kids have a good time. But the thought of little Joe playing in the street concerned me. So I got down on his eye level and told him that I loved him too much to let him play in the street. “Quite frankly,” I said, “I don’t like to think of your little body getting integrated into the grill of a Mack truck! If you want to have fun playing ball, then get your friends and we’ll pile into the car and go to the park where playing ball is supposed to happen. But you can’t play ball in the street.”
God knows how dangerous Satan’s traffic is. And He is far more interested in our safety than He is in our unbridled pleasure. So, because He loves us, He has given us rules to keep us free from the damage of playing in Satan’s street.
To keep us from the self-destruction of bitterness, He has a rule about forgiving and loving our enemies. To keep us safe from the treachery of dishonesty and deceit, He has told us not to lie and to live instead for what is true. In fact, when you think of it, all of His rules are really for our good. Just take a look at the Ten Commandments. Life works better when we don’t lie to each other, steal from each other, or take each other’s life. We are all better off when we don’t covet each other’s property, sleep with each other’s wives, or gossip and bear false witness against our neighbor. How ridiculous is it that we are trying to put the Ten Commandments in the dumpster in our society? Who’d want to live in the chaos of a world where things like lying, stealing, cheating, sleeping around, greed, and bitterness are the norm? Did I hear you say that we are almost there?
Well, I’m not among those who believe that left to ourselves we can figure out how to do life. God knows we need help and thankfully in His love He blessed us with a few really important rules.
As the psalmist says: Blessed is the person who doesn’t scoff at God’s law! When you delight in the law of the Lord and become “like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither,” whatever you do will prosper (Psalm 1:1-3).
Let’s hear it for the rules!

Have a Blessed Easter

2009-04-10T12:40:00.002-04:00

i give you the current weather report for Canton, Georgia

2009-04-07T13:14:00.004-04:00

40.6 °F
Overcast
Windchill:
33 °F
Humidity:
54%
Dew Point:
25 °F
Wind:
11.5 mphfrom the WNW

Wind Gust:
11.5 mph
Pressure:
29.95 in (Rising)
Visibility:
10.0 miles
UV:
1.6 out of 16
Clouds:
Scattered Clouds 3500 ft
Scattered Clouds 4200 ft
Overcast 6000 ft
(Above Ground Level

dear sun, clouds, rain maker, and all other weather related items.....

i think you quite possibly have your calendar mixed up, please check on this for me, thank you....

a very time-appropriate devotion from Daily Bread

2009-04-06T11:52:00.002-04:00

Nothing Left But God
ODB RADIO: Listen Now DOWNLOAD: DownloadREAD: 2 Chronicles 20:3-17
Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. —2 Chronicles 20:15
A wise Bible teacher once said, “Sooner or later God will bring self-sufficient people to the place where they have no resource but Him—no strength, no answers, nothing but Him. Without God’s help, they’re sunk.”
He then told of a despairing man who confessed to his pastor, “My life is really in bad shape.” “How bad?” the pastor inquired. Burying his head in his hands, he moaned, “I’ll tell you how bad—all I’ve got left is God.” The pastor’s face lit up. “I’m happy to assure you that a person with nothing left but God has more than enough for great victory!”
In today’s Bible reading, the people of Judah were also in trouble. They admitted their lack of power and wisdom to conquer their foes. All they had left was God! But King Jehoshaphat and the people saw this as reason for hope, not despair. “Our eyes are upon You,” they declared to God (2 Chron. 20:12). And their hope was not disappointed as He fulfilled His promise: “The battle is not yours, but God’s” (v.15).
Are you in a position where all self-sufficiency is gone? As you turn your eyes on the Lord and put your hope in Him, you have God’s reassuring promise that you need nothing more. —Joanie Yoder
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,Look full in His wonderful face;And the things of earth will grow strangely dimIn the light of His glory and grace. —Lemmel

When all you have is God, you have all you need.

Buster, my grand-dog

2009-04-02T23:06:00.002-04:00

meet Buster! he is my grand-dog from the Pete Hixson family! he is spending Spring break with me, while his family spends it on the beach!!!......

this picture was taken a few minutes ago....AFTER he has thoroughly investigated the entire house, and doing laps (about a milliion).....around the house and up and down the stairs....he is finally TIRED!!!.......here he is, at my feet while i am at the computer!....i think he is out for the night! whew!!!

i had to "Buster proof" the whole place....my word, like having a toddler in the house again!!!....i am sure there will be more to come....

Joe Stowell on April Fool's day!

2009-04-01T12:30:00.003-04:00

Don't Be an April Fool
“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’ ” Psalm 14:1

I’ve had a lot of AF jokes pulled on me, and I must admit that I’ve pulled off a few pretty good ones myself. But one thing I’ve noticed. No one likes being called a fool, much less being made to look like a fool. We like to think of ourselves as savvy, wise, and sharp—not easily tricked or duped. But when we measure ourselves by God’s standards, we might be surprised at how much we deserve the title.

Did you know, for example, that the Bible says we are fools if we . . .

spread slander (Proverbs 10:18);
think we’re right in our own eyes rather than listening to wise counsel (Proverbs 12:15);
reject our father’s discipline (Proverbs 15:5);
delight only in revealing our own mind rather than in understanding (Proverbs 18:2);
are perverse in speech instead of walking in integrity (Proverbs 19:1);
quarrel instead of keeping away from strife (Proverbs 20:3);
always lose our temper (Proverbs 29:11)?
Of course, the ultimate definition of a fool is found in today’s verse. The ultimate fool is one who lives as though “there is no God.” Notice that the verse does not say that a fool says with his mouth “there is no God.” It’s a matter of the heart attitude. In fact it would be quite possible to say with your lips that there is a God but then to have your heart think and act as though God does not factor into your dreams and choices at all. When our heart says that there is a God, we readily obey Him and surrender to His will and ways in our lives. Though it’s not always easy, a God-honoring heart is willing to begin the process of forgiving those who have deeply hurt us; to think of others as more important than ourselves; to choose generosity over greed; and to be sensitive to the needs of the poor and oppressed.

One of the most penetrating “fool” passages in Scripture is recorded in Luke 12. Jesus told the parable of a rich businessman who had more wealth than he knew what to do with. After signing the papers for corporate expansion (bigger barns), he congratulates himself and decides to throw himself a party. Everyone in his town would have said he was a smashing success. But God had a different take on him: “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” (v.20). Jesus concluded with the point: “So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:21 ESV). It is indeed foolish to be satisfied with our own wealth and to have given no thought to becoming rich toward God by preparing for eternity, or as Jesus said to become rich toward God by giving our money away to the poor and to those in need (v.33).

When we recognize the rightful place of God in our hearts, our lives are wonderfully transformed to enjoy the rewarding results of wisdom—life from God’s point of view—rather than the embarrassing outcomes of a godless, foolish heart.

I hope you get to pull off a good April Fools’ joke today. In fact, you may even have a good-natured laugh at having one pulled on you. But, while all that is going on, don’t forget to honor God’s will and ways in your heart. Life is too short and too serious to live it as a fool!

by the way....i DO wish you a hearty APRIL FOOL'S Day today...hoping you are fooled royally at least once!...in a GOOD way, that is.....

how cute

2009-03-30T11:36:00.001-04:00

how cute is this little bunny???.....go to my side bar and click on fuzzy fuzzy cute cute....it will make you smile today!

yall

2009-03-29T02:06:00.003-04:00

you need to watch this video....what a fun idea!!! great ideas for Easter...fun for the kids...

click below:

http://www.hgtv.com/videos/chocolate-decorations/2374.html

take time to listen...

2009-03-27T10:38:00.002-04:00

I’m Innocent!
ODB RADIO: Listen Now DOWNLOAD: DownloadREAD: James 1:19-25
Be doers of the Word. —James 1:22
All of the students at a school in Florida—2,550 in total—were in trouble. A message system notified every parent that their child (or children) had detention that weekend for bad behavior. Many kids pleaded their innocence, yet some parents meted out punishment anyway. One mother, Amy, admitted that she yelled at her son and made sure he showed up for his detention on Saturday.
To the relief of 2,534 kids, and to the embarrassment of some parents, they discovered that the automated message was sent in error to the entire student body when only 16 kids actually deserved detention! Amy felt so bad about not listening to and believing her son that she took him out for breakfast that Saturday morning.
We all have stories to tell about circumstances that have shown us our need to listen before we speak. We’re naturally tempted to come to quick judgments and react angrily. The book of James gives us these three practical exhortations to deal with life’s stressful situations: “Be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath” (James 1:19).
In life’s stresses, let’s be “doers of the Word” (v.22), and take the time to listen and show restraint with our words and anger today. —Anne Cetas
A judgment made without the factsIs sure to be unfair,So always listen to both sides—You’ll find the answer there. —Branon
Listen to understand, then speak with love.

hint

2009-03-26T22:58:00.002-04:00

just in case you are checking my blog...here is a "hint" of what is coming in the mail...hopefully this week....to those who contributed to my naming contest!....i got so excited getting this ready for you...and truthfully...originally i was only going to send ONE thing......but then this idea popped into my head...and you are getting TWO things....somehow i seem to always do that to myself......but am having SO SO much fun with the new idea...and of course it will be added to my already long list of "products" i would eventually love to sell......it is through this kind of venture they seem to "get born" for me!"the little Easter girl"

girls!

2009-03-25T12:25:00.001-04:00

hey girls! you know who you are....hint...it's in the mail!

our anniversary mountain weekend

2009-03-23T21:29:00.010-04:00

so, this past Friday, we packed lightly and headed for the mountains to celebrate our 37th wedding anniversary! what a beach does for MOST people...mountains do for us!!! we quite desperately have needed a get away, as it seems we deny ourselves the luxury of "time out"...aka vacation or any kind of respite.....and though a weekend barely meets the need....it sure gave us a head-start....and brought us to the realization of how important it is to pay attention and nurture that need!!!.......well........we fell in love with a little cabin called "Bearly There"......waaaayyyyyy at the top of a mountain.....

so here we are...on our way....

...the little covered bridge on our trek up the mountain....isn't it sooo cute...let me tell ya...my heart was racing...seriously....
when we finally got there after creeping up the mountain, hoping there would be no oncoming traffic...we found our little Red Riding Hood cottage in the woods....called "Bearly There'!....i was almost squealing with delight...from the minute we drove up.......i could see the little lamps on inside...the caretaker had prepared it for us and it was a welcome sight indeed!
this is the view off the screened in back porch!.....ahhh.......peace...quiet....nature...
..the comfy screened in porch....so cozy...so inviting!...altho...believe it or not..it was chilly out there...so we didn't stay there as long as we would have liked to!
...cool view from the porch...

...and yes....there was a deck, with a hot tub....so...my brave sweetie got in...after dark....in 30 degrees temps!!!......i did NOT participate....he loved it....

...here is Larry with binoculars...looking for..., well, for ANY kind of wildlife, really...but we would have LOVED to see a BEAR...that, by the way, is my life long goal...to see a bear in the wild...something i have not seen...YET...i was just sure i was going to fulfill that dream this past weekend...but, alas...these are the only bears we saw....

this little bear watched over us while we slept in our little old fashion feather mattress bed, with a twig headboard! so cozy!
we spied this tennis ball..perfectly wedged into the trees...after reading the guest book we discovered that a guest was throwing the ball for his dog and it lodged in the tree!!!!.....btw.....this was a pet friendly cabin, so, of course, Simba came along with us...he, however did NOT have a good time.....he was so scared and so nervous...we just "knew" he must be smelling a bear....don't you think???
here are the "living quarters"........just right!

...and this is what hubs kept busy with! and oh, how he loved it! and i did too!...it was surprisingly cold way up there on that mountain!....he kept a fire going all Friday nite and all day and nite Saturday!!!!.......it was wonderful!!!!

below is a picture of the cabin when snow was on the ground!

a funny sign on the porch:
...and sadly...the weekend came to a close...and so did the fire....the last few burning embers of the warm, wonderful fire!

a little note....

2009-03-23T21:26:00.002-04:00

hey bloggies...i just have to insert a little "disclaimer" here...if you are awaiting your little surprise from me, (if you don't know what i am talking about, read the last few blogs...)........i will be sending them out on Wednesday, not Tuesday, (tomorrow)......be sure you let me know when you get them!!! ;-)

the REVEAL

2009-03-18T12:01:00.006-04:00

Good Afternoon , sweet bloggie friends!!! ......ok, here's the scoop!........NO ONE is a WINNER!!! but!

EVERYONE is a winner!!!!!

thank you for all the wonderful , beyond fantastical name ideas!......i loved each and every one! they really got my juices flowing and my mind working.....and tho i am sure i should have had my mind on more important things in life......i thought a LOT about this name thing!.......in the course of that thinking process......i started feeling that the doll's name should reflect her blonde hair and pig tails.......so of course Dutch names come to mind.....Scandinavian names come to mind......

then i looked up vintage names and came upon many that each of you had already suggested, plus more, of course....i stumbled upon Flossie...it really caught my eye....she was from a long ago book...can't remember which one...like Little Women...or one of those series books from my childhood years......however....i got past that one, as more of YOURS came to me...... there definitely turned out to be like a top 3....but i dare not mention them because i truly loved all of your suggestions!!!

BUT!

in the end...i really did not use any of the exact combinations you gave me......however, if i were to declare a winner..it would have to be my friend Lynn, the shy one, who submitted so many darling names, because i chose the first name from her list.....

SO!

here she is with her new name!

okay......so don't jump to conclusions...that i am not keeping my word!!! even tho we all know this is just for fun....i did, after all, promise a PRIZE!...so keep reading!!!

BUT!

first let me tell you why i chose this name....you must pronouce and say it with a bit of a "whimsical" twist, perhaps somewhat like an Italian chef would put his/her two fingers to his lips and throw his hands in the air, saying something mmm-goodish in Italian...ya know what i mean, jelly bean???..you have to make it "dance" off your tongue, got the picture? well, i hope so!.....cuz it does make a difference, REALLY!.....like....CLARa isaBELLA!....get it?

.i looked up the meaning of these words and loved the name further! here is what i found:

Clara means clear, bright, famous

Isabella means consecrated or devoted to God...however...

Bella on it's own means beautiful....

i just loved the whole combination...too bad this is not a real live child!!! (ha).......

so i came up with :

Clara....is.....a.....bella...

get it?

well, enuf of my whimsy for the day....here is where YOU come in, those of you who gave me your wonderful name suggestions!!! i am going to send each of you a little gift from me, just cuz i want an exuse to do so!!!......so i need your addresses.....please email them to : ugogrl52@windstream.net.. watch your mailboxes!!!..please let me know when you get your gift....i will try to mail them out by next Tues., so don't forget to send me your addresses!...

and thank you for the fun you have allowed me, and hopefully you had fun as well!!!!

flowers from my hunny

2009-03-17T22:29:00.003-04:00

today is our wedding anniversary...and sad to say...we spent it apart for the first time ! i know, i know....so ...just ...so...

WRONG, right?...well, it can't be helped...if we want to continue to pay the bills....so, alas....we celebrate in our hearts!!!..........don't feel too sorry for us...we are celebrating this weekend with a little rendevous in the mountains!

anyhoo....these flowers arrived today from the Mr....i love them!

NAME UPDATE !

2009-03-16T23:13:00.002-04:00

okay, so i want to thank y'all for the names so far...i love so many of them...maybe i should go buy some more vintage dolls so i can use them!.......well..i will work on that one.....but i do have several favorites and i am trying to "narrow" them down!.....so....here's the gig: you have til tomorrow nite to send me more names......then, Wednesday i will annouce the winning name and another surprise announcement!!!!.....woot woot!

bday surprise!

2009-03-16T23:08:00.001-04:00

today two little heads peeked in the classroom at Michael's where i was working and surprised me with a beautiful vase of flowers and the most darling little doggie cake i have ever seen! the little dog is actually two little cupcakes...is it not to die for cute??? the two little monkeys were Carter and Ava! we shared lots of hugs and kisses and thank you's and they went on their merry way!!! what a sweet and pleasant surprise!!!

i told you!

2009-03-13T14:16:00.004-04:00

well, here it is....a "hint" of what the winning name's contributor will get......this is the original artwork,(that has to stay with me) manipulated in an editing program......i will create something for you involving these characters!!!.........remember...keep it vintage...keep it whimsical...keep it original!!! i love the names so far!!!

enter as many names as you can possibly think of!!!

antiquing is a GOOD thing!

2009-03-12T17:42:00.002-04:00

do you not just LOVE this darling little vintage doll i found in a flea market/antique store????

i absolutely fell in love with her, while cruising the shops with Ron and Nancy last week! along with many other things, i must confess...but this little gal stole my heart!.......she is very vintage.... i don't have any stats on her...would love to know how old she is.....she is in excellent condition.....but definitely NOT a copy.....her arms and legs are some kind of a vinyl.... her face is in such good condition! obviously she wasn't PLAYED with much, if at ALL.........i am guessing late 40's into the 50's?????? anybody out there in blog land have any ideas?????

i haven't named her yet...feel free to contribute your ideas about that too! IN FACT.......random thought here...........please leave a name suggestion...and IF i choose your name......i PROMISE to send you something artsy i have made!!! DEAL????????????????? .....i want a vintage name....a sweet name......she is in ballet attire.....

i will look forward to your ideas........... i am NOW rolling around ideas for my "artsy" gift to the winner!!!

how fun! i love to give things away!!!!

NASCAR

2009-03-10T23:43:00.004-04:00

see the SEA of people??? well, i was one of the umpteen millions (or so it seemed) attending the Atlanta Speedway to view the Nascar races last Sunday! i felt all along i would be punished for skipping church, yup....that musta been the problem!!

seriously...we had friends from Iowa who are NASCAR junkies through and through who were taking a vacation to the south and to see us...and Nascar just "happened" to be occuring simutaneously with their vacation dates! woohoo! at first we declined going with them...we have NEVER been to a race...and quite frankly felt it was just a little "too" expensive...however, when we found out they could get us half price tickets...we caved in!...after ALL what harm could there be??? it might be FUN, right???? we should LOVE it, right????? after all, THEY LOVE IT!!! isn't that PROOF enuf???..........

hmmmmmmmm, well......i must preface the remainder of my comments and musings with the following statements....firstly.....i, in no way am criticizing the sport or our dear friends who love it!....and secondly.....Larry loved it.....so the rest of this post is MERELY the thoughts in my own head!!!!

i thought i would share with you what was really going on in my thought process from the very beginning to the very end...thoughts and then actual happenings......so bear with me!

i started the day with hopeful thoughts, thinking perhaps this might be somewhat like a carnival, with happiness and laughter all around...they wanted to arrive early, so as to be able to "shop" the racer's "wares".....SHOP, i thought to myself.....well, shopping is always a good thing, at least i think it is......surely i will find something very wonderful to buy also!.......so off we went, bright and early....OFF TO THE RACES!!!

...so we get there....and all of a sudden i realize we had to park about 100 miles from the actual event...well, not really...that is just how it 'felt" to me.....so we start the 'trek"....all the while seeing tail-gating galore...and did you KNOW that people actually CAMP for a week before the races right at the race track????......i find this unbelievable...but WHATEVA!

well, SOON......we, the females have to go to the bathroom...i was OVER-FLOATING from the many cups of coffee i had, JUST to wake me up and get me going that morning.....and we look around...and all we could see was row after row of, yup, you guessed it...OUTHOUSES!!!........there is NOT a more disgusting and disappointing site than that to me....while my eyeballs are floating.....and what is worse...the men and women used the SAME ones...oh ugh , puke, sick, vomit....i can hardly stand the thought of that, but there they were...men AND women in the same lines.....oh, what to do, what to do, i asked myself...then realizing i had NO choice...or just have WET pants....so we get in line.....and soon realize that the women were coming out of those pit holes saying there was NO toilet paper...so...ONLY the men could use them (and for only one thing...if ya know what i mean here folks)

so we excercise our cagleing ability and "hold" it......and trekked on to the information booth....and they duly pointed us to the restroom building! aha....they ARE civilized!!!....well, relief came and now we are ready to SHOP!!!......

or so i thought.....but actually........WHO wants to pay $25.00 for a cap or a shirt with a race car driver's name, who i never even KNEW existed before this day????.......not me...i would rather save my shopping money for TJ Maxx......so, well, NO shopping today......

meanwhile.......the wonderful cool breeze of the beautiful morning air was quickly turning into HEAT and BLAZING SUN....and if you know ME AT ALL....you KNOW...i am not a happy camper in temperatures above 70 and i literally melt in the sunlight......oh boy........and of course along with the heat comes the humidity...which leads to very BAD hair.......and melting make up.......and, well, you fill in the blanks....just let me tell ya...NOT A PRETTY PICTURE!

so along our way we go, and finally it is time to enter the stadium and find our seats......we do that and get settled.....and i knew Ron and Nancy were alive with anticipation and Larry was too.....but the minute my behind hit those horrible hard and unforgivable aluminum seats, and as soon as i realized the sun was BEATING into my left side with the utmost of heat and burning.......i was in for REAL trouble....i wanted to cry, scream, run, or all three, but i DARED not to...i certainly did not want to be the "big baby" and ruin everyone's fun....so i endured...and i do mean that in every sense of the word.....along with the enduring...i prayed...really i did...for a breeze...just any ol breeze...please, please Lord....and maybe just send that sun behind a cloud for the rest of the day....PLEASE!.......

somewhere along the way...they handed me a cap........so i put it on my already destroyed hair do...thinking how on earth can i add HAT head to the mess???

now, in the mean time.........NO ONE on planet earth could have prepared me for the NOISE!!! i did know there would be noise and i knew we might need headphones or ear plugs, but NO, dear bloggies, did i dream there would be noise like that!!!....it hurt my head, it hurt my eyes, it hurt my skin...and it definitely hurt my HAIR!!!.........i used the ear plugs because, seriously if i had put those headphones on my already heated up ready to explode head.....well, that is just what would have happened ...an explosion of expansive proportions, no doubt!

so i endured...and endured......i tried to act like i knew what was going on.....but honestly...it didn't even look like a race to me.....just going around and around and around.....only once in a while a little excitement....i was actually sitting there thinking..oh i hope there is a crash, or a fire...and massive danger...oh my word...then i thought how horrible of me to think in such a way....but the races i saw as a kid were on the fairgrounds and they TORE up the track and knocked everyone else OUT!! and i loved it.......but, no, this was too sophisticated, i guess...so i sat, and endured, and sweat, and twisted and turned, trying to believe aluminum really is comfortable, it's all in me head, it's all in me head.....and FINALLY! Nancy asks me to accompany her to the ladie's room!..........ahhhh.........finally,.....a way to escape, if but for a few minutes!.......

well, i gotta tell ya......once i got out of there...WILD horses couldn't have drug me back to my seat........so i, alone, sat outside the stadium for the rest of the race...people watching and counting the minutes!!!

Finally it was time to leave...and guess what happened to me??? i was wearing flip flops and of course they decided to FLOP...one of them broke and i now had to walk around concrete, gravel, trash, glass and whatever else debris...with one flip flop on and one flip flop off...i tried walking bare foot...and it was just too painful...so i HOBBLED all the way to the car.....like the ol grampa on the real McCoys!!!.......NO KIDDING.... i was so embarrassed.......at first...then i realized that i was a site for sore eyes and things couldn't get much worse anyway......

oh....air conditioning, home, bed, civilization never felt so good!!!!

Larry said his highlight of the day was when, after the race had evidently started.....(i had been listening for "GENTLEMEN START YOUR ENGINES".....but never heard it).......and about 5 minutes into the race i leaned over and SCREAMED to him........has it started????...i seriously wasn't sure...there sure wasn't anything exciting happening down there!....he was laughing his head off...but no one heard it because NO ONE COULD HEAR ANYTHING!

suffice it to say...i will NOT be attending Nascar any time soon.....but give me an old honky tonk fairground race at NIGHT...and i'll be there with bells on!...or maybe checkered pants on, who knows!

2009-03-09T19:27:00.000-04:00

coming soon!....a post about my NASCAR EXPERIENCE!...

this is such a good reminder, from Our Daily Bread

2009-03-08T07:55:00.001-04:00

March 8, 2009
The Time Will Come
ODB RADIO: Listen Now DOWNLOAD: DownloadREAD: 2 Timothy 4:1-8
The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine. —2 Timothy 4:3
A USA Today article describes how parents today seek to initiate their children into a world of all faiths. Ema Drouillard, who runs a ceremony service, was asked by a couple to conduct a service for their baby, Greer. The mother said, “We just wanted a larger spirit to guide our daughter, but we didn’t want to get specific. I wanted all her bases covered.” The couple said, “We just do Christianity L-I-T-E” for Greer, who “believes in angels and fairies, leprechauns and Santa Claus.” This illustrates the low value placed on scriptural truth that is so prevalent in our culture today.
The apostle Paul warned Timothy that a time would come when people would prefer “lite” spiritual meals and would not tolerate substantive teaching (2 Tim. 4:3-4). He predicted that false teaching would increase and be embraced by many because it caters to the needs of their flesh. They have a craving to be entertained and desire teaching that leaves them with good feelings about themselves. Paul instructed Timothy to combat this by teaching doctrines according to God’s Word. The purpose of his instruction was to correct, rebuke, and encourage others (v.2).
As believers we are called to teach and obey the Word of God, not to scratch the itches of our culture. —Marvin Williams
Lord, teach us from Your holy WordAll error to discern,And by Your Spirit’s light help usFrom Satan’s snares to turn. —Bosch
Stand on the Word of God and you won’t fall into error.

2009-03-05T01:29:00.003-05:00

To realize The value of a sister:

Ask someone Who doesn't have one.

To realize The value of ten years:

Ask a newly Divorced couple.

To realize The value of four years:

Ask a graduate.

To realizeThe value of one year:

Ask a student who Has failed a final exam.

To realizeThe value of nine months:

Ask a mother who gave birth to a stillborn.

To realizeThe value of one month:

Ask a mother who has given birth to A premature baby.

To realizeThe value of one week:

Ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.

To realizeThe value of one minute:

Ask a person Who has missed the train, bus or plane.

To realizeThe value of one-second:

Ask a person Who has survived an accident.

Time waits for no one. Treasure every moment you have. You will treasure it even more when you can share it with someone special.

To realize the value of a friend or family member:

LOSE ONE..

'Ol Spot'

2009-02-26T00:17:00.005-05:00

here's your laugh for the day, folks:

A group of country friends from the Cottonwood Baptist Church wanted to get together on a regular basis, socialize, and play games. The lady of the house was to prepare the meal. When it came time for Al and Janet to be the hosts, Janet wanted to outdo all the others. Janet decided to have mushroom-smothered steak. But mushrooms are expensive. She then told her husband, "No mushrooms. They are too high." He said, "Why don't you go down in the pasture and pick some of those mushrooms? There are plenty in the creek bed." She said, "No, some wild mushrooms are poison." He said, "Well, I see varmints eating them and they're OK." So Janet decided to give it a try. She picked a bunch, washed, sliced, diced them for her smothered steak. Then she went out on the back porch and gave Ol' Spot (the yard dog) a double handful. Ol' Spot ate every bite. All morning long, Janet watched Ol' Spot and the wild mushrooms didn't seem to affect him, so she decided to use them. The meal was a great success, and Janet even hired a helper lady from town to help her serve. She had on a white apron and a fancy little cap on her head. After everyone had finished, they relaxed, socialized, and played 42 and dominoes. About then, the helper lady from town came in and whispered in Janet's ear. She said, "Mrs. Williams, Ol' Spot just died." Janet went into hysterics. After she finally calmed down, she called the doctor and told him what had happened. The doctor said, "That's bad, but I think we can take care of it. I will call for an ambulance and I will be there as quickly as possible. We'll give everyone enemas and we will pump out everyone's stomach. Everything will be fine. Just keep them calm." Soon they could hear the siren as the ambulance was coming down the road. The EMTs and the doctor had their suitcases, syringes, and a stomach pump. One by one, they took each person into the bathroom, gave them an enema, and pumped out their stomach. After the last one was finished, the doctor came out and said, "I think everything will be fine now." and left. They were all looking pretty weak sitting around the living room and about this time the helper lady came in and said,

"You know, that fellow that ran over Ol' Spot never even stopped."

Addie and the Kewpie doll

2009-02-24T23:57:00.004-05:00

see this ever so darling picture of Addie??? her face is so cute anyway i just want to eat it...but that stinkin adorable polka dot coat and hood just add to her yummy-liciousness!!!...well, it has been bugging me to death what this particular pose reminded me of...then it hit me!....a KEWPIE DOLL!!!!....so i searched and searched for an image......and of course could not find just the right one...but here is an actual picture of a doll, followed by an illustration that appears to be quite old.....so she is NOW my little Kewpie doll!!!

our "quickie" trip to Pennsylvania

2009-02-24T12:11:00.013-05:00

here we are standing at the top of Mt. Washington in Pittsburgh!

the farm!

we made a fast, but wonderful trip to PA last week...our kids and g-kids were able to go, as well....we had a wonderful time visiting family there and visiting Grandma Hixson in the nursing home....both Grandma and Grandpap loved the g-kids (what's NOT to love?)......we did a LOT in just a few , short days...and were back in GA by the end of the week...i am still amazed we did it!

all the Hixson grand-kids and great grand-kids!four-wheeling was the B IG hit of the trip! Pittsburgh and Steeler-mania!

the incline up Mt. Washington!

this is how our dog, Simba made the trip! nice, huh??? what a spoiled BRAT

Lee and Julie...(Larry's brother and wife)...who put UP with all of us!...and btw...Julie is very funny....we are all still laughing about things she says!!!

comfort from Joe Stowell

2009-02-24T11:22:00.000-05:00

Somebody Cares
“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16
When I was a little boy growing up in Hackensack, New Jersey, I would often fall asleep listening to my little radio. One of my favorite shows was “Big Joe’s Happiness Exchange,” beamed to my bedside from the heart of nearby New York City. The program always began with a deep, mellow voice saying, “Have no fear, Big Joe is here,” and then to the best of my memory he would sing something like . . .
Somebody cares about you and worries till the sun comes shining through!Somebody cares if you sleep well at nightIf your days go all wrong or if your day has gone right.
Then the song would conclude . . .

Please believe me it’s so,
but in case you didn’t know it,
Somebody cares.
Then people from all over the city would call in to talk to Big Joe. With an understanding and quieting spirit he would listen and encourage those who were hurting and lonely. If they had material needs, other people would call in to offer help. It was love, grace, and mercy in action. And there was something really comforting about it, even to my little soul as I fell asleep.
I’ve always been glad that Jesus offers us comfort and help like that.
Even more caring than Big Joe and much more capable to meet our needs, Jesus desires to be personally involved in our lives, to grant peace to our anxious souls, and to supply all our needs. Not limited to a one-hour call-in program, our God is “an ever-present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). And, when our troubles are so complex and overwhelming that we don’t even know what to ask for, we are assured that “the Spirit helps us in our weakness,” praying for us “with groans that words cannot express” (Romans 8:26). He promises that God will meet all of our needs “according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19) and that He “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20)! And just when you think you are down for the count, He assures you that you are not destroyed (2 Corinthians 4:9) and that nothing can separate you from His love (Romans 8:31-39)!
Knowing that He is there “24/7” is great news!
I loved Big Joe as a kid. As an adult, I love Jesus even more! What comfort and strength to know that He is ready and waiting to supply mercy and grace in our time of need.

things i think about...but someone else thought this list up!

2009-02-23T00:43:00.003-05:00

Why, Why, Why?

Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are almost dead?

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Why do banks charge a fee on 'insufficient funds' when they already know there is not enough money?

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Why does someone
believe you when you say there are four billion stars; but have to check when you say the paint is still wet?

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Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard?

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Why does Superman stop bullets with his chest, but ducks when you throw a revolver at him?

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Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?

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Whose idea was it to put an 'S' in the word 'lisp'?

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If people evolved from apes,
why are there still apes?

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Why is it that no matter what color bubble bath you use the bubbles are always white?

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Is there ever a day that mattresses

are not on sale?

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Why do people constantly return to the refrigerator with hopes that something new to eat will have materialized?

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Why do people keep running over a string a dozen times with their vacuum cleaner, then reach down, pick it up, examine it, then put it down to give the vacuum one more chance?

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Why is it that no plastic bag will open from the end on your first try?

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How do those dead bugs get into those enclosed light fixtures?

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When we are in the supermarket and someone rams our ankle with a shopping cart then apologizes for doing so, why do we say, 'It's all right?' Well, it isn't all right, so why don't we say, 'That really hurt, why don't you watch where you're going?'

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Why is it that whenever you attempt to catch something that's falling off the table you always manage to knock something else over?

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In winter why do we try to keep the h ouse as warm as it was in summer when we complained about the heat?

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How come you never hear father-in-law jokes?

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And my FAVORITE......
The statistics on sanity is that one out of every four persons is suffering from some sort of mental illness. Think of your three best friends -- if they're okay, then it's you.

vintagey Valentine greetings!

2009-02-13T10:53:00.004-05:00

of course my little "pot" people found their way out of storage for this momentous day!!!!

and this...my dear Iowa friends, is for YOU!...snow and all!!!.....

lookie what i got for V day!!

2009-02-12T21:18:00.002-05:00

(from my lovie...thanks hon! i luv U!)

from an unknown author...

2009-02-10T23:28:00.004-05:00

Malachi 3:3 says:

'He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.' This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study. That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining Silver. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities. The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: 'He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.' She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver,but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed. The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, 'How do you know when the silver is fully refined?' He smiled at her and answered, 'Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it.'

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire , remember that God has his eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.. This very moment, someone needs to know that God is watching over them. And, whatever they're going through, they'll be a better person in the end.

Thank you God, for teaching me to laugh again...... but please Lord, don't ever let me forget that I cried.

happenings

2009-02-09T23:51:00.004-05:00

here are pictures of ...Emily Warner Miller....she was in ATL with her darling family....(husband and 3 cutie patootie boys).... we took advantage of "hug" time....our visit was short...BUT sweet! we love you MILLER family...and EMMY!!
...and here are some pics from the ever so WILD and WONDROUS and WACKY andWHALE of a weekend with the GRANDS!!!!!!....and yes, they exhausted me...and yes, i loved it to death, and yes, i would do it again...just not for a LONG while..........just let me tell ya, it kept me on my proverbial "toes" for sure....and what they didn't get into , Buster the dog DID!!!.........so when i say WILD...i mean it folks!!!!!

.............and lastly...as i promised...here is another valentine for you, my sweet bloggy buds....another drawing of mine...made into a card!!!....the day is fast approaching!!!

Utter Randomness Today

2009-02-05T18:05:00.005-05:00

okay, i am going to ramble in utter random fashion for the next few minutes...i have been feeling quite guilty about ignoring the upkeep of my blog.......and i still love it the best! honest i do! Facebook, quite frankly drives me absolutely CRAZY......and i almost HATE it......but then i LOVE it too! it has put me in touch with such wonderful and dear people from my "past"...i can't quite understand why people are so willing to write everything and ANYTHING on FB......and they won't even leave 2 words of even hello how are you on my blog!!!......nevertheless...i have hooked up with some great people....even tho...needless to say.....FB is quite "shallow" to say the least.....and blogging can be that too......however, blogging just "fits" me better!...so why do i find myself feeling guilty about NOT blogging.......because that stinkin FB is EASIER and FASTER!!!...........UNLESS........one becomes entangled in a messy web of stalking everyone else's lives........ahem.......i know you do...quite frankly......and quite thankfully......i get bored easily with all the conversation back and forth...UNLESS it is directly related to ME!....wow! that sounded narcicisstic didn't it???

but i must admit...FB DOES indeed steal time away from blogging......dad bern it!

well.......i have just started something wonderful and exciting...i just started going to the ESTHER Bible study by Beth Moore!!!....i facillitated several studies at my church in Ia......and loved it beyond words.....but since coming here....well...REAL life happened.....UNEXPECTED life happened......UNFORSEEN changes happened......and i have not done a Beth Moore study since that time.......we attend our son's church, which is almost an hour away.....the trouble with that is that it makes it difficult to really fellowship or attend things like Bible studies in that location.....so i have been praying to find a local Bible study........and yes, tho i am sure there were many available.....nothing really convinced me to join.....plus......i really did not want to walk into a strange place ALL by myself....can i get a witness?????.....i am weird like that....call it insecurity...whatever.....UNTIL.....God faced me HEAD ON with the opportunity..my neighbor lady , who is single and a precious christian lady ...has a friend who was attending an Esther study....and long story short.....i was invited in......and tho i still did not want to enter a room of strangers.....i decided i didn't want God to hit me on the head any harder with the answer to my long ago prayer...and i accepted!!!

well.........i am so glad i did! i started 2 weeks late....so i have been doing about 4 hrs of homework each day to try to catch up.......but i absolutely LOVE it......wow! what a study!!!.....it is fabulous...and oh my goodness it addresses so many issues we, as woman face and reveals God's heart and wisdom in so many areas!

i still have to at some point see the video's for the first 2 weeks.....it would not be absolutely neccessary....but the study is THAT exciting and i don't want to miss a thing!!!!

why does God have to almost hit us with a 2x4 to get us to listen sometimes??.....we have to push beyond our insecurities and pride and OBEY, i know that for sure!

whew...well, that was LONG......see, once i get going i can't stop!!!

on another note.....some further "musings"..

...i have found that at the cost of many losses...i have gained much......

....because i am an HGTV JUNKIE.....i have been tempted to adopt the theory that seems to be quite widespread that one is a NOBODY if one does not have GRANITE countertops in their home......well......then i am content to be a NOBODY cuz "that ain't gonna happen no time soon".....pardon the ever so horrific bad english...sometimes bad english is just appropriate..

...i just wish that at the beginning of my adult life i would have known what has taken me my whole life to find out...that things i thought were so important...really are NOT

...it doesn't matter WHAT you look like on the outside...how gorgeous you are, how thin you are, how much money you have......everyone needs a friend to talk to.....everyone needs a shoulder to cry on......everyone needs an encouraging word......why do we (meaning me, too)....always think those who seem to have "arrived" have it all together? i think i am finding out that they have not much together.....

i have found a new meaning to lonliness....now don't get me wrong.....this isn't neccessarily a BAD or a SAD thing......just a NEW thing.....my husband now has to work out of town EVERY week....this is very new and very foreign to us....i entered this new "chapter" with GREAT fear and DREAD and SADNESS......however, because it is neccessary.....and because i have asked for God's help and strength and protection....i am doing fine...really i am....fine...just fine......don't worry about me...thru the long lonely days and long lonely nights...it's ok if NO ONE ever checks on me....HONEST....i am JUST KIDDING....just had a relapse of silliness come over me...

anyway.......i would be LYING to you if i said i am never LONELY!!! oh my goodnesssssss!!! i get SOOO lonely!......it is me and my dog here..day in and day out......of course i work very part time.....and of course i have interaction with kids and grands.......BUT there is still a lot of alone-ness.....i have tried HARD to not let it get me down....and of course God helps me thru those down feelings.....but it has made me aware of what it is like for so many people who live alone...probably MANY of YOU who are reading this.....i have a NEW heart and attitude to those who have lost their spouses to death, or even divorce......in which case....that is so much worse than what i am going thru......but my heart aches and bleeds for the many people in our world who are lonely and sad.....and those who are bluntly left alone to fend for themselves and figure out how to earn a living...especially women! i have 2 VERY strong and Godly women in mind right now! tho i won't name them...i definitely admire them and think of them a lot!!!

lest you think i only think of myself...my husband has been uprooted from a home life... to seeing me, and the rest of the family to a mere "few" hours a week!......he has to sleep in unfamiliar places with unfamiliar foods and live with the guys he works with!...thankfully God has given him GOOD, DECENT, MORAL guys to share space with! but still!!! WHO in the world would want to do such a thing????......so thank you sweet hubby of mine...i know you would work your fingers to the BONE, just to provide for us...i am so thankful you have a work ethic like i have never seen before!!!! you are a blessing!

ok....i need to lighten up.......well, actually i need to quit......i will end by inserting this absolutely hilarious little poem, sent to me by a friend in Ia. who is an absolute JOY to be around......i dare not name her...for all of my Ia. friends are a joy... heh heh! ...

and, hey people...ain't it the truth???

I asked the Lord to tell me

Why my house is such a mess.

He asked if I'd been 'computering',

I had to answer 'yes.'

He told me to get off my butt

And tidy up the house.

And so I started cleaning up...

The smudges off my mouse.

I wiped and shined the topside.

That really did the trick...

I was just admiring my work..

I didn't mean to 'click.'

But click I did, and oops. I found

A real absorbing site.

That I got SO way into it.

I was into it all night...Sigh

Nothing's changed except my mouse

It's very, very shiny.

I guess my house will stay a mess...

While I sit here on my hiney.

(okay...seriously....can i get a WIT NESS???....that is SOOOO me!!!!!...BUSTED!!! )

i need ideas

2009-02-04T01:21:00.002-05:00

i got the above items while in DesMoines, at an architectural salvage business....they are 3 old door locks and one old kitchen drawer handle....any ideas on what i could do with them in a mixed media application?? i have a few ideas and can't wait to try them out....

this place was fabulous...there were 4 or 5 floors of everything imaginable! it was a virtual "feast" for my eyes!!! the business was housed in an old factory type building , with a very hip and cool coffee shop on the street level.......

i would love anybody's ideas!!!

i absolutely LOVE Valentine's Day!!!

2009-01-30T15:51:00.002-05:00

this is a little valentine i created while on my way to Iowa....well...i created it in a hotel room while my hubby was watching the Steeler game...yes...i AM a fan...however, the only thing i understand fully about football is a touchdown....so while i was close by to catch the touchdowns...the rest of it is a blur...all i know is, they WON... woo hoo...i mean it...seriously...woo hoo....i really DO care, honestly....well anyway...i had purchased a $70.00 set of artist chalks for $15.oo at Michaels before leaving(one end of the wooden case had broken off...everything else was perfect...now that is a REAL WOO HOO)...and was dying to try them out...and this little valentine girl is what came out of that experience!!!!! i know, i know...it is way too early....but seriously...right as soon as Christmas is over...all i have in my head is VALENTINE'S!!!!!!.............. so this little chick of a valentine is for YOU, my beloved blogger buddies!!!!!!!!.........this is only the FIRST one...i gurantee there will be more!!!!!!!

I'm Baaaaaack!!!!

2009-01-28T22:26:00.005-05:00

i am back from the frost-bitten, arctic, blustery midwest!!! and would you believe we DROVE????? we took our trusty lil Ford truck with 4 wheel drive...and my very confident truck driver...the hubs......never batted an eyelash....but I DID!!!!.......he is a little "over" confident....and THAT is what worries me....but of course he and i are NOT on the same page on that subject!!! to him it is a delirious challenge to maneuver thru the beating and sleeting snow and tackling snow drift after snow drift.......all the while my knuckles are blue from hanging on for dear life!!!!! it especially is a "sensation" when i actually hear and FEEL the tires leave the ground and make that little "whisk" noise....oh boy...and that happened several times!!!

the first day of traveling we, of course, ran into a snow storm from Illinois and on......finally after fighting it...we decided to stop.......of course...the Steelers were playing (and won btw...).....that DID help to make Larry's decision....so the next morning when we got back onto the interstate, within 30 minutes i counted over 25 cars and trucks and semis in the ditch, many turned on their tops...some were literally shredded......uh......thank you GOD for the sense to stop....altogether there were over 40 accidents along the way.......

we had a wonderful time with my Mom and Dad......my Dad has an amazing spirit...one of determination...aka...stubborn....one of strong will...aka....made of STEEL...one of delightful humor...aka...a comedian for sure......as we spent our days there he seemed to improve each day in strength...and even got quite obnoxious....in a good sort of way...one in which is known to be quite common...like his old self!!!! my mom and i, on one particular day...looked at each other and said loudly..."he's baaaaack"!!!......he was full of it that day....

my Mom is his wonderful care giver and there is nothing she does not do....she has always "babied" him, and of course he loves it...but now she does so much more...they have a wood burning furnace which needs tending to constantly...and it is hard MAN kind of work, but guess who does it? my MOM , of course! she is constantly getting his food ready...his medicines together....and seems to rarely rest......

man, i am a WIMP compared to them...NK!

and let me tell you.....keeping up with their Dr. appts. and in home nursing care is like juggling 100 balls at once....oh my!.....it made me dizzy!!!!

it was a wonderful week, full of love and laughter...and well...Dr. appts.......

the snow was gloriously beautiful...even tho it froze every orifice in my body......here are some pics on a FROSTY morning....

we made a stop in DesMoines where we have the dearest friends on earth...tho we did not see ALL of them, we saw a few and we had wonderful fellowship!

we ended our stay with breakfast at the ever so famous Iowa Machine Shed Restaurant! yummy.... here are a few pics from there:

2009-01-16T11:50:00.003-05:00

please read this wonderful devotional from Joe Stowell....what a blessing and such a good reminder that the least of us can be used of God in such powerful ways...i love the maid who prayed for the success of her employers, and prayed for the baby who was sick to live..and God granted that prayer..which led to the salvation of the father ......

This Little Light of Mine
“You are the light of the world. . . . Let your light shine before men.” Matthew 5:14-16
I have a lot of favorite stories, but this one has to rank near the top. My friend Paul Eshleman is the founder of the Jesus Film Project, which arguably has been the most important evangelistic outreach of the last 50 years—perhaps in the history of the church.
When Paul was strategizing how to market the film globally, he got an audience with the marketing group of a major Hollywood media conglomerate to get their advice.
The meeting provided the impetus for the international launch of the film. In fact, as of today the Jesus Film has been translated into over a thousand different languages and millions have come to know Christ as their Savior. But as significant as the extraordinary outcomes have been, God had an additional plan for that meeting in Hollywood. The marketing executive who chaired the meeting pulled Paul aside afterward and asked, “Could I talk to you for a minute?”
They went into his office and the executive began his story. “My wife and I had a child that was deathly ill. One day as I was walking down the hall, I noticed through the crack in my maid’s door that my maid was on her knees. Later I asked her, ‘Are you okay?’”
“‘I’m fine,’ she said, ‘Why do you ask?’”
“‘Well, I saw you on your knees in your room.’”
“‘Oh, I was praying,’ she replied. ‘Every day since your baby took ill I have been praying that God will heal your child. In fact, when I came here to work I started praying every day that when you and your wife leave and go out to work that you would be successful and that God will prosper you.’”
The executive explained to Paul, “After that we brought her down to the front door every morning to pronounce a benediction on us when we left. And more importantly, thanks to our maid’s prayers, our baby recovered.”
“And then,” he continued, “not long after that my wife was diagnosed with what looked like incurable cancer. One night, as she lay in the hospital, I was deeply troubled and decided to walk down the street to our synagogue hoping to talk to my rabbi. But it was bingo night so I kept walking. A couple blocks later I noticed a church with the front doors open.”
“When I walked in, the pastor said, ‘Can I help you?’ and I poured out my heart to him. He put his arms around me and prayed for me.”
“The next day I went to the hospital and my doctor said, ‘I thought you were Jewish.’”
“I am Jewish!”
“‘Well if you’re Jewish, then what was that pastor doing here all night sitting next to your wife’s bedside ministering to her?’”
The executive concluded the conversation by saying: “Paul, last week our maid died and I have nobody to get me to God. Can you help me?” And before Paul left, that executive was on his knees asking Christ into his heart.
Don’t miss the heroes of the story—three people who lit up Hollywood with far brighter lights than those on the silver screen: a praying maid, a compassionate pastor, and my friend Paul who had the privilege of turning on the light of Jesus in a Jewish executive’s heart.
And don’t miss the point of the story—you and I, regardless of our station in life, can be lights for Jesus by taking every opportunity to faithfully bring the love of Jesus to those who need it most!

guess what they taught in 1892???

2009-01-15T23:47:00.009-05:00

these two pictures are calendar parts from an 1892 calendar, advertising EMULSION!!!...whatever THAT is.....i think it might be cod liver oil......anyway.......you HAVE to click on the calendar so it will enlarge and read it!!! what a hoot!!! i think i LIKE the teachings of 1892.......DO NOT BE THIN!!!!!.....HAVING FAT IS HEALTHY!!!........my, my, my, how times do change!!!!!!

this is one of MANY of the wonderful little "treasures" i reaped from cleaning out my mother-in-law's stashes!!! more to come as i have time!!!

btw...SCROFULA???? are you kidding me????....oh my goodness!!! has anyone on this earth EVER heard that term??? i have heard the term consumption...but NOT SCROFULA!!! it sounds like a naughty word if you ask me!

lookie!!! Scott's Emulsion is still in business!!!!! Holy Cow!.....does that mean we REALLY shouldn't be thin???????????

"vintageness"

2009-01-13T20:01:00.003-05:00

so, you know i LOVE vintage....here are some lovely vintage images, just to provide some eye candy for you.......before i make an announcement i have been dreading to make......

i have been dreading this announcement all day.....but have had to come to a decision today..........because of REAL LIFE , i have had to come to the conclusion that my little Etsy shop is NOT going to happen this month, and probably not next month.........and WHO KNOWS???......i am not giving up by any means.......and honestly, if i can possibly work it in.....i am still going to do a giveaway...i know just what i have been planning to do and am really excited to get it done......but alas, for now........it will not happen this week or next, certainly.

to enlighten you ...Larry and i each have a parent who is critically ill....my Dad has a terribly diseased heart and it is causing him such sickness, in fact , yesterday he was taken to the hospital via an ambulance because it was in the middle of a snow storm (in IOWA).......thankfully he made it safely there and has been undergoing tests and evaluation for a continuing declining heart condition.. now he is experiencing added problems to top the already expansive and devastating list of ailments.........

at the same time, my husband's mother , who has been in a nursing home for several years, has had pneumonia for the 2nd time in just a few months and is battling much difficulty concerning that, having trouble with breathing and eating and choking.......she is basically immobile because she cannot walk and can barely move, due to a stroke........which only adds to the pneumonia troubles.......neither can she speak understandable words....tho she tries so hard.....it is so very sad and so extremely heart breaking......she has had such a good spirit most of the time, but we are told her spirit is down, as well...who in the world could blame her???
needless to say......we have imminent family issues to deal with and we will be traveling to both parents...one in Iowa and one in Pennsylvania......

with so much on our plate, i cannot commit to something that i really need to devote time and energy into......

but don't give up on me, fellow bloggers!!!

I SHALL RETURN!!!......

i certainly hope to be blogging as much as possible,

it is therapy for me! ;-)

God's timing is best in any and ALL situations.......so i must yield to His will and timing for us right now!

let's talk about a clean start!

2009-01-09T17:46:00.003-05:00

ok, so....i finally got ALL of Christmas down...well, i DID leave up a couple snowmen and a bowl of pinecones, after ALL...it is still winter, tho here in the South, it doesn't feel like a true winter...you know, without all the storms, ice, power outages, sidewalk shoveling...slipping on the ice, breaking bones from the fall.....no slush in the streets.....no heavy coats, boots, scarves, mittens.......hmmmmmm.....i don't know if i really miss all that or NOT!!!....maybe NOT!!!......i do, however, miss the beauty of the snow and the icicles and the clear blue winter skies of the midwest! having said all that.....every Jan. always brings for most everyone a feeling of "newness" or refreshment, or maybe a time to start over and to do better......well, i haven't really had that feeling until yesterday, when i had my first opportunity to take Christmas down, tho it saddened me....i was especially fond of my tree this year..... i love the warmth and coziness it brings to our little townhouse....but in the same breath....i love taking it down and neatly (or not ?) putting it away for another year.....and the feeling of freshness and cleaning up the debris from a leftover, albeit wonderful Christmas....tho my house looks a little bare.......it is a look i like......a cleaned up look, a fresh look.....maybe even a look that is READY for something NEW!!!.......like new paint color......or maybe new pictures....or maybe a different arrangement....i know you understand, huh? us womenfolk seem to need to change and "add" new accessories......and for me, in particular, doing so is really a delightful and joyous thing! can i get a witness???

along with this feeling of a fresh start also comes the dreaded elephant in the room problem...the number ONE resolution...LOSING WEIGHT...ugh......i hate the word, i hate the thought, i hate the process, i hate talking about it, i hate people who OBSESS over it, i hate it when you sit down to a wonderful meal and someone reminds you how many calories is in the dish that you just HEAPED your plate full of.......yeah, you know what i mean.......but nevertheless......the elephant can't be ignored......and MANY of us need to do it......ugh again.......and i am NO exception......

i will tell you, one good thing about being OLD (in body, not mind and spirit) is that i NO longer wish to be thin....(not that i ever WAs.....ha ha)...but i DO want to be HEALTHY.....so along with that wish MUST come some weight loss......

Larry and i have resolved to "work" on this problem.....we started slowly before Christmas.....pretty much fell off the wagon during Christmas.....but not too bad......and now we are back ON the proverbial wagon....we are just trying to be sensible....you know.......less carbs.....less calories....good choices......less sugar......more water.....more fiber......etc.

what we lack is EXCERCISE......oh my goodness.....i hate it.....i HATE to sweat.....but i am going to try to walk......i know it is a good start.....so wish me luck.....

well i have touched on the "biggies".....now what about a fresh relationship with Christ??

just like i am ready for something new in my living room.....i am ready for the Lord to show me something new, something fresh....

i desire that so much and will be amending my devotional time this year, that i may grow in Christ....how bout YOU?

lastly, i am going to insert some great words from one of my fave author's....Max Lucado.....

Happy Fresh Start to each of you!

Love God more than you fear hell

Once a week, let a child take you on a walk.

Make major decisions in a cemetery

When no one is watching, live as if someone is.

Succeed at home first

Don't spend tomorrow's money today

Pray twice as much as you fret.

Listen twice as much as you speak

Only harbor a grudge when God does.

Never outgrow your love of sunsets

Treat people like angels; you will meet some and help make some

'Tis wiser to err on the side of generosity than on the side of scrutiny

God has forgiven you; you'd be wise to do the same.

When you can't trace God's hand, trust his heart

Toot your own horn and the notes will be flat

Don't feel guilty for God's goodness.

The book of life is lived in chapters, so know your page number

Never let the important be the victim of the trivial.

Live your liturgy.

To sum it all up:Approach life like a voyage on a schooner. Enjoy the view. Explore the vessel. Make friends with the captain. Fish a little. And then get off when you get home.

the following is from Our Daily Bread:

What if you were to ask God what He wants you to change, improve, or begin this year? He might tell you to:
* Demonstrate more of the fruit of the Spirit in your life, which is “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23).
* “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who . . . persecute you” (Matt. 5:44).
* “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).
* “Be content with such things as you have” (Heb. 13:5).
* “Walk according to His commandments” (2 John 1:6).
As believers and new creations, we can be free from old patterns and failures. We must ask God to help us live each day in the power of the Holy Spirit. Then we can shed the old and embrace the new (2 Cor. 5:17). —Cindy Hess Kasper
How can we live to please the Lord?By knowing what He says to doAnd trusting in the Spirit’s strengthTo make us into someone new. —Sper
Resolutions are easier to keep when you rely on God.

my Hopie/Buster overnite experience

2009-01-05T23:52:00.007-05:00

Hope and her new puppy and dearest PAL, Buster Jolly Hixson came to our house Sunday after church!!!......we had so much fun! i was quite worried how our VERY grumpy and DOG HATER-DOG, Simba, would accept little Buster...and well, let's just say...HE DIDN'T!...no surprise...he is anti-dog social...well...anti anything and anybody social.....suffice it to say.......HE HAS ISSUES...VERY unresolved issues...a dog shrink would have to go to a people shrink, just trying to get over any attempt to "fix" our very NON-FIXABLE dog!.....he is a Shiba Inu....need i say more????....however, HE is a Shiba-Inu times 100,00 mentally disturbed Shiba Inu's!!! SERIOUSLY

well.....of course he acted just as i expected.....of course Buster wanted to play and i think he loved seeing a dog quite his own heighth.....but one big GROWL and warning from mr. grumpy and Buster knew there would not soon be a friendship there! actually i was VERY impressed with Buster......most puppies, in their darling stage of innocence and extreme desire to play, would FORCE themselves on someone like Simba....but Buster took the hint...RIGHT away!!!....what a smart, smart little grandog he is!!!

well, we had a GRAND time.....and i absolutely fell head over heels in love with that dog......he even slept with me!...Larry left early for work this morning and after i took Buster POTTY at 5 in the morning...ahem!....(not my cup a tea, i gotta tell ya)........i put him in bed with me.....and the little darlin curled up safe and sound with his head on LARRY'S pillow!!!!! LOL!!!.......uh.....i know another grandog who did that one night....WITH Larry in the bed!!!....that story is waaaay back in the archives of my blog..... of course i will have the sheets clean for you know who, when he gets home......EVEN tho Buster is non-allergenic...or so they say!!!!

of course Hopie and i primarily worked on little art projects, interspersed with the watching of Cheaper by the Dozen 2....which we have viewed together 892 times...at least!!!......and of course we chased and played with Buster, NON stop!!!!

and Simba?......well......he pouted in the corners.....i KNOW he really wants to play......he just can't "give in" to that inner self ......of being a nice and pleasant doggie!!!

(nap time on the hearth)

(chewing on a bone almost as big as he is)

(what a DOLL)

remember this project?

2009-01-02T14:07:00.003-05:00

this image was the original one i posted before Christmas, telling you i was going to attempt this little guy to serve my family on Christmas Eve.........wellllll..............i did....and mine....looked like.......... this: !!!!!!!!!.........uh, not so close.....ugh..........
here the little creatures are, nesting in my freezer, waiting to be eaten alive......

but let me tell you..........it LOOKS easy............and guess what???? it WAS NOT!!!!!...........of course i am not very patient with small details like this........but every time i would place the eyes, nose, tie , arms, buttons ON the dear little creature and ever so carefully place them in the freezer.......by the time i opened the freezer for the next one.......everything had slidden off the snowman!!!!!...........uh, not so fun! so i had to fuss with them a LOT.....but of course they brought squeeeeels of delight for about a 1/8 of a nano second from the grands......so that made it worthwhile...........would i do it again??? ..........
well, NO

i did a kick out of when i posted it before Christmas...i got a comment from the BLUE BUNNY MAN!!! no kidding!!! how funny is that??? go down my column and see for yourself! if you click on his name it will take you to a very cute Blue Bunny Ad.........and i will say......the homemade vanilla ice cream from them is wunnerful!!!(maybe he will comment again, since i have posted the picture again....lol......hmmmm......so does that mean that all the "art" i copy and paste off different sites can be tracked back to me????...yikes)

Human Hope versus God's Hope

2008-12-31T12:18:00.002-05:00

i felt a strong urging to post this devotional....how many of us have HUMAN hope and by-pass God's only true HOPE......the difference is, the circumstances can stay the same when we place our Hope in God.......and we can still "soar"......if we have human hope and circumstances do not change......our hope is dashed into pieces and we wither....which do you have?

December 31, 2008

The Night I Lost All Hope
By Elaine Bonds, She Speaks Graduate

"But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)

Devotion:
I remember it so well -- the night I lost all hope. I had been hoping that my prodigal son was not lying to me. While I was 99% sure he was, I still clung to the 1% chance he was telling the truth. My heart simply refused to give up that final thread of hope.
As a condition of living in our home again, we asked that our 21-year old son attend a weekly support group meeting. We wanted him back home; his other living choice was not a good one. But we needed to establish boundaries, offering a safe place to live without tolerating or enabling his destructive behavior. We wanted to start rebuilding the trust we had lost. One building block was his Friday night support group meeting. Though our son said he was attending, in my heart I felt something was wrong.

One night I just had to know if he was living up to his commitment. I drove to the place where his meeting was held and my fears were confirmed: he was nowhere to be found. I went right home and waited. When he came home I asked about his meeting. "The meeting was fine. I'm tired and going to bed." I had caught him in a lie!

Hope left me and discouragement came quickly to replace it. I couldn't even confront him -- at least not yet. I needed time to wrestle with the loss of the 1% of hope. It was just a tiny bit of hope. No big loss, right? ... Wrong! That last 1% of hope is what I held onto the tightest. I was so angry and crushed. But then, God spoke. He chose a friend to speak His Words to me the very next day. She had no clue what was happening with our son. She just prayed what God prompted her -- for me to have HOPE! She emailed me her prayer:

"Father, You are the God of all hope. Your Word tells us that those who hope in You will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, and they will walk and not be faint. I pray this for Elaine this morning ... that she will place her HOPE in You and You alone ..."

Reading her prayer, it suddenly became clear to me. My hope had been in my son and in that weekly meeting. The hope I had lost -- that 1% I'd been clinging to -- was human hope. That kind of hope is in limited quantity, and when it runs out, you are left drained, discouraged, disappointed and ...hopeless! Oh, it may masquerade as "hope," but it is completely different from the hope that God provides. God's hope renews and refreshes. It empowers, uplifts, and strengthens. God's hope does not disappoint! There is an unlimited supply of God's hope.

God knew I had been clinging to human hope, and He knew that last 1% of weak, feeble hope would run out. He wanted me to cling to Him, the God of true, lasting, unlimited hope. So, as I wiped my tears, I waited as the winds of God's hope blew my way. My circumstances were still the same, but my heart was now filled with the hope that only God can provide.

Dear Lord, Thank You for Your wonderful, everlasting hope. Please help me always put my hope in You and You alone. Thank You that with You all things are possible. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Happy New Year to each of YOU!

2008-12-30T22:20:00.000-05:00

Hope

2008-12-27T14:53:00.002-05:00

you MUST watch the adjacent video of Hopie on Christmas morning....watch HER , specifically! it is so precious.........for those of you who do not know the "background" story on this......Hope is 7 yrs. old...my grandaughter...in case you haven't gathered that by now......she is the First grandchild in fact.......she was born with mild cerebral palsy.....therefore has had an awful lot of obstacles to overcome in her young life........she is doing sooo very well and brightens absolutely EVERYONE'S life!.......well...........she has been asking, begging, pleading (get the pic?) for a REAL live puppy for a very very long time........and as most of you know........ a DOG takes a REAL commitment and one must be very prepared for the ownership of a dog!.......so my son, Peter and my daughter-in-love, Hollie.......have really had to "get ready" for this decision......but Hope has NEVER given up!!!.........she has received many "substitue', albeit FAKE puppies for many bday and other occasions........and oh yes! she loves them too!!!.......but her desire for a REAL puppy had never been fulfilled til THIS CHRISTMAS!........so as you watch her on the video.....watch her reaction.......of course it makes me cry!.........this puppy will be her lifelong PAL!.......and where she goes, he goes!......so, yup, you guessed it.....next week when she comes for an overnite...guess who will be with her???...........and i absolutely CANNOT wait!!!!!!

meet Buster Jolly

2008-12-26T21:51:00.002-05:00

i introduce you to my new grandog...Buster Jolly!!! he is so darling , i cannot TELL you!!!.....Hopie has waited so long to have a real live puppy of her own.......and she got one for Christmas!!! ...he has stolen all of our hearts........is he not precious? he is a golden doodle....our family dog of long ago was a golden retriever, named Mollie.....we loved her like a family member...she died several years ago of heart disease.......i still think of her all the time and miss her......so it is great to have another Mollie type dog in the fam......
i am anxious to get back to blog world......i trust all you bloggetts and bloggies had a wonderful Christmas!!!
i am also looking forward to getting my next giveaway done and posted!!!

2008-12-26T14:23:00.002-05:00

Week of December 26
The Arrival

by Max Lucado
God had entered the world as a baby.
Yet, were someone to chance upon the sheep stable on the outskirts of Bethlehem that morning, what a peculiar scene they would behold.
The stable stinks like all stables do. The stench of urine, dung, and sheep reeks pungently in the air. The ground is hard, the hay scarce. Cobwebs cling to the ceiling and a mouse scurries across the dirt floor.
A more lowly place of birth could not exist.
Off to one side sit a group of shepherds. They sit silently on the floor; perhaps perplexed, perhaps in awe, no doubt in amazement. Their night watch had been interrupted by an explosion of light from heaven and a symphony of angels. God goes to those who have time to hear him--so on this cloudless night he went to simple shepherds.
Near the young mother sits the weary father. If anyone is dozing, he is. He can't remember the last time he sat down. And now that the excitement has subsided a bit, now that Mary and the baby are comfortable, he leans against the wall of the stable and feels his eyes grow heavy. He still hasn't figured it all out. The mystery of the event puzzles him. But he hasn't the energy to wrestle with the questions. What's important is that the baby is fine and that Mary is safe. As sleep comes he remembers the name the angel told him to use ... Jesus. "We will call him Jesus."
Wide awake is Mary. My, how young she looks! Her head rests on the soft leather of Joseph's saddle. The pain has been eclipsed by wonder. She looks into the face of the baby. Her son. Her Lord. His Majesty. At this point in history, the human being who best understands who God is and what he is doing is a teenage girl in a smelly stable. She can't take her eyes off him. Somehow Mary knows she is holding God. So this is he. She remembers the words of the angel. "His kingdom will never end." (Luke 1:33)
He looks like anything but a king. His face is prunish and red. His cry, though strong and healthy, is still the helpless and piercing cry of a baby. And he is absolutely dependent upon Mary for his well-being.
Majesty in the midst of the mundane. Holiness in the filth of sheep manure and sweat. Divinity entering the world on the floor of a stable, through the womb of a teenager and in the presence of a carpenter.
She touches the face of the infant-God. How long was your journey!
This baby had overlooked the universe. These rags keeping him warm were the robes of eternity. His golden throne room had been abandoned in favor of a dirty sheep pen. And worshiping angels had been replaced with kind but bewildered shepherds.
Meanwhile, the city hums. The merchants are unaware that God has visited their planet. The innkeeper would never believe that he had just sent God into the cold. And the people would scoff at anyone who told them the Messiah lay in the arms of a teenager on the outskirts of their village. They were all too busy to consider the possibility.
Those who missed His Majesty's arrival that night missed it not because of evil acts or malice; no, they missed it because they simply weren't looking.
Little has changed in the last two thousand years, has it?From God Came Near© (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006) Max Lucado

Happy Birthday Jesus

2008-12-24T12:38:00.001-05:00

Will They Know What it Cost?
Glynnis Whitwer

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23 (NIV)

Devotion:
My daughter Cathrine went on a field trip to the Grand Canyon last year with her fourth grade class. As I picked her up upon her return, she couldn't wait to show me an adorable little stuffed brown bear. She started to say that it was for everyone, and then her words got jumbled up as she tried to explain how she ran out of money when she was trying to buy gifts. I could see she was distressed but wasn't sure why.

To understand the rest of the story, it might help to know that Cathrine was born in Africa and experienced deprivation of every sort for the first 11 years of her life. Although she has made remarkable gains, she struggles with communication and math - especially money.
After we got home that night, I understood what Cathrine was trying to tell me about the bear. She had originally taken $20 of her own money to buy a souvenir of some kind. Before buying herself something, however, she wanted to buy some small gifts. So she started with two of her teachers and bought them each a small ring with the first initial of their last names. I looked at the price on the rings and saw each was $3.99. Times that by two, add tax, and Cathrine would have been left with $11 for other gifts and herself.I imagine she stood at the gift store counter bewildered by what she had just done. She probably was embarrassed to ask any of her classmates for help. And maybe the teacher wasn't around. There she stood with just over half of her money left, and three brothers and a sister left to buy for. She decided to get a group gift, and that's where the bear came in.Standing in our kitchen, looking at the three items she purchased, I smiled brightly and told her how everyone was going to love their gifts, and what wonderful purchases she made. She smiled back and the night ended well.The next morning as she wrapped up the little rings, I kept thinking about those two teachers who were going to receive a gift. All they would see is a little silver ring. They are wonderful women and I knew they would be very loving and appreciative. But would they truly understand the sacrifice Cathrine made?Would they understand that their gifts cost Cathrine half of what she had? Will they understand the frustration and worry it caused Cathrine as she realized she didn't have enough to buy her family gifts? Would they treasure those little rings, or would they put them in a drawer with gifts from other students throughout the year?As I pondered these thoughts, I considered a gift I was given 2000 years ago as God sent His son into the world as a baby, knowing Jesus would die on a cross for me. Do I truly understand the sacrifice of that gift? Do I understand the anguish God the Father must have felt? Do I treasure this gift, or do I take it for granted?Christmas is a time for celebration. It is also a time to remember God's sacrifice. For it is in understanding the cost, that we fully appreciate the gift.

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank You this Christmas season for the gift of Your son, Jesus. Help me to fully grasp what this gift must have cost You. As I give and receive gifts this month, help me to remember that the relationship I enjoy with You, and the eternal life I look forward to, came at a great cost. For that I am truly thankful. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

a vintage Merry Christmas to you!

2008-12-23T23:07:00.000-05:00

Treasures

2008-12-22T11:53:00.006-05:00

Luke 2:25-35 (New International Version)
25Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: 29"Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss[a] your servant in peace. 30For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31which you have prepared in the sight of all people, 32a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."
33The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too."

what an interesting Scripture passage......one i have overlooked....in fact....i could not have pointed it out before this day....oh sure i have heard of Simeon before......but, get this....Simeon, who was very Godly, and under the control of the Holy Spirit...was compelled to go to the temple......he had been told by the Holy Spirit that he would see the Messiah before he died.....now here is what i find a glorious thing......he went to the temple to see Jesus and told the child , JESUS.....that HE could now dismiss him (Simeon) to death..and in peace, as he had fulfilled his mission...and even more astounding is the fact that he had taken Jesus into his arms and was HOLDING JESUS!!!.....imagine it!.....WOW

.....now how would a normal child handle an adult telling him something like that? (not to mention, while being held in the arms of this man!)......well obviously, Jesus knew exactly what was being said and why Simeon was there.......in fact HE "knew" all along.......and would have been anticipating Simeon's visit! it is hard to comprehend, isn't it??? the whole scene is hard to comprehend!! yet it is so marvelous and glorious!!! it is so heart warming but so curiously hard to understand, and yet so sweet and simple.......an old man is holding the GOD-child.....knowing that he now can die and go to be WITH God.....while he is holding the God child....oh my.....too much for my feeble mind!

and still another very interesting, albeit sobering issue is discussed in these few, short verses,....the sobering fact that Jesus REALLY came to DIE....Simeon told Mary that Jesus would cause the RISE and Fall of many in Israel..(very very HEAVY information, don't you think?)......and he said something else....."the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed".......then he told her that her heart will be peirced..(talk about heavy...would you be ready for that one?)!...what do you think that means??? i am asking you......because i am not sure.......i think it means when Jesus is hung on the cross, she will see her son dying......how about some comments on this???...i copied and pasted the following devotional words from Our Daily Bread a few days ago.......i think perhaps Mary had a few "hints" of what her child had come to accomplish....i am sure she kept her ponderings in her heart......as the Wise Men delivered the following gifts to the Baby Jesus in the few years past....

Gold has always been a symbol of royalty. This gift signaled the wise men's understanding of who this child was, and how we should receive Him. Because of this child, we are transformed from lowly paupers to royalty seated with Christ (Ephesians 2:6). He had to leave the perfection and grandeur of heaven in order to walk among us, trading His royalty for a time, but never losing His deity.

Incense was a symbol of His purity. Because He was born sinless and lived a perfect life, Jesus was that perfect lamb, without blemish, offered up for our sins. Incense was used as a fragrant offering to God. But the beauty of the scent couldn't be released without being touched by fire. Jesus' life became a fragrant offering through the flames of affliction. And in His death, we receive His purity.

Myrrh symbolized death, as it was used for embalming in those times. Nothing says "congratulations on the birth of your baby" like a little symbolic death! As these men laid this odd collection of gifts at the feet of this child, a little shiver had to have run down His mother's spine when that last one was placed before Him. Already Lord? She had to be thinking. Do I have to start letting Him go already? But I suspect Mary knew that to accomplish His purposes on earth, Jesus' life had to end. And now as we seek to follow Him, our lives have to end as He asks us to die to self and to take up our cross and follow Him.

and my thinking on the statement about the thoughts of many will be revealed.....i think this could pertain to how outwardly we call Christ our Saviour.....while inwardly HE is not.....at the foot of the cross it will truly be revealed what is in our hearts........what do you think?

what a passage of Scripture!!!!....dig deep friends......there are many treasures for you to discover!!!

i would love some "convo" on this!!!!

wishing you some "vintageness" today

2008-12-20T12:42:00.002-05:00

a timely word...

2008-12-19T12:50:00.005-05:00

the devotion below is one of my favorites!.....she asks many of the questions i have wondered and i love her view of it! please enjoy!...remember...keep CHRIST in CHRISTmas!

(if you click on the picture below, one of my mixed media paintings,...it should enlarge it so you can read the words to the songs that are "embedded" into the original picture...this is actual hymnal music from a hymnal in the 20's or 30's...

(by the way...can you find the words "Away in the manger"?)

this is a painting i "collaborated" with Ivette on...she has the original...btw.....i would LOVE to do that with YALL too! ;-)

The Beauty of It All
Rachel Olsen
"By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures." Proverbs 24:3-4 (NIV)

Devotion:
Everywhere I go this month I take in the splendor of Christmas. Twinkling lights. Sparkly ornaments. Decorated cookies. Packages with shiny bows. Warm, spicy gourmand scents, mixed with the smell of fresh evergreen. A warm, crackling fire. Sounds of carols filling the air. Christmas is a feast for the senses!

Beauty pays a visit when we celebrate Christmas. Yet when I think back upon the story of Jesus' birth, there seems little lovely about it. The weariness of travel. No vacancy signs. A dusty manger. No running water. Smell of farm animals. The pain of childbirth. Damp, night air. Hay poking and scratching through makeshift blankets. I wonder then, why do we celebrate the day of Christ's birth with such decoration and adornment?

Then I notice how God marked the birth of His Son those thousands of years ago, and I begin to understand more about the ways we celebrate.
God heralded the arrival of His Son with a divine outdoor concert. According to the gospel writer Luke, shepherds sat on a hillside watching over their sheep that evening, when an angel of God appeared to them, surrounded by bright light. He said, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger" (Luke 2:10-12, NLT). Just as quickly as the first angel appeared, a large group of angels -- a whole choir full -- appeared. Praising God together, they declared, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests" (2:14, NLT). Suddenly our tradition of singing Christmas carols seems fitting.
God also announced the birth of His Son to the entire universe, according to the gospel writer Matthew, with a glorious new star in the sky. Millions of light years away, a massive ball of explosive gas began to blaze that day. Through it, God called wise men from far away lands to find and worship the true king. These wise men brought Him gifts: the spicy scents of frankincense and myrrh, as well as sparkling treasures of gold. Suddenly, the twinkling lights, the smell of fresh-baked gingerbread houses, and the carefully chosen gifts under the tree seem perfectly fitting.

In fact, the sharp contrast between our homes and towns at Christmas time and Jesus' first days on earth makes me realize just how humble Jesus is. It foreshadowed the entire life and ministry of this man who lived quite simply on earth, yet reigns as King of heaven.

I'm certain the most beautiful thing about that night centuries ago was the radiance that surely shined from the newborn cheeks, and twinkled through the precious eyes of that promised child. Yes, Beauty paid a visit that first Christmas, and He remains with us today. How glorious that we have become this king's temple. How splendid that our hearts become His majestic throne -- with no lights, ornaments or holly branches required.

I think I'm beginning to understand the beauty of it all.

Dear Lord, Give me eyes to see and ears to hear all the beauty that You bring into my world. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

BRRRRRRRR

2008-12-18T00:08:00.005-05:00

Where do you think these pics are taken??

IOWA!!!.....that's right!!! i found this cool weather site...you can type in the town and state and some, not all, have pictures people have posted from that town!!! and these are from my home town...Forest City, Iowa!!!....can you beleive it???

isn't it gorgeous? i don't even know these people........or at least i don't think i do.....but, how fun! you need to try it! here is the link:

http://www.wunderground.com/

(look in wunder photos and type in your info)

and the last one is for husband....i knew he would love it.........and yes, it is taken in Forest City, Iowa!!!

how cute is this??? TRY IT!

2008-12-16T16:40:00.008-05:00

how utterly cute is this for Christmas??? please try it and let me know your responses....post pics on your blog and i will visit to see how yours look! i am going to try it.......for Christmas Eve, which is at my house this year with my FAM...the kiddos will love it, i am SURE!

any ideas how to make the scarf?? or other peices??

Blue Bunny® Vanilla Ice Cream Snowman
Ingredients
1 cup flaked coconut or 6 ounces vanilla almond bark, finely chopped
2 cups Blue Bunny® Premium Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
1 teaspoon confectioners' sugar
2 chocolate cookie wafers
2 chocolate-covered cherries
Candies for snowman's facial features, arms, etc.

Directions
Place coconut or almond bark on a large plate. Using an ice cream scoop, form four balls of ice cream; roll in coconut or almond bark. Place ice cream balls in freezer for at least 1 hour to set.
Mix confectioners' sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of water to form a smooth paste. Apply to bottom of each chocolate-covered cherry. Press onto center of each chocolate wafer to make the snowmen's hats.
Remove ice cream balls (snowmen) from freezer. Spread a small amount of confectioners' sugar paste on each snowman's head, then press hats onto their heads. Decorate snowmen with candies to form features. Serve immediately or return to freezer for later use.

another great reminder from Joe Stowell..

2008-12-16T15:06:00.001-05:00

The Power of a Life Well-Lived
“Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.” Philippians 2:14-15
In the years leading up to the fall of the Iron Curtain in Russia, I remember praying for Russian Christians who were being persecuted for their faith. The political situation in that land seemed grim, and quite honestly I wasn’t really expecting to see God answer our prayers for freedom in that land. But in 1989 the unthinkable happened—the curtain collapsed, ushering in a new era of freedom for the people who had been under the iron fist of that communist government. The world rejoiced at the news, and I was especially thrilled that our fellow believers in that land could now freely express their faith in Christ.
Soon after that happened, three leaders of the Russian church came to visit the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. As president of Moody at the time, I was privileged to give them a tour. While we walked, I asked them what events had led to the cessation of oppression and persecution against the church. They explained that their economy had been failing because alcoholism was rampant. People who didn’t believe in God had no purpose, and absenteeism from work—largely due to alcoholism—was wreaking havoc with the economy. They said that once when Gorbachev, who was then the Prime Minister, met with his cabinet, he asked, “Why is it that we persecute the Christians? They are the ones who are not alcoholics. They show up for work every day and give us a good day’s work. Why is it that we persecute people like this whom we desperately need?”
It’s a great example of the power of a life well-lived. When non-Christians in this “crooked and depraved generation” notice that we are different, it gives us an opportunity to make a difference for Christ. I wonder if the people where you work would agree with Gorbachev’s observation? Or would they say, “Those Christians—they are always the ones who are griping, murmuring, arriving late, and leaving early?” Even in environments where we may feel challenged or unappreciated, we are called to bear witness to the reality of God in our lives by being “pure and blameless.” It’s often true that the more difficult the environment, the more challenging it is to show the uniqueness of God’s character through our actions and attitudes. Yet it is in those dark times that the light of Jesus in us and through us can shine most brightly.
When we maintain the witness of a life well-lived even in the face of hardship, we have the power to make a difference in our home, workplace, and significant relationships.
Live in such a way that your boss will be prompted to say, “I don’t always get it about Christians but one thing is true—our business is a lot better place because they work here!” And then maybe, just maybe, your boss will be open for you to help him “get it” about Christians—all the way to Jesus. Now that would really make a difference!

now i've gone and dun it

2008-12-15T11:30:00.002-05:00

i have done the UNTHINKABLE..........i have joined FACEBOOK!.........i am a traitor..........i know it...........but i promise to not forsake my blogging! i promise, i promise, i promise!

smile! it's Christmas!

2008-12-11T13:46:00.000-05:00

something to REMEMBER!

2008-12-10T12:09:00.003-05:00

after the last 2 days of non stop flurry to decorate and make my house presentable.....i have had the nagging thoughts of how "un-important" these temporal pleasures really are......today in Daily Bread brought my thoughts to reality......a good remembrance to keep PRIORITIES in place!

December 10, 2008
Marred
ODB RADIO: Listen Now DOWNLOAD: DownloadREAD: Matthew 1:18-25
She will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. —Matthew 1:21
During an all-night festival in Paris, five young people, apparently drunk, broke into the Orsay Museum and left a 4-inch gash in a priceless painting by Claude Monet. Culture Minister Christine Albanel said the painting could be restored, but she was deeply disturbed at the damage done by “a purely criminal act.”
One news headline read: “Monet Masterpiece Marred.” To mar is to injure or damage; to spoil, disfigure, or impair. It’s an apt description of sin’s effect on us. We know well the results of our own choices made in ignorance or defiance of God.
As we approach Christmas, it’s good to remember why Jesus was born. The Son of God did not come to establish a nostalgic, family-oriented, commercially successful holiday. The angel told Joseph: “[Mary] will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21).
Christmas began with a present from God to His sin-damaged world: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:23).
The masterpiece of God’s human creation, marred by turning away from Him, can be restored when we give our hearts to Christ. —David McCasland
He came into this world a babe,

This world that He Himself had made;

He came to do the Father’s will,

That ended on dark Calvary’s hill.

—Newstrom
Jesus came to earth to repair our sin-damaged lives.

dun.....i mean DONE

2008-12-10T00:27:00.006-05:00

WHEW! what a day! i have kept my nose to the grind and i am done with Christmas decorating 2008!!! (except for the dusting and vacuuming).......what a mess it creates!........of course there are always those few "extra" touches that never seem to be done....or NEW ideas that will inevitably POP into my head........but basically...i am done.........i am so relieved! here are a few pics:

decorating update

2008-12-08T23:28:00.012-05:00

okay, i got home from work and had my traditional Monday nite after work meal......TACO JOHNS.........(husband is out of town, working)........and looked at the chaos around me...and almost backed out of my plan..........to decorate the tree TONITE..........JUST the tree.....if i could ONLY get JUST the TREE done TONITE!........but i was oh so tired........Michael's is a ZOO right now...and many customers are very stressed and CRABBY....to say the least.........it just takes everything out of me...to be nice that is....JK!........well, that is true, sometimes........but usually a friendly smile turns them around.......and when it doesn't.......i get outta there! ;-)!..........so i ate my meal...and felt somewhat rejuvenated........so tackled the tree!......here is what husband did:

pathetic, huh?.......i asked him to pleeeeeeze put it together and "fluff" it.....i asked, oh so nicely.........but he oh so nicely told me he wasn't so good at "fluffing"..........so this is how i started tonite,
then....i turned on the lights and did a bit of FLUFFING......i actually HATE this tree.....it is a CHEAPO from Walmart......and i really would love to have a REAL tree, as we always used to when the kids were little........until i JUST could NOT take putting on and taking off lights for one more Christmas..........and could NOT take poking my fingers and hands with those horrid needles when taking the tree down.........so i have resorted to FAKE........i feel like a real deserter for forsaking the beautiful, wonderful REAL trees.........but fake is easier, i just wish i had a fake that really looked REAL...........anyway......

still....oh so pathetic.....i mean, REALLY........so following is the progression of the ugly tree!

well, not so bad after all.........it is so covered you wouldn't be able to tell if it is cheap or expensive, real or fake......well, then again....maybe you CAN....nevertheless...at the end of a LONG evening...i am now a much happier camper, to have my tree DONE........now, on to tomorrow....for the REST of the story........i might be done by tomorrow night after all!!!

the FOLLOWING is a little

VINTAGE EYE CANDY for you!

these are bowls i brought home from PA!...aren't they delectable??? bring back any memories?? the mixing bowls were still in the original box and appear to have never been used(don't you just LOVE the way they "nest" together......and don't you LOVE the colors???)..........after Christmas, i MUST find a setting for these in my kitchen! ;-)

PRESSURE

2008-12-08T12:06:00.002-05:00

i am not sure why in the world i put that stupid Christmas countdown clock on my GADGET side of my blog.......i kid you not, it makes my heart RACE when i see those days counting down.....and i am still undecorated!......so why am i wasting time on the blog, when i could be decorating, YOU ASK????........well becuz i looked at the job before me and i ran away.....I TELL YOU......
actually i have to WORK today......but OFF tomorrow......i am hoping for the MAGIC to happen then........i will keep you posted.......
oh by the way.....we just got a new printer/scanner.......it worked beautifully yesterday........and guess what........this morning....it won't even turn on.......i have checked everything a female knows how to check.....talked to husband on the phone.....tried everything he told me to check......STILL....NO GO.......how frustrating is THAT??? i was going to design my CHRISTMAS cards......with pics from my mixed media.......which would probably go out.....oh, let's say...maybe if i am lucky......Jan. 15th or so..........but NOW??? WHAT????.....more pressure!!!!!!!
People! don't DO as i DO!

Would You Believe

2008-12-05T16:45:00.004-05:00

The above images are from our apartment 3-4 years ago!....i didn't have a tree then either! but i DID manage to decorate........why can't i BLINK and have these images magically appear in THIS house???.......

Would you believe i have not started decorating???
That's right.........NO TREE...NO NUTHIN........
What do you think is going to happen?
Now i remember what it is like to be in business for oneself and finishing orders right up to Christmas.......hmmmm..........maybe second guessing the ETSY shop.........
well.........not really..........but...oh my.........i am so behind.........i have said this a million zillion times.........BUT NEXT YEAR.......i am decorating the weekend BEFORE THANKSGIVING! Bethanne.......YOU have the RIGHT idea!..........
i feel so stressed..........UGH

the PA experience

2008-12-03T23:09:00.011-05:00

okay......so here is the story of our travels to Pennsylvania....

what beautiful scenery as we traveled through the Appalachian states....and we got to see freshly fallen snow.....a beautiful site to me, who misses the site of snow since i am from iowa.....tho my husband really doesn't miss it one little teeny weeny bit...

so..........we made it from GA to PA in 11 hrs.....good timing......we had many things to accomplish while there, among one of them was the quite overwhelming task of cleaning out cupboards, closets, trunks, spaces and more spaces... boxes and more boxes... of a wonderful life in Larry's childhood home
Larry's mother is now in a nursing home, and his brother and wife...Lee and Julie......have recently decided to move into the house with Larry's dad, because he, too, now needs some assistance and looking after......

but of course, that means the removal of the old to replace with the new belongings.......and let's just say.......THEY THREW NOTHING AWAY........and i do mean NOTHING!..........thus a huge burn pile accumulated in the basement during this process!!!

we DID, however, have to really be careful of anything that went into the burn pile......because..........every once in a blue moon minute.......MONEY was found in the most unusual places!!!

we even found a check Larry had written his mom in the 80's, which she had never cashed!!! we contemplated trying to cash it......then thought that might be scandalous or something so decided against it! ;-)

so amongst the heaps of goodies, as in the picture below:

we found many, many, many interesting, albeit surprising, suffice it to say SHOCKING things........all the following pictures are from the bedroom!

can you believe how cool these items are in the above pics???.....they are very very old........unfortunately, due to a stroke, Larry's mother cannot tell us the history or from whence they came........so we can only imagine and guess.....but i would guess them to be constructed in the late 1800's or early 1900's........we have considered giving them to a museum......i am sure they were quite prestigious attire in days of old!

so after going thru all the dressers and the closet and the....well...i would say at least 25 pair of shoes, still in the original shoe boxes on the closet shelf.......(incidentally...cash was found in a shoebox!)......we found some really really cool vintage shoes and matching pocketbooks.....i am wishing we had kept a sample or two from the "collection".......but, we didn't.......boo hoo.......

we then went on to explore the BLANKET CHEST.........Julie said there were quilts in there......i had never looked inside, tho i guess i could have a zillion times because the chest used to always be in the room we stayed in previously........and when she said QUILTS my eyes LIT UP! i have always wanted a "real" quilt.......one that had been quilted and sewed upon on the old time quilting stands, or whatever they are called......many years ago i would watch a group of quilters do their exquisite stitches as they worked together in Larry's grandmother's house to finish a quilt......

well....i have never had THAT kind of a quilt......except for ONE.......my great grandmother made me a beautiful one that i used as my childhood blanket....and i have it still to this day.......but it literally is in SHREDS.....

so excitedly we throw open the massive, well built cedar chest and here are some things we see:

is this not the sweetest little thing ever? it is a baby robe.....obviously a girl's robe.....in almost perfect condition....it was made out of a kind of heavy feltish type material.... very soft.......again, we don't know it's history.........i am guessing it was probably Larry's mother's baby robe.....and obviously not used too much......

we then eyed the above beauty! it was a very very old apron.......older than vintage.....obviously it was long enough to accomodate the long skirts of days past.......with obviously homemade crochet work on it......it was stunning!

THEN!!!!

we proceeded to the next layer....where there were the wonderful quilts! i do not have pics of them.....except for this little vintage quilt that probably was on either Larry or Lee's baby bed......altho....i do wonder about the pink in it! ha........it just doesn't look old enough for it to be his mother's baby quilt......

as we were lifting quilt after quilt.........the following scene unfolded!

i looked down into the chest, as we were nearing the bottom.....and i SCREAMED!.....and i SCREAMED again.......but somewhere in the midst of the last scream.....my mind told me the "varmint" was NOT alive.......and i had a mental picture of what it was......but it all happened so fast....as i fell down at the side of the chest, screaming, laughing, and choking pretty much all at the same time.......Julie quickly came to see what was causing my hysterical behaviour........and OBVIOUSLY she had NO mental picture of WHAT it was.......and she threw her hands in the air......she practically LEAPED over the bed and RAN down the hall....SCREAMING....no.....SHRIEKING at the TOP of her lungs..... which sent me deeper into hysterical screaming turned to laughter!!!!!!

and here is what we saw:

do you know what it is?????....it is a MINK stole!!!!... yup.........someone wore that horrid thing around their NECK!!!...and i bet they wore it quite proudly too! i am guessing it belonged to Larry's grandmother......in fact, i almost think i recall seeing it in a picture......will have to research that one out!!

......PEOPLE! the eyeballs are still there!!!.......in all my livin days...i cannot imagine wearing a thing like that....no matter HOW prestigious!!!!

needless to say........we had many a good laugh after that experience...and after we got our heartbeat's back to normal!

i will leave you with the last photo of the night.......let's just call it....

"Granny's Panty's"

.....or more than likely....

"Great Granny's Panty's"

phases of life

2008-12-02T19:37:00.002-05:00

the above illustration is somewhat humorous.....but we are finding out....NOT THAT humorous!!!

as we are dealing with MAJOR health issues with our parents in this phase of life....it is very difficult, and at times heart breaking......

unfortunately, i cannot help but think what is going to happen to US!......i kind of wish i was still in picture 4,5, or 6 above!!!......we are getting a little too close to 7, 8 and 9!....i can deal with 7......but not 8 and 9!......

i mentioned to my husband on the way home from Pa, after a long week of caring for and attending to major issues surrounding the failing health of parents....that we better really start being NICE to our children.....because soon they will be taking care of us!.......you can laugh, it is a joke.......i HOPE

well, my camera batteries died....so am waiting on the charger to give them new life so i can post my wonderful "findings" in Pa.....especially the SURPRISE one and the SHOCK one......and NO, it was NOT a nest of baby mice!!! :)

i promise

2008-12-01T16:12:00.002-05:00

i promise to get to my blog asap! we got back LATE last nite....i mean LATE last nite.......oh my word, the traffic was a NIGHTMARE...an 11 hour trip turned to a 14 hr. trip...PLUS..........please SHOOT us if you ever hear us mention traveling on the Sunday after Thanksgiving again!......that's what we get for skipping church, huh? tee hee

happy Turkey Day

2008-11-27T00:25:00.002-05:00

we are here in PA, visiting Larry's family for Thanksgiving........my sister-in-law, Julie and i have been cleaning out closets, drawers, cubby holes, and any other kind of "storage" space for Larry's parents. his mother is in a nursing home, where she has been for 3 years.......and his father is still living in the house, along with Larry's brother and wife...........things have pretty much stayed the same and have LONG needed cleaning out........
well............anyway............we were cleaning our little minds out today, NO JOKE........and we were in a blanket chest............and we had the SURPRISE and SCARE of our life............unfortunately i can't show you pictures til we get back......but i am sure it will entertain you............
i also have acquired many other things here, that i am dying to photograph so i can blog about them!
i am so dog tired i can't see straight....but we sure got a LOT done..........we are now hoping for dry, wind-free weather tomorrow so the guys can burn the MOUNTAIN of garbage in the basement......the last time the 2 brothers were burning here on the farm......it was so windy.......they practically burned the farm down!..........funny how we learn from our mistakes.......
and, oh! the stuff for Goodwill! oh my! we have made 1 trip so far and the car was piled from top to bottom, front to back........really quite unbelievable....we probably have at least 2 more car loads to deliver!
we decided we must not do this to OUR children............altho........in my case........even tho my kids will probably groan when they "clean us out"........but we got rid of most of the JUNK before we moved to GA!.......to which i am sure they are grateful!
Larry's mother was a very successful AVON lady.........and i cannot even tell you all the AVON relics we have come upon!.......everything from every kind of pill case to bras and panties...and everything in between!........many of her AVON goodies are quite valued and we will attempt to sell them on EBAY or Craig's List....to help with the enormous cost of nursing home fees etc.
well, i guess i better try to sleep....i have had so much caffeine today...i am still coming off from the caffeine high...........but my eyelids are feeling weary!
so you must watch for my blanket chest "surprise"!
lata gata afta while croc-o-dile

New Prints for Sale! HEY! Christmas Presents!

2008-11-22T15:26:00.009-05:00

8x108x10

11x14

Hey guys!!
these pics are my just finished mixed media art peices...i have had them copied on quality photo paper and am offering them as signed and numbered prints......
the 8x10 sizes are 15.00 ea. + 3.00 shipping

the 11x14 size is 18.00 ea. + 3.00 shipping

these are great for gifts....they certainly could be matted and framed.....but look great in standard, (and less expensive) purchased frames! i have found they look good sitting on an easel!......this would be a great gift to get off to your friends and loved ones NOW.....so they can enjoy for the season.......and your shopping is DONE....i'm liking that idea!......i bet my family can't guess what they are getting! LOL

below is an example of a purchased frame....the prints resemble so closely the texture of the mixed media....you have to touch it to find out!.......

email me at : ugogrl52@windstream.net and title it ORDER....if you are interested........

happy happy happy Thanksgiving and Christmas to EACH of you!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-21T17:01:00.004-05:00

The above pictures are some favorite vintage images i wanted to share with you...i just love vintage....there is something so...um....so....well,.....just wonderful about it.....it just "tickles" my innards i guess!!!...which one is YOUR fave?

not so vintage:

in spite of troubles, trials and sadness, we still have so many things to be grateful for.......join me this Thanksgiving and have a grateful heart for your many blessings! enjoy your time with food and family!

i will be mia in blog world for a week......we are traveling to Larry's home in Pa. ......but don't forget to check back for my December giveaway!

warm hugs,

sandi lou

"On Thanksgiving Day we acknowledge our dependence." --William Jennings Bryan

"The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving." --H.U. Hestermayer

"Thanksgiving Day is a jewel, to set in the hearts of honest men; but be careful that you do not take the day, and leave out the gratitude." --E.P. Powell

."What we're really talking about is a wonderful day set aside on the fourth Thursday of November when no one diets. I mean, why else would they call it Thanksgiving?" --Erma Bombeck

snowman prints

2008-11-19T23:40:00.000-05:00

click here to check it out:

Attention! i am doing 25 prints!

Ava's Thanksgiving Program

2008-11-19T23:30:00.002-05:00

Today i attended Ava's Thanksgiving program at her pre-school....she was so cute...and of course....she was the absolute cutest, best behaved, best singer THERE!!!.........i mean...i am NOT kidding you!!!......she followed protocol to a fault!!!....what a sweetheart.........i kept giving her thumbs up or blowing kisses every time she would cast a look my way......i had a fleeting thought that i might be making a fool of myself......then i realized that i could really care less, firstly....and secondly......so what's NEW?????

Attention! i am doing 25 prints!

2008-11-19T13:00:00.002-05:00

yesterday i had the snowman picture copied and i was very very pleased! it seriously is hard to tell the difference, unless you touch it of course! i decided to offer 25 total prints of this in the original 8x10 size, signed and numbered. they will be on quality photo paper...your choice of matte or glossy.......they will easily fit into a purchased 8x10 frame if you do not want the expense of matting and framing.........they look great sitting on an easel!

the cost: $15.00 per print......

$3.00 for shipping.......total: $18.00

i will be offering the next few Christmas designs in the same way, so be watching for those!!!

email me at : ugogrl52@windstream.net.....title it ORDER

Ta-daaaaaaaaaa !!!

2008-11-17T20:24:00.003-05:00

and the winner is:..drum roll please!

CHERYL!!!

and with a flick of my wrist , while delving deep into the pile of paper names in my little Christmas be-bowed bucket.......it ended so quickly....and alas, sadly, there can only be ONE winner.......and it is Cheryl of : http://the2911promise.blogspot.com

Cheryl, i need you to contact me....i left you a note on your blog! i can't wait to send you your snowman picture to start your Christmas celebration!!

i am quite sad, fellow bloggers....it is over as quickly as it began!......but fear not! more giveaway fun to come in December!!!......hmmmm, i really wanted ALL of you to win!!!.......so thank you for participating....keep checking back!!!!