WHAT IF GOD INTENDS THIS FOR GOOD

 
Last Sunday our church congregation heard a terrific message from Dr. Steve Farrar that left a burning thought  imprinted on my mind.  His theme was "God is good, the Bible is true and our leaders are insane." Yep, he actually said that.   It was a relief to hear someone say aloud what we've all been thinking. He went on to help us all understand the relevance of the scriptures to life today.  Oh, my!  How very insightful.

SO...I've been thinking all week about that concept!  What IF?  What IF we actually sifted what we're seeing and know to be true through the grid of the scriptures...the Bible IS true after all, for all time!

I start with the Sovereignty of God, one of THE major tenets of Christendom.  You see HE is or HE isn't!  There's no halfway to that doctrine.  I believe HE IS!  The  God of creation, all knowing, all powerful is not surprised in the least at the events of the world today.  I am!  We are!  BUT, nope, HE is not.

Because HIS plan is always good and for MY good and HIS glory, I (we) struggle.  Not everything that's happening in our world, in our country is good!  So what do we do with that?

I've been thinking!!  

What IF the end of time as we know it is "just around the corner?"  What IF there are millions of people that do not know the beauty, love and forgiveness of the Lord Jesus Christ?  What IF the days are short and people are being drawn to the Savior?   What IF the American church has failed in its basic core mission of "making Christ known?"  

Well, what happened in the Bible?  Every time a country, a people group or an individual got "too big for their britches" God the loving Father stepped in.  And usually the picture was not pretty.  

I think of the many times in the OT when God took HIS beloved people down a notch or two and helped them realize their main mission in life.   The promise and mission of the Hebrew people was ALWAYS to make God known to those that didn't know Him.  (Oh, by the way, that was/is ALWAYS the mission of the church in the NT as well)

So...what went wrong?  Over and over again?

Idolatry, that's what!

Could it be that the American Church has lost it's focus and God is brining us back to HIM and HIS mission?

You know:  "If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send a pestilence among MY people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will  forgive their sin and heal their land."  II Chronicles 7:14

What IF, WE believers  have replaced the worship of God with the worship of the gods called Comfort, Wealth, Health, Position, Power, Family, Status, Education, etc. What IF we are seeking our satisfaction from these things instead of finding our ALL in Christ?  Could God be removing our idols in order to bring us back to Himself ?

Definition of idolatry:  Looking to anyone or anything to do for you that which only God can do.

(What about the heathens?  Well, the Psalmist asked that question as well, "Why do the heathens rage?"The answer?  Because they're heathens! So stop wondering about that! Stop right now and go read Romans 1.)

Back to our idols.  I confess, I LOVE Comfort!  I adore Comfort!  I adore my grandchildren and my husband.  I ADORE my very comfortable lifestyle.  Am I looking to those things to find my contentment and satisfaction?  You bet cha!  

Could  it be that God is tearing down our idols?

We're mostly a nation of whiners these days as we watch our idols take a tumble.

We are distressed that our economy is out of control and insane leaders pass legislation amounting to trillions of dollars to the degree that we are now owned by a foreign entity.  Wealth?  Done!

We are ill and fearful of a virus and all it's coming variants.  We argue over treatments and masks and social distancing and governmental control. And people die by the thousands.  Health?  Done!

We shake our heads at the complete surrender of our armed forces in Afghanistan and now the evil Taliban are armed to the teeth with our weapons and technology as thousands scramble to safety before the beheadings begin.  Power?  Done!

Love of country?  We have no border, anyone can walk through without penalty to be absorbed into the system of  human trafficking, drug running, rape, attack, etc.  Terrorists abound and wait for an opportune moment...and it WILL come, there is no doubt.  Security?  Done!

Family?  Have you heard the phrase "Family is everything/"  IT IS!  Until death, separations, distance,  misunderstandings, & jealousies rip the unity to shreds.  Family is not eternal, and it is fragile. Family? Done!

Do we find satisfaction in status?  Sometimes.  But what happens when mistakes are made, reputations are ruined either by truth or rumor?  Status?  Done!

And who doesn't love power?  That too, can be gone in an election, a company take over,  the loss of a business or position or a pink slip.. Power?  Done!

You get my drift.

All things earthly and materialistic are fleeting and fragile.

WHAT IF?  God is bringing all kinds of people into America for the AMERICAN CHURCH to repent and return to HIM.  What if ALL this judgment and discipline is for OUR OWN GOOD?

What if HE desires us to repent of all our IDOLATRY and get back to HIS business.  The business of revealing Christ to ALL who come our way, to worship HIM alone, to find our satisfaction in a relationship with HIM, to use and enjoy the gifts HE gives but put them in their proper perspective.

What if HE wants us to know the JOY of introducing the Savior to someone that desperately needs HIM?  

What if HE wants us to turn to HIM in all situations and find deep comfort, joy and yes, satisfaction regardless of life's circumstances?

All this mess we're experiencing could be the very best thing that ever happened to the American Church.  It'll take a supernatural revival to sweep through our churches that have lost themselves to entertainment, self help, social justice and the love of knowledge without application. 

I'm thinking that I'll stop praying for comfort for me and my family and start praying that I will truly know what is means to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and strength and people as myself."  What will that look like?   It's a little scary, but now I'm thinking again, it's critical. 

AFTERNOON NAP IN THE CARPOOL LINE

 

It was a typical fall day in Dallas, warm and sunny.  Sitting in the grandchild's car pool line was not unusual. We'd done it many times before waiting for the bell to ring and all those kiddos bursting from their halls of ivy to the great outdoors, ready to be done with books for the day.

The organization of the carpool line is a sight to behold. Only Chick-fil-A's plan to get people and cars through a line in a short amount of time can compare with this one.

The large parking lot is sectioned off into painted lines, 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. The first car to arrive gives their child's number to the policeman with the clipboard and proceeds on to the beginning of line 1.  Parents and grandparents, cousins and nannies follow suite and pretty soon cars are lined up and it looks like the lot of an Enterprise Car Rental  at the airport at Thanksgiving, waiting for weary travelers to pick one. Everyone is locked into their spot, no movement possible until Car number 1 makes it's exit. 

Cars were stacked one behind another, behind another, behind another on this particular day.  Motors were turned off and everyone settled into wait for the closing school bell. The sun was shining brightly through the car windows making for a quiet, warm comfy wait.

We were about car number 10  in row number 1.

It was quiet, warm, sunny, and extremely relaxing.

AND WE BOTH FELL ASLEEP.  Yes, the Grandparents in car number 10 were sound asleep, for maybe 25-20 minutes.

Suddenly there was a knock on the window.  The HEADMASTER of the school, tapped lightly...."time to go."   Honeybuns jerked awake, started the motor and looked up.  ALL NINE CARS IN FRONT OF US WERE GONE.  ALL 50 PLUS CARS BEHIND US WERE WAIITNG, STUCK...IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR THEM TO MOVE UNTIL WE DID.

No cars were in front of us. All drivers ahead of us  had picked up their children and were probably on their way to the ice cream store. 

We pulled forward, rounded the corner and there stood Betsy, age 9, on tippy toes, straining to see if she could figure out why NO CARS WERE MOVING, THE PICK UP LANE WAS EMPTY.  Where was everybody? 

We pulled up to her and she jumped in.  "What happened?"  

"Oh, Betsy.   BeBe and Papa fell ASLEEP IN THE CARPOOL LINE!"

"WHAT?  Oh, NO!  How embarrassing!" very animated! 

The unbelief was shared with siblings at the house.

We all  laughed uncontrollably and realized, this won't be the last time we will embarrass the young whippersnappers.  The gaff won't be intentional, but it will still be inevitable. That's the way families with grandparents roll.  Comic relief!  It's our job, right?

   

RALPH

His name is Ralph.  He and his bride of over 60 years tottered into the McDonalds to get their morning coffee and breakfast.  He wore a navy WWII Veteran cap proudly and they slid into the booth behind us.

We were visiting family in another state and had stopped by for a quick breakfast before seeing the grandchildren.

When Honeybuns got up to get something from the counter and Mrs. Ralph went to order coffee I moved to their booth and sat down by this very elderly gentleman.  I commented on his hat and asked where he'd served in the war.  His eyes lit up, he sat up straight and began his tale.

He was only 17 when he enlisted, he and his brother left the states at the same time. Little did they know they wouldn't see each other for 4 years and that reunion would take place on the battle field.  He was stationed in Europe and was one of 4 young bucks selected for special service when so many other young soldiers lost their lives in the Battle of the Bulge. He and his friends were chosen to replace the dead in one unit.

It was his turn to ask me questions after I related that my uncle was in that battle as a tank driver, who came home complaining about how very cold it was and that he'd experienced frost bite on his feet.  I told him of my Father and three Uncles serving in Europe at the same time. He expressed thanks that they all made it home alive.  Many of his friends did not.  More stories.

Ralph told of his reunion with his brother....a wonderful chance meeting in what he described as hell.  Amazing.

At one point Ralph was shipped to the Philippines to engage in the battle there.  He'd served in both theaters.

More stories and a few tears as he remembered things he vowed to forget.

Mrs. Ralph returned smiling, "Is he entertaining you?"   She and Honeybuns joined the conversation.  It was hard to leave them, but after handshakes and a few "thank you for your service" we said goodbye.

What a treasure!  What a delightful encounter!

Ralph and his buddies will all be gone soon, their stories, their smiles and their tears will no longer be seen at the local McDonalds. We're so very glad we met them and were able to share a few minutes of humanity. We'll never see them again, but we all will remember that visit.

Wonderful things  happen......when we put down our phones.

LEARN BY EXPERIENCE?

A few weeks ago I was sitting at a Dallas Cafe sipping tea, waiting for an appointment time.

The booth behind me was occupied by 4 delightful young men, who had obviously met to discuss their marriages, problems, frustrations, etc.  No doubt they were good friends, seemed to be about the same age (30's) up and coming movers and shakers in the business world. There they were in the middle of the day, having taken off work to fulfill their promise to meet with men who could help them.

I PROMISE I did NOT intend to overhear their conversation.  They were just SO close to my ears, just a few feet away.  They forgot they were in a public place  and soon their discussions became louder and louder as each spoke with passion, disbelief and pain.  Each one was struggling with a wife they simply could NOT understand.

And there I sat.

"She said this......."  I didn't know what to do!"

"When I came in the door, this happened......"

"I tried that, man....it didn't work."

"I'm at the end of my rope...."

"What does she want of me?'

It went on and on.   At first I was slightly entertained and then became very sad that these fine young men that obviously loved their wives were struggling.  AND they were pooling ignorance.  Not one had any good advice for anyone in the group.  Truthfully, if I had not seen their faces as I sat down I would have guessed that they were high school boys killing time after school.  My heart went out to them.

And there I sat.

Having lived through 48 years of marriage and many more years than that of being a woman, I sat there and just WISHED they would LOOK UP and SEE ME and ASK ME to join the conversation.   I wanted to hug them all and tell them a few things or two.

BUT....I'm a granny from another generation, not "HIP," not technically savvy, INVISIBLE.

There's a whole WORLD of us out here. I know several that have weathered unbelievable storms of life, most of which these young men will never experience. How I treasure the friendship of many extremely wise women that have guided my thoughts and reactions concerning a multitude of "crisis."  I've learned its a lot easier to learn from another's experience, both good and bad, than learn those hard lessons on my own.

It seems to me after thousands of dollars spent on counseling, thousands of hours meeting with accountability groups, and thousands of tears shed....these young men might consider a talk with their  grandmothers!  It's not that hard folks.  There are some very basic things that must be done and accomplished and it'll work.

I'm thinking of writing a book.   The title will be:  Common Sense from Granny

What do you think?  You want to add a chapter or two....collaborate with me.

I doubt anyone would buy it or READ it, BUT...we'll have the satisfaction of saying, "we tried."

Learning by another's experience or learning the hard way.  It's a choice.

HOW NOT TO PURCHASE LICENSE PLATES

Time for a new car, he said.  It'll be fun, he said.  Pick out the color, he said.
And we were off in search of a replacement for my very beloved OLD Ford Expedition.  The one that at one time hauled all 9 grandchildren to various places, took us across country many times on vacations, carried us to funerals and weddings and everything in between.  It would be hard to let that truck go.  But....it's time, he said.

SO....we did all the necessary research, looked around for months and finally decided on our new ride.  That was the "fun" part.  Next came the dreaded, applying for license plates part.  And my story begins.

It is required by law to have a metal plate with numbers and letters attached to the front and back of every vehicle on the road here in Texas. There is a humongous bureaucracy in place for this law to be fulfilled. The agency is controlled by the state government and there are various places around the metroplex where the "new owner" of a vehicle must appear, endure the process and pay exorbitant fees.

I am a law abiding citizen.

This is my experience.

First visit to the Denton County Tax/Tag Office:
I checked the web site and learned that the office nearest me was open daily until 4:30 p.m. I gathered all the documents concerning me, my husband, our history, our lives, our birth weight and arrived at the designated place at 4:10....plenty of time, right?  I was stopped by the security officer before I reached the counter or a chair for a visit.  After 10 minutes of friendly conversation, he informed me that I was there too late in the day because since my new car had been purchased out of state, it would take too long to process my needs that day.  I muttered under my breath and smiled and promised to come back another day, earlier than 4:10.

Second visit to the Denton County Tax/Tag Office:
I arrived mid morning, visited with the police officer again, took a number and waited.  After some time my number was called and I approached the counter.  After stating my purpose, the clerk informed me that I needed to fill out a rather lengthy form before applying and insisted I take it home and carefully do that.  I smiled at Officer Self on my way out. (Why didn't I get this form on my first trip??)

Third visit to the Denton County Tax/Tag Office:
I arrived mid day, with completed form in hand, all the documents pertaining to my life in a folder tucked under my arm.  I spoke with Office Self, took a number and sat down to wait.  After a while I was called to the country, where I presented my request and ALL documents known to mankind to the clerk.  After about 15 minutes of her reviewing my papers, she informed me that I must have the TITLE to the car to get license plates.  Of course!  I knew that!  I left without speaking to Officer Self this time.

I went home, called the car dealer and insisted he send me the title of the car.  He promised he would work on it but expect it in 30 days.  Oh, and by the way...IF the license plates are purchased after 30 days, there would be an additional fine.   I went out and stood by the mail box for the title to be delivered.  It appeared about 3 weeks later.

Fourth visit to the Denton Country Tax/Tag Office:
Since Honeybuns was driving to Tulsa EARLY that morning,  I got up at 3:00 a.m. and together we reviewed all the paper work needed so finally..... THIS WOULD BE THE DAY I would  get my license plates.
Assured that all was in order, he left and I went back to bed.
I arrived at the government office mid morning and had a friendly chat with Officer Self.  He knows me now, and I've put him on my Christmas card list.  I took a number and waited.
I was called up to the counter.
The clerk reviewed my file and announced, "your husband did not sign the title.....you will have to go home, download a POWER OF ATTORNEY form, get him to sign it and return.
I declared...I WILL SIGN IT FOR HIM.  I have our marriage certificate, birth certificates, Passports, last known water bill, a credit card or two, deed to the house, and an appointment card to see my dr. next week.
 She replied, "NO, HE must sign this himself."
I retorted,  "He is not in town and if I go home today, when I return there will be a fine because we are now past 30 days."
She said, 'I'm sorry mamm, you will have to go home and download the form and return."
I explained that NO, I WAS NOT LEAVING....THAT SHE MUST DO SOME CREATIVE WORK AND COME UP WITH A PLAN TO GET THIS DONE...TODAY!
A stare down began!
Time ticked by....I was not moving and at this point she refused to look up from her computer screen.

Another clerk approached with a plan.  Honeybuns could download the form at work, sign it, send it back to her via e-mail and that would work.
OK!  I telephoned Honeybuns....got him out of a meeting, tried to explain the situation, handed the phone to the second clerk and she explained what he should do.  He agreed and PROMISED TO DO ALL THAT THIS VERY MOMENT.

I was told to wait.  "DO I HAVE TO TAKE ANOTHER NUMBER??"
No.

15 minutes later she called me to the counter.  The form came over e-mail, he'd signed it...BUT...he signed it on the wrong line.  He would have to do it again.

I called and told him to check his email, she'd sent the form back because he'd signed on the wrong line.  He promised me he'd do it again...THAT VERY MOMENT.

I went over to Office Self and told him that NOW I UNDERSTOOD WHY POLICE OFFICERS ARE ALWAYS STANDING IN THESE GOVERNMENT OFFICES.  He smiled, "because I look so good??"   Me, "No, to keep the peace because I'm about ready to pinch someones head off."
He calmly replied, "No. you're not going to do that, calm down, breathe, it'll work out."

By now, I was fighting tears and trembling.  I texted a friend.  (It always helps to share misery, right?
She promised she'd be right over to help me through this.  I assured her I would live...maybe.
I promised to come directly to her house IF I ever got out of that office.)

I waited.

The supervisor of the place called me to the counter.  She wanted my file with the car inspection, proof of insurance, VIN, number, etc....she had received the POWER OF ATTORNEY and was ready for me to sign.  At this point she is now speaking loudly and slowly as one does when you visit the elderly in the nursing home.  I was offended but dared not say a word.  THIS WOMAN was doing to best to get me out of that place. After writing a check that included one arm and one leg for the privilege of owning a car, the process was complete.

After about 2 hours of all this nonsense, I walked out, license plates tucked under my arm, vowing to NEVER, NEVER, NEVER enter that place again.

On to the Tolltag office....10 minutes of delightful interaction with a very helpful young man.
On to the Neighborhood Guard Gate to get a sticker for my new car so they'll let me in.....THAT'S ANOTHER STORY FOR ANOTHER DAY.  I'm tired of writing of this fiasco.

MORAL OF THE STORY.......Forget the car, buy a horse.

THE COMEDY ROUTINE AT THE UPS STORE

Where is Harvey Korman and Tim Conway when you need them?

I actually LIVED a scene this past week that BEGS for the greatest two man comedy team of all times.

Ready?  You won't believe this one.

I entered the UPS Store at Preston Center and was promptly greeted by David, wearing a UPS name tag.  A nice young man, upright, looked healthy, his shoes were tied, hair combed and his shirt was tucked in.  This transaction should go quickly.

I grabbed a 5x7 brown manila envelope off the display and stuffed my contents inside, sealed it.

Me, "David, I need to send this to downtown Dallas, can you do that for me?

David, "Sure"  He begins typing into his computer.  After several minutes, he says,
"That'll be $13.79."

Me,  Looking very surprised.  "Whoa, $13.00 for an envelope to go 5 miles.  Nope, that won't do."

David,  "Well, we charge more because we're a UPS facility."

Me. "David....I'm not going to pay $13.00 to send this. Maybe you can find a cheaper way."

David,  "OK, let's go over here to another computer and we'll send it through the post office."

Me, "Great! That'll work just fine."

David,  After typing into this new computer for several minutes...."that'll be $12.89"

Me,  "David!  I'm not paying $12.00 to send this, that's ridiculous.  Do you understand that?"

David,  "Sorry mam, that's what its going to cost."

We stare at each other awkwardly.  A couple of minutes of silence goes by.

Me,  "David, why don't you sell me some stamps, I'll put them on the envelope and let's do it that way."

David, " But I can't sell you individual stamps."

Me,  "OK...what can you sell me?"

David,  "I can sell you a book of stamps for $13.00."

Me, Thinking this through..... "OK, I'll take a book of stamps for $13.00."
   I pay. He hands me a book of stamps.

Me,  "Now David!  Can you weigh this envelope and see how many stamps I should put on it?"

David,  weighs envelope,  "Two!  Two Stamps"

Me,   "OK!"   I attach two stamps and hand him back the envelope.

I start to walk out...but remember.

Me, " David, I don't think you charged me for the manila envelope."

David,  "Ok, what is that?  A photo mailer?"

Me, "No, it's a brown manila envelope.  Probably about $1.79"

David,  " OK, that's exactly what it costs, $1.79."

Me,  "Great!   I pay.  "David, I'm sorry to be such a bother today, but perhaps you've learned something in this process."

David,  "Yes, mam,"  Waving the envelope. " I'll be sure and get this in the mail today."

Me,  "THANK YOU for all your help." I walk to my car absolutely stunned.  What just happened here?

Two days later the envelope was returned....INSUFFICIENT POSTAGE!

You can't make this stuff up.

MRS. JOB, REBEKAH, & JEZEBEL

Annie Marie Flynn
age 16,  taken 1919

Mrs. Job, Rebekah and Jezebel met at a bar.  No, not really. I made that up.

Actually they met in my study these past few weeks as I prepared for a Thursday morning Women's Bible Study at our church.

Wow!  These gals have a lot to teach us.

To say that THEY and everyone (but Jesus) in the Scriptures had a failure of faith is an understatement.  These three ancient women and their stories have been swirling around in my head for several weeks now.

Mrs. Job had everything going for her, life was good, until one day she lost everything she loved, materially and physically.  Her whole livelihood and 10 children were gone in a period of 24 hours.  All she had left was a very sick and dejected husband, who was still clinging to his faith in the living God.  She was ready for Job to curse God and go ahead and die.  What a wife that one proved to be!

Lesson:  Only God is eternal, everything else can be gone in a flash.  Cling to HIM....period.
It's called life.  If we're not having a "Job" experience yet, we will!  It's almost guaranteed. BUT....tragedy, surprises, & loss NEVER define the power, love and sovereignty of God. Only HE can bring light into darkness, comfort into despair, relief into hopelessness.  We prepare for life BEFORE it happens by knowing GOD during the calm good times.  HE is our only strong and sure foundation when tragedy hits.

Rebekah started out SO well, but after the twins were born she started playing favoritism and THAT destroyed her family.  She felt only SHE could control circumstances to bring about God's plan for her beloved Jacob and in the process lost him forever.  It is a sad, sad commentary on the power of a wife and mom.

Lessoon:  Manipulation, conniving and deceit are ingredients for a family disaster.  Rebekah pretended to be God and she failed miserably as a "wanna-be" deity.

Jezebel was probably the meanest, irreverent, ruthless, most controlling wife in ancient history. No one names their baby girl after this one.  She used her  power to manipulate and murder all in the name of "I'm going to do it my way!"   In the end wild dogs ate her up.

Lesson:  Disregarding the person and word of the Sovereign God invites holy justice. God will not be mocked.

There's too many applications in these stories to even begin to list them  in this short blog.  That's for another time and place. That's not the purpose of this article.

These women remind me of another woman.

You see, another woman's life has been swirling in my brain these past few weeks.  Annie Marie!  My grandmother on my mother's side.  I watched her up close and personal.  Let me tell you about her.

She NEVER spoke badly of her husband or children. NEVER.
She NEVER plotted against her husband or tried to manipulate him in any way...EVER!
She NEVER let tragedy (and she had experienced more than most) remove the song in her heart that I heard regularly as she sang in the kitchen.
She NEVER had her own agenda or tried to control situations, people, or facts.
She NEVER allowed personal loss to diminish her faith in God or the laughter in her house. (she cheated regularly at gin rummy and poker)
She KNEW  God could handle her pain, her tears, her loss, her fears, her children's and grandchildren's future  and her destiny.
She NEVER plotted murder or participated in false witnesses testimony.
She NEVER played favorites and loved all her children and grandchildren equally.  (I thought I was the favorite, BUT that was from my perspective, not hers!)

Annie Marie.  Her name is not written down in the Holy Scriptures or a famous biography, but indelibly on my heart. What an example, by deed more than by word.

I was blessed to have her in my life.  What a treasure!

NEW CHRISTMAS TRADITION

This was not my idea.  I stole it from a friend. And I hesitate even telling anyone about this...but....when I heard about this I jumped in, maybe you will to


After being in Israel for 8 weeks, getting home just in time for Thanksgiving, our time for Christmas shopping and giving was growing shorter every day.  We did not send out our usual basket of Christmas cards complete with picture and letter, we slipped gifts into bags instead of boxes with hand tied big bows, and we said no to many very kind invitations.  We just couldn't get it all together this year.

One of the most important things we do at Christmas is give to Samaritans Purse, Salvation Army, Angel Tree or some of very worthwhile charity.  It's SO fun to participate in those very legitimate organizations.  No time to get all that done.

SO....when my friend suggested a NEW IDEA, we decided to give it a try.

We went to the bank and withdrew $50 bills in the amount we would normally give to a charity. We put each on in a plain envelope with a very Merry Christmas written on the outside. On Christmas Eve afternoon we drove to a neighboring city to the Walmart there.  We were looking for some folks that were stressed, doing last minute shopping, perhaps with children or some lonely look on their face.

WOW!  What fun!

Our first recipient was a very elderly lady, dressed in the Walmart yellow vest pushing a long line of grocery carts toward the door.  She looked stressed, tired and very old.  Why was this woman working on Christmas Eve when she obviously needed to be sitting in her warm home surrounded by loved ones, drinking hot tea or maybe even a hot toddy?  We could only imagine her situation.

Honeybuns approached her, bent over to give her a hug and slipped the envelope into her hand.  Her whole countenance changed instantly.  She stood taller, smiled the biggest smile and her face lit up. She hadn't event opened the envelope yet.  I waved and shouted Merry Christmas and we continued into the store. (We made a vow to hand out the envelopes and move on, not wait for a thank you or even an acknowledgment.)

/#2,  We spotted an older African American lady pushing her car through the store, talking on her phone while shopping.  Her buggy was pretty sparse.  She took off and I followed.  It looked like I was stalking her, no doubt.  I finally caught up with her.  I touched her arm and said, "I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and I'd like to give you this."  She smiled, looked confused and I turned around and walked off.  Several aisles later she found me, insisting on hugging and thanking me. We were experiencing Christmas together right there for those few minutes.  No names exchanged, no other chit chat, no news of my life or hers.....just a simple hug and broad smiles.

#3.  Honeybuns spotted a darling little Mexican family, a mom, a dad and a cute little boy. They were shopping in the toy section but nothing in their cart suggested they'd not yet made a decision. He handed the dad the envelope, wished them a Merry Christmas with a broad smile and handshake.  The child looked up and said, "Thank you!"   He had no idea what he'd been given and it didn't matter to him one whit.

#4.  Another family.  They were very young!  One small child was in their cart with one toy.  The father had a bandage on his ear as if he'd experienced a recent surgery.  I hugged the young mother and handed her the envelope.  She looked confused, maybe she didn't speak English.  I turned and walked away.

Oh my.  We were SO happy. We were walking on air out of that Walmart.  What a fun new tradition.  Next year we're going to get the grands involved in this.  It truly IS more blessed to give than to receive!

Yes....steal this idea!  You will NOT regret it.

WHERE ARE THE WAITERS?

Well...surprise, surprise.  Here we sit at one of the biggest airports in the country, all construction is finished from last year and it is amazing. The International Terminal is designed with the HUNGRY traveler in mind.

As far as the eye can see there are tables of innumerable restaurants offering every delicacy imaginable.  The roundabout is populated by upscale eateries most of which I've never known existed.  What fun, just trying to decide what/where to have lunch.

It was about noontime and the crowd was unusually light, we're thinking hurricane FLO has caused flights to neighboring southern cities to be cancelled.  So....not many folks to "people watch."
Not many waiters or waitresses either.

Take a look at the picture.  Those rectangular Ipads at EVERY seat are the new waive.  No waiter needed, you just look at the pictures on the screen, choose your favorite, tap the picture, tap the drink you want and  SLIDE your credit card through the little machine on the side.  WOW, what fun.  The age of the Jetsons' has arrived.   Magically, in just a few minutes the ONE HUMAN carrier delivers the steaming hot meal to your table.

YES, THE ONE HUMAN BEING present, shoots out of the kitchen and lunch is served.

GREAT!  RIGHT?...……….REALLY?

All those screens mean NO PEOPLE are needed.

NO JOBS HERE!

Why?   Because the owners of these establishments can buy this technology ONE TIME, install it and the profits start rolling in.

These fascinating screens do it all, without the problems of personalities clashing, mistakes on orders, calling in sick, co-workers jealousies, late arrivals, bad moods, neglect of customer, or any other type of human interaction that takes place when REAL HUMANS do the job instead.

Yep folks!  We did it to ourselves.  The waiters/waitresses have disappeared.  The question is not a "living wage" or "minimum wage"or even "equal pay."  There is NO question at all....there is NO WAGE in this beautiful, efficient, modern, lovely, and tasty new way of serving food.

How many jobs were eliminated by these MANY, MANY SCREENS????

Restaurant businesses are in business to make money!  Period!  Very few business leaders bust it just to give people a place to work. Very few are satisfied to just "break even."  They have to be very innovative and creative to stay in business in order to make a living. When the demanded pay scale hindered that bottom line, the HUMAN BEINGS were gone and the screens were installed

Not fair?  Immoral? Heartless?  Perhaps! But also...reality.

For all you folks that cried, "be careful legislating pay scale, or there will be NO job"....YOU FOLKS ARE NOT SURPRISED.  You told us this was coming.

It's here. Won't be long now until the profession "waitstaff" is gone by the wayside, priced right out of work.

As fun as these screens might be, I miss those young folks already!

JAYWALKING

Jaywalking is a crime!  Yessirree!  I'm speaking from experience.

A few weeks ago I was spending some time with the CO grands when I realized that while they were at school all day I had some free alone time.

As usual, when I am in a new place, I check out the local quilt shops. There are NO quilt shops in Breckenridge,CO  or surrounding areas.  All those skiers and no quilters??  I found that hard to believe, too. BUT...alas....there WAS a quilt shop in Leadville! Leadville was an hour drive up the mountain from Breckenridge but hey....I had plenty of time and Andy's car!

I set my GPS and took off.  It was one of the most beautiful drives I've ever experienced. Soaring snowcapped mountains lined both sides of that very empty, upward highway.  There are several "scenic spots" along the way to stop to take breathtaking pictures.  The scene was inspirational and I found myself smiling at nothing but savoring the beauty all around me.

Leadville is a small town, pop. about 3000.  Because it is "MUD" season in CO, the tourist population was almost nil.  Just as in Breckenridge, only the locals were there.  They were taking a long rest from the busy ski season, most shops were closed, minor repairs and clean-up was the order of business.  Life seemed to move at a snail's pace in Leadville that day.

I arrived at the small Victorian cottage bearing the sign QUILT SHOP.  It was darling and also closed.  The "clock" sign hanging on the doorknob declared, "back at 10:30."  I had more free time.

I drove around to the downtown street...yes, one main street.  No busy shoppers, no traffic, most shop doors were closed and locked up for MUD season. I parked the car and decided to walk the sidewalks.  No parking meters, no traffic, no parked cars visible....just me.

I strolled down the sidewalk on one side of the street, crossed the street and strolled back down toward where I'd parked.  No restaurants open, no shop keepers sweeping out their doorways, no dogs lying in the sun, no locals out walking.....nothing was happening in Leadville.

I crossed the street to the car. A policeman was sitting in his car at the stop sign at a side street, yelling.  At me????  I walked over to him.  "Sir? are you talking to me???"   YES.  You are JAYWALKING and about to cause a wreck!  I looked around.  WRECK?  (Wouldn't you have to have some cars in the road in order for them to hit each other?? I THOUGHT to myself.)

"YES, SIR!  You are absolutely right.  I see the crosswalk, right over there and I can assure  you I will never cross over in the middle of the block again".  We stared at each other.....

I turned and walked to the car....trying VERY HARD not to laugh OUTLOUD.  Are you kidding me?

That young policeman didn't LOOK like Barney Fife, but he must've have been related.

I made my way back to the little Quilt Shop and became instant friends with the elderly shopowner. I relayed my "jaywalking" story to her.  She was appalled, saying, "That new police chief is driving everyone crazy."  And backed up her claim with more funny and frustrating stories.

"New?" I asked.

"yes," she replied, "the old one is in the slammer."

I let that go. I'd had enough small town news for one day.

And THAT my friends is why I love the big city!  If you try to Jaywalk in Dallas, TX it'll be your first and last offense, you'll get killed.

BUT....Jaywalking in a small town on a street with no cars?  That's an AMERICAN right, don't you think?

"It IS WELL"

Horatio Spafford wrote the words to that much loved hymn, "It is Well With My Soul."

 Long ago, he was a prosperous lawyer in Chicago and a pillar in the Presbyterian Church there.  In 1871 he and his wife Anna suffered terribly in the great Chicago fire.  In November of 1873 Anna and the children set sail for Europe and Horatio stayed home to tend to some business affairs.  On December 2nd he received a telegram. It read, "Saved alone. What shall I do?"

The ship had collided with a British vessel and sunk!  Four daughters drowned and Anna survived.  He left for England immediately to bring Anna home.  During the journey while on the sailing ship, he wrote the lyrics to the hymn that would become an anthem testifying to the providence of God.

The Spaffords eventually moved to Jerusalem and formed a Christian society to help people of all faiths and creeds.  The group moved to a large home outside the city walls.  It became a hostel, then a hotel. The Spaffords had more children, one daughter Bertha raised her six children in that house. Today it is a beautiful oasis in the middle of the Muslim section of East Jerusalem and is owned by the Southern Baptist Convention as a house of prayer for all who enter.

The Horatio Spafford story is one that we tell as guides at the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem.  He and his friend Major Gordon were instrumental in locating the "place of the skull" just outside the Garden Gate.  Major Gordons apartment window overlooked the carved rock. There is no doubt that the devout believer Mr. Spafford shared his excitement as they peered over the wall to the old rock quarry where countless lives were lost through horrible crucifixions in days gone by.

Last year as we walked those ancient and troubled streets, we happened upon the gate to the "Bertha Spafford House."  We rang the bell perched on the entrance gate not knowing the history we were about to experience.  An elderly couple that oversees the property gave us a lovely tour of the house and explained it's famous former owners connection.  THIS is the piano that Bertha Spafford owned and perhaps even Horatio himself played that famous song on those very keys.

They asked if I wanted to play that old upright.  YES!  It was in perfect tune and we four sang all the verses of "It is Well With My Soul."  I couldn't help but "see" in my minds eye the children that would have sat there and sung there, the parents that would have patiently taught them the words, & the old lawyer himself choking back tears as he remembered that fateful voyage that snatched his four beautiful daughters from this world. Tears flowed down my face as I contemplated the depth of his sorrow and the depth of his faith.

"When sorrow like sea billows roll...
"Whatever my lot....
"Christ has regarded my helpless estate...
"The clouds be rolled back as a scroll....

No matter what...no matter what.....It Is Well With My Soul.

How trusting, how peaceful, how TRUE.....

Nothing calms the soul like the doctrine of the Sovereignty of God. He's got it....and He's got us in the palm of His mighty hand.

SOVEREIGN......He either IS or He ISN'T!   There is no middle ground.

SINGER IS SINGING AGAIN

This old gal has experienced a resurrection!

She's a treadle Singer Sewing Machine, "Red Eye," model 66, housed in a Victorian Parlor Cabinet, built in 1919.  Yep.. she's 99 years old!

I first met this beauty in Grandma Audrey's attic (rural Illinois) about 50 years ago.  It looked much like it does right now. Grandma Audrey had it up and running so she could go up to the attic to patch heavy coveralls or blue jeans rather than use her brand new fancy Bernia downstairs. ( We think it originally belonged to Great Grandma Braner, the original owner of that country farmhouse. The Singer was moved to the attic when a new ELECTRIC machine arrived one Christmas.  Honeybuns says it was hauled up there when the house was remodeled in the 60's.)

Grandma Audrey was really proud of this machine.  She'd rigged it so it would no longer drop down into the cabinet, for some unknown reason. It worked great in that musty attic, no need for electricity.  Did I say it is a TREADLE?  The seamstress uses her feet to rock a small iron platform at the bottom of the cabinet which in turn causes a wheel to turn which causes the needle to go up and down making a  straight line of stitches. Genius!

It sat in the attic for a long time. Great Grandma Braner died as did her son and his wife and the Singer survived the massive house cleaning after the last funeral.

Dusty, rusty, and locked up from lack of oil and lac of use for 15 more years.

A couple of years ago I met a gal in the Frisco, TX quilt guild that loves and repairs antique sewing machines....and I remembered the "Red Eye" still in the attic of the old home place.  Wouldn't it be something if my new friend could bring it back to life?

I contacted the relatives and it took a small army of men to haul that thing down the tiny staircase to the SUV that would bring it to me. It was a mess and looked pretty hopeless, destined for the land fill.
Was I out of my mind for even bothering with that piece of junk?

After being in the shop over a year and a half it was delivered back to me and installed in that same old cabinet.  It was cleaner, brighter and the rust was gone.

AND it WORKS.  Wow!  The ingenuity of that brilliant design survived the test of time and it  just need to be cleaned, oiled, a few new parts added..... and loved.

Unbelievable!

It's true!  They just don't make them like they used to.  This old gal is strong, stable and has a backbone of iron.  I think it's funny that she'll  outlive all the new computerized, plastic models by years!

SO....if the power goes out I can still sew, if the Chinese hack our electrical grid I can still sew, if I want to relive the "olden" days I can still sew.  It's a new old toy.  I love it.

A BEAUTY at 99!  Maybe there's hope for me too. 

AND THE WORLD CAME TO US.....ISRAEL Part I

How do you describe the indescribable? That's the task I'm rolling about in my head. This is my first "Sister Chat" post about our month of volunteering at the Garden Tomb in East Jerusalem this past Oct. 13 - Nov. 13, 2017.  There is SO much to come as I process journals, pictures, memories and trinkets we brought home.

Part I

We had few expectations before embarking on this journey. We didn't know enough to even HAVE expectations.  Although an experienced Garden Tomb guide met with us in Dallas a couple of times last summer, he too, found it difficult to explain that which cannot be explained.

Our first thought was of course of the PLACE.  Who in their right mind would NOT want to spend some time exploring Jerusalem?  As one young man we met there observed, "I've been here 22 years and there is still a surprise at every corner. The adventures here are bottomless."

Having toured Israel and Jerusalem twice before we had an "inking" of what to expect but reality was far more exciting.

We thought that we would immerse ourselves in the culture, visit historic sites and oh, yes....learn to be tour guides at the Garden Tomb, one of the two sacred spots where Jesus MAY have been crucified, buried and resurrected.  (More on that later!)

Little did we know that it was not the local Jews, Muslims, or Armenians that we would get to know but the WORLD.

Yes, the WORLD came to us!

We were trained in guiding, preparing communion, gift shop duties, and preparing the Garden in the early morning hours.  (More about that later, too!)

We had NO IDEA that thousands of people from all over the world would come through through the gates EVERY DAY!

Groups of 4, 25, 82, 150, 350 lined up at the reception window stating their requests, no one was turned away.  They wanted a tour only (in their language), a tour with a meeting place and communion, no tour at all just "alone" time,  or a tour with an interpreter.

When serving as tour guides we met Indonesians, Chinese, Americans (some we ever knew!) Brazilians, French, Belgiums, Russians, South Africans, Masai tribal folks, Indians, Spanish, Netherlanders, Finnish....on and on.  You get the picture.

(Imagine me greeting a group of folks that speak only Mandarin Chinese with  a big Texas, HOWDY!)

We had no idea from one hour to the next who we would be welcoming, who would be coming through the gate, who would respond to our explanations or not, who would cry, shout, or sing.  At any given moment several groups from different foreign lands would be SINGING at the top of their lungs as they were positioned in various grottoes throughout the Garden.  Even though we could not understand their words we would often recognize the tunes.  Amazing Grace, Wonderful Merciful Savior, He is Lord, Great is Thy Faithfulness, Stand Up for Jesus, etc.

Their different dress was colorful, the bright red or green or yellow matching ball caps (so they wouldn't lose anyone in their group), the traditional sari of India, the red robe of the Masi warrior, the worn tennis shoes of the Americans, the red and black scarf of Hamas, the long black skirts of the local Muslim girls.  MOST had infectious smiles and were relieved that they could sit a spell and hear the history of the beautiful Garden and of course the gospel.  It is shared in only ONE other place in Israel, Nazareth.

THAT is why they come.  They want their faith strengthened, they want their unbelieving friends that came along to understand their love for Jesus.  And that is what the guides tried to provide...every time.  One Chinese man happily told me that there are more Christians in China than communists!

An ordinary DAY at the Garden Tomb might include 1500-1800 visitors from all over the world.
The month we were there that number shot up to 2000-2900 a day.  There is NO explanation for the increase other than the overall increase in visitors to ISRAEL as a whole.  People are flocking to the Holy Land in mass.

Security doesn't seem to be a concern. One Arab taxi driver told us, "People are coming here, it is too dangerous to go to America."   The streets of Jerusalem are clogged with buses and tourists.

The World came to us, and we learned much from the World. Indescribable!

LETTER IN THE WALL

Don't you just love the books and movies about someone finding an old letter in the wall of a house or in a newly discovered trunk in the attic.  Usually there's a mystery involved, maybe even a homicide, or a dark secret of historical significance revealed.  It's a great story line! How many times have authors used that trick?

Well!  It happened here!  Yep!  Unbelievable, isn't it?

Because we are remodeling our kitchen and DUST is everywhere (that's another story), Honeybuns removed all the cabinet doors and drawers to be painted.  Stuffed under the bottom drawer of the desk was a bunch of papers, a plastic bag, a lone place mat, old stationary AND a large manila envelope addressed to the original owner of the house.  Those "treasures" had evidently been in hiding for many years.  The house was built in the mid-90's and it seems no one but the spiders had checked that abandoned spot for a long time.

I threw away most of the discovery but checked out that manila envelope before it hit the trash bin.

There was a split second where I thought MAYBE, just MAYBE, there was a stash of cold dusty cash, a certificate of ownership of something valuable, or a paper describing some stock in an oil company or the name of who really shot JFK or the location of Jimmy Hoffa's body. Adrenaline was flowing.  (Yes, I read a lot of fiction.)

Inside the envelope was a very long letter to Nancy, the original owner of the house.  It was sent by her friend Karen who at the time lived in BROKEN ARROW, OK.  (Now, that town is in caps because we moved from BROKEN ARROW, OK just three years ago.)   What????
How odd is that???  Do I know  this mysterious Karen??

Here's the scoop.  Karen was writing to her friend to tell her of a new ministry she had just become involved with at the United Methodist Church, BROKEN ARROW, OK.  A group of women gathered together to make and send greeting cards to people that needed some encouragement.
She sent samples of the cards, stories of people that were in distress and some follow-up replies of grateful folks that were on the receiving end.

She stated how she missed her friend, asked about the family, and shared names and news of her friends there in BROKEN ARROW, OK that were also participating.  She named the pastor, administrative people and members of her church.  It was a gossipy sort of letter.

I scoured all the names. Surely, I knew some of those folks. BROKEN ARROW, OK is a large city but I know folks there that attend that lovely downtown Methodist church to this day.

Nope, I didn't recognize a one.  I know, silly to think that I would!

BUT, what are the odds of finding a letter in a house that had been sent from BROKEN ARROW, OK?   Did I say, we'd just moved from there 3 years ago.  It is a LOVELY, WONDERFUL place and the lifestyle is easy and peaceful.  We have some dear friends that live in that area.  It was home for 8 years.

Well, no cash, no homicide, no stock certificate, no fast breaking news worthy of interrupting a football game or sit-com.   I'm going to have to embellish quite a bit to make a best-seller out of this mysterious letter in the wall. (That's what all writers do, you know.) I'll pour over it some more when this remodeling is done and I am no longer DUSTING!

Watch for it! This story may make it to the big silver screen one day!  Or not!

Or maybe I'll put Karen's letter back under that drawer for some future owner to find.  It'll be a real novelty when in that paperless society, some one finds a "parchment" imposed with strange cursive hieroglyphics.  That in itself will be an historical moment.

LOOK TO HOUSTON

We're right in the middle of the most devastating natural disaster this country as ever seen.
Hurricane Harvey has sucker-punched the coast of the Gulf of Mexico and is not finished the battering just yet as Port Arthur, TX  is today feeling his wrath.

The pictures we see are awful but cannot even begin to convey the confusion, fear, smell, dampness, darkness, coldness and loss.  The elderly, little ones, pets and livestock are particularly threatened.

After the record rainfall, 52 inches in some places, the flooding still happens.  Once clear streets are now roaring rivers and there is no place for all that water to go. The death toll is bound to rise once cars and homes are inspected for missing loved ones. The nation is experiencing overwhelming sadness as something far beyond anyone's control is raging.

Houston is experiencing a disaster.

Houston is also experiencing and displaying the most incredible goodness!

There are untold stories to be shared, some happening at this very minute.

People of every nationality, political persuasion, sexual orientation, color, ethnic background, size, age, social economic status, education, intellect, and title were forced by an "act of God" to CHOOSE to come together and help each other OR perish.  And the world is watching.

I am watching the miracle of citizen helping citizen with no agenda of financial, political or status gain.  People came out of their houses SEARCHING for a way to help their neighbor with anything that floats.  An army of personally owned flat boats, pick up trucks, dump trucks, kayaks, & blow-up pool toys appeared almost magically.  No government direction of any kind to organize or encourage was needed. And it continues!!  Thankfully!

What a refreshing sight right in the midst of one of the most politically and racially charged cultures of our day!

Help is being organized in other cities and states and is on the way.  Churches, stores and convention centers are open for shelter. And it will be needed for a long time. Huge trucks are being loaded in my neighborhood even as I write this. Supplies of all kinds for all ages and needs are being gathered.

One mattress store in Houston opened it's doors immediately and hundreds of folks are sleeping on that new merchandise. Beds and comfy chairs are filled with wet weary folks. That owner is one of my heroes!

There will be many heroic stories in the days to come.

And there will be a need for many more heroes to step up.  And the beauty of that is:  I have NO doubt that they will.

Americans are good folks! What is happening in Houston is REAL.  What is happening on the internet, & social media is NOT!

Americans know how to love each other. Those folks helping today are the silent strong bedrock of this nation. We are seeing LOVE IN ACTION.

It's IS possible to LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF, regardless of differences.

WHAT A LIFE LESSON!  I'm praying that the hurting, angry, offended, disenfranchised, lonely and violent are watching.  LOVE is available to them as well. There are people waiting and willing to rescue them right out of their disasters, whether self-inflicted OR something beyond their control.

I say to them:  Put down your guns, clubs, masks, hoods, hatred, violent and vile rhetoric and look for it....OR  perish.

                   "When you go through deep waters, I will be with you."  Isaiah 43:2

LITTLE WITCH

NO, I'm not endorsing witchcraft, satanic worship or any of those other cultish things.

I'm singing the praises of a darling little book that started my "book lovin' life."

When this story was first published in 1953 it came out in a hardback edition, turquoise in color.

I discovered it on the "library" shelf at the back of the room in our little brick school house in central Illinois.  There were not many students at the school and each room held two grades. I was in the 5th. There were two rows of 5th graders on one side of the room, two rows of 6th graders on the other.

Mr. McAllister, principle and one of three teachers in the whole school, would pull up a chair in front of the youngsters on one side of the room, teach spelling or arithmetic, then take his chair to the other side to teach the older students science or history.  What an arrangement!  The only way that set-up would work today would be at the "home school" classroom.

Our school library consisted of two shelves along half of the back side of the room. (I OWN more books now than was shelved there.)

On a particular afternoon, because I was bored I'm sure, I picked up the little turquoise book and took it home.  I'm sure the color was the reason for my attention.

Little Witch, Anna Elizabeth Bennet, Sky Pony Press, 1953
Illustrated by Helen Stone

I remember that evening as clearly as I remember the monumental historical events of my life. Events such as the assassination of President Kennedy, 9-11 attacks, and the total eclipse of yesterday.

I remember reading the book STRAIGHT THROUGH.  Yep, finished it in one night.

And I learned that words on a page became pictures in my mind and I still love that little 9 year old girl of the story.  Her name is Minikin Snickasnee.  She is the daughter of a real witch and wants nothing more than to go to school and make friends her own age. The feisty little gal learns all about courage and standing up for what is right. The whole town is affected by her innocent antics and eventually enjoys her broomstick.  It's great!

This book was named #7 in a School Library Journal poll of the top 100 Children's Novels.
In 2013 it was published again as a celebration of it's 60th Anniversary.  I'm SO glad. It's now on my grown-up bookshelf and available for any grandchild that also wants to grasp it's magic.

The "magic" that happened for me was a new respect, love and voracious desire to read. Many fabulous books have followed Minikin's story.

That summer after my 5th grade discovery I read about a lending library program at the State Library in Springfield, Illinois.  I think the article was in the Weekly Reader, remember that???
I wrote to the head librarian and asked if he/she would SEND me books to read over the summer. I requested adventure stories.  THEY SENT ME A HUGE BOX  OF BOOKS!  It was like Christmas in July!  I read every one and returned them promptly.  They sent me ANOTHER BOX FULL OF BOOKS.  Go figure!  That would never happen today.

After that summer the program ended even though I wrote and begged for more.  I had to find another resource. And the story goes on.

I've read thousands of books since "Little Witch" some good, some not so good, but ALL enlightening. The summer I read "Gone With The Wind" I woke up on those hot summer mornings wondering why I couldn't hear the canons.  After a few minutes I realized I was NOT living during the Civil War but was actually safe in my own bed.  Call that immersion in the story!

I've also joined others of the same disease in book clubs, discussion groups and book reviews. Only other people that love books understand the addiction!

Let me recommend a FEW that I keep on my many bookshelves.

1000 White Women
The Poisonwood Bible
My Sister's Keeper
First Hostage
Woman of God
Time to Kill (read this one straight through too)
The Bible, NIV, Amplified, NASB, The Living, KJV
The Prodigal God
Small Great Things
Best Little Christmas Pageant Ever (read this one EVERY December)

Oh so many more!

My point?  It is SO important to expose children to good books, to read to them, to encourage imagination, to introduce different ideas, locations and people. Thank you Anna Bennet for introducing me to the magical gift of reading.

Today I will think of Minikin and smile....when I get my broom out of the closet.

ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL

You just never know what you're going to see on the incredibly busy roads in Dallas.

Yesterday we were sitting at a stoplight at a busy intersection in Frisco. The light turned green, the car in front of us did not move.  No big deal.  That's a very common occurrence given that EVERYONE checks their phones at the stop lights these days and do not notice the change of color.

We waited.  Others behind us waited! The light turned red AGAIN....we all waited.

It turned green AGAIN....we all waited.

NOW, everybody in the line got concerned.  The driver in the non-responsive car was well,  non-responsive.  Several drivers and passengers stared. Was he sick?  Was he dead? Was he high?  Was he reading something important on his phone?

I put down my window, waved,  and started shouting....HEY...HEY...are you OK?

A young man in the car behind us jumped out and ran up to the drivers window and knocked on the glass. We wondered if we were about to see an ambush. Road rage?

The drive WOKE UP.  Nodded his head once or twice and remembered where he was.

The light turned green AGAIN....and he motored off.  We all followed!

YEP.  A young man about 35 years old fell asleep while sitting at a stop light, as it cycled through the colors a couple of times.

We've got to take care of each other on the roads these days.  Every slice of humanity, emotion, health problem, etc. is right out there.

How many times have we seen some confused immigrant slice through 6 lanes of traffic as he realized his exit was imminent?  We are convinced that many international drivers in our area are car owners yet not licensed to drive that vehicle.  Many can't read the road signs let alone the drivers test. And there are many countries that do not have "rules of the road." They're just motoring about as they would in their country.

Also, it's no longer legal to text while you're driving down the tollway at 75 miles an hour.  And everybody STILL does it.  The policemen could make a fortune by sitting on the shoulder and monitoring all the texting that is happening. Talk about distracting!

We are constantly amazed at the low number of wrecks and fatalities on the high speed highways in this area. When one does occur you can just kiss your "arrival time" goodbye.  Lines of cars waiting on a stalled car or fender bender could reach all the way to Oklahoma.  But, you know, when you're waiting and waiting and waiting, you have no idea that there are 17 miles of cars ahead of you, also waiting. There's always the hope of "it'll break up here in a minute."  45 minutes later, you realize your patience will not be rewarded.

Sometimes the answer to "backup" is the trusty GPS app.  If there is a red line on that little screen all the way down the tollway, skip it! Take your chances on the stoplights on the side roads.  If you're lucky the 20 min. drive will now take 57 minutes and not the projected 60!

And if someone WAKES UP the driver that is asleep, you might just arrive before dark thirty.

IF I'm on the road during rush hour, I try to always pack a lunch, plenty of water, phone, phone charger, extra can of gas, a good book and a blankie....just in case I need a nap!

Be safe out there!

THE DIFFERENCE ONE DAY MAKES - November 8, 2016

What a difference a day makes!  The day I'm referring to is Nov. 8th, 2016!
This is how I see it anyway!

On November 7th, 2016, the Democrats were happy, supporting their beloved President and the woman that would fill his seat come Jan. 20. 2017. EVERYONE predicted a landslide win for Hillary Rodham Clinton in the upcoming election. The glass ceiling would be smashed to smithereens and females everywhere would celebrate the historic moment.  A party to out-do all previous celebrations was being organized!  Happy Days were here and also on the horizon.

There was talk of unity for the Democratic party and more progressive measures were being drafted, staff positions were being filled and big plans were being made to cement the Obama legacy into the annals of history.

On that same day, Republicans were described as disorganized and deplorable.  They'd spent the last few years stewing over the progressive agenda path the country was embarking upon but if they voiced their complaints they were met with charges of racism. There was a seething rage right below the surface of politeness. People wondered,  but there was no way of knowing how far and how deep that rage extended.  It was if two foreign languages had been spoken for 8 years and no one cared to take the time to listen to their neighbors.

However on November 7th, ALL predictions agreed that the candidate for the party with the elephant logo was a  major loser that would fade from the national scene the next day. There was NO future for the Republican Party, EVERYONE was speculating that this election would become the demise of the Grand Old Party.  After a number of potential candidates bit the dust, an arrogant, boisterous, blatantly sinful, billionaire ended up at the top of the ticket and no one expected him to do well across America.

THEN.....Election Day rolled around.  The day that changed the course of America.

IT WAS JUST ONE DAY, one 24 hour period!  EVERYTHING CHANGED.

I believe the NY billionaire was just as surprised as everyone else in the country.  HE WON!

California, New York, and Chicago tried their best but had to concede that middle America AND some former "dyed in the wool" Democrats had come out in droves and voted for CHANGE! Both houses of Congress ended up with the majority being Republican which was NEVER supposed to happen. It was a VOTE heard round the world.

And the national dialogue transformed into an UPROAR! Talk about a 180? A flip? A U-Turn?

Unlike previous elections down through America's history, THIS ELECTION was not going to go down as a "peaceful transfer of power."

Vicious, vile, angry words splattered social media.  Protesters lined the streets of major cities carrying signs reading "not my President."  A movement was established called the "Resistance." Major news networks declared war as every move the President-Elect made and every word he spoke was dissected and judged.  Fake news was introduced for the first time in our history and folks lined up to embrace it as fact if it supported their ideas. The new President "tweeted"  and gave the Dems fuel to feed their fire of hatred.  A Women's March was quickly and successfully organized to protest in fear that something MIGHT HAPPEN to demean women everywhere.

NATIONAL FEAR was now in vogue. If you refuse to fear, you are labeled a Trump-ette!

 The new President could do or say NOTHING that pleased the masses. Every bit of air he breathed was despised. Those that voted for him were maligned as complete idiots, friends and family were as divided as the nation. There was the charge, "you rejected our President, now we will do the same."

Half the country was SILENTLY rejoicing at the new direction the government was taking, while the other half took to the streets, the airways, and the internet. Violence broke out, property was destroyed, fires were set and people were paid to protest all over the country.  All those happy, contented folks raised their voices because their hair was set on fire.  ALL THEIR CONFIDENCE had been shattered, in that ONE DAY. How could anyone reject the policies of the present administration?  It was a shocker-roo!

I saw news videos of people weeping uncontrollably in the streets as if life as they knew it was over! The private grief was even more profound.  Hillary's staff members were inconsolable and Hilary went into hiding. "How can we stand to live the next 4 years" was answered without much compassion, "The same way I lived the last 8."  Anger was rampant on both sides of the political battle!

In that ONE day we'd become the UNITED STATES OF HYSTERIA.  And there is no hope that anything is going to change in the near future.  Folks are MAD that their girl lost, they are FEARFUL that their rights are going to disappear, that laws are going to be enforced that will affect them or their neighbors directly, that concentration camps are going to be constructed and FILLED with Muslims, Jews, Mexicans and members of the LTGBQ groups (I've actually heard that from dear, educated friends) and that a wall defending the southern border will keep out every good and decent person that desires to come to the US.  Parents of adopted children fear that their child will be deported!

 Every man or woman presented for a cabinet position is now characterized as a Hitler type or a member of the KKK. Congressional hearings to approve people nominated have turned into shouting matches of lies, innuendos and grandstanding. Past videos have surfaced showing elected officials drastically changing their positions on important issues to ride the tide of dissension. Folks that once praised their colleagues, now trashed them publicly because that old friend was now being considered for the Presidents cabinet. The Presidents son is under unbelievable intense scrutiny and today Trumps handshake is being analyzed as that of a lunatic.  And to top it off there have been calls from formerly decent, hardworking, professional Americans for the new President to be assassinated!!

 Basically half of America does NOT LIKE the President and NOTHING is going to change that.

We've lost our minds! How dare we surrender that much power over our  EMOTIONAL well being to any politician, no matter what the position.!

And we've forgotten our education.  You know, the Civic Classes that taught about the three branches of government put in place so each branch can check on the other from time to time. Legislature makes law, Judicial interprets law and Executive enforces law and if/when one crosses the line there are qualified elected folks in the appropriate position and  ready to call it out.

We've forgotten our history.  There was a time we were shooting each other and selling people on the auction block.  We've fought wars in  Europe, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and the Middle East.  We've experienced the assassination of a President, the resignation of another and the impeachment of another. We survived the riots, murders and sexual revolution of the 70's. We experienced a seismic national change as a result of the Civil Rights Movement and grieved the loss of it's leader. Together we grieved the loss of 3000 innocent citizens in one day on 9-ll.  And the nation survived!

And we've lost common sense. No amount of protesting, sign waving, or vulgar cursing in the streets is going to change the outcome of the election.  It's a done deal.  And I am pretty sure NO ONE called an idiot, deplorable, uneducated fool is going to vote for a future progressive candidate.  Winning friends and influencing people has never happened through violence and vulgarity. Those silent folks that voted for Trump are watching and they will remember all this!

I don't know the solution to this mess. I DO know that the conflict is not centralized in Washington D.C.  It's in the heart of every one of us. We've lost the capacity to be civil.

I predict that ONE DAY  some event will occur that will unite us once again and cause us to pause and think about our destructive behavior.   ONE DAY something will remind us that we have the capacity to love each other and work together for the good of everyone. ONE DAY something will happen and our foolishness will be revealed.

I wonder what it will be, but I do NOT wonder if we will survive until that momentous event slaps us back to our senses.  We will survive, bruised and wounded.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NATIONAL PRAYER BREAKFAST 2017

Rear Admiral Senate Chaplain
Barry Black

(I have to document these highlights before I forget!!)

The fancy engraved invitation came months ago, along with a schedule of events.  Andy had contacted the Texas folks that invite Texas people and asked if there was space for his parents to attend.  They said YES. We  RSVP'd, bought airline tickets, new clothes and cleared our calendars.

Andy works with folks in Congress that organize the prayer meetings, Bible studies and weekly prayer breakfast that are held each week for Congressmen when they are in session.  The National Prayer Breakfast is the granddaddy of them all and a huge traditional event since 1953.  I had no idea.  Until last week.....

We arrived last Tuesday, checking into the Washington Hilton (the place where President Reagan was shot years ago.)  It's a literal concrete fortress and a favorite place of the secret service when they are trying to protect someone important. Over 3000 people from 146 different countries descended upon the area. Security was tight, men and women with wires coming out their ears mingled with the guests.

We quickly learned that the theme of the week was "Unity and Reconciliation."  Wow, how appropriate! Unity and reconciliation are words that are rarely used now in the public square, but were repeated over and over again this past week.

There were meetings, prayer sessions, tours, dinners, lunches and private gatherings scheduled for all week long.

We met Andy and were immediately introduced to world leaders, congressmen, and staff people. We walked with him through the halls of the Canon Building where the offices of our Representatives are located.

There we attended a ceremony honoring a member of the prayer breakfast team that was instrumental in starting a prayer breakfast in ALBANIA!  We were introduced to heads of state from the Middle East, brilliant scholars and spiritual giants. My head was spinning.

Rabbi Sacks spoke at the Middle Eastern Prayer Breakfast on Wednesday. What a brilliant man!
Quotes:   "Can you see the image of God in a person that is not made in the image of you?"
                "Live unoffended."
                " If the person you are with experiences anything other than unconditional love, you have
                  failed."
                 "Love the person in front of you."

Oh, my.  I prayed that these words would be written on the insides of my eyelids so that every time I blink I would be reminded.

A well known, highly respect Muslim leader followed.   "We will solve the world's problems when we live the principles of Jesus." WHAT?  A Muslim respecting Jesus.  Yes...I learned that Islam regards Jesus as a prophet from God, unlike no other and that His teachings are the right way to live.

Wow!  We were beginning to understand that this conference would be like none other.

Next I attended a "Women of the States" meeting where Congressional spouses shared their ideas, advice and experiences.  Several wives of senators and representatives stepped up to the microphone and shared their struggles and their deep faith in Jesus.  They attend Bible Studies and prayer meetings weekly and find their support in deep friendships where R and D make no difference whatsoever. They were wise, articulate, and totally dependent on God. They encouraged us to enjoy the week and "take it in."  I was SO encouraged. One of their favorite Bible teachers brought the keynote address.  I came away from that session realizing that there are some terrific people in Washington, praying and trying to do the right thing in leading the country.

 WHAT?  That's not what we see on TV.  I spoke with Caroline Adderholt, organizer of that event, wife of Robert Adderholt, Congressman from Alabama and Andy's good friend, and asked her about that.  Her reply,
"You will see 10 people on TV, there are over 400 hundred of us that you won't see."

(We later learned that between formal breakfasts, lunches and dinners, delegations from the states were also meeting privately.  We heard of one group that took a "prayer walk" through the halls of Congress, praying for all that worked there.  Another group took a "Capital Tour" on a bus and prayed for the folks that work at the monuments, museums, diners, gyms, governmental offices and homes.
D.C. was filled with prayer last week!

 (We squeezed in some time with Andy when we could catch him and he shared his D.C. duties and life. He introduced us to scholars and foreign leaders we never realized we needed to know.  We came away thinking that he knows more people than God.)

Wednesday night was the first Congressional Dinner.  The dining room holds several thousand with 8 people to a table.  We met the most incredible people at each meal.  The conversation always started with introductions and handshakes all around, then polite questions.  Where are you from?  What do you do for a living?  BUT, quickly the talk turned to how important God was in their lives, their devotion to Jesus and how they shared the good news of hope in their ministries. Each person left an indelible mark on our memory. We sat with kings and princes, and  sometimes Baptist preachers whose congregation sold cakes and doughnuts to be able to afford their pastors ticket/travel. We sat next to an aviation investor, a devotional writer, businessmen and women, church planters, folks that run international charities, pastors, moms and dads.

After speeches by Republican and Democratic congressmen (friends and prayer partners for years) the speaker announced,  "Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Vice President and Mrs. Pence." The crowd stood and cheered.  Mike Pence gave the most humble, godly welcome, with tears in his eyes as he shared his faith. What a lovely man.  Incredible!

Thursday morning was the National Prayer Breakfast!  The dining room doors opened at 7:15 a.m. BUT the halls were filled and the lines were formed by 5:30 a.m.  Thousands of  folks had to be seated AFTER going through security metal detectors a few times ending with a physical pat-down. Evidently the streets outside the hotel were shut down for blocks and the secret service had been combing the area for weeks in preparation. There were many heads of state, congressmen, & famous religious leaders in that room besides our own President and Vice-President and no harm was going to come to any of them!

Again, a lovely table set with 8 strangers that quickly became friends. They all shared their life calling as a believer and follower of Jesus.

The co-chairs, a Republican and a Democrat (lifetime good friends) introduced the keynote speaker.  This year, Senate Chaplain Barry Black gave the speech of his lifetime.  I highly recommend you view it on youtube. (Just google, Barry Black's National Prayer Breakfast Speech, it'll pop up.)

Toward the end of his speech all Congressmen, religious leaders, world leaders, and this mom and dad were on their feet clapping and cheering him on as he described the MAN he'd met in the scriptures.  Tears flowed down many cheeks as Chaplain Black poured out his heart. Brilliant and SO inspiring.  (We learned later that he leads a private Bible Study of 12 Congressmen every week complete with pages of questions and notes for each one to ponder when they leave.)

Music was provided by Mercy Me with a solo of  "I Can Only Imagine" by the writer of that song.

Mark Burnett, film producer, gave a delightful introduction of President Trump by relating how he came to meet him, how the idea of "The Apprentice" transpired and the depth of their friendship of years.  President Trump addressed the crowd with jokes and light hearted banter. (His joke about Arnold and The Apprentice were serious headline "breaking news" the next day, as the major networks twisted his comment, disregarding everything else he said. I must add NO ONE in the room was offended, but laughed at his reference to Mark Burnetts story. That made the journalists look like fools to the people that actually witnessed the event.)  Toward the middle of his speech he  grew very serious as he shared that this country would always be "under God" and how he needed God's guidance.  The crowd approved and respected their President and he left the room with a standing ovation.

At lunchtime we attended the Leadership Luncheon.  We had no idea what to expect but after being seated the announcer stated, "Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome King Abdullah of Jordan."
Roaring applause and a standing O!  What a brilliant Muslim man and leader of his country.  He said much, but stressed the need of Muslims worldwide to rise up and end the movement of radical Islam.
Jordan receives more refugees than any other country and participates in the battle against ISIS, often with the King flying one of the fighter jets himself.

(We later learned that King Abdullah received his education in the US and as a prince in line for the throne had to learn Arabic before assuming  the crown.)

Sister Rosemary of Uganda was next up to the mic.  She is the subject of the movie "Sewing Hope" and runs a school for young women who have been abducted, forced to be soldiers, raped and tortured in that country.  When the girls escape they find their way to her and she works to restore them to wholeness and dignity.  Her young friend Josephine told her story in broken English and the crowd was mesmerized. Always smiling, full of life and hope, this chunky little nun is being used mightily by God.

We also heard from a baseball player....from the CUBS! After a lovely video of his team and their accomplishments this year he shared of his love for God and the necessity of humility.  His famous wife sang beautifully for the crowd.

At an afternoon session we heard from a Palestinian Christian that spends his life drawing people from Israel and the West Bank into conversations of unity. His talk was filled with hope but laced with twinges of discouragement at the depth of hatred between people of that area. He prays for peace.

At the closing dinner we were seated next to Joseph and his son Daniel.  Joseph is from the Ukraine and doesn't speak English, his son translated for him.  This kind and gentle 84 year old man shared his story of being held in a Soviet prison for 9 years because he would not recant his faith in Jesus Christ.  After being released he brought his family to America where they settled in California. I asked what he wanted the US to know, he replied, "Socialism doesn't work."  He then proceeded to tell about the shock his family felt when he realized that socialism was being accepted and promoted in AMERICA, the very land where they would be free of such a movement.  We talked about the signs, 1. Overbearing government into the lives of the people. 2. Remove God from the marketplace 3. Tell the church what it can and cannot do.....etc.  He was thrilled that Donald Trump had won the election and felt only Trump could stop the tide of the cultural acceptance of socialism.  He is on a speaking circuit and travels the country with his daughter as a translator.  He has a passion to "tell the world" about the horrors of socialism.

The keynote speaker at that session was Rick Warren, author of "The Purpose Driven Life" and pastor of the huge Saddleback Church in California.  Oh, my....what a story!
He shared of the "worst day of his life" when his tender- hearted, mentally ill son committed suicide.  Pastor Warren did nothing for 16 weeks following that day.  He did not go to work, hold any meetings, write any books, work on the charities he sponsors, or see anyone but his wife.  He told of his becoming a different person during that time of silence and now he's ready to write of his experience of HOPE. He said,"never does the Scripture tell us to share our faith, but repeatedly tells us to share our HOPE in Christ Jesus."  He found HOPE after tragedy.   Again, a standing O.

After spending some more time with Andy, a few more private gatherings and tours the week came to an end.

Our heads are spinning on our shoulders, trying to process all we saw and heard.

Unity and Reconciliation, between political parties, countries, and religious leaders?
Everyone sensed that it's POSSIBLE.....when we PRAY together in the name of Jesus.

Jesus was the MAN of the week, far more important and influential than any other big name attending.

(We left "Unity and Reconciliation" and came home to the news of student protests, private property being burned, & vulgar discourse from people interviewed on the street that cannot articulate WHY they are protesting. It seemed to be other worldly. There is certainly no unity or reconciliation on the streets of America these days.)

The National Prayer Breakfast and the people behind it lift up the person of Jesus.  He's the person for a culture that has lost it's way. He alone is the source of unity and reconciliation.

( He is the ONE hurting and fearful people in our nation are longing for and they have no idea they need Him.)

 We learned and are ENCOURAGED that there's a remnant of believers in our nations capitol and other nations capitols and cultures that look to Him and there they find strength, guidance, comfort and HOPE.


(Thanks Andy!  For this once in a lifetime, life-changing adventure.)