Living in the "Dash"

We attended the funeral of my husband's niece's husband today. It was a very sad occasion. This man was a great man, a Christian, wonderful husband, father, and grandfather. You never saw him unless you saw that sweet smile and you also got a hug. He had them for everyone who was around.

The preacher that preached his funeral had been his pastor only 5 months. But, he had known him for 35 years. So you could say he actually 'knew' him! And, he gave an analogy of life. He said, when you go to the cemetery, you see two numbers on a tombstone - the date of birth and the date of death. There is a dash between the numbers. Therefore, we, who are living, are in the Dash.

The Dash represents the life we show others. Whatever we do during this dash will affect what happens in that last phase. If we know the Lord personally when we die, then we will have eternal life with the Lord. A good life will not get us to heaven. It takes a personal relationship with God. If one leaves this DASH without knowing the Lord, one is lost forever.

We know today that this nephew is gone on to face his maker. And, it was so wonderful to see even a sweet smile on his face in death! It warms your heart to know the life he lived is reflected in his face! I told his wife last night at the viewing that we can tell what he's doing. She said, 'yes, he's living what we have always studied about' - and he's seeing those who had gone on before.

So, live the best life in your Dash - get to know the Lord personally. You will never regret it!

Technorati Tags: Dash, Lord, Life, Death

Through His Eyes

As we grow older, our eyes seem to need more attention. One day, we are fine, reading the smallest of print. Then, all of a sudden, we realize that our eyes aren’t seeing as good as they used to. We find ourselves holding the book closer, maybe squinting to see the words clearly. Then, one day, we realize we probably need glasses, but hesitate to go have our eyes checked.

I had worn only reading glasses for years. Although my daughter had worked for an ophthalmologist for many years, I only got them checked one time in all her years there. She changed jobs over 3 years ago and I finally made it a priority to have my eyes checked again. I ended up getting progressive lens, glasses I can use for all my needs, reading up close or at a distance, and, yes, even on this laptop! I am so pleased. I had them checked again this year and my eyes are still the same as they were then. But I will continue to check on them because I don’t want to be without my ‘eyes’!

Our eyes view others every day. We ‘see’ a thing in people that perhaps helps us may our assessment of those people, whether good or bad. As Christians, we sometimes look at someone without realizing that what we see may not be what God sees. As humans, we have a habit of looking for the first time and make a judgment of that person that may or may not be totally correct. The Bible tells us to first remove the beam from our own eyes before trying to remove the mote from someone else’s eye. I think God want us to love the people, regardless of what we may think about them. Love goes farther than a harsh judgment with a person. If the person is not a Christian, perhaps they will see the love of God in us and want what we have. And, even if that person is a Christian, yet not living a really Godly life,perhaps we will have a chance to help them get closer to God by seeing God at work in our own life.

Technorati Tags: God, Eyes, Love, Christian

Life's Fleeting Moments

When we were children, we thought that a long life was in front of us. We never gave a thought to dying. Of course, we would reach those great ages, as we saw them through our young eyes, sixteen and twenty-one. At sixteen, we knew we would be able to drive. And, when we reached twenty-one, we were considered adults. We never got beyond the thought of growing up and living a long life.

As we grow older, we realize days pass by quicker, the week isn’t as long, and the next year rolls around ever so quickly. I’ve noticed that the year now passes very quickly for me. We’ve always heard people say ‘it’s Christmas in July’. Well, now, seems even Christmas in December comes around twice as quick as Christmas did when we were children. I know the time is the same, but life is much busier as we grow older and time does seem to pass quicker.

Our neighborhood, which is like other neighborhoods, has lost many older people. It’s hard to turn loose of them, having known them for so long. Looking at their home when we pass by reminds us that life ends some day for us all. Perhaps it is quicker for some than it is for others. But none of us are promised tomorrow. James 4:14 tells us that life ‘is a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.’

Technorati Tags: Life, Moments, People

Will our nation survive?

What are your feelings toward the way the failing economy of the USA has been handled by the Obama administration and the Congress?

Do you agree that the bill just passed in the House will help us rise from the vast debt they have gotten us into? Do you actually believe there are no tax increases among the pages of that bill? I have yet to see a bill passed without some concessions made. So much is done behind closed doors. We hear one thing and they do another. It's hard to believe most any of the congressmen anymore.

We live in the best country in the world. Yet, our government has gotten us into the biggest mess we have ever been in and it's happened in the past 2 1/2 years! Of course, they love to blame it on the Bush Administration since they do not want to accept responsibility for the things they have done. But the American people know what is going on. We aren't as stupid as we are perceived to be by some in Congress.

Technorati Tags: Government, Congress, Bill , Taxes

Pet Peeves - How about you?

There are some things I wish could be changed or people would change. There are so many things that bother me at times. I don't sit and grieve over them, but they are aggravating at the time they come about.

1. THIN tissue paper in public bathrooms.
2. The lack off seat covers in public bathrooms where they have the holders for them.
3. People hurrying to get in front of you on the highway only to turn right. Why not wait?
4. When having a conversation with someone, someone else comes up, starts a conversation and the person you are talking to tunes you out!
   
5. The new faucets in some public bathrooms that sense hands - and sometimes the water doesn't work!
6. Jeans where the waist hangs almost to the knees! Don't like seeing the behind!
7. And to cover up those LOW jeans, a shirt that would fit 4 people - sick!
8. Trash thrown out on the highways.
9. Potholes in streets that never get fixed.
10. A rude salesperson or waiter/waitress.
11. Someone calling my phone and never says a word. If you get the wrong number, apologize and hang up.
12. Someone arguing over the Bible.
13. A know-it-all attitude
14. Wrinkle-free clothes that aren't really wrinkle-free.
15. A technician that knows nothing about his job.
16. A slow Internet connection when you are paying for a fast one!
17. People who don't keep their word
18. Hearsay being repeated as the truth
19. Someone lying to you when they know you know the truth
20. Advertisements to draw you in to buy and the product doesn't work like they say
21. Too high gas prices!
22. The government taking over in our personal lives
23. Freedoms being taken away that are rightfully ours!

I could list from now to night fall and never finish! There are so many things in this world that need to be changed. Our government is out of control. They aren't responsible with the finances. They are spend-thrifts, spending on things that aren't worth a 'hill of beans' to the average American, when they could be putting those millions of dollars toward the national debt.

If most of the government workers in Washington, DC had to live the way most average Americans do, I believe we would see a drastic change in their attitudes and their working habits. The average Joe/Mary can't make it on a few weeks of work and then a 4 week holiday! It's work until you drop 5 or 6 days a week all year and some never getting a day off or a vacation.

Another thing that really bothers me is the government's ability to give themselves pay raises whenever they want. They spend our money like it's theirs while they give themselves pay raises to cover cost of living and the rest of the country does without cost of living raises! Even Social Security was not given a cost of living this past year and from what we've heard, we still will not get one for a couple more years. But the Government and the President and family go on their merry way doing whatever please them while most of the rest of America suffers! The President tells us what to buy and eat while he continues to spend money like it grew on trees and not coming out of the tax payer's pocket!

Technorati Tags: Pet Peeves, Government

The Love of God

Most of us do no stop to think that God is in our every day lives. We don't seem to 'see' him at work or even that, in the least things, God can be found. I've come to realize we've missed special moments with God in not keeping our minds tuned on him.

Last night, we attended a music get-together. A Christian band was the one to close out the show for the night. They sang some great songs and were very good! But what caught my heart was the fact that one of the singers went down to get three little children, two boys and a girl. One of the boys was a child with down's syndrome. I assumed the head of the band was the boy's father since he told the story about getting him ready for bed and his son talking about 'his love'. It pertained to a song they had been learning and this little boy picked up on the love of God.

The thing that struck me and brought tears to my eyes was the love that was shown to this little boy by the girl (lead singer) who had brought him on stage. She would kneel beside him, prompting him to sing what he could. She would touch him sweetly to get him to sing. She never seemed to tire of giving him and the other two children her attention, constantly on her knees are singing at their ears. You could just see the love of God in her!

Matthew 22:39 tells us to 'Thy shalt love thy neighbor as thyself'. And I have never seen a sweeter demonstration of love than this girl showed that little boy.

Technorati Tags: Love, God

How Did We Manage?

The question at hand is 'how did we manage?' back in the days of no power, no phones, etc. I remember back in my younger days of having none of the things we now consider necessities.

Sitting in my Mother's Den today, the power suddenly went out. She has a problem with all the light coming through the big windows, so the drapes stayed drawn together. It was very dark in the room. And it got very hot when the air conditioner wasn't working. I decided to call the power company to see what was going on. My cell phone was in my car on the charger, so I picked up her wall phone, knowing her other phone would not work. Low and behold, the phone was dead. There we sat with no air and no phone! Seemed like old times.

I thought back to when I was a child. I remember the only power we had came from a light hanging from the ceiling, but I also remember lights going out for long periods and we still had to use kerosene lamps to read at night. We had no such thing as air conditioners. We didn't have a fan until I was much older. My parents just could not afford these things at that time. But I didn't feel like I was doing with out; nobody else around us had them either. We didn't have electric heat or gas heat. We heated with a coal stove in the kitchen and a fireplace in the living room. We didn't have a refrigerator with an ice maker or freezer. We depended on the ice house coming around with ice. Our neighbor had an icebox and they kept what they called 'hot' ice in it from the ice house that we used. Our water came from a well. Although we had great water (the best in the town), it didn't provide for water to wash, so my Dad had to haul it from his sister's house.

All of those memories make it seem as though we were poor. But we were not, and, even if we had been, we wouldn't have known it. I did have friends back then that were lots worse off than we had ever been. But none of us dwelt on the fact that we did without things that we might have wanted. Back then, there were no cell phones, no electronics. And, in fact, I was in the ninth grade before we even got a television.

So, sitting in Mother's Den, and getting hotter by the minute, I wondered how our parents and theirs felt when they were growing up, doing without even part of what we think now of as necessities. I know they didn't have power. They grew all their own vegetables and had chickens and cows (of which we did, too when I was young). I remember when Foremost Milk Company started coming door to door bringing milk. Was I happy! I always hated cow's milk. I learned to milk, but never liked the taste. What a joy to get the store-bought kind!

We learned that it was a joy to get out and PLAY - something most kids now do not do. Well, lots of children are into sports, but, when they get home, they sit in front of the television with their electronic games or they are on the cell phone, texting or talking to friends. We loved to be outside at night under the street lights, playing marbles until our parent called us in. I love to play basketball better than I loved to eat.

We all survived and came to know all the good things that have been invented since back then. But I would not want to do away with those days. It taught us that we can survive without having all the amenities that we take for granted today. When the power goes out, we gladly take down our kerosene lamp and our candles and light them up. We go back to talking, something lots have forgotten they can still do. Conversation is almost lost when the television is on or the games are playing. We can still read under the lamp or candles.

I braved the time (about 3 hours) without power today with my lighted Kindle, reading a book. That was the only light in the house. Mother had no light to work on her Word book, so she talked or took a nap. And when the power came back on, I heard her freezer in the next room kick on. So I quickly fixed her television and told her to turn her table lamp on. I was getting ready to leave since it was late, but the lights went out once more. They stayed off for another 15 minutes before coming back on. She was trying to get me to leave because it might get dark before I got home (not likely). I finally got to leave, hoping and praying the power stays on tonight. I had learned earlier today from my brother that the same thing happened last night, letting me know why her television wasn't on this morning when I got there. Hopefully, the power company has the problem fixed and it won't happen again!!

Technorati Tags: Power, Phone. Kindle

Happy Mother's Day

To all the Mothers out there, we wish you a Happy Mother's Day.

I am the Mother of two children, a son and a daughter. I remember the day they both were born and the excitement that filled our then 'young' hearts. We had only picked out two names before our first child, our son, was born. We picked out a boy's name and a girl's name. So, when I was pregnant the second time, we never picked out another name for a boy. It was an understanding with me that it was a girl. So, the night I went into labor, we were within a few blocks of the hospital when my husband said, "We never picked out another boy's name", to which I said, "Just get me to the hospital; we are having a girl." I never once doubted that God would give me the desires of my heart (Psalms 37:4), which was a son first and a daughter second. And that is what He did!

My children were a delight to us and now their children are also delights to us! It is like having your children all over again except you can send them home. But I love having my grandchildren around. And now our oldest grandson has added great grandmother/grandfather to our names since he now has a one year old daughter that we can love.

Thank the Lord for all Mothers who love and nurture their children in the ways of the Lord. He tell us to raise our children in the way they should go and they will never depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6) They may not be where they should be with the Lord at this moment, but hold fast to his promise and they will surely come! His promises are true!

Technorati Tags: Holiday, Mother's Day

Thoughts on the Tornado Disaster

For four days this week, I sat with only a small sports transistor radio listening to the voices of different radio hosts talk to those devastated by the tornadoes, or to those helping those same people try to get back part of their life. Here I sat with no electricity, but we had our home and cars and all our family was safe. All I could do was shed tears for those people who were in harms way.

Tornadoes hit all around us, but our property was spared. Only two dead trees fell. The church near us sustained damage from a falling tree and others that fell in their yard. This was one of the reasons our community was without power. But I have to stress again, the tornado did not touch our community. But so many people around us did sustain major damage.

I cannot even imagine what the people throughout our state who were hit by this storm feel today, especially those who have lost relatives or have someone missing. I just checked one of the pages on the Internet that lists missing people. There are so many still missing and some may add to the already high total of people killed by these deadly tornadoes here in Alabama.

We have listened to the devastation talked about and watched so much of it on TV since getting our power back Saturday evening. But my husband says, until you get out there and experience first hand, you have no idea how bad it is. He has been going by Pratt City almost every day this week. And he says it is hard to believe what Pratt City once was just looking at the devastation there.

My church is only about 3 miles from me, but it's in Cullman County. And Cullman County is still out of power and have no idea when they might get it back up again. So our church was naturally out of power. But our pastor's wife said she could not even think about us not having church since so many churches around were hit hard. And they were all having church on the outside. I just read about the Phil Campbell Church of God having church outside on the concrete pad where their church once stood.

The pastor Chris Burns of Phil Campbell Church of God has this to say:

"Last week, we celebrated the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Today, we celebrate the resurrection of Phil Campbell, Alabama."

Those of us who were unscathed by the deadly tornadoes on Wednesday should be praying for those who were and pray for the safety of those relatives yet to have been found. Also help in any way you can, whether it be through physical help, a donation, or visit to the Red Cross. Today our church is making a donation to Red Cross. We are a small congregation right now, but we know it's important to show the love of God at a time of need. You will be blessed. Remember we are untouched by the disaster, but our friends and neighbors throughout Alabama may have not been so fortunate.

Technorati Tags: Tornadoes, Disasters, Alabama

Easter Sunday

HAPPY EASTER TO EVERYONE!

Today has been a great day. First, we are ALIVE. God gave us one more day in which to praise and worship HIM.

I got up very early, put on a roast, potatoes, and carrots for lunch. None of the family came today, so it was only my husband and me. But it was good!

I went to Church early this morning in order for us to get the singing ready. Four of us ladies led the singing and it was wonderful! One young man, a grandson of one of the ladies, sang "Amazing Grace-My Changes Are Gone" a cappella. It was so anointed hardly a dry eye in the building. I know there wasn't on stage. Afterwards, he came over and hugged our necks. He was so nervous, but you could tell that he felt what he was singing! It is such a joy to see a young man sing for the Lord.

Today is Decoration Day at the Cemetery where my husband's people are buried, along with my youngest sister-in-law who died last August. My husband went with his sister to put flowers on all the graves. And we are going up there in a little while to walk over the graveyard and see all the beautiful flowers people have put out for their loved ones.

This has been a very good day. We've had gorgeous weather although it looked like rain this morning when I went to church. But even the little kids had a ball having an Easter egg hunt after church. And we had so many birds on the yard - the kind that bury their eggs in the ground. I felt bad for one little bird that kept walking around chirping at the top of it's lungs - around and around - as though someone had taken it's eggs. But perhaps it was only trying to ward off the predators - the kids and adults walking around.

Thank the Lord for another wonderful Resurrection Sunday. May His blessings be with you this year.

Thinking of buying a Kindle?

I once made the statement that I wouldn't buy a Kindle because I love the fill of a real book in my hand. After much consideration and talking to a few friends who have them, I changed my mind! One friend reads many books a week and she says it has really saved them money. With that I can now agree. The other friend highly recommended the Kindle. She said she even sat in church and downloaded the Bible in just a minute or so!

I first downloaded Kindle for the PC to find out if I would really like the Kindle. Almost got addicted to that. But I wanted something I could take with me without much fuss. The laptop is a little large to take only to read books.

Yesterday, I received my Kindle. I was gone to my grandson's soccer game, so I was about 11:30 PM getting home. Well, that did not deter me from checking the Kindle out. I knew it had to be charged for about 3 hours. It came with a USB cord and an adapter to hook it up to the power to charge the battery. So I quickly hooked my Kindle up to my laptop USB port.

I did lots of research on what I could and could not do with the Kindle. I found out I could 'eject the Kindle' from the computer and download books or search on the Web while it was charging. My husband explained that 'ejecting' meant going to my Windows Explorer, locating the drive my Kindle was on, and then deleting it, which I did. SO, on the search I went. Before long, I was reading a book I had previously downloaded to my Kindle for the PC. And, the great thing is, you never lose your place no matter what you are reading on! There are APPS for many devices, including the iPhone, etc.

To protect the Kindle, I knew I needed some sort of a cover. I checked them all out. And, on the advice from a friend, I decided to buy the lighted leather cover. The Kindle snaps right into the cover. Now, it was hard to get on and I was afraid I would break one of the snaps on the cover or harm the Kindle. So, I thought about YouTube! Sure enough, there is a great DEMO that will show you how to attach the Kindle to your cover without harming either. It was a life-saver for me! Very easy to do and easy to get the Kindle out of the cover, also.

The light is in the upper right hand corner of the cover, and is easily pulled out to use, if you need it. Most of the time, I will not be using it since I read in good light and not much in the bed or dark rooms. But it is definitely a good asset to have if you ever need the extra light.

I haven't had the Kindle long enough to say it won't give any problems. But I went on the advice of a close friend who received hers for Christmas from her husband. And she loves it and said it has never given her a minute's trouble.

I am sure I have forgotten many things you would love to know about. But the Kindle is easily researched in Google or even on Amazon. So hope you have fun researching and hopefully, you will find you can't do without one, either.

Technorati Tags: Kindle, Cover, Books