Hypocritical....

Is it just me or is Ms. California the biggest hypocrite yet? She
should fit in great with the Rush Limbaugh, Newt Gingrich,
Ted Haggard, Jerry Falwell model and the rest of the conservatives. Just last week I saw a posting on facebook that disturbed me a little. I like the guy that posted it, but didn't agree with it one iota. Just a few lines down, another statement caught my eye about Miss California "having a jewel in her crown" for speaking her convictions. Like the person that posted that too, but fervently disagreed. And then today............... no surprise.............while Miss California is refusing to take calls from the pageant director, committee, or anyone else affiliated with the Miss California contest; she is out promoting her OWN agenda cloaked under the disguise of her family morals. Give me a break! Has she read any one of the FIVE scriptures that forbid her recent breast augmentation ("ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh" or "know ye that your body is a temple of God")? She accepted a $3,000 spa treatment, $30,000 designer gown, ASKED the committee to pay for her breast job and yet she is out promoting HERSELF under the guise of her MORAL beliefs. Sounds about right for a conservative to me. I could literally give thousands of examples. Instead.....scroll down. Read my blogs on March 3 (Political Serendipity) and March 2nd (Nobody asked me). If you're a conservative, I'm sorry, but this is why liberals get upset with all your posturing. We read columns about virtues and conservatives, all the while they are searching in the streets and on the web for porn, sex, and everything else. I don't try to push my beliefs on anyone, but I get sick to death of hearing and reading from the republicans about theirs! I didn't post this on facebook....you came to MY blog!

Leave Bitterness Behind

I once read somewhere that you could tell a bitter person by their face.
They are angry and/or unhappy and it shows. How many times do you
see someone in traffic or on the street and they have a pinched or sour
expression? And whey they talk, their speech is usually rather biting.

Bitterness can ruin our lives, but more importantly, it can ruin the lives
of those around us. In Genesis 33 we read about Esau and his right to be
angry with his brother. However, with God's help, he was able to let the
bitterness go rather than let it consume him. Think about Job's plight;
and yet he remained faithful to God. I always liked the verse in Job,
Chapter 5 that said "happy is the man whom God correcteth." And
Helen Keller was able to say, "I thank God for my handicaps. For
through them, I have found myself, my work, and my God." I've often
said that some of the hardships I suffered as a child made me who I
am and I wouldn't change a thing. It's what we are able to overcome
that makes us the parent we want to be, the wife or husband we want to
be, or the person we want to be. A life without suffering would keep
us from developing the skills we need to overcome and prosper as a
person.

I can remember when I first started working in downtown Marion.
It seemed everywhere I went, someone stopped me on the
street and said something about my smile. I never went to the
Methodist church that they all didn't say something about my smile.
What they didn't realize was that it was those very people that gave
me that smile. Sometimes it our struggles that cause us to develop
into who we want to be. Isn't that a great concept?

I got an e-mail yesterday that remarked about a picture they saw of
me and my smile. It took me back to those memories of people
that made me smile almost 35 years ago. It reminded me of all my
struggles before and since. It made me question why I let others
opinions rob me of my smile.

Yesterday I read something on Facebook that surprised me a little.
It was a posting by someone I think is a terrific person,parent, and
friend. It took me aback a little. It reminded me of an editorial I
read almost 5 years ago. I can remember being so shocked. The
writer was listing all the reasons we should vote for George Bush
for a second term. I was so stunned. In hindsight, I know why I
reacted like that. I was thinking about the former publisher and all
our talks and thinking how different this view was from his and
his family's long history in the publishing business. I found it hard to
comprehend how a husband and father could be supportive of a
president with such flaws and serious mistakes in his first four years.
I just couldn't understand how he could want this person to be
our leader and write history for his children's future. I happened
to run into the writer's wife and said something about how much
the editorial surprised me and she said, "why?" I was shocked.
Since then, I have realized that I am often shocked by other's
opinions and why. I try to analyze or figure out how and why they
could come to that conclusion and I take it personally. Needless
to say, that's not a good way to live your life. I'm making a conscious
effort to change. And in fairness, I know I'm influenced and molded
by my past and how it colored my viewpoint, just as they are.

Truthfully, God can help us get past, get through, or get OVER anything.
He can mend our hearts and help us experience healing. The Methodist
church provided me with the love I needed as a child, the answers I
needed in order to overcome, and the people that stood for real
answers on how to live an abundant life.

I had reason to remember a wonderful memory about R. C. and Louise
Hamilton this week. I have shared this memory with them on several
occasions. Several of my friends from the Methodist church know this
story, but it seemed so relevant this week. When I was about seven
years old, a neighbor had picked me up and taken me to the Methodist
church for Sunday school and church. As I was leaving, my mom said
she would be parked outside to pick me up after the services. When I
opened the car door and got in, my mom was crying. I asked her what
was wrong and she said nothing. She turned to me and said I was
watching R. C. and Louise Hamilton come out the side door and thinking
about their lives as parents and people. She said if I wanted to have
a successful life and be able to weather the storms of life, I should do like
them and stay involved and active in church. I've never forgotten
that. I can still see Louise's face the first time I told her this story and
R. C. and I discussed it when I was 20, 30 and even 3 years ago.

They had a storm this week, but they had the strength and anchor to
weather it.

We have a new family member - BB (Big Boy)

We have a new Frenchie !!

He is so adorable and sweet.

To No Longer Remember...

And, I will remember their sin no more. (Jeremiah 31:34)

As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he
removed our sins from us. (Psalms 103:12)

To no longer remember......sometimes that's a trait that
we lament having, once we hit 50. I always had such a
good memory and it's very frustrating to not be able to
remember something. However, I've been considering
just the opposite the past week.

I can remember when my firstborn scribbled on the walls
with a crayon. I scrubbed and scrubbed, but it wasn't
long until he was doing it again. I can still remember it
and trying to reason with him. I guess that memory
stayed in the back of my mind. Just last summer, we
all had so much fun on the beach and the kids built
sand castles and left their hand prints. The tide soon
smoothed it all away, but the memory of those times still
remain.

I use that analogy to explain what I'm feeling about the
loss of my beloved pet. I think I figured out why the loss
is so hard on us. With a mother, father, sister, brother,
wife, husband, son, or daughter; we can love them more
than life, but we are all still human. We make mistakes.
We hurt feelings. We say or do something wrong. And
while we might forgive, it is hard to forget and those
memories stay in the recesses of our minds. With a dog,
there aren't any of those memories. Just pure, unconditional
love and devotion. My dog followed me EVERY step I took.
If I got up at 3am, he was right beside me. If I was cooking,
he was at my feet right by the hot stove. If I was sick, he
was right by me on the recliner and would occasionally turn
around and kiss me. I don't have anything but good memories.
I never dreamed that you could mourn like this for a dog.
My heart actually feels like it's broken.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could be like God? He not only
forgives us, but develops amnesia about our sins. Amazingly,
He who numbers the hairs on our heads, forgets our sin forever.

I wish I could forget wrongs committed BY me and to me. That
would be a welcome ability and save us all so much hurt and
wasted energy. Something to think about..........................

In the April 20th edition of TIME, I read the following:
"With his credo that government was the problem, not
the answer, Ronald Reagan wrote the script for the collapse
we're facing." It goes on to say that MANY readers blamed
the financial crisis on rising deregulation and Reagan. This
was a theory I had longed argued with my brother. Nice to
see I'm not alone. Of course, Bush expounded on it and
bankrupted the country with his rush to a foolish war.

And finally...... Sam Flanary. Loved his letter to the editor in
our little weekly paper. So well written and expressing the
exact thoughts and feelings that I've been hearing around
town for months and months. BRAVO, Sam. Yours was a
welcome voice. God Bless You.

Stepping out in faith

Jesus saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen
had gone out of them and were washing their nets. (Luke 5:2 -NRSV)


I believe that Simon Peter was a skilled fisherman. But that day he and his
partners were unsuccessful; they had toiled all night and caught nothing.
They left their boats and were washing their nets, ready to go home as
failures. Then, Jesus got into a boat that belonged to Simon. Jesus asked
him to put out a little way from the land and began to preach to the crowds
from the boat.

Jesus knew that Simon's efforts to catch fish the previous night had been
unsuccessful. When Jesus had finished speaking, he asked Simon to go
farther out into deeper water and cast the net. Simon did not know that
a great catch of fish was in store for him and his partners. Soon their
boats were completely filled with fish! Both times!! Peter obeyed Jesus.

Wednesday night and Thursday morning were some of the most difficult
hours of my life. I can honestly say that only the prayers, calls, e-mails
and sweet encouraging words of my friends got me through all of the
pain. On Thursday morning, just a very few minutes before I lost Harley,
a friend felt compelled to send me a long detailed e-mail about her
family and son and their experience with losing a much loved pet.
She didn't have to listen to that still small voice that was telling her
to share all this; she didn't have to take her valuable time in writing
in such detail about their situation; she didn't have to show such care
and compassion.....but she did. We have known each other for years
and years. She has always been so kind and she even worked with
my son at one time. However, because of facebook, we have become
close friends and she has been a wonderful, supportive force in my
life. I feel like she stepped out a little like Jesus told Peter to do.
She cast her net out a little further and I can't adequately express
how much she has enriched my daily life.

How many times does God call us to step out a little further? How
many times do we misjudge or assume someone to be one way or
another in error. I believe that all of us carry scars and perhaps
traits from our past that need to be looked over in order to see
the real us inside.

We need to step out a little more and cast our nets a little deeper.
God Bless you during this Easter season.

Read Luke 5: 1-11

In Memory of Harley........

I Wish Someone Had Given Little Jesus A Dog

I wish someone had given little Jesus a dog
as loyal and loving as mine;
to sleep by his manger and gaze in his eyes;
and adore him for being Divine.
As our Lord grew to manhood, his own special dog
would have followed him all through the day;
while he preached to the crowds, and made the sick well;
and knelt in the garden to pray.
It is sad to remember that Christ went away;
to face death alone and apart;
with no tender dog following close behind;
to comfort his Master’s heart.
And when Jesus rose on that Easter morn,
how happy he would have been;
as his dog kissed his hand and barked its delight
for the one who died for all men!
Well, the Lord has a dog now, I just sent him mine;
that old Frenchie so dear to me,
and I smile through my tears; on this first day alone,
knowing they’re in eternity.

Author Unknown

Thank you to the dear friend who shared this with me.

FYI: A Monday Review

If you want to smile, check this out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMppUgSQNPU

If you want to be inspired, watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYFjikyp7mQ (It is Well With My Soul)
love this line........
(It is in the quiet crucible of your personal, private sufferings, that your noblest dreams
are born and God's greatest gifts are given..in compensation for what you've been through.)
and if you like that, also check out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYFjikyp7mQ (Amazing Grace w/history)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WafA-0hXor0 (You Will Never Walk Alone)

I also read an article in the April 13th, 2009 edition of TIME that
I found very compelling. Somehow, it wasn't surprising to learn
that the most aggressive and grievous acts took place
in Texas. One out of every TEN soldiers that are recruited come
from the state of Texas and an ugly investigation into why so
many recruiters had committed suicide produced this disturbing
practice. It wasn't until the Houston Chronicle provoked Republican
Senator John Cornyn of Texas to provide answers, that the suicides
were brought to light.
Please read this article: (The Dark Side of Recruiting)
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1889152-1,00.html

And, for all those that missed my blog about Man's Best Friend,
here is the link to Jimmy Stewart on Johnny Carson
reading a Dog Named Beau
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUNJjIwlHk8

Finally, for my friend Debbie and in remembrance of
Bro. Robert:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwQD-rCJMYw (Green Pastures)

Looking at the wrong side.....

How many times have you felt like praying for vindication? How many times have
you been hurt or wounded by careless words or deeds? How many times have
you sent a message of true concern and never gotten a reply? How many times
have your words been twisted and been blamed for something that was not your
fault? And the real deal breaker.....how many times did someone hurt your child
with an unconscionable deed?

All of us can relate to these questions. The real test is how you react to these
situations. I can remember two of the most hurtful things that were ever said to
me. It's not what you would think. It was something that I had to pray and pray
to forgive because they were from someone I loved. However, even though I
forgave them, I will never forget it and it still hurts me to think about it. I say
that to say this.......... It is never advantageous to try and get revenge; to
repay a wrong with a wrong. It only heaps more despair and darkness
on your heart.

I remember my grandmother telling me when I was only 10 years old to never
try and get revenge. She said it was God's place to handle the wrongs in our
lives. She said, "The Lord is a Great Collector"..........(long pause) and then
she would always say.... "sometimes he's mighty slow." We would laugh and
let the truth in the statement register with us. I never forgot that. I'm not
saying I had sense enough to always follow it. But the times I did, the person
that had wronged me was taught a lesson far better than any I could have
even dreamed of.

God has a way of handling our mistakes. When we are in our 20's and 30's,
we think everything is black and white and that we know it all. It's only with
a little age and a LOT of lessons that we learn there are areas for improvement.

I like to cross stitch. I can remember someone picking up a stocking I was
cross-stitching and telling me it was a mess and whatever was it going to be?
I turned it right side out and they saw the beautiful image. They were seeing
it from the wrong side. That's what we do with our trials sometimes. Turn
them over and look at the right side-God's side. There's always a lesson and
a design that God is working out for your life. Sometimes we forget to look
at things from HIS point of view.

I was asked one time......don't you think we know this person better and
what they need and want? Well, God answered that for us. I knew the
answer, but sometimes God has to hit someone on the head for them to
learn a lesson. I ended up knowing this person's every care and thought.
I knew at the time what she had told me was bothering her, but others
thought they had all the answers. God ended up handling it all. It not
only was a lesson but the greatest blessing to be a part of.

In Esther, Chapter 8, we read about Esther begging for the King's favor in
over-turning a law against her people. We read that the King was forceful
in saying that NO decree will be changed and none had ever been reversed.
And then................ the former letters were reversed and there was
"light, gladness, and joy."

Sometimes, we have to learn to reverse our former beliefs or thoughts.
We don't become a scholar of his word over night. It takes much study,
prayer, and asking for conviction and leadership in what he wants us
to believe. I would hope that we all decide for ourselves what God is
leading us to believe. Not a Sunday School teacher, or husband, or
minister, or parent can tell us what God wants us to believe. Only
GOD can lead us in that direction and for that I'm thankful.

When I was a child, I attended a service at the Marion Methodist Church
and the pastor's message contained the scripture from Psalms 30:5.
"Tears may linger at nightfall, but JOY cometh in the morning." I claimed
those words and found them to always be the truth. God always brings
us through trials.

I think Corinthians 13 is one of the most recognizable passages, but I
wonder how often we dwell on the words. All the gifts in the world and
work we perform is worthless without love and charity. To really read
what God expects of us is daunting. You can sing all the songs and
praises, teach all the Sunday School classes, preach all the sermons,
direct and lead the children, feed the poor, and yet......without love
and charity, it is nothing - worthless.

Perhaps we should start with common courtesies.
I wronged you... I'm sorry.
I received your kind words.......thank you.

"He laid down His life for us. We should also lay down our lives for
our brothers."
1 John 3:16

And, I think that means ALL our brothers......

God Bless and keep encouraging me about my sweet Harley.

And.... Look at the right side...... God's side.