Still One of My Favorites

This post remains to be a favorite post with readers and with me. I love the movie and love the information you can find searching for the baseball players. The doctor is even based on an actual character. Here's the link to read it for your pleasure and enjoyment! Click HERE.

Celebrating the last few weeks of Summer.

Teachers are reporting in, families stocked up on clothing and supplies are trying to get in one last chance to take a mini vacation before the business of classes begin. Mothers, like me, put on a smile while my heart weeps because I won't have the children at home any longer. I was never one that did somersaults when the buses rolled up but laughed at the antics of friends that did {giggle font}. As a teacher, it was a delightful time to meet new little ones and also be near our daughters as they attended classes. I was blessed with a career I loved and enjoyed. To also work with some of your best friends was an added blessing.

How are you celebrating these last few weeks?!?! AND, are you one of the many that have decided to homeschool this year?!  With dedication and planning, I'm a supporter of those wishing to make sure their children are learning not only basic, needed skills, but also able to work in field trips, extra studies, and bible lessons that public schools either cannot or find it difficult with the financial strain. I am not a supporter of CORE and would love to see it taken off the lesson plans in Alabama. Getting the answer right, but missing the problem because the steps were wrong doesn't make sense to me. Seriously. Look at past generations and the technology that has hit the world! And we did it without CORE. Okay, I'll get off that bandstand {wink font}.

Summer is a'goin' and Autumn she is approaching. I am SO an Autumn and Winter gal and shed no tears as Summer eases out. As your family gets ready for another school year or you watch your grandbabies step up into another grade, I'll be praying for us. For courage to face the fact they're growing much too quickly, peace and calm as we settle into football Saturdays and cooler temps, and that God will show great might in allowing America to have a President that will not take us into a Socialist state and a nation whose leaders refuse to acknowledge God. Prayers are needed more than ever for our nation and her leaders. God bless and keep us near Him as we draw closer to the November election. May He bless you and yours ~

Autumn Is A'Comin'

One of my favorite seasons~

There's really nothing I don't love about it.

When that first crisp cool breeze crosses my face

My whole being takes a deep breath

And whispers, "It's coming! Fall." 

Below are two outdoor ways to decorate an entry~

Either one will be easy & help usher in this colorful season. 

A Great Book! A Lousy Virus.

while searching Amazon for a journaling bible, i ran across this and recognized the author's name. i've heard our daughter and some of her friends mention jennifer. the book intrigued me so i promptly hit 'put in cart'. it arrived yesterday and i read the first two chapters twice. TWICE! it's that good. and it's not just for young women. i'm 60 and i totally identified with it and know i'm going to be blessed for reading it and implementing her suggestions in my bible studies. i encourage you to do the same. this is strictly because i like her book and intend to purchase others. i didn't get it free. buahaha

jennifer is down to earth, wife, mother, sister, daughter, child of the King. she knows the ups and downs of life and shares them with her readers. she uses words that are easily understood and, with scriptures, she reminds of His love and promises that will stand for eternity. money well spent.

here's the link for jennifer's blog ~ jen hatmaker

and in yucky, nasty, barfing news,

i've had a virus for the past 15 days. it's been horrid. never, ever had one to last so long but count myself blessed as my brother and his wife had theirs to last three weeks. for the first time in 15 days i awoke with no headache, no chills, no nausea. after getting up very warily, i decided to take it easy, rest and try to stay this way. it's worked. praying it's gone, gone, gone. and i feel, and pray, for those i know that are still in it's throes. there's no antibiotic for it, you can only treat the symptoms. stay hydrated. light diet. no dairy! cough drops. tylenol. generic dramamine. immodium ad. too many days of wrapping up in a quilt while still in jammies. too many days without makeup and hair that really needs a cut and highlights. what a blessing that love isn't based on how you look when sick.

and to end on a happy note, since i began with one!

oh, how i love my Lord.

and oh, how i look forward to eternity

with Him {heart font!}

"I Don't Believe You Were There"

"With man, this is impossible,

but not with God.

All things are possible with God."

~ Mark 10:27 (NIV)

It's been seven years since April 21, 2006 and there have been some dark places I've gone through to get to where I am today. Places I am ashamed of, but forgiven. Places that had I been stronger, would not have done. This is what I need to write, to exorcise and release in hopes of saving another from the road I chose.

I don't remember much of the rest of 2006, nor the following year, 2007. Those were times of learning to walk again, to take care of myself without help. John remembers them. Nelson and our daughters remember. I'm blessed that I don't.

This post is not about what sent me to the Garden, but rather what has taken place since. I know others prayed for me, suffered through it, and I am grateful.

And so, it begins ~

It didn't feel good not to be able to teach again. I lost a large part of who I was. Not teach?! Not ever again?! NO!

It didn't feel good to to sell our home. Because I couldn't drive anymore, nor did we need the payment, we had already sold my Murano. One of my favorite vehicles. But we, like so many others, spent what we made. Had we held on just another year and a half, we could have kept the home, but it would have always been a struggle. And God had other plans.

The house sold quickly (a great blessing) and we prepared to downsize. A stranger came into our life, sent by God, to help us in areas others couldn't. She found us a beautiful home on the east side of town, and we settled into a wonderful apartment. I should have thrived. I didn't. Leaving a job I loved still hurt deeply. I felt lost. Useless.

Later that year, I had the chance to substitute at a local elementary school and was thrilled! Then terrified. Being led into the classroom, the door closing behind me, I suddenly lost touch with reality and John was called. The words 'psychotic break' was mentioned. (Dr. Mary Neal talks of this in her book, To Heaven and Back. The feeling of wondering if 'this' is a dream or if you're actually back on earth.) An amazing network of family and medical support got me through, but it had serious side effects. I became addicted to prescription pain drugs and began a descent into depression.

Were there reasons to be happy? Of course! We had grandchildren to love. Three lived within twenty minutes of us. But I felt incapable of keeping them. One daughter and her husband even voiced this to us, reducing me to a sobbing mess, but they were right. My adored husband? He loved me, but hated seeing me sad and hurting, so he allowed me to sleep as much as I wanted. He became an enabler and I became a recluse, going into deeper hibernation, my soul crying, 'why did You send me back?!' We rocked on.

2011 began with laughter. A family vacation to the Smokey's and plans for another family vacation in May! This one at Disney World. The year held great promises. John and I took a trip to the Gulf coast in April to visit a friend, and it was then, he says, that he realized a change had to take place. The blessed Holy Spirit whispered to him that he needed to move us south, to a place where there were other retirees, but no one knew us. So much to do, a variety of places to eat, and to top it off, the fresh air off the Gulf of Mexico. We bought a home there the next month.

Now, not only was I in the throes of withdrawal from the prescription drug addiction, but there was the pain of leaving the only child I gave birth to, the sadness of leaving the only family member still talking to me, realizing we were leaving three grandchildren, and saying goodbye to friends of my heart. Sobbing became a daily occurrence. Looking for answers, for peace. Did I ever stop praying? No. Never. I just wondered why He allowed me to return when I couldn't find a reason or a purpose to be alive. I needed to feel needed.

It was a year of major life changing moments. I'm surprised we both survived. But God is so amazingly good and He had plans for both of us. Plans for healing. Plans for new friends, new experiences and the chance to just be us. Not 'victims of a horrid medical accident'.

By Spring of 2012, health issues dating back to the accident surfaced and coupled with a compromised immune system, I was not only sick physically but sick at heart. I prayed. Praying in earnest. Did I feel as if He was listening? I did. Was I listening to Him? No. I didn't want to hear what he had to say. I just wanted to sleep until I 'felt all better'. Talk about being a modern day Jonah!

But there are times when you have to listen. When He makes it impossible to ignore Him. We are blessed with three Godly daughters and they love us very much. Enough to show tough love and we needed it. I needed it. I will forever be grateful to them and love them even more for it.

A Godly physician corrected a serious kidney problem that kept me sick the Spring of 2012. Beginning in 2013, a dear friend told me of an easy way to still eat some carbs but eat healthier (Metabolism Miracle). And through a daughter, we learned of a natural way (thank you, doTerra Essential oils!) to cleanse the physical body. Spiritually, I became a very present part of a bible study with two wise ladies that taught me of a God I never knew. God's Spirit, the Holy Spirit. I began spiritually preparing my heart to do His Will. The healthier I became, the clearer I heard Him. I realized I had been sent back to share what I learned. Sent back to assure the hungry that yes, there IS a God. He DOES forgive and He doesn't want any of His children to choose an eternity away from Him. Away from Heaven. But there IS a Hell and we do have free will. We can choose to follow a Father that loves us deeply or live without Him and spend an eternity in torment wishing our choice had been different.

There are still friends that find it difficult to believe I was in one of His gardens. Telling me it was a dream, much like the nightmares that took place when my body was weaned off paralytic drugs. These questions are valid and easy to answer. NO. It was not a dream. The world is hearing of an increasing number of incidents of near death experiences. Word is being spread of what they witnessed. And that they, too, were sent back to share. Why are certain ones chosen? I don't know. I don't care. I only know we were sent back to encourage, to reach out to the lost, to reassure the believers, and to witness for our Father.

My journey to wholeness has been a long, difficult one. I'm thankful that John listened to Holy Spirit and made the difficult decision to move us. It's been a time of healing, of letting go and grabbing hold. It's been a blessing. But then, when we allow Him to lead us, we are blessed beyond measure. "For I know the plans I have for you, 'declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" ~ Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

I encourage you to read 'Heaven is Real' by Todd Burpo and 'To Heaven and Back' by Dr. Mary C. Neal. Don Piper speaks more of what is after death in his book '90 Minutes in Heaven'. These have encouraged and inspired me.

And always, God's Word. The Bible. His Word is filled with accounts of what we can expect, what He will give us, teach us, and wants for us. He is our Father, our Lord, our King and I will live the rest of my life living a life for Him and talking of what awaits us. I, for one, cannot wait to see the rest of what He has prepared.

I believe His promises to be true. I believe Heaven is real. I also believe He has a plan for me and that He will help, and even carry me, when needed.

"Be still,

And know that I am God."

~ Psalm 4:10 (NKJV)

I am not perfect, but I'm forgiven. I know He loves me. I am excited about today. About tomorrow. I have a God that has given me a second chance. I will spend the rest of my life on earth going where He leads and listening to everything He has to say, even when like Jonah, saying no would be easier. "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?' And I said, 'Here am I. Send me!'" ~ Isaiah 6:8

Leslie's Baby Shower

leslie is pregnant

our middle child

last one to marry (and to another gem)

last one to give us a grandchild (so we're told)

her shower was saturday, and she glowed

owen will be here the end of march

need I tell you how thrilled we all are

there were oodles of family there

and oodles of friends

and the most delicious food

i heard leslie say

they were all her favorites

so i think she planned the menu

robin and jeff decorated beautifully

and i think there's little more they need

other than diapers and clothing

yes, there were oodles of gifts 

i love this middle child and her husband

who i am sure was handpicked from our lord

and i cannot wait to meet their baby boy

stacey, on the left, leslie, and jenny, on the right

can i say again how i love these girls

there

i've said it

we laugh so much when we're together

and we treasure the time dearly

it's not often they're all in one place

with the kids and men

but when they are we adore each moment

apparently, someone hasn't told obama that those that refuse to learn from the past are doomed to repeat it. kennedy said it. reagan said it. and other great men in our history have said it. so why hasn't someone slammed a book in his face and said, "read this!"

for i am afraid, we are doomed to repeat history

and if i didn't have my god, i'd be afraid.

but my God can beat anyone's god

He's bigger and badder

so bring it on, obama

let my God show yours

A Lot Can Happen

We talk about not having enough time

to do this

to do that

We procrastinate

We wait for someone else to do it

We make excuses why it isn't done

We wonder when it will happen

We say it can't be done

 

What it really boils down to

is we all have the same amount of time

in a single day

We are given the choice of what to do

with it and with the day

How you choose

determines what will happen

Each choice has a consequence

Each action has an outcome

 

His choice had a consequence

that affected the world

And He had the same amount of time

as we do today

 

I pray I'm serving others

in my days

as much as He

served us on that day.

Sacrifices, Reunions

I realize that what I am about to share is a bit off the cuff but they grabbed my heart, and I know when one heart is touched, there are others that will also be touched. Our dear Lord doesn't touch just one, without putting the desire to share.

This first is a well written article of the sacrifice our police officers and other deserving workers make to give us a safer place. Firefighters, animal control employees (yeah, I watch those shows where they get animals with sharp fangs and teeth out of houses and yards!) and other service workers leave each day wondering what they will see during their work hours. Here's to you, Heath Taylor and Ted Hughes. William Oates and Tim Huggins. Just a few, for there are thousands of you.

"Oh, are you a cop? That's cool. I wanted to do that when I was a kid. What do you make?"

"I make holding your hand seem like the biggest thing in the world when someone just tried to hurt you. I make five minutes seem like a lifetime, when I am fighting a suspect, while waiting for backup. I make those annoying sirens seem like angels, when you need them. I can make your children breathe, when they stop. I make myself get out of bed at 6 am or 11 pm, to risk my life to save people I've never met. I make it possible to keep back the chaos everyday. I make going to work for your family's safety a DUTY that I will die for. I make myself work holidays, nights during rainstorms and snow storms and other disasters. Today I might make the ultimate sacrifice to save your life. I make a difference. What do YOU make?"

The next is a loving thought expressed by a friend of ours, John Gordon. It brought to mind the brief time I had in Paradise and how youthful, healthy, and peaceful my father looked. Dad crossed over into His arms July 3, 2004. Yes, I'm one of those that look forward for the Second Coming! "Lord, come quickly".

"My paternal grandmother's first husband is still lying in rest on the USS Arizona. This year will be the first Christmas they've spent together in 70 years. What a blessing it is to know that we have the hope of reunions!"  Amen to that, John Gordon. To those of you that chose to come here today, have a day filled with love and laughter, giving thanks to the infinite blessings in your own life.

Consider the Hands of Jesus

Photo courtesy of Photos8

I enjoy reading the posts of Guy Woods at WitStop.

I've shared him with you before now.

He's a good man, a just man, a Christian man.

His post Consider the Hands of Jesus is beautiful.

Simply written. Few words. Big statement.

I think he said he 'borrowed' it from someone.

I don't care, I just want to encourage you

to go, go now, click on the link and read for yourself.

I know you'll blessed for doing so.

I was.

Thank you for sharing this find, Guy,

and may God continue to bless you and yours.

He is My King

He is my  Lord, my Saviour, my King. He will always hear me,

and He will always answer. When I feel most alone,

He is the closest. My tears refresh my soul,

His words comfort my heart. I am His. Forever. And ever.

Amen.

Miss Elle is One!

Our youngest daughter, Jenny, has a blog!

And you can read all about Miss Elle's birthday party!

Go. Visit. And sign up to be a follower!

(and leave a comment! we heart comments!)

Parting of the Red Sea ~

Chariot Wheels found at the bottom of the Red Sea. See pictures below and the route~

Proof has been found to support the biblical story of the crossing of the Red Sea. Scientists have found pieces of Pharaoh's chariot & bones of horses & men in the Red Sea. Physical evidence of the crossing of the Red Sea by Pharaoh's drowned army.
Confirmation of the actual Exodus route has come from divers finding coral-encrusted bones and chariot remains in the Gulf of Aqaba. One of the most dramatic records of Divine intervention in history is the account of the Hebrews' exodus from Egypt.

The subsequent drowning of the entire Egyptian army in the Red Sea was not an insignificant event, and confirmation of this event is compelling evidence that the Biblical narrative is truly authentic. Over the years, many divers have searched the Gulf of Suez in vain for artifacts to verify the Biblical account. But carefully following the Biblical and historical records of the Exodus brings you to Nuweiba, a large beach in the Gulf of Aqaba, as Ron Wyatt discovered in 1978.

Repeated dives in depths ranging from 60 to 200 feet deep (18m to 60m), over a stretch of almost 2.5 km, has shown that the chariot parts are scattered across the sea bed. Artifacts found include wheels, chariot bodies, as well as human and horse bones. Divers have located on the Saudi coastline opposite Nuweiba as well.

Since 1987, Ron Wyatt found three four-spoke gilded chariot wheels. Coral does not grow on gold hence the shape has remained very distinct, although the wood inside the gold veneer has disintegrated making them too fragile to move.

(gilded chariot wheel)

The hope for future expeditions is to explore the deeper waters with remote cameras or mini-subs. Mute witness to the miracle of the crossing of the Red Sea by the Hebrews 3,500 years ago. Found with a metal detector- Coral-encrusted chariot wheel, filmed off the Saudi coastline, matches chariot wheels found in Tutankhamen's tomb. Mineralized bone, one of many found at the crossing site (above center). This one tested by the Department of Osteology at Stockholm University, was found to be a human femur, from the right leg of a 165-170cm tall man. It is essentially 'fossilized ' i.e.- replaced by minerals and coral, hence cannot be dated by radiocarbon methods, although this specimen was obviously from antiquity.

Chariot wheel and axle covered with coral and up-ended. 'And took off their chariot wheels, that they drove them heavily...' Exodus 14:25

Solomon's memorial pillars ~ when Ron Wyatt first visited Nuweiba in 1978, he found a Phoenician style column lying in the water. Unfortunately the inscriptions had been eroded away, hence the column's importance was not understood until 1984 when a second granite column was found on the Saudi coastline opposite -- identical to the first except on this one the inscription was still intact !!!

In Phoenician letters (Archaic Hebrew), it contained the words: Mizraim (Egypt); Solomon; Edom ; death; Pharaoh; Moses; and Yahweh, indicating that King Solomon had set up these columns as a memorial to the miracle of the crossing of the sea.

Saudi Arabia does not admit tourists, and perhaps fearing unauthorized visitors, the Saudi Authorities have since removed this column, and replaced it with a flag marker where it once stood.

How deep is the water? The Gulf of Aqaba is very deep, in places over a mile (1,600m) deep. Even with the sea dried up, walking across would be difficult due to the steep grade down the sides. But, there is one spot where if the water were removed it would be an easy descent for people and animals. This is the line between Nuweiba and the opposite shore in Saudi Arabia.
Depth-sounding expeditions have revealed a smooth, gentle slope descending from Nuweiba out into the Gulf. This shows up almost like a pathway on depth-recording equipment, confirming it's Biblical description, '...a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters.' (Isaiah 43:16)

The Bible writers frequently refer to the miracle of the Red Sea crossing, for it was an event which finds no equal in history. The Hebrew prophets describe the sea at the crossing site as;
'...the waters of the great deep...the depths of the sea...' (Isaiah 51:10)

Knowing the exact spot to which the Bible writers were referring, what is the depth there?
The distance between Nuweiba and where artifacts have been found on Saudi coast is about 18km (11 miles).

Above, Nuweiba Beach, the spot where the crossing began. Along this line, the deepest point is 800m (2,600 feet). No wonder inspired writers of the Bible described it as the mighty waters. And no wonder that not a single Egyptian survived when the water collapsed in upon them! God's Word ~ once more confirmed!

Thank you, Lisa, for forwarding this to me from your father, Lester Hulett. I just love bringing the stories of 'old' to our present day!