Be Still and Know...Then and Now

We paid $67.41 to fill up my van today. Gasoline was 3.55 per gallon! I keep staring at the receipt and thinking of the really nice date that my husband and I could have gone on, or the flats of seedling I could have planted in my veggie garden, or the several meals that could have been placed on my dinner table. The sad fact is that in less than two weeks it will have to be filled up again. I am wondering when will the price of gas become prohibitive for the mobile lifestyle that we as Americans have become use to. When will we begin to alter our way of doing things to accommodate the projected $4.00 a gallon this summer? I have been giving this a lot of thought and I am wonder what will be the turning p0int for me. What allowance will I make to be able to get in my car and run to the store for the gallon of milk or loaf of bread? Would I be willing to walk or possibly borrow my son’s bicycle? This thought pains me to no end. I have often thought of the times of long ago when you fami

Many post ago, I found myself whining about the pitiful state of my back yard. I shared that I seldom found a reason to even look out there due to the vast barrenness of my tiny patch of ground. I do not even recall if I even prayed about this particular issue. I was just content to complain and bemoan how awful my backyard was. Well God in His infinite wisdom quite possibly got very tired of my internal whining and has graciously given me something to look at in my back yard after all. Several days ago I awoke to an anxious ruckus in my back yard. I sat on my sofa drinking my morning coffee and was promoted to rise and investigate the source of the strange disturbance. To give you a brief bit of background, just after moving into our new house my sister gave me a bird house as a birthday gift. A sweet small wood house with a tiny perch on the front. Having no trees in the back yard (yet!) I had to purchase a wrought iron shepherds crook to stake in the ground to hold the bird house. I

She was 99 years old. A beautiful and bright smile met me most every Sunday. I entered the sanctuary with expectation of her presence. There she would sit second row back on the lectern side. She and I were pew buddies. I would enter the sanctuary and place my things in the floor beneath the pew and turn and there she would be sitting. Wise in her years, warm and loving with her smile. Her small and fragile hands bent with the years would lift to grasp mine in a greeting. I would lean down and embrace her, I can still smell the familiar scent that was Miss Pepper. She would at times reach up and place her hands upon my cheeks and look into my face. You knew that she loved you, I knew that she loved me. I will miss her more that words can express. As sometimes happens the flesh is weak, her body failed her and the years began to take there toll. I would enter the sanctuary and find her place empty. Her loved ones would report the changes and decline in heath and mobility that simply mad

In recognition of my extreme ignorance and lack of computer savvy I have here by awarded myself the first annual and highly coveted “Goober Award”. The newly appointed reverend pointed out that I have the power to solve my own problem, who knew! Apparently not me. I am giddy with the power. I no longer have to squint until my head aches. With a click of my mouse I have control over my little universe and it has gone to my head. I want larger type, click and I have it. Click, click, and click. Thank you Jesus and whatever Microsoft programmer thought about putting this miraculous button at the top of my page, and a big thank you to the new reverend most high for sharing this wonderful solution with me. If all life’s problems could be solve this easily and by the way where can I get a button like that for my life. If you are interested in submitting someone you love for this highly desired recognition, I will be accepting applications for consideration for other individuals that you feel

We love reading how God is working in all of your lives, however some of us in the older generation are all going blind from squinting at the computer to read the size 5 fonts in your post. Have compassion and mercy for our failing eyesight please!!! This is gentle and heartfelt request. For all you wonderful bloggers out there, take pity on the aged and INCREASE THE SIZE OF YOUR TYPEFACE. GE 27:1 When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see,

In my previous post I wrote about the ten virgins. I have been thinking about this parable today and after my bible study this morning I have a few additional thought that were opened to me that I wanted to share with you. We were asked to look at the similarities between the two groups of people. But what was different about them. What made the wise virgins wise and what made the foolish virgins foolish? The wise virgins had come prepared to the banquet. They were ready with there full and trimmed lamps and they even had a back up stash of oil in case of an emergency. Who can we compare them to in the world today? I think if I m honest then some days I am very much like the wise virgin but then other day I am sadly like the foolish virgin as well. I know the importance of daily doses of the word and prayer and over all I try to be diligent. However being human I fail quite frequently as well. My goal is to be more like the wise virgins and less like the foolish ones. The foolish virgi

MT 25:1 - 13 "At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6 "At midnight the cry rang out: `Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' 7 "Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, `Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.' 9 " `No,' they replied, `there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.' 10 "But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. 11 "Later the other

First I need to thank all of you who posted encouraging comments on my previous post. I can report that for the moment things are better. Life with a rebellious child has some very profound downs that can be very painful to endure. I am very thankful that I have faithful sisters who hold me up when my strength wanes. I am also more grateful than I can verbalize for our amazing Heavenly Father. You see, we went to Callaway Gardens yesterday. There were moments when the vistas before my eyes were almost too beautiful to comprehend. It was like being in heaven or receiving a very small glimpse of what it will be like. It was breath taking. I so needed to be filled up with God and His creation. Step by step along each path there was a new sight to see. At the end of our day we closed out visit at the butterfly house. It was full of people, but even with the crowds as I walked through the small enclosure with the butterflies darting around it was such a blissful experience. I felt the tears

I received these web links from the response I received form the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association reguarding my letter about Oprah. The Christian Research Institute I think I have already posted, but the Apologetics site is a new one. I did a bit of exploring on this one and it appeared to have a lot of information on it. I am inclined to hold information found there credible since it was recommended by BGEA Christian Research Institute and the Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry

No warm fuzzes tonight. I have my house to myself finally. Everyone is asleep and I have a moment to myself. My accountability sisters and I have spoken about this many times. When you experience an extended period of emotional turmoil it becomes very similar to having a chronic illness. As I again digest this latest episode of turmoil and pain with my rebellious son I have to wonder what will come next. I m not looking forward to the next ten days (get a job or get another place to live, after five plus weeks of sleeping until 11:30 and little progress in the employment front we have as per usual had to hold his feet to the fire and actually hold him accountable for his actions) It would not matter if was the next thirty days for the result would not be any different. My conflict comes in wanting the tension, animosity, deceit and disrespect out of my home and wanting peace. My heartbreak at the grieving I am experiencing at the prospect of the life and the potential he is spitting on

I received this link from a follow up email from Focus on the Family (In response to the letter I sent them regarding Oprah) It gives some detailed info on A Course in Miracles .

This past Sunday as we concluded our worship service there was the normal alter call and several people availed themselves of the opportunity. From my spot I have a very good view of the people kneeling in prayer, but what I noticed was something else. How lucky are the little girls who have daddies who go to the alter with them to pray? Not one, not two but three separate fathers came with their daughters and knelt beside them and prayed. I was so touched to watch this process. These little girls were all in their elementary school ages. It was so encouraging to watch as these young ladies lead by the hand with their father to the alter. Some of them knelt down side by side, one father put a protective arm around his daughters shoulder and she in turn turned her head to his and rested it gently on his side. He then tuned his head to the side to meet hers. They knelt there intertwined together his arms protectively around her and her head resting on his side. It was one of the most bea

Be patient with me a bit longer, please I am not sure why this has struck such a cord with me, other than the deep sadness I feel at all the individuals who are being lead astray by Oprah and her friends. I must confess to a good deal of anger as well, it just send me over the edge to think that Oprah is doing this and very little is being said about it, that I can find. I spent several hours yesterday and the day before searching on the Internet to try and find some credible opposition to this latest endeavor that she is perusing. Regretfully I found very little. I found lots of articles speaking out against her, but most if not all of them were written my lay people such as myself. If anyone has found any mains stream religious leader who has taken a public stand against what she and her friends are doing I would very much like to know. I did however spend a few moments yesterday writing several letters to some of the religious leaders that I am familiar with. I have written letter

Here is another article that you might find interesting about the "Oprah New Age Movement" The World's "Most Dangerous" Spiritual Guru: Oprah Begins 10-Week Online New Age Class

This posting is totally irrelevant to anything so if you are looking to waist some time on the unimportant then by all means keep reading , but to borrow from my sweet Fiddle*Sticks, everyone is entitled to my opinion, even when it is so not important to anything except that this current search has brought a level of frustration into my life, and I recognize that life is short and I just want my lipstick back! I’m not a "fou fou" kinda girl, I can go for several days with out giving my make-up drawer a thought. I have reached a place in my life where (at time’s) I can look in the mirror and so totally not care if I ever apply another layer of foundation to my face. The aging process is what it is and nothing I buy or put on my face is going to alter that process in way. But there are times when I look in the mirror and in an effort to avert the “Medusa Effect” I reach for my make-up drawer. Let me also say that for twenty three years I never had a make-up drawer in my bathroo

No April Fool's here! If you know me then you will also know that I have an extreme issue with Oprah. I am on a mission to make sure that everyone knows the truth about her (in my opinion) very disturbing and dangerous New-Age movement. I urge all of you to read the article “Oprah’s New Age Gospel” It grieves my heart to think that millions of people are looking to this woman for spiritual guidance. I must confess that I used to be on of them. I faithfully tuned in every day to watch her show at 4:00pm. Well, it so sadden me now to tune in and see the admiration and blind devotion that so many place at her feet, I am now spending that 4:00 pm hour away from that worldly influence. If Oprah endorses it, it must be good, if Oprah is reading it must be a bestseller, if Oprah is wearing it it must be another must have, if Oprah is preaching it then it must be true. But nothing could be farther from the truth. As my spiritual journey deepened I began to see some very disturbing truths r