Mon.-Spent a wonderful day with Susan on this, her sixteenth birthday. She drove us towards Richmond and we spent several hours at Whole Foods and Trader Joes. She fell asleep on the way home. I was driving. Got slightly lost but a very nice man at the Rest Stop told me how to make it right. We stopped at Walmart on the way home and got a chick flick. Something about an undercover bridesmaid. We roasted vegetables from Whole Foods in the oven and made the guys some hot dogs and fried potatoes. Did you know that brussel sprouts grow on a stem?///Thankful for all the well wishes and likes that my post got about Susan's birth and going to the hospital in a snowstorm with a snowplow in front of the truck. Thankful that things I wrote several years ago minister to me now and give me courage. Thankful for this little girl who is a beautiful young woman that brightens our lives and the lives of so many. Thankful for her compassion and wisdom and the way her brothers and father love her. And of course, I love her too.
Tues.-Went out to Farmville for homeschool co-op. I dropped car off at Baileys. Brakes are screeching. Walked to Riverside and met DDF and she helped me. No guile. No hypocrisy. No manipulation. No condemnation. What a friend she is. Wisdom. Comfort. Understanding. I am thankful for her and my other friends as well. How rich am I. She dropped me off at Baileys. The brakes were fine. They cleaned them up a bit. Screeching just a little bit now. Ran some errands. 'Broke' into Judy's house and put some daffodils and other things on her counter. She loves to come home from a hard day at work and find a note from me. She turned 60 today. That's hard to believe. She was one of those who loved me first when we moved to this area and I am eternally grateful for her love and friendship. Picked up Richard Putt's plaque at Pairets and they were so friendly in there. Braved Walmart and it was crazy and people were so sweet in spite of the busyness. Bought supplies for Susan's party this weekend. Picked her up over half an hour late because I got stuck in a slow line. The dear check out lady usually works the floor. She doesn't usually run the cash register. I kept telling her what a great job she was doing. Susan and I stopped at Miller's on the way home and got some seeds and dried milk. I forgot supplies to make hot chocolate mix so I figured I could make the syrup on the stove and add the dried milk/water to that mix for her party. Came home and made some supper. Phil's not feeling well. He had been working in dusty conditions and his head is stuffed up. We made ramen noodle soup with lots of onion, garlic, celery, carrots, cut up chicken, and extra broth. We watched The Bourne Identity while we ate. The rain is really coming down and it may turn to snow. We thought we might be getting 12 inches but now they are saying that we'll get a few inches. Maybe. It's supposed to be 60 on Sat. so it won't last long. And I'm supposed to go to the dentist tomorrow but we shall see.///I am so thankful for dear abiding friendships. I am thankful for dear abiding family. And I am thankful for face book, so I can see what some of my dear friends and family are up to. I am thankful that Emily went forward with my idea of creating a blog entitled 'The Messy Cook' and has written her first piece already. Very interesting writing and funny, too.
Wed.-Was snowing when we woke up. Decided to brave the roads in the white truck. Susan drove me to Dr. Harvey's dentist office. It's much more relaxing to drive through snow while drugged. Unfortunately, once there, I needed two more pills. We almost called it a day and came home but suddenly the meds kicked in and I stopped getting vertigo every time they tilted me backward. Got a filling for a cavity and new white filling on the same tooth. While working on that tooth, the tooth that needs to be extracted and that has been driving me crazy, broke off on its own. No wonder I kept thinking I could pull it out. It's such a relief to have it gone. I'll still need surgery to remove its roots. The root canal had broken off. Perhaps from a head blow that ruined the root of a tooth on the other side as well. So, we came home. I don't remember the ride. And I slept all day and all night except to watch a movie in the eve. ///Thankful for clonopin. What would I do without it? Thankful for the kindest dearest dentist in the world. What would I do without him? Thankful for a brave daughter who doesn't mind driving in adverse conditions. What would I ever do without her? Thankful for the mercies of God shown through medicine, dentists, and family.
Thurs.-Don't remember this day. Still sleeping. I think I watched a movie with Susan. Slept well all night.
Fri.-Great day. Finally caught up in sleep. When I walk, I don't turn in circles. Got lots done. Washing, cleaning, cooking. Dear friend working at Happy Valley and got to catch up with them a bit. Michael home for Spring Break. Lindsay getting lots of snow in CT. Working out plans for going up to Pa. Kids are playing Uno and Phil and I are working on our computers. Lucy trying to get attention from someone. Anyone. Dishwasher is going. Dryer is humming. Kids are laughing and singing. Thankful for this precious time. Thankful for Michael singing ,"Suzie Q-baby I love you...". Thankful that Sarah took Susan to Liberty to hear Tebow speak at Convo-then the three went out to eat afterwards. Was reading in 1 Sam. 12-when Solomon was born. Solomon means 'peace.' God sent word by Nathan that He loved their new baby. He called him 'Jedidiah' meaning "Beloved of God." Also read where they crowned David. 75 Pounds of gold and precious stones weighed down glory and honor on his head. As long as he was wearing that crown, he'd not forget who he was.
Sat.-Reading Ps. 141-David was on the run and couldn't go to the temple to pray, burn incense, or offer a sacrifice. "Let my prayer be set before You as incense; the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice." Cleaned up outside and inside, preparing for Susan's party and Spring's arrival as well. The kids started arriving around 4:30. The ate Philip's homemade chili, roasted hot dogs, added homemade mac and cheese to their chili, and had the option of making s'mores with different kinds of chocolates. They played volleyball into the dark and then played different versions of hide n' seek such as 'Ghost in the graveyard', etc.///Thankful for the new friend I met tonight. She brought her two girls the whole way from Blackstone and stayed the evening. Jenny M. An amazing woman. At one point I asked, "Are you writing these things (her life experiences) down?" And she said that she jounals every day. Thankful for the guitar playing and the star gazing around the fire and the cheerful conversation. Thankful for Susan's good friends and their love for her. Thankful for Philip's birthday prayer of blessing over Susan.
Sun.-Cows mooing most of the night. Lost sleep. Woke up thinking about how Michael had his head back in his chair last night and was 'considering the heavens.' Those verses came to mind. "...the stars...the work of His fingers..." and also that He knows their names. Looked up in Genesis and it says He set the lesser lights along with the greater lights in the heavens. I wonder, did He form the stars, name them, and put them in their place? Job may be the oldest book in the Bible. And the stars names referred to in Job are the same names they are referred to today. Did God say, "Let there be light?" and then take that light and form its' shape and then just place it there in the heavens? What is man that thou art mindful of him, or the son of man, that thou visitest him? Yet, you have made us a little lower than the angels and crowned us with glory and honor. This is mind boggling. That God is so intimately involved with the stars that He knows their names. Did He hold their light in His hands?
The cows caused us some trouble this morning and Phil and I were late for church. It was a meaningful service. Much food for thought about salt. I looked up Da Vinci's Last Supper and the container of salt IS spilled right in front of Judas. Salt meaning loyalty. Salt meaning covenant. Trust.
The spilling of salt-betrayal. Have salt in ourselves and in the church and in our homes. Be loyal to one another. Don't spill your salt.
Came home and visited with Susan a bit. Phil took a nap and then went to Musical Practise. Susan and Michael went to Warren's. I took a nap and woke up and thought the lawn was covered with white doves. When I put my glasses on, I saw that the styrofoam cups had been scattered across the lawn. I was inspired to clean up the rest of the party. It's a beautiful day. Sat outside on the porch and soon the birds forgot I was there. The starlings sounded like little piglets as they gorged themselves on the bird food.
Philip went to Yoder's. I had several hours alone. Caught up with Sara on the phone. Phil got home in good time after practise and a meeting. Lucy's having quite the dream while she sleeps on Angel's mat. I wonder if I should wake her up. That reminds me--two nights ago, I had a bad dream. I couldn't remember what it was. But my left eye had a blood vessel broken in it. I'd hate to see the other guy.
///I'm thankful that the more rifts and offensives that are healed and mended in our church body, the more healthy we will be as a whole. I'm thankful for those who serve faithfully because they have this day to live and breathe in. I'm thankful that He said we should cast all our cares on Him, for He cares for us. I'm thankful, that I cannot look the Creator of the named stars in the face and stay worried or afraid. I'm thankful for salt.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Friday, March 1, 2013
Protect Innocent Human Life
This was the title of a letter to the editor of a local paper in our area.
It was written by a friend of mine, Kathy Tran.
I use it here with her permission.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
'Editor, The Herald:
I write in response to the letter written by MF last Friday, Feb. 8. There is a lot of confusion on the subjects of abortion and gun rights. I am certain she is not the only person who does not understand why a reasonable person would be against abortion but for (pro) guns. First, she may see contradictions because she is not in possession of all of the facts. She says that there are elected officials "who are adamantly opposed to any reasonable gun regulations." I would challenge her to name one. A little research will find that pro-Second Amendment representatives do not want criminals or persons with mental illness to have guns. Background checks and registering guns are laws which are already on the books. Why make more laws if we do not enforce the laws we already have? Now that is confusing. Second, she may not know about the tendency of bad guys to think twice when they may wonder if the person they plan to attack can defend themselves with deadly force. Please, MF, and other confused citizens, go to youtube.com and look up the many stories of people who have protected themselves and their families, sometimes needing to fire a gun and other times, just the sight of an unloaded gun causes the criminal to wet his pants and run for his life. Also, look up the stories of people who lost loved ones because they did not have their gun.
The other contradiction she expressed concern about was regarding the subject of abortion. This confusion is easily cleared up with one word--innocence. Babies growing in their mother's womb are a vulnerable and innocent people needing protection. Even Planned Parenthood recognizes the trauma to mothers who have aborted their babies by offering post-traumatic syndrome counseling. Forty years after Roe v. Wade, pro-life activists marched on Washington, D.C. "in the tens or even hundreds of thousands" (as reported in the article by Ross Douthat in the February 8 Farmville Herald) because 75 percent of Americans understand that abortion is morally wrong. And one last example to clear up any confusion, when ObamaCare was passed, the last nasty deal made was on the issue of abortion. A pro-life Democrat wasn't going to vote for a bill that would include abortion; alas, I believe he was suckered.
Protecting innocent human life is the top priority of government at all levels. "We hold these truths to be self-evident...life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Isn't it...like...duh? And if that doesn't convince you, Dr. Seuss, through his character Horton says- "A person is a person, no matter how small."'
Kathy Tran
It was written by a friend of mine, Kathy Tran.
I use it here with her permission.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
'Editor, The Herald:
I write in response to the letter written by MF last Friday, Feb. 8. There is a lot of confusion on the subjects of abortion and gun rights. I am certain she is not the only person who does not understand why a reasonable person would be against abortion but for (pro) guns. First, she may see contradictions because she is not in possession of all of the facts. She says that there are elected officials "who are adamantly opposed to any reasonable gun regulations." I would challenge her to name one. A little research will find that pro-Second Amendment representatives do not want criminals or persons with mental illness to have guns. Background checks and registering guns are laws which are already on the books. Why make more laws if we do not enforce the laws we already have? Now that is confusing. Second, she may not know about the tendency of bad guys to think twice when they may wonder if the person they plan to attack can defend themselves with deadly force. Please, MF, and other confused citizens, go to youtube.com and look up the many stories of people who have protected themselves and their families, sometimes needing to fire a gun and other times, just the sight of an unloaded gun causes the criminal to wet his pants and run for his life. Also, look up the stories of people who lost loved ones because they did not have their gun.
The other contradiction she expressed concern about was regarding the subject of abortion. This confusion is easily cleared up with one word--innocence. Babies growing in their mother's womb are a vulnerable and innocent people needing protection. Even Planned Parenthood recognizes the trauma to mothers who have aborted their babies by offering post-traumatic syndrome counseling. Forty years after Roe v. Wade, pro-life activists marched on Washington, D.C. "in the tens or even hundreds of thousands" (as reported in the article by Ross Douthat in the February 8 Farmville Herald) because 75 percent of Americans understand that abortion is morally wrong. And one last example to clear up any confusion, when ObamaCare was passed, the last nasty deal made was on the issue of abortion. A pro-life Democrat wasn't going to vote for a bill that would include abortion; alas, I believe he was suckered.
Protecting innocent human life is the top priority of government at all levels. "We hold these truths to be self-evident...life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Isn't it...like...duh? And if that doesn't convince you, Dr. Seuss, through his character Horton says- "A person is a person, no matter how small."'
Kathy Tran
Prayer for America
Our church recently participated in a 21 day fast.
During a celebration service on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013,
my friend, Betty Gibbs, read a prayer she wrote for our nation.
I asked if I could write it here for others to read and pray.
PRAYER FOR THE NATION
Sovereign Lord of this Nation,
Nearly 250 years ago, you empowered our nation's founders with the vision, faith, and courage to
create a form of government based on your laws. They knew that what makes men good Christians
makes them good citizens. But we have fallen far from their vision. Today we have leaders who
want to separate faith from public life. We have forsaken virtue in favor of pride, greed, and
unrighteousness of every kind. In just this past week, we peacefully celebrated the inauguration of our President for a second term, and in the same week, we marked 40 years of the legalized murder of innocent, unborn babies. Please forgive us, Lord. Show us how to become bold in our conviction that all life is sacred because You are its only source. Thank you for those who have fought for the protection of the unborn over these 40 years. Bless and strengthen them. And show us how to defend liberty.
You have called us to be your ambassadors outside the church walls--to influence public policy with your standards. Give us insight and courage to do that. Help us be quick to acknowledge your favor and glad to do your will. And while it's true our nation is suffering from poor choices and disobeying You, we take comfort in knowing that even in the midst of national judgment, You are able to keep your own. You are still able to deliver us from evil. Thank you, Lord, that You are mindful of us and hear our prayers.
Thank you for those who have fought and sacrificed for the prosperity and freedom we enjoy today. As citizens of earth, give us wisdom, discernment, and understanding. As citizens of heaven, give us clean hands, pure hearts, and compassion for the hurting and lost. Forgive us for expecting our government to do what You have commanded your church to do. Help us to be mindful of the legacy we will leave future generations and let it not be one of debt and corruption.
Make us like the men of the tribe of Issachar--who understand the times and knew what to do. Thank you for Your undeserved blessings on this nation, forgive us for wandering from your standard of righteous and truth. Raise up leaders who are filled with your Spirit and are uncompromising in their desire to honor You in all they do--men and women of integrity. We need your wisdom and strength to manage the resources you have entrusted to us. And we humbly beg you to pour out your Holy Spirit on your people and this nation. Thank you for richly blessing us and the United States of America.
You deserve all the glory, honor, and praise. Amen.
During a celebration service on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013,
my friend, Betty Gibbs, read a prayer she wrote for our nation.
I asked if I could write it here for others to read and pray.
PRAYER FOR THE NATION
Sovereign Lord of this Nation,
Nearly 250 years ago, you empowered our nation's founders with the vision, faith, and courage to
create a form of government based on your laws. They knew that what makes men good Christians
makes them good citizens. But we have fallen far from their vision. Today we have leaders who
want to separate faith from public life. We have forsaken virtue in favor of pride, greed, and
unrighteousness of every kind. In just this past week, we peacefully celebrated the inauguration of our President for a second term, and in the same week, we marked 40 years of the legalized murder of innocent, unborn babies. Please forgive us, Lord. Show us how to become bold in our conviction that all life is sacred because You are its only source. Thank you for those who have fought for the protection of the unborn over these 40 years. Bless and strengthen them. And show us how to defend liberty.
You have called us to be your ambassadors outside the church walls--to influence public policy with your standards. Give us insight and courage to do that. Help us be quick to acknowledge your favor and glad to do your will. And while it's true our nation is suffering from poor choices and disobeying You, we take comfort in knowing that even in the midst of national judgment, You are able to keep your own. You are still able to deliver us from evil. Thank you, Lord, that You are mindful of us and hear our prayers.
Thank you for those who have fought and sacrificed for the prosperity and freedom we enjoy today. As citizens of earth, give us wisdom, discernment, and understanding. As citizens of heaven, give us clean hands, pure hearts, and compassion for the hurting and lost. Forgive us for expecting our government to do what You have commanded your church to do. Help us to be mindful of the legacy we will leave future generations and let it not be one of debt and corruption.
Make us like the men of the tribe of Issachar--who understand the times and knew what to do. Thank you for Your undeserved blessings on this nation, forgive us for wandering from your standard of righteous and truth. Raise up leaders who are filled with your Spirit and are uncompromising in their desire to honor You in all they do--men and women of integrity. We need your wisdom and strength to manage the resources you have entrusted to us. And we humbly beg you to pour out your Holy Spirit on your people and this nation. Thank you for richly blessing us and the United States of America.
You deserve all the glory, honor, and praise. Amen.
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