Friday, May 30, 2008

In answer to Anonymous ... the baptism photo posted earlier is of my husband's Uncle and was taken in Floyd Co., KY.

I was born in Letcher County. There's something about your birth place ... it holds a special place in your heart regardless of where you now live. We moved from KY in 1952 but each time I see those hills it does something to my heart.

As a new creature in Christ the same holds true if we will but allow ourselves to realize that we have been given a second birth in Christ Jesus and our 'home' is now in Him. We need to spend more time learning about heaven and the new earth for that is where we will spend eternity. If our lives are 'hid with Christ in God', how blessed we are!

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Here it is Wednesday already ... where on earth does time go? The older I get the faster it seems to fly. Oh well. Deal with what I have and be thankful for all God allows.

I've been thinking about how good it is to be home and found myself wondering if that's the reaction I'll have when I reach Heaven. Will I feel like I've spent time in a foreign land and finally reached where I'm supposed to be? I have a feeling it will much like I experienced when I walked in the door of my house ... I'm home! Thank the Lord, I'm safely home! One day I will be saying that for the last time. I'm Home! Thank the Lord, I'm safely Home!

I am re-reading the book "Heaven" by Randy Alcorn and it makes me aware all over again of what we have to look forward to and how we need to loosen our grip on the things of this world. We own nothing. We can take none of this with us when we die. Why do we feel we need to hang on to so much?

I spent time yesterday going through things I don't use and will take them to the Salvation Army tomorrow. Working at my Uncle's last week again showed me the futility of gathering 'stuff'. He has spent untold dollars on things we donated to a Burn Center down there. I saw nothing of lasting value and I felt sad that, to my knowledge, he's never given of his finances, his time, or his life to what will last for Eternity. He does profess to have accepted Christ as Savior, and for that I am thankful. But at age 77, what does he have to show for his life? What is his legacy?

The trip to TN and working with Mom as I did to get my Uncle's house in order made me stop and take stock of my own life. I need to do that more often. Search my heart and allow my Father to show me what needs straightening out, or given away, or cleaned up. As much as I enjoy Spring cleaning (and I really do), it would be much more beneficial to do frequent soul-searching and see what needs to change there.

There are lessons to learn in all of life if we'll but be open to the Holy Spirit's leading and teaching. Nothing is too small not to learn something. Nothing is insignificant ... all that comes our way can teach of God's grace, mercy and warning.

Help me Father not to get caught up in "my" agendas and lists and plans and forget that Yours is the one that matters for eternity.

Monday, May 26, 2008

Hello dear ones. We are safely home, thank the good Lord. May you be enjoying this special day ... Memorial Day ... and may we take time to reflect and remember the men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice as they served our country ... their lives. May we also remember those who served and came home ... my husband was a Soldier and this day is special to him. May we also remember the men and women who serve in foreign lands today. Without them, where might the United States be?

This was printed in our church bulletin yesterday:

"...For the most part, they carried themselves with poise and a kind of dignity. Now and then, there were times when panic set in ... they carried grief, terror, longing, and their reputations. They were afraid of dying, but too afraid to show it. They carried the emotional baggage of men and women who might die at any moment. They carried the weight of the world, and the weight of every free citizen of America. They carried each other..."
---Author Unknown---

And then, may we remember the One who paid a price none of us could pay ...
the One who died that we might live ... not for just a few years but for eternity.
He battled our soul's enemy and won. How much we have to be thankful for.

I shall write more tomorrow. May God bless each of you.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Lord willilng, I will leaving tomorrow morning (Friday, May 16) for a trip to TN. My Mom and I will be taking my Uncle back to his home there. Thus, I won't be posting anything for at least a week. Please know I will be thinking of each of you while I'm gone.
May God bless and keep each of you!

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Received this from my Pastor via email:

"In my years of pastoral counseling, not one counseling session has been because of the President of the United States. Not one. All of them have been the result of stuff the President had nothing to do with. Personal stuff. This has much merit.

We will always have problems, issues, corruption, favoritism and downright dishonesty. We will also always have solutions,blessings, fairness, honesty and integrity. Yes, things need to change, and yes, we need to be thankful for the things that are the same.

The statement below is often credited to Jay Leno. But itwasn't said or written by Jay, it was written by Craig R. Smith. Only the closing paragraph of this MountainWings is by Jay Leno. Here it goes:"

The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some poll data I found rather hard to believe. It must be true, given the source, right?

The Newsweek poll alleges that 67% of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is headed, and 69% of the country is unhappy with the performance of the President. In essence, two-thirds of the citizenry just ain't happy and wants a change.

So being the knuckle dragger that I am, I started thinking, "What're we so unhappy about?"
Is it that we have electricity and running water 24/7? Is our unhappiness the result of having A/C in the summer and heating in the winter?

Could it be that 95.4% of these unhappy folks have a job? Maybe it's the ability to walk into a grocery store at anytime, and see more food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last year?
Maybe it's the ability to drive from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move through each state? Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we'd find along the way that can provide temporary shelter?

I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is just not good enough. Or could it be that when we wreck our cars, emergency workers show up and provide services to help all, and even send a helicopter to take you to the hospital.

Perhaps you are one of the 70% of Americans who own a home. You may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames, thus saving you, your family, and your belongings.

Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or prowler intrudes, an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss.

This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90% of teenagers own cell phones and computers.

How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy that are the envy of everyone in the world?

Maybe that's what has 67% of you folks unhappy.

Fact is, we're the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the USA, yet has a great disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are: the most blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we don't have, and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord we live here.

I know, I know. What about the President who took us into war and has no plan to get us out? The President who has a measly 31% approval rating? Is this the same President who guided the nation in the dark days after 9/11? The President who cut taxes to bring an economy out of a recession? Could this be the same guy who's been called every name in the book for succeeding in keeping all the spoiled ungrateful brats safe from terrorist attacks?

The Commander-in-Chief of an all-volunteer army that's out there defending you and me? Did you hear how bad the President is on the news or on a talk show? Did this news affect you so much, make you so unhappy, that you couldn't take a look around for yourself and see all the good things and be glad?

Think about it. Are you upset at the President because he actually caused you personal pain OR is it because the media told you he was failing to kiss your sorry ungrateful behind every day?

Make no mistake about it. The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have volunteered to serve, and in many cases may have died for your freedom. There's currently no draft in this country. They didn't have to go. They're able to refuse to go and end up with either a"general" discharge, an "other than honorable" discharge or,worst case scenario, a "dishonorable" discharge after a few days in the brig.

So why then the flat-out discontent in the minds of 69% of Americans? Say what you want, but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds, it leads; and they specialize in bad news.Everybody will watch a car crash with blood and guts. How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner? The media knows this, and media outlets are for-profit corporations.They offer what sells, and when criticized, try to defend their actions by justifying them in one way or another.

Stop buying the negativism you're fed every day by the media. Shut off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of your birdcage. Then start being grateful for all we have as a country. There is exponentially more good than bad.
We're among the most blessed people on Earth, and should thank God several times a day, or at least be thankful and appreciative.

With hurricanes, tornadoes, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?
~Craig R. Smith and Jay Leno

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Tuesday, May 6, 2008


Hi All! Hope this finds you all well. I am doing much better, thank the good Lord above. I was well enough to go to church last Sunday and teach my class.


My husband has been doing some yard work. He wants to downsize some things in the back yard and that involves moving some raised planting beds and river rock. We also have a stack of bricks along the back fence. Not sure what he plans on doing with those.


In his husbandly concern for me he said this yesterday "Now I don't want to scare you, but you need to know there's a snake in the back yard." (I DO NOT like snakes!!!!) The conversation then went like this:


Me: "Where is it???"

Him: "I found it sunning itself on the pile of bricks out back. It's about T H I S long (13 feet) and about this big around" (73 inches) (that's what it would look like to me anyway regardless of its' actual size.

Me: "Did you kill it?"

Him: "No! Why would I do that?"

Me: "Because I don't like them!"

Him: "That's no reason to kill it."

Me: "Yes it is"

Him: "I won't kill my snake." (Notice he's now become attached to the thing)

Me: "YOUR snake? Who made it YOURS? And why not kill it? I DON'T LIKE THEM"

Him: "They're good to keep bugs away, I won't kill it."

Me: "Okay ... when I go into the back yard I'll take a hoe with me"

Him: "You'd better not bother my snake!"


Now I ask you, since he couldn't identify it for certain if he had to, and since he's only seen it once that I know of, how will he know if it's dead or not? Hmmm? I know that these creatures are supposed to serve some purpose but for the life of Job I don't know what that could be in my world. I honestly don't know if I have the gumption to get close enough to kill one, but I'd sure want to.


And he thinks I'll be working in the back yard this summer. Idn't he cute for thinkin' that?

(It's not really 13 feet long and 73 inches 'round ... at least I sure hope not)