Getting Micro-Chipped

How long will it be before we are all asked to be chipped? Sharon Hughes, at Veritas, has written about chips being put in the arms of school students at Madras High School in Oregon. They will be able to buy their lunches with only a swipe of the arm!

But, that's not all - who else has gotten this chip? You'll be surprised at the high profile people Applied Digital Solution is getting to take the chip, in order to guarantee the public (us) that everything is okay! Former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson is one of them!

Is it okay? I don't think so. It's one step closer to what the Bible speaks of - taking the mark of the beast in order to buy or sell. I believe that Revelation 13 speaks to this issue very plainly.
Microchips

Encourage Children To Read Early

My six year old grandson wanted to read to Daddy, so he chose Dr.Seuss's book, Green Eggs and Ham. My son stated it was his favorite book when he was young.

When both my children were young, I engaged them in reading. Both were great readers when they started Kindergarten. I chose easy books at first, like Dr. Seuss's A B C book, One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, another Dr. Seuss book. Then, I bought Stan and Jan Berenstain's books, such as Old Hat, New Hat, and Bears On Wheels. These were all followed by different books, including the collection of Disney books, which are great.

But the one book, to me, that really told a great learning story, was The Best Nest, by P. D. Eastman. It's all about Mr. and Mrs. Bird and their quest for the 'best nest'. After going through many trials, Mrs. Bird returned to the old house and decided it was the best nest to raise a baby bird.
Books

A Heavy Heart

As of late, I've read things that gave me a heavy heart. I often wonder how Jesus would react, if He were here today, listening or reading the same things that have crossed before my eyes.

A very popular pastor has become the 'talk of the blogs'. Most of the talk isn't pleasant, in that it's mostly against him. Many years ago, I remember how the talk was all about the Word/Faith, or 'Name It And Claim It' teachers, and how they were talked about, even called cults. But, they held on to what they were teaching, held on to God, and all are still teaching/preaching, with the exception of one who has died (I think this is the only one).

None of us are perfect, for sure! None of us have the authority on the Word. Having never seen this pastor, and only having heard him on television and never preaching in his home church, who am I to judge his heart? I have no idea his relationship with God. I do know that, if he is doing wrong, he will be held responsible by God, for those he leads astray. He may seem frivolous to some of us, but how many souls have really come to God because of him? Only God knows and is marking his report card! Thank God those judging don't know me, for I might not pass the litmus test either. Would you?

Required Summer Reading For Students

Having grandchildren in school, I know that some teachers require certain books to be read during the summer. Then, the children are tested on them in the Fall. But, do you know what your child is reading this summer? Is it something of which you approve?

Parents in a Massachusetts city are up in arms about one teacher's choice for the upcoming sophomore class. Parents are protesting the High School making profanity required reading for their children. One parent, Rick Plouffe, read the book and says it contains lots of profanity. And, although the school's policy is against profanity in school, they still think this is appropriate reading for students 13 and older. The book in question is The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, a novel by Mark Haddon. It is about a 15 year old autistic boy from England. A review and excerpt from the book can be read at BookBrowse.com.

Mr. Plouffe may stand alone in this effort, although many parents are against the reading. But, like many people, they don't want to have their name 'mentioned', for fear of retribution against their child.

"Marriages" But No Sex For Gay Clergy

This comes from the News.Telegraph in England:

The Church of England is to allow gay clergy to enter into civil partnerships but only if they promise to abstain from sex, according to guidance issued yesterday.

Does this not sound a little absurd?
Marriage

Will It Be A PC or a MAC?

I came across an article on the Apple G5. Although they started out with great expectations of this machine, it quickly turned sour.

My family has always been avid users of the PC. Oh, I have to say that I often get upset with Microsoft, but haven't gotten upset enough to delve into the possible ownership of a Mac. My son recently bought a new Mac, his first, and he is very impressed with it. His statement to me was, 'Buy a Mac; never look back'. Now, I don't think he has completely quit using his PC, nor has his wife, but he certainly enjoys the Mac.
Computers

Making The Gospel Good News Again

Alvin Reid, who holds the Bailey Smith Chair of Evangelism at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, says "There is a new spirit blowing."

But God is stirring many with the notion that a "little better effort" is somewhat like changing the curtains in a house that has foundation problems. You may have nice curtains in the short run, but in the long run they won’t look too good on collapsed walls.

We need to 'get back to the basics' - in other words, let God's Word rule our lives in every aspect. Then go about letting people know that The Gospel certainly IS GOOD NEWS!
Gospel

Search Still On For Natalee Holloway

Aruban firefighters are draining a lake in search for Natalee. To me, they should have done this at the onset of the investigation. It will take about 24 hours to drain the lake, which is across from the Marriott Hotel where the jailed Dutch youth said he was with Natalee the night of her disappearance.

More Blogging Information: Honor Tags

I've been searching for blogging information today. And, I came across some good information on honor tags, which help readers find content they can trust.

Your blog software must support category and RSS/Atom feeds. Tags can be embedded in your post either manually or automatically. You can read more about the tags and what each means. And, once your post is tagged, it will show up on Technorati's Honor Tags pages.

Honor Tags

New To Blogging?

I had seen 'blogs' on the Internet, but didn't really recognize how different they were from a regular web site. But, a few months ago, my son began to press me to get my own blog. Me? What did I have to blog? Now, it sounds funny, but, back then, I was in no mood to blog! Look at me now.

The NetLingo.com Dictionary says this about blog:

a.k.a. blogger -or- blogrolling -or- weblog -or- Web log

A Web site (or section of a Web site) where users can post a chronological, up-to-date e-journal entry of their thoughts. Each post usually contains a Web link. Basically, it is an open forum communication tool that, depending on the Web site, is either very individualistic or performs a crucial function for an organization or company.

NetLingo.com has more information that you might like to know about blogging. As they say, this should tell you all you ever wanted to know about blogging, but was afraid to ask. I'm glad I did!

Canadian Evangelicals Still Promote Traditional Marriage

Although Canada passed the 'same sex marriage bill' last week, that doesn't mean all are happy with that choice. The Canadian Evangelicals will still promote traditional marriage.

'Til Death Do Us Part'?

Our wedding vows had 'til death do us part' in them, and we honestly meant every word. But, reading articles at The Narrow and on FoxNews.com, it seems that this part of the wedding vows is becoming less and less a part of the vows used by couples today.

In our society today, marriage is becoming less important. Seems many think it is okay to live together to see if 'it takes' ..... then, get married. Or, perhaps they never marry at all; why commit to one another?

God made Eve from Adam's rib, so that he would have a helpmate, and not be lonely. I gather from this that God meant for man and woman to be together all their lives. Sin crept in; togetherness must have taken a toll on the lives over the years. 'Thus, we now have marriage becoming unimportant in the lives of people today'. So, 'til death do us part' is no longer acceptable by some; it must be 'as long as we love one another' or maybe, 'until we get tired of each other'.... or perhaps, 'until someone better turns up'. Divorce seems to be the acceptable rather than avoidable, even among Christians. And, then, that is 'death' to the marriage!

I suppose that means Tammy Wynette's 'Stand By Your Man' is no longer relevant.

Marriage Bliss

Just read an article on the worldest oldest married couple. They are from Pennsylvania, and he spent time in a Nazi concentration account. But, that doesn't stop the happiness in the marriage of Herbert and Magda Brown. He's 105 and she's 100. Their secret of longevity?

"You have to be happy all the time," Magda says. "Think of life as you want it to be."

Marriage

Behind The Scenes

Surfing blogs tonight, I found Between Two Worlds. The Blog has some funny pictures taken at the announcement of nominee John Roberts by President Bush. Just proves that all children are alike; just when you hope they will behave, they do 'their thing'.

Politics, Religion, and Ann Coulter

I’m not a politician, and don’t have much to do with politics. But, I do have an occasional opinion. And, today, I have one.

Religion and politics go together like tomatoes and cake. I love both, but prefer to have them ‘separate’. The same way with religion and politics: I would not want to talk about both in the same conversation. Too many politicans have ‘religion’, but religion isn’t into politics. In other words, a particular religion is not going to make an honest politician, if he doesn’t want to be an honest politician.

As for Ann Coulter, I love her, most of the time. She’s smart, witty, full of knowledge, fast to speak, and it doesn’t bother her that others come after her for her take on a particular thing or person. But, this time, Ann, you should have waited.

Today, I heard on the radio, and also read on the Internet, that Ann said that John Roberts was ‘Souter in Roberts' Clothing’. That seems to be putting her ‘out on a limb’, since this man hasn’t spoken out too much on his beliefs, especially what he might or might not do in any given case? One call in on the local radio talk show said plainly, “Shut up!”

Why can’t we just let the process take it’s course over the next few months? Why not let Congress fight it out over John Roberts, and let us keep our heads? We know he’s going to be confirmed, most likely, due to Republicans having the majority. And, believe it or not, some Democrats actually like the guy! And, then, we can watch and wait for his work on the Supreme Court – quick enough to judge the man.

The Bible And Google Maps

My son sent me the ESV Bible Blog site tonight, with their article about Google and Bible maps. Seems Google has some out with what they call API, a way to embed maps into your web site. You can find full documentation on Google Maps API at Google maps.

ESV Bible Blog has the information on making a map of your own. A little HTML and javascript knowledge will be helpful. This is a way of tracing the steps by map of an event in the Bible. You can learn how to integrate the Bible verses from ESV Bible site to corresponding places on the map. This is a great idea for Christian sites that want to have a Bible study online.

President Bush Chooses Nominee for Supreme Court

President Bush seems to have kept his nominee quiet enough that most were assuming that it would be a woman. But, tonight, we found out differently.

I, personally, had never heard the name John Roberts mentioned. But, Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the ACLJ, says, "Judge Roberts is an exceptional choice who will bring sound legal reasoning to the Supreme Court of the United States."

He has just made his nominee known, and he is already seeing opposition. The NARAL Pro-Choice America has said that Roberts is unsuitable for the job. And, there will be others coming out of the woodwork to oppose this nominee. Hopefully, he will be given a chance in the Congress.

Hank Williams' Roots

It pays to read the news, especially the local ones. Today, I found out something I didn't know about Hank Williams by visiting US 93 - Legendary American Country.

Hank Williams happened to be born in a small community not far from where I live! I was surprised to learn this, having heard about Hank Williams all my life. I always associated him with Montgomery, AL, where he is buried. In fact, we had visited his grave many years ago,on our 25th anniversary. We had been visiting Montgomery because we used to live there, so we decided to go to his grave site. But, now I know the specifics - he was born in Mt. Olive, AL, not far from Birmingham, in 1923. He would have been 81 this coming September.

Listen To Your Conscience

Reading Another Step With Jesus this morning got me to thinking about our conscience.

The conscience makes us aware of moral or ethnical mistakes we have made along the way. Hopefully, it 'rings the bell' when the mishap occurs. But, often, the conscience is put on the back burner, just as Donnie had done. But, when the Lord awakens us to something we need to make right, we need to do it then, not wait. For, we, as humans, have a way of just 'waiting' until the right moment, and that moment may never come - maybe because we are afraid of meeting the problem head on, or just don't think it's essential to our well being. But, when God brings it to the remembrance, it is very important! So, if you have things on your conscience that God keeps bringing up to you, try making them right. You'll never be sorry!

Billy Graham Not Going to London

Evangelist Billy Graham has declined an invitation to preach in London. He cited his health and the ill health of that of his wife. He said, after praying, that he needs to stay closer to home.

One-Millionth Meal Served

One million meals is lots of cooking, believe me! But, a Christian-run soup kitchen in Moncton, N.B., Canada, has done just that.

The Karing Kitchen is a bare-bones operation, getting donations from the local food bank, farmers, or service clubs and individuals. They help those down on their luck, street people, or the working poor. They come together for a warm meal, and learn to care for one another.

Time Changes Our Thoughts

I just read an article at Blogcorner Preacher. His post really got me to thinking how my mind has changed about certain things over the years - how more aware I am of things than I used to be. He had mentioned seeing a certain movie 13 years before, and then seeing it again, and realizing things about it he hadn't the first time in viewing.

As we grow in the Lord, and mature more in Him, we see things differently. I am more in tune with the differences in what the world thinks, and what I know by studying God's Word. Too often, we've taken things we've heard through the media (television, radio, newspapers) to be true, without even giving it a second thought. And, then, later in life, we get a second time to reflect on what it meant, and we realize, as Blogcorner Preacher did, that what was projected wasn't absolutely what we thought they were projecting!

Be Prepared: Death Will Surely Come

We must be prepared all the time - for death, that is. It's coming, and nothing will stop it, short of the Lord's return.

Today, a friend's husband died, after a bout with lung cancer. He hasn't been sick very long, and was taking chemotherapy treatments. But, to complicate things, he also had emphysema. And, that, in itself, made breathing very hard.

But, when you met this man, you never saw a 'sickly man', other than in body. He never complained, was such a soft spoken person and a very kind and loving man. He will definitely be missed by his wife, children, grandchildren, and also by all the people who knew him by his kindness.

But, even in death, he has won the victory! Being a child of the King, we do not have to worry about where he is tonight.

In this world, our days seem to pass so quickly, as we grow older. Years roll by without our noticing. It's most important that we stay in touch with the one who knows us better than we do ourselves. And, when we reach the end of our time, as our friend did today, we don't have to worry about what is coming. For God has promised us eternal life, when we follow His ways.

1 Corinthians 15:19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

Rain! When Will It End?

Hurricane Dennis has really left his mark! It has become a tropical depression now, but it's still around. It's hanging over a portion of the southeast, and, in Alabama, we are still feeling the effects. It has rained almost every day, sometimes all day and all night. Just when you being to see the sun shining, and think it might turn out to be a complete day without rain, it starts once again. Happened today, right out of the blue sky with sunshine! And, it's still pouring outside. There have been lots of thunder and lightning and threats of tornadoes in the area.

I remember an old saying that goes like this:

Rain, rain, go away; come again some other day!

I think that is so appropriate right now for those of us with saturated yards. The grass is beautiful green, but the rain also means it has to be cut more often.

Seems Emily is well on the heels of Dennis. You can track the hurricanes at the National Hurricane Center.

Too Much Political Correctness

Terrorists bombed London, period! There was mass destruction in the undergrown railways, and a double-decker bus blown up. Many people were killed. And, now, it seems the BBC went PC and changed the reporting of 'terrorists' bombing the city, to 'bombers'.

Cal Thomas says it so good: 'Political Correctness Run Amok'. As Cal said, words won't change what these people did, or what they are about. Washington, New York, Spain, and now London were hit by terrorists - no other word for it.

The Internet Tourbus

The guys at Internet TourBus say 'why surf when you can ride the bus?' Bob Rankin and Patrick Crispen have 'run' the bus since 1995. And, anyone wanting to get on board can subscribe on the site for their newsletter.

There are lots of goodies for the newbies and the oldies in each Internet Tourbus newsletter. They cover spam and cookies (no, not the eating kind!), best of the Internet sites (even if they don't include mine), viruses, and how to avoid the every day pitfalls on the Internet.

I've been reading the newsletter for years, and I find something useful in almost every issue. I recommend that you surf on over and give them a try! You might be surprised at what you will find on the 'tour'.

Soccer: The Rising Sport

Over at palmsolo:Geeking For Jesus, I found an article he wrote about his young daughter playing soccer. Of course, being a grandmother with four soccer players in her daughter's family, this caught my eye!

Soccer seems to be really catching on in America! When my children were in school, I had never heard of it. Volleyball and Gymnastics were the thing then. But, having gone to my first soccer game when my oldest grandchild was about 7 and his sister a little younger (they began on the same team), I fell in love with it! We hardly miss a game, and that takes lots of running around, especially when you have 2 or 3 in a tournament the same weekend, playing all over town. If Mom can't make one, she knows Papa and Nanny will.

Our only granddaughter will be a sophomore in high school this next year, and playing her third year for the Girls' Varsity Soccer team. She was chosen number one player for her team by the team and also was the number one scorer this year. She is also playing for a traveling Premier team. Hopefully, this will lead to a scholarship for college. She really puts her heart into her playing!

Also, her two younger brothers, ages 9 and 11, still play for City League, where she and her older brother started out years ago. Her older brother has been out of soccer a number of years, due to playing football and basketball. But, Mom says this year, he will be playing Varsity soccer, or perhaps parking his truck. I hope Mom wins out, because this is where he got his 'kicking foot' for football.So, it has to be a good sport!

Pro-Life Cartoon FaithMouse Gains Readers

FaithMouse takes it's place among the Christian humor at my regular web site. I just ran across an article on Faithmouse on ProLifeBlogs.com. They say that FaithMouse has over 500 link sites, and is also on Alan Keyes' Renew America.

Office Of The Chaplain

Today, I had my first taste of what the Chaplain really does. This morning at our church, we had a Certification for Chaplaincy service. A minister in our church received his completed certification and now is a full-pledged Chaplain from our church. He has the ability to go into the jails, hospitals, schools, and universities. He can touch lives that maybe nobody else could. Learn more about the Chaplaincy service by going to Fields of Chaplaincy.

Say It Again, Ann!

In Ann Coulter's article, "Thou shalt not commit religion", she makes herself plain! The Supreme Court justices have gone a long way in making it almost impossible to have the Ten Commandments in a Courthouse, or anywhere else, for that matter. Ann has put together a sampling of what our taxpayers money has gone for, in order to put the ban on the display of the Ten Commandments by the justices in perspective.

Sluggish Saturday Morning

Do you find yourself just wanting to sit, maybe do nothing for awhile? That's me, this morning. So much to do, and just wanting to call a halt to it all. I'm doing our Church bulletin for tomorrow, but mostly, because it's run off the computer, 'my first love', my husband often says.

I also clean our church, and that is still to be done. My husband just came in and suggested I might be better off doing it this morning while it was not so hot. Doesn't matter when I do it, it's still hot. But, on his suggestion, I will attempt to get it done now, instead of waiting until this afternoon.

Proverbs 6:6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

Can you imagine how much work that ant actually does? She is constantly on the move, and most of the time, doing 'work' for others. Habits, such as laziness, grow on people, but you will never find the ant 'laying down on the job'. She is constantly moving to and fro, even building those ant hills right under our nose! I often find my sidewalk flowering grass full of dirt hills she has caused to grow within, killing off the grass. It seems she does this over night.

If we Christians were more like the ant, think how we could serve the Kingdom of God! We should be as diligent for the Lord as the ant is for her community. A good saying came through the Quotemeal from Heartlight today:

Obedience is the fruit of faith; patience is the bloom on the fruit. --Rossetti

Was The Grass Greener?

Yahoo News is reporting that '450 Sheep Jump To Their Deaths in Turkey.' While their shepherds watched, nearly 1500 sheep jumped, one after another, off the same cliff. The shepherds had left them to graze, while they ate their breakfast. Sheep are expensive in Turkey, and each family had about 20, so this is going to be a big hardship on some of the families left with nothing.

Living From Day To Day With Terrorism

Since 9-11, we have lived with the threat of terrorism. Up until then, we seemed to be a nation without problems that we couldn't solve on our own. But, that day, 'The Day America Cried', it all changed.

Yesterday, London experienced terrorism, when bombs were set off in the underground trains, and a two-decker bus was blown up. Many people were killed, and lives scared for life. But, Tony Blair said, "we will not be terrorized."

After the tragedy in America, a friend of mine wrote a 'Message To A Terrorist'. It could easily have been written for London.

The Man Behind Apple

When visiting the SNOPES Urban Legand page, you are usually going to disprove a story sent to you via email. Today, I was sent the Snopes column in a personal email group. After having read the story about Steve Jobs calling the father of the slain teen, I quickly picked up on his name in this story, so I clicked on the link.

Go read 'The Jobs Report', and you will be amazed at what this man has accomplished throughout his life. He started Apple with Steve Wozniak in his parents garage, got fired (YES), then came back when a company he created, called NeXT, was purchased by Apple.

Mr. Jobs was giving a speech to the June 2005 graduating class of Stanford University, although he had never graduated from college; in fact, he only went for 6 months. Oh, he did drop out, but 'hung around' for months in order to take classes that he wanted to take, but wouldn't be required ones, had he stayed in college. This is how he got his start.

But, a year ago, he was diagnosed with an incurable pancreas cancer, and given 3 to 6 months to live. He had a biopsy that night, and the doctor found, after viewing the cells under a microscope that it was a very rare form of pancreatic cancer which was curable by surgery. He told the graduating class that their time was limited, and not to try living someone else's life.

A Changing World- Changing Lives

We live in a world today unlike the world of only a few years ago. When my children were growing up, computers were getting very popular, not that most people had them in their homes. Now, you hardly see a home, especially those with young people, that does not have at least one computer in it.

The young people have learned to use the Texas Instruments, Nintendo, Playstations, XBox, Game Cube, and more! They can't get enough of the action games! And, now, here comes the cell phones and all the music technology, including the Apple iPod. It has become very popular among the youngsters.

This week, a 15 year old boy, Christopher Rose was killed by a teenager over an iPod. The boys stole tennis shoes and a cell phone, along with the iPod. This was a meaningless killing! Some teens thinks it's okay to take the property of others. To some of them, it's just a way of life. But, this time, they went to far. This episode of violence has ruined the lives of those boys, and changed the lives of this boy's family.

This has made a change in the father's life. Errol Rose has been speaking out and wanting to help other teenagers like these who attacked his son. He also got a phone call from Steve Jobs, chief executive of Apple Computer. He called to convey to the father his sympathies in the death of Christopher.

Our world is rapidly changing, bringing about lots of technology, but the needs of all the children aren't being met. As Rose said, 'we need to work on the minds and hearts'.

Who Is Behind The Name?

I can remember when you could go to downtown Birmingham and check out the most popular stores in the area. They were Loveman's, Pizitz, Parisian's, and Yieldings, to name a few. We knew tomorrow they'd still be there, owned by families by that name. That is no more. Today, all but one of those stores, Parisian's, is either closed or known by another name. Loveman's and Yielding's were my favorites, and those are gone.

Malls started to cropping out in the outer parts of the downtown area, causing more and more people to search out these malls, rather than go into the crowded, and sometimes dangerous, area of downtown Birmingham. Slowly, but surely, we started seeing these stores close or move out, until they are no longer there. And, just as they 'moved out', they started being bought out.

Our Pizitz became McRae's, Rich's moved in, Macy's came to town, Rich's moved out --- some of our malls, especially the older ones, have become almost like ghost towns! And, today, I read the headlines 'Saks Closes Sale to Belk', and I wondered what they are buying. Turns out our newly acquired Proffitt store is now owned by Belk, as is our McRae's stores in the South.

I miss downtown Birmingham and the department store district! I hardly go downtown anymore, but did visit an old establishment called Hunter Furniture, which is a family-owned store. It didn't go with the renewing of Birmingham streets, but chose to stay planted in downtown.

What Constitutes a Happy Marriage?

What better topic to talk about today, of all days!

'Til death do us part' sounded awfully good to me, the day we married. In fact, both my husband and I had decided there would never be a divorce in our house. Oh, there might have been thoughts of it - (smiling) - have you ever tried to actually build a house together? We have, and if there ever was a time for divorce, it would have been there. But, we worked all the problems out without even a fuss!

My parents lived together for almost 55 years before my Dad's death. My husband's parents lived together for 67 years before his Mom's death. I think we both had great patterns set before us: how could we lose? But, even with these patterns, it takes determination on the spouse's part in order to stay together forever.

Mother always said, 'Never go to bed mad at the other person'. Good words to live by! There has to be great communication, or you have no meaningful relationship.

There are some great bible truths in 'How To Have A Happy Marriage'. This includes effective communication, and a commitment to your marriage. Also, Female First lists 5 things that constitute a happy marriage, including, communication, idealism, romance, thankful heart, and a fresh vision of your marriage.

I believe communication is number one on the list, then a commitment to that marriage. But, I am thankful to God each and every day for a mate who has been willing to stick with me, although we don't see 'eye to eye' on everything, have occasional disagreements, and I'm not the 'girl' he married 41 years ago. But, then, he's not the 'guy' I married back then, either. Thank God for blindness in marriage, as we grow older. We still see each other as the teenage heart throb that we viewed each other way back then. Now, that is LOVE!

International Kissing Day

I ran across the post at Instapundit.com, telling me that today was International Kissing Day. He got his information from Amber at Prettier Than Napoleon.

Until today, I had never heard of such a day. Seems, from reading Amber's post, that she started a one-woman crusade in America to make this a holiday. Kissing seems to have gone by the wayside - the normal, 'I love you' kind of kiss. Remember when you first married, and you never left home or went to bed without that kiss? Maybe we all need to revive that kind of kiss!

Well, today, I have good reason: it is our 41st anniversary! Our son just called to wish us Happy Anniversary.

Eddie Albert Dies at 99

When you mention the actor Eddie Albert, I can't help but remember 'Green Acres', in which he played a lawyer, with his wife, Eva Gabor. It was played in a rural town, and having come from a country town myself, it just seemed the show to watch during the late 1960's, early 1970's. It may have been a little eccentric at the time, having a pig in the show, but it was funny! Eddie played a city slicker - turned farmer.

Eddie Albert died of pneumonia at home in California, with his son, Edward, at his side. We haven't seen too much of him in the past few years, but he will certainly be missed.

Can You Remember?

If I asked you where you were, or what you were doing the day President Kennedy was assassinated, no doubt most people could tell me. That happened to be my future husband's birthday - his 22nd birthday, to be exact!

Can you remember where you were 41 years ago today - July 6, 1964? No doubt, most people could not, unless the day was a very significant one. Well, for my husband and I, it was.

Today marks our forty-first anniversary. We began our married life in the halls of the Court House, married by a Judge,in his court room. He gave us a talk we will never forget, before marrying us that day. We've weathered the years very well, having two children and five wonderful grandchildren. I thank the Lord each day for a wonderful husband, and a wonderful family - all healthy! He has blessed us tremendously over the years.

Ignorance Or Apathy

Our great nation of freedoms seems to be coming apart at the seams, not that many would notice. Laws are being written every day that either take away something, or give us something we don't want. But, that is all in the name of 'becoming a more inclusive society'.

Koinonia House Online ran an article called 'The Decline of the U.S.', in which was posed a question.

If you ask the average American what is the biggest problem facing our nation, Is it ignorance or apathy? He will likely answer, “I don’t know and I don’t care!”

I, on the other hand, would have to say 'apathy'! People do not have the interest in things like they should, have become indifferent to changes around them. They'd rather turn their head than examine the problems arising in our country. Oh, we complain a lot, but what do we do about the things of which we disapprove?

2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

As the article at Koinonia House mentioned, the scripture didn't mention Congress, the Administration, or anything else. It says 'my people, called by my name' ..... meaning those of us called Christians. The body of Christ needs to experience a revival, and individually, at that! For, as they said, we are the ones standing in the way of what God might want to do to our land - for our apathy!
Judgement stands at the door; how will America be judged?

Family Comes First

Justice Sandra Day O'Connor could be a good role model for many of us. She has been in the high courts since 1981, when she came from Arizona, after being the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court by President Ronald Reagan.

Her husband, who was a lawyer, left his work back in Arizona to come to Washington with his wife. He supported her throughout all these years. Now that he is suffering from Alzheimer's disease, she has decided to step down in order to continue taking care of him.

"How appropriate it is for her to end her career by saying family is more important," says Marci Hamilton, a professor at Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University in New York City and a former law clerk to O'Connor. "She always made it clear to us that our children and husband came first." USA Today

She has mixed marriage, children, and a career in a high court. She has had a full career, a great marriage, and now, it is time to go back to family life. We applaud her decision!

Genealogical Tidbits And Treasures

I ran across a great site today for genealogists, whether you are a newbie, searching for your families 'roots', or a full-pledged, professional genealogist. We are always looking for ways to find those things that seem to be lost in our searches.

Genealogical Tidbits and Treasures says:

Back in the 1800's, before Brooklyn became part of NYC, it was considered part of Long Island. Since so many of our ancestors made their way through Brooklyn, our goal is to seek out and uncover records (books, maps, directories, newspapers, microfilm) that are in libraries or archives on Long Island but have great value for those researching Brooklyn. We are also interested in seeking out some of the lesser known Long Island records that are housed right here on Long Island.

There are many of us who have no clue as to what ship our people came over to America on. Some do not even know from what country the relatives came. This site may hold information for some that have come to a standstill in their search.

Honor Our Troops On Independence Day

Tomorrow, millions of Americans, across the 50 states, will be celebrating Independence Day (4th of July) in some way. Many will be barbecuing with their families. Most will be either setting off fireworks, or possibly viewing fireworks by professionals.

Our planned day will be to stay at home by ourselves. Then, later, we are treating ourselves to a barbecue plate at Jim and Nick's, our favorite barbecue restaurant. That way, we will have great food to enjoy, and no mess to clean up afterwards!

While we are having our holiday barbecue, the President has asked that we honor the troops who are serving in the military, especially those fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. There are families that have lost loved ones overseas and this will be a sad day for them. Do remember all those families in your prayers, as you go through the day.

Enjoy this poem called 'Independence Day'.

Independence Day

We have always thought of Independence Day as the 4th of July weekend - a holiday we all look forward to each year. When our children were at home, we would barbecue, and have fireworks at night. It was something they looked forward to. As we have grown older, we have gotten out of that ritual. It's just easier to go out and have your lunch 'catered' for you.

Independence Day is celebrated in the United States to commemorate the adoption in 1776 of the Declaration of Independence. But, as a child, you just think of the 4th of July as being another holiday. Holidays are special to children, and there are not many that would associate them with having a reason to be called that, other than Christmas.

Being independent, it means our country is not governed by any foreign power. We are supposed to be free from influence, guidance, or control from others. We are a nation built by people from other countries. But, in this day and time, it seems we are run over by people 'fleeing' from other nations, coming to the United States, illegally. With the influx of hispanics, they have become the largest minority group in America. And, one in seven, as reported by USA Today, are illegally in the US. But, apparently, they are fleeing from a government that has held them to poverty level, and they see a better way in America, across the border.

Look Out For LOGO

Most people know that Logo stands for a name, symbol, or trademark designed for easy recognition. That sounds innocent enough, doesn't it.

LOGO isn't that innocent. It is a new MTV network launched on June 30, going into many homes in major metropolitan areas.

It is designed to appeal to a "gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender audience."

This is very disturbing news, considering it will appear on cable without having to pay a premium as you do with such programming as Showtime or HBO. Many cable programs will include this channel, and children will likely be viewing it, as they flip channels to find their favorite programs. Parents are being urged to call their local cable company and ask that it not be included in the regular program packages.

Some Sponsors of LOGO are Motorola, Tylenol PM, Orbitz, Subaru, and Showtime Networks.

Drought

Seems everywhere we look around here, we need rain. We will have a short shower, but not enough rain to make a difference. We have had showers or thunderstorms in the forecast for weeks, but they only hit spots, not a good rain!

Drought has also hit the Christian community. People have begun to relax in their church attendance. They no longer have the fervor that once was seen. I know it has been said that after the 9-11 tragedy, people began to come back to their first love - the Lord, and the churches began to fill up. But, that was then; this is now, and things aren't like they were.

Fullness Network's morning 'What the Lord Is Saying Today' was all about drought - how it has affected the church. Ras said that the Lord spoke to him today: "I alone am your water supply." How true! His Word says that He will "supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Phillipians 4:19.

We, as Christians, need to pray for 'rain' in our lives, to water the Word within, that we might be able to withstand anything the enemy sends our way. Otherwise, we are going to become dry as a bone, and the enemy will keep beating us.