Food for Thoght for the New Year

You Will Never Be Sorry

...for thinking before acting.
...for hearing before judging.
...for forgiving your enemies.
...for being candid and frank.
...for helping a fallen brother.
...for being honest in business.
...for thinking before speaking.
...for being loyal to your church.
...for standing by your principles.
...for closing your ears to gossip.
...for bridling a slanderous tongue.
...for harboring pure thoughts.
...for sympathizing with the afflicted.
...for being courteous and kind to all.

Wishing for you a happy new year.

What I did on my fall vacation

Usually I've been doing Monday Morning Manna at the beginning of the week, and I will, but I wanted to share a bit about my recent trip to Virginia.  I feel like the school child who returns after summer break and has the assignment to write about what they did on vacation.

When I was with my family in September, David asked me what I wanted for my birthday.  "Nothing," I said, and then I thought about the times that I had told him I would love to see a college football game with him.  That never happened,  So when I got home, he wrote and asked me if I would like to go to a UVA game.  I didn't have to think twice.  It was a cool, crisp day for football, perfect weather.  The band was great; the team lost, but it was fun to watch the faithful fans cheer their team on.

The next week, Sarah and I went to hear the Waynesboro Symphony Orchestra at the Paramount Theater in Charlottesville.  Experiencing the theater was a treat, but hearing the symphony was even better.  The director of the symphony is Peter Wilson, a master sergeant in the U.S. Marine band.  The them of the evening was a salute to America.  He brought along with him two members of the band from Washington.

Toward the end of the evening the three men performed a piece of music that Mr. Wilson composed after September 11, 2001.  Below is a video of the song.  In the video, Mr. Wilson is the gentleman on the end, playing the violin.  Listen and enjoy.

Monday Morning Manna

I spent Friday and Saturday in Tampa at the Women of Faith Conference.  It was good to go again after not having gone for the last two years. I've always looked forward to hearing the speakers who always give a lot to laugh about as we look at our lives and tears often come as moments are shared that so many women have in common.  This year was no different.  However, the evening before we left to go, I looked online to see who all was going to be there, and alas, none of my favorites, except Luci Swindoll, was going to be there.  Except for a couple of ladies, they were new to me and young. I guess that says something about me...yes, everyone gets younger all the time.

About thirty went from our church.  Among them some young women whose names I had heard but did not know. One of the pluses was getting to know them better.

One particular session stood out to me, and that was a mini-concert by Nicole C. Mullen.  She and her husband are involved in two ministries.  One is Baby Girls Club, for girls 5-18 and teaches them the love of Christ through the arts.  The other is Team NCM, which trains young boys and girls (ages 9=17) who are gifted in the arts, and provides them with outlets to use and show their talents while growing as disciples of Jesus.

As she sang and danced with her group on stage, I thought of the passage of Scripture from Philippians 4.  The passage here is from The Message.

Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

^8-9Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.
 Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

I'm putting one of her videos here.  It's called "Brainwash."  It isn't the style that many are used to, but it speaks of keeping our minds clean and pure.  I think the title is perfect.

Monday Morning Manna

How many of us have beautiful feet?  Probably not very many.  Maybe that's one reason we cover them with shoes.  I see some ladies who love to wear sandals, and their feet do look nice, perhaps after a pedicure, or if they have just polished their toenails themselves. 

I remember one of the first things that a friend did when she saw my babies for the first time was take off their socks or booties and kiss their feet.  She thought they were beautiful.  Would she do that today to them?  I don't think so.

When I was young, my mother always spent the money to put me in Buster Brown shoes, thinking that would help me avoid foot problems like she had.  Guess what.  It didn't.I developed hammer toes, had surgery for neuromas, had shots for heel spurs, and I find it hard to walk without orthotics in my shoes.  Dress shoes went out the window a long time ago.

I wonder why podiatrists would choose their particular profession since all the do all day long is look at feet, feet that have all kinds of problems and are not very pretty.

The Bible speaks of beautiful feet, feet that are used to spread the gospel among those who are lost. In Isaiah the prophet writes: " How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news,  who proclaim peace,  who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, 'Your God reigns!'"

In Romans, Paul writes "And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

Last Thursday a grouop of us who worked in lived in Haiti were together for the morning and one of the ladies shared this story. 

The Bible School students all went out on the weekends to preach at churches in the country.  A truck would take them and drop them off, and then the men would walk to their appointments for Sunday, ministering along the way as they went.  The preached in their church on Sunday and then walked back to their pickup point to come back to the school. 

One Monday morning my friend was working in the office when one of the men came in.  When she asked him about his weekend, he was so excited.  He told her that one of people attending the service he spoke in on the wekeend had come to know the Lord as His Savior.

When he walked out of the office, my friend looked down at his feet, and they were bleeding..beautiful feet.  She sad that before she went to Haiti, she had often thought of that verse about beautiful feet, but it came to life that day.  I have to ask myself, "Are my feet beautiful?"

Monday Morning Manna

Our church observes the Lord's supper the first Sunday of each month. I've been away from home a lot and have missed it, so I was especially glad to see the preparations for it this morning as I entered our sanctuary for the morning service. While our pastor is on vacation and the assistant pastor is in Virginia visiting his dad who has had two strokes, our pastor to the senior adults spoke.

  We so often associate fellowship with food. Baptists are notorious for that, and the Bible speaks of it often. When the three men came to Abraham and told him the Sarah would bear a son, Abraham had food prepared for them to eat. They had no doubt come from a distance and were hungry. In Exodus24 Moses and Aaron and other men went up and saw the God of Israel. It says that under his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli, as bright and blue as the sky. It goes on to say that God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank. Can you imagine?

Coming to the Lord's table gives one time to look into one's own heart and examine to see if there is anything to hinder fellowship with the Father and to ask for cleansing and restoration. As the pastor was speaking, the following song came to mind. One day we are going to gather around the table in heaven. Won't it be grand!

Monday Morning Manna

I've had the privilege of hosting a missionary family in my home this past weekend. They live and work in Cameroon, associated with Wycliffe, an organizaiton whose goal is to see the Word of God translated into the language of the people. Mindy went to Cameroon as a young, single woman and worked for many years when she met Efi, a Cameroon gentleman who was also working with a group involved with translation. Efi shared with us how there are 280 languages in Cameroon. Seventeen of the language groups have a complete Bible; fifty-eight have a New Testament.

  He shared with us what joy the people feel when they hear the Word of God in their very own language. He also said that people used to think that pastors made up the Bible, but when they heard it being read from the Book, they knew differently. He also stated that people listening to a preacher in another language and having it translated for them makes them feel inferior. When they hear God speaking to them in their own language, they feel like they matter.

How many Bibles do you have in your home? More than one, I can imagine. Think of having none. "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." . Scripture says that some from every tribe and nation will gather around the throne of heaven. "After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and languages tanding before the throne and before the Lamb."

Do It Again, Lord

The prayer here, "Do It Again, Lord," was a prayer prayed by Max Lucado at a seminar I attended on September 15, 2011, four days after the terrorist attack on our country.  I think I have posted it every year since that day, and here it is again.

Dear Lord,

We're still hoping we'll wake up. We're still hoping we'll open a sleepy eye and think, What a horrible dream. But we won't, will we, Father? What we saw was not a dream. Planes did gouge towers. Flames did consume our fortress. People did perish. It was no dream and, dear Father, we are sad.

There is a ballet dancer who will no longer dance and a doctor who will no longer heal. A church has lost her priest, a classroom is minus a teacher. Cora ran a food pantry. Paige was a counselor and Dana, dearest Father, Dana was only three years old. (Who held her in those final moments?)

We are sad, Father. For as the innocent are buried, our innocence is buried as well. We thought we were safe. Perhaps we should have known better. But we didn't.

And so we come to you. We don't ask you for help; we beg you for it. We don't request it; we implore it. We know what you can do. We've read the accounts. We've pondered the stories and now we plead, Do it again, Lord. Do it again.

Remember Joseph? You rescued him from the pit. You can do the same for us. Do it again, Lord.

Remember the Hebrews in Egypt? You protected their children from the angel of death. We have children, too, Lord. Do it again.

And Sarah? Remember her prayers? You heard them. Joshua? Remember his fears? You inspired him. The women at the tomb? You resurrected their hope. The doubts of Thomas? You took them away. Do it again, Lord. Do it again.

You changed Daniel from a captive into a king's counselor. You took Peter the fisherman and made him Peter an apostle. Because of you, David went from leading sheep to leading armies.

Do it again, Lord, for we need counselors today, Lord. We need apostles. We need leaders. Do it again, dear Lord.Most of all, do again what you did at Calvary. What we saw here on that Tuesday, you saw there on that Friday. Innocence slaughtered. Goodness murdered. Mothers weeping. Evil dancing. Just as the ash fell on our children, the darkness fell on your Son. Just as our towers were shattered, the very Tower of Eternity was pierced.

And by dusk, heaven's sweetest song was silent, buried behind a rock.

But you did not waver, O Lord. You did not waver. After three days in a dark hole, you rolled the rock and rumbled the earth and turned the darkest Friday into the brightest Sunday. Do it again, Lord.

 Grant us a September Easter.

We thank you, dear Father, for these hours of unity. Disaster has done what discussion could not. Doctrinal fences have fallen. Republicans are standing with Democrats. Skin colors have been covered by the ash of burning buildings. We thank you for these hours of unity.

And we thank you for these hours of prayer. The Enemy sought to bring us to our knees and succeeded .He had no idea, however, that we would kneel before you. And he has no idea what you can do.

Let your mercy be upon our President, Vice President, and their families. Grant to those who lead us wisdom beyond their years and experience. Have mercy upon the souls who have departed and the wounded who remain. Give us grace that we might forgive and faith that we might believe.

And look kindly upon your church. For two thousand years you've used her to heal a hurting world.

Do it again, Lord. Do it again.

Through Christ,

Amen.

As

Monday Morning Manna

Our pastor has been challenging our church the last two Sundays on reaching out to those in our cmmunity who are in need of a "good Samaritan."  People all around us are hurting and in need of someone to come alongside to help. I was reminded of this once again by a blog post that I read last evening.  The writer wrote about the book, Sarah's Key.  It is a work of fiction, but it is based on the rounding up of Jews in France in 1942.  They were rounded up by policemen who worked in their neighborhoods and knew them.  To this day there is denial of any knowledge of this happening.

All around us are people in need.  I have to ask myself, "What am I doing to be a good Samaritan?" What am I going to do today to get out of my comfort zone and minister to someone who might be hurting?

Monday Morning Manna

The Parable of the Lost Sheep
¹ Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. ² But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
³ Then Jesus told them this parable: ⁴ “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? ⁵ And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders ⁶ and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ ⁷ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

Jesus often spoke in parables to the groups of people that he met  This chapter, Luke 15, has three parables: the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son.  We have often heard that parables are earthly stories with heavenly meanings.  I was the lost sheep, found by my Savior, and I am in the fold instead of being lost outside.  I'm so glad He found me.

Look Who's in School

 Wednesday was Ella's first day in kindergarten.

 Some of her friends from her pre-K are in her class.

 It's hard to believe that time has passed so quickly.

Here's hoping the year is a great one for Ella.

Monday Morning Manna

 Guess who's 5 now!  Ella the Bella.  August 4 was her birthday.  The night before her mommy and daddy told her that when she woke up in the morning, she would be five.  She thought and said, "In the morning I'll be all growned up."  The next morning she said to them, "Look, my legs are longer."  These five years have flown by.  Some of you have been with us from the start.

When I look at David and his love for his child, I am awed.  What a wonderful love it is.  And I am reminded of the heavenly Father's love for us

1 John 3

¹Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
²Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
³And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

Monday Morning Manna

When I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me.      

Micah 7:8

As I cross on life's tumultuous seas,
sailing from earth to Heaven's bright shore.
Christ is like a mighty lighthouse,
Helping me to navigate my course.

He guides me safely through tides of temptation,
Over dangerous reefs of sin.
Lighting my way through dark troubled waters,
'til the glorious port of Heaven I win.

- unknown -

For thou art my lamp, O Lord; and the Lord will lighten my darkness. 2 Samuel 22:29

Great Advice

Here is some advice from Pastor Tim on weight loss..

1.Weigh yourself with clothes on, after dinner...as well as in the morning, without clothes, before breakfast, because it's nice to see how much weight you've lost overnight.

2. Never weigh yourself with wet hair.

3. When weighing, remove everything, including glasses. In this case, blurred vision is an asset. Don't forget the earrings, these things can weigh at least a pound.

4. Use cheap scales only, never the medical kind, because they are always five pounds off...to your advantage, of course.

5. Always go to the bathroom first.

6. Stand with arms raised, making pressure on the scale lighter. (Waving them is optional but occasionally helps!)

7. Don't eat or drink in the morning until AFTER you've weighed in,completely naked, of course.

8. Weigh yourself after a haircut, this is good for at least half a pound of hair (hopefully).

9. Exhale with all your might BEFORE stepping onto the scale (air has to weigh something, right?)

10. Start out with just one foot on the scale, then holding onto the towel rack in front of you, slowly edge your other foot on and slowly let off of the rack. Admittedly, this takes time, but it's worth it. You will weigh at least two pounds less than if you'd stepped on normally.

Big

Carmi's photograph theme this week is "big."  When Ella was here in June, we visited Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa, and she had the opportunity to feed a giraffe. I walked up on the platform with her, and standing close to the giraffe, realized just how big they are...big beautiful brown eyes, that long tongue that reaches so far to take hold of leaves, the long neck and legs.

Giraffe

A giraffe came by the willow tree
Stopped to gaze and talk to me.
For he was very lean and tall
A pillar, a column, a walking wall.

And as he looked down upon my face
His eyes were wide two pools in space,
As they engulfed, the countryside,
The sky above, held me inside -
Their special height and slant of things
Their special view of every thing,
And I could see by looking up
The wealth within his loving cup
That thinks and drinks the sun and sky
And watches us from way up high.

And yet I found it sad to see
That he could never reach down to me
For he was too tall, too much ideal
And I was too small, too much the real.

So, this angular figure, graceful and wise
Of astounding vision and cool clear eyes
Watched the sun rise, then watched it set
Looked down on me and seemed to forget
That I was as much a part of this scene
As the sun in the sky, the oak in the green.

Then the willow tree watching standing near by
Saw the distance between us and started to cry
she bowed down her head touching the ground
And from that day to this,
it's the way she'll be found.

Author Unknown

 

Monday Morning Manna

Are you amazed by God? We often look at present day "miracles" and say, "What an amazing God we serve."  We look at the miracles in the Bible and think "Wow." Scripture says that people were amazed out our Lord's sayings.
God did an amazing thing in the family of some of Don's relatives during this past month.

In July, one of Don's great aunts died. Her youngest son and his family had flown out to Arizona for the graduation of one of their boys from motorcycle mechanic school.  Doris died while they were there.  After graduation, the son wanted to accompany his family back to New York where the service for his grandma would take place.

His dad went online, and there was one ticket left for the flight they were taking home. That was amazing, but the even more amazing thing was that it was right by the rest of the family.  When it came time to change planes in Atlanta, they again sought a seat for the son.  Where was it? You guessed it...right with the family.  This family was impressed with God's interest in the little details of their lives, and I think amazed.
Take time to day to be amazed by God.

Looking for lunch

When I pulled into my driveway yesterday, instead of pulling into the garage, I stopped outside.  When I got out of my car, I heard a loud rat-a-tat-tat, so I knew there must be a woodpecker nearby.  It was much too loud for him to be on a tree, so I looked at the utility pole across the street from my house, and there he was way up at the top, pecking away.

We often see pileated woodpeckers in our neighborhood, and this one appears to be a young one.

One day a few years ago, I walked outside and saw four young pileated woodpeckers on the tall Washington palm that is in the yard next door. That was exciting to see!

When Sarah was in kindergarten, she learned this poem about woodpeckers.  Seeing this woodpecker on the pole reminded me of that poem, so here is your literature bit for the day.

The woodpecker pecked out a little round hole
And made him a house in a telephone pole.
One day when I watched he poked out his head,
And he had on a hood and a collar of red.

When the streams of rain pour out of the sky,
And the sparkles of lightning go flashing by,
And the big, big sheels of thunder roll,
He can snuggle back in the telephone pole.

Elizabeth Roberts

Punny

To err is human; to purr, feline.
To err is human; two curs, canine.
To err is human; to do nothing, benign.
To err is human; to quit, resign.
To err is human; to howl, lupine.
To err is human; to solve, design.
To err is human; to moo, bovine.
To err is human; to soothe, calamine.
To err is human; to pretend, pantomime.
To err is human; to bloom, columbine.
To err is human; to prance, equine.
To err is human; to add, combine.
To err is human; to befriend, pal o' mine.
To err is human; to woo, Valentine.
To err is human; to horrify, Frankenstein.
To err is human; to straighten, align.
To err is human; to drown, Clementine.
To err is human; to twist, serpentine.
To err is human; to love, sublime.
To err is human; to cut in, go back in line!

Thanks, Pastor Tim

cybersalt.org

Monday Morning Manna

Every new day brings new reasons to praise God. With each dawn, the wonders of creation and God's grace are evident anew.

from biblegateway.com

                     

A Room With a View

I recently returned from a trip to the Maritime Provinces of Canada. A group called Tropical Harmony from Sweet Adelines takes a tour each year, and they were sorely needing another person to complete the tour, so I decided to go. I didn't sing with the group, simply went along for the ride, and what a ride it was. We landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia and from there visited Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. The photos in this blog post are from near the end of the trip. We stopped in Baddeck, Nova Scotia and visited the Alexander Graham Bell museum and stayed two nights in the Silver Dart Lodge.

Bell, most famous for the invention of the telephone, had many other inventions, as well.  Visiting his museum was one of the highlights of the trip.  His mother began losing her hearing when he was a boy, and then he married a lady who was deaf, and so he was very interested in communication and how to make it better for the ladies of his life.

Although most famous for the telephone, he would not permit one in his laboratory because of the interruptions it would bring.  Whatever would he think of all of today's different forms of communication.

The museum contained a special section for children, quite appropriate as the above quote and the photo below surely show that he had a great love for little ones.

April 30

No matter how many years pass, the anniversary of one's loved one is generally foremost in one's thoughts.  Earlier this week, my sister-in-law's status on Face Book was one of remembrance.  Their dear baby girl, who had been born with a heart defect, died during a procedure.  She was fifteen months old.  Had she lived she would be 17 today.

April 30 was the day that my husband died, being taken in a horrific traffic accident.  Nine years ago.  The emotions become raw once again as I think of him.  Believing as we do that heaven is real and that he is there is comfort knowing we'll see him again, but it doesn't fill the void that is left with one's leaving.

I watched the Dove awards the other night, something I don't think I've ever done before.  I guess I did because I had recently spent a weekend in Nashville at a Sandi Patty event, and she was being honored at that awards night.  During the evening an award was given to Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife who have helped so many families with adoption.  Mrs. Chapman spoke of their little Maria who was taken suddenly from them, and she said something like this..."we had her for such a short time here, but we'll be together for eternity."  Blessed hope!

A few years ago at a WOF meeting, Kathy Troccoli sang a song that she had written in remembrance of her mother, I think, who had died from cancer.  I believe it speaks for all of us who have lost loved ones.

Men's Thesaurus

Here's another gem from Pastor Tim.  I certainly am not trying to be a male basher here, but these are funny.

"IT'S A GUY THING"
Translated: "There is no rational thought pattern connected with it, and you have no chance at all of making it logical."

"CAN I HELP WITH DINNER?"
Translated: "Why isn't it already on the table?"

"UH HUH," "SURE, HONEY," OR "YES, DEAR"
Translated: Absolutely nothing. It's a conditioned response.

"IT WOULD TAKE TOO LONG TO EXPLAIN"
Translated: "I have no idea how it works."

"TAKE A BREAK, HONEY. YOU'RE WORKING TOO HARD."
Translated: "I can't hear the game over the vacuum cleaner."

"THAT'S INTERESTING, DEAR."
Translated: "Are you still talking?"

"YOU KNOW HOW BAD MY MEMORY IS."
Translated: "I remember the theme song to 'F Troop,' the address of the first girl I ever kissed, and the vehicle identification number of every car I've ever owned... but I forgot your birthday."

"OH, DON'T FUSS -- I JUST CUT MYSELF. IT'S NO BIG DEAL."
Translated: "I have actually severed a limb but will bleed to death before I admit that I'm hurt."

"HEY, I'VE GOT MY REASONS FOR WHAT I'M DOING."
Translated: "And I sure hope I think of some pretty soon."

"I CAN'T FIND IT."
Translated: "It didn't fall into my outstretched hands, so I'm completely clueless."

"WHAT DID I DO THIS TIME?"
Translated: "What did you catch me at?"

"I HEARD YOU."
Translated: "I haven't the foggiest clue what you just said and am hoping desperately that I can fake it well enough so that you don't spend the next three days yelling at me."

"YOU KNOW I COULD NEVER LOVE ANYONE ELSE."
Translated: "I am used to the way you yell at me and realize it could be worse."

"YOU LOOK TERRIFIC."
Translated: "Oh, please don't try on one more outfit. I'm starving."

"I'M NOT LOST. I KNOW EXACTLY WHERE WE ARE."
Translated: "No one will ever see us alive again."

"WE SHARE THE HOUSEWORK."
Translated: "I make the messes; she cleans them up."

Leave it to kids

I read these in Pastor Tim's website this morning...always good for a laugh.

"I teach fourth grade in Ventura County, California. As a fun assignment, I gave the students the beginning of a list of famous sayings and asked them to provide original endings for each one. Here are some examples of what my students submitted.

- The grass is always greener when you leave the sprinkler on.

- A rolling stone plays the guitar.

- The grass is always greener when you remember to water it.

- A bird in the hand is a real mess.

- No news is no newspaper.

- It's better to light one candle than to waste electricity.

- It's always darkest just before I open my eyes.

- You have nothing to fear but homework.

- If you can't stand the heat, don't start the fireplace.

- If you can't stand the heat, go swimming.

- Never put off 'til tomorrow what you should have done yesterday.

- A penny saved is nothing in the real world.

- The squeaking wheel gets annoying.

- We have nothing to fear but our principal.

- To err is human. To eat a muskrat is not.

- I think, therefore I get a headache.

- Laugh and the world laughs with you. Cry, and someone yells, "Shut up!"

- Better to light a candle than to light an explosive.

- It's always darkest before 9:30 p.m.

- Early to bed and early to rise is first in the bathroom.

- A journey of a thousand miles begins with a blister.

- There is nothing new under the bed.

- The grass is always greener when you put manure on it.

- Don't count your chickens -- it takes too long."

.

"

Happy Resurrection Day

Amazing Love

Our choir is preparing music for Easter.  This is one of my favorites...such wonderful truth written there.
I've always said that the people who get the most out of the music is the ones who perform it.  As I practice over and over, the truth burns in my heart.  The sound of this video is not very good, but the words are there for you to contemplate as you listen.

Playing Tourist

This past weekend I was host to my dear friend, Tiina, from Estonia.  She was longing for some sunshine after a long, very cold winter in her homeland.  Knowing how she loves gardening, we took a morning to visit Selby Gardens in Sarasota.

Upon entering the gardens, we passed though an area which had many of the blooming plants.  There were beautiful orchids in abundance, as well as many other flowering plants.

This anthurium is beautiful in its simplicity.  I was amazed at is size.

We strolled along the walk and came upon this huge banyan tree.  This is one tree you wouldn't want to have growing in your yard.  As it grows, roots descend from the branches and grow into the ground to give support to the ever-spreading tree.  On this day, this tree provided fun hiding places to some children who were there with their parents.

 

I don't know the name of this tree, but it wouldn't work well in your yard either.  I love how the roots grow out, again giving support to the tree.  It reminds me of Psalm 1.  The psalmist writes that the man who delights in the Lord and in his Word will be like a tree planted by streams of water...a tree that yields its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and whatever he does shall prosper.

After our visit to the gardens, we drove up Longboat Key, then up to Bradenton Beach where we had a yummy lunch at the Beach House.  We ended our day by going to see The King's Speech.

Playing tourist with Tiina reminded me of the wonderful week I spent with my new friends in California.  They seemed to revel in showing me places that were dear to them in their state.  I won't forget that trip for a long time, and I hope Tiina will take home many fond memories from her days here in Florida this past week.

Happy Birthday, Sarah

 January 20, 1977 was a VERY cold day in Florida...26 degrees as we went to the hospital.

 Happy birthday to you, dear daughter.

Sarah's living now in Virginia.  She moved in October so that she could be near Ella and see her grow up.  I don't blame her a bit.

A Choice to Make

 Every Tuesday when I'm in Bradenton, I volunteer in my church office, answering the phone while the staff his its weekly meeting.  While I'm there, I have a few tasks that I do.  This week I was asked to call a few people to let them know that their offering envelopes were ready to be picked up.  One lady that I called is one whom I've known for a long time.  She and her husband used to listen to my son recite the verses that he had learned in Awana.

She told me that she wasn't able to be in church but that she would stop by and pick them up on her way to or from a chemo session.  She had been recently diagnosed with multiple myeloma.  Along with that she was receiving injections in her eyes for wet macular degeneration.  What struck me as I talked to her was her attitude.  It was not one of complaining or self-pity.  She spoke with compassion about the other people that she saw at the cancer place.  She did say that she had said to her husband, "Who would have thought ten years ago that we would be in this situation?"  I found out this morning that she had a heart attack and died today.  While sad at her passing, we rejoice that she's with her Savior.

 After hearing about Sue, I received an e-mail from Steve Goodier, who sends out inspiring his stories.  His post today was about attitude.  I thought of Sue as I read it.  The title of his post if "A Choice to Make."  I believe Sue had made that choice.

"I believe that, at least to some degree, we can each exercise control over our outlook and attitudes. And the problem is - if we don't control our attitudes, they will surely control us.

One farmer took charge of his outlook. He did it by filling his mind with awe and gratitude. He found that doing this gave him more energy to work on problems and to tackle those things that needed his attention. His neighbor's outlook could not have been more different.

One summer morning he exclaimed, "Look at the beautiful sky. Did you ever see such a glorious
sunrise?"

She countered. "It'll probably get so hot the crops will scorch."

During an afternoon shower, he commented, "Isn't this wonderful? Mother Nature is giving the corn a drink today."

"And if it doesn't stop before too long," came the sour reply, "we'll wish we'd taken out flood insurance on the crops." And so it went.

Convinced that he could instill some awe and wonder in this hardened woman, he bought a remarkable dog. Not just any mutt, but the most expensive, highly trained and gifted dog he could find. The animal
was exquisite. It could perform remarkable and impossible feats that, the farmer thought, would surely amaze even his neighbor. So he invited her to watch his dog perform.

"Fetch!" he commanded, as he tossed a stick into a lake, where it bobbed up and down in the rippling water. The dog bounded after the stick, walked ON the water, and retrieved it. "What do you think of
that?" he smirked.

Her brow wrinkled. "Hmmm. Can't swim, can he?"

Not to sound too Pollyanna, but I agree with newscaster Paul Harvey when he said that he has never seen a monument erected for a pessimist. A stubbornly positive attitude can often make the difference between happiness and misery, between health and illness and even between life and death.

Viktor Frankl would have agreed. Dr. Frankl chronicled his experiences as a Holocaust and concentration camp survivor in his book MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEANING. In it he asserts something really quite remarkable. He says that everything can be taken from a person except one thing. What can never be taken away is the power to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances.

We can decide to choose our attitudes every day. That may be one of the most important decisions we will make. I don't want to neglect making that choice."

I believe Sue had made that choice.

photos taken in Savannah last spring

God Will Take Care of You

Do you remember singing this song in church?  This song was just what I needed this morning.  I originally saw it on Pastor Tim's newletter but then searched for it on YouTube, and there it was right at the top.  Listen to the words and enjoy the little singer.

May we be aware of His presence with us this year in ALL things.  He's always there.  We just have to recognize Him.