Juicy thanks for the comments. It's nice to know that there are other people out there just willing to connect and share some of lives real moments with one another.

Up before the sun comes up every morning. It amazes me from time to time just the beauty of the sun rising.
I was reading about the Flood and a thought struck me where it said God remembered Noah. God remembers us. He actually never forgets us. We are written on His palm, He knows each and every hair on our head. He knows our thoughts, motives, and emotions. He is intimately connected to us and wants us to be intimately connected to Him.

It's almost the last day of the year. Typically a time to remember all that has pasted before us this year and to make resolutions for the year to come. This year I'd like a passion. Something I'm passionately interested in or something I can become passionately interested in. I would like to make a difference in the world. It might not be a big difference but a difference just the same. I have suddenly become interested in alternative energy solutions. I would really like to be part of building a green community. Then there always that extra couple of pounds I'd like to lose.
Today I heard about a trailer park in Florida, Palm Beach I think. Everyone in the community is going to be an overnight millionaire because some developer wants their property. Some don't want to sell but will probably be outvoted. I was thinking they really need to get together and build a new community better than the other one keeping most of the money in the bank to have a better quality of life. I don't know what is going to become of them but I was saddened to see that the almighty dollar prevailed and their community is in the process of being obliterated.

Genesis 7
1AND THE Lord said to Noah, Come with all your household into the ark, for I have seen you to be righteous (upright and in right standing) before Me in this generation.(A)
2Of every clean beast you shall receive and take with you seven pairs, the male and his mate, and of beasts that are not clean a pair of each kind, the male and his mate,(B)
3Also of the birds of the air seven pairs, the male and the female, to keep seed [their kind] alive over all the earth or land.
4For in seven days I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights, and every living substance and thing that I have made I will destroy, blot out, and wipe away from the face of the earth.
5And Noah did all that the Lord commanded him.(C)
6Noah was 600 years old when the flood of waters came upon the earth or land.
7And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him went into the ark because of the waters of the flood.(D)
8Of [a]clean animals and of animals that are not clean, and of birds and fowls, and of everything that creeps on the ground,
9There went in two and two with Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah.
10And after the seven days the floodwaters came upon the earth or land.
11In the year 600 of Noah's life, in the seventeenth day of the second month, that same day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up and burst forth, and the windows and floodgates of the heavens were opened.
12And it rained upon the earth forty days and forty nights.
13On the very same day Noah and Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife and the three wives of his sons with them, went into the ark,
14They and every [wild] beast according to its kind, all the livestock according to their kinds, every moving thing that creeps on the land according to its kind, and every fowl according to its kind, every winged thing of every sort.
15And they went into the ark with Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there were the breath and spirit of life.
16And they that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded [Noah]; and the Lord shut him in and closed [the door] round about him.
17The flood [that is, the downpour of rain] was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased and bore up the ark, and it was lifted [high] above the land.
18And the waters became mighty and increased greatly upon the land, and the ark went [gently floating] upon the surface of the waters.
19And the waters prevailed so exceedingly and were so mighty upon the earth that all the high hills under the whole sky were covered.
20[In fact] the waters became fifteen cubits higher (22') , as the high hills were covered.
21And all flesh ceased to breathe that moved upon the earth--fowls and birds, [tame] animals, [wild] beasts, all swarming and creeping things that swarm and creep upon the land, and all mankind.
22Everything on the dry land in whose nostrils were the breath and spirit of life died.
23God destroyed (blotted out) every living thing that was upon the face of the earth; man and animals and the creeping things and the birds of the heavens were destroyed (blotted out) from the land. Only Noah remained alive, and those who were with him in the ark.(E)
24And the waters prevailed [mightily] upon the earth or land 150 days (five months).

Woke up today at 4:15 am, made my cup of coffee and sat down to do my devotional. I'm in Genesis 7 which talks about the flood. If you asked me what spiritual nugget I got from it I would have to say that no matter what storm comes into our lives God will provide the boat, the food, and the place of rest if we trust and obey Him. He even provided the sacrafice.

Anyone interested in solar energy and making a difference in this world or ours. If so, e-mail me please.

I'm reading the Friendship Factor by Alan Loy McGinnis. What a great book. Alexandra read it and said that everyone in our family should read it. If you ever wanted to know the secrets for making and keeping meaningful friendships read this book. I just searched the web and there are many websites that are chatting this book up. Check them out. One is www.friendshipfactor.net May your friendships fill your love tank and those who you love.

HAPPY CHANUKA TO ALL Well it's the second day of Chanuka. I found my menorah and got my candles at Harris Teeter yesterday. Do you know what a choice you now have for Chanuka candles. It's amazing. I wanted to be a purist so I started searching for memorahs that one could fill with olive oil. I searched and searched but found that I couldn't get them locally and if I wanted them they would have to be ordered long in advance. I did find a website that had the most beautiful copies of ancient memorahs with vials filled with olive oil and precut wicks that burned for approximately 3 hours. Someone is on the ball. Now I just have to remember where the site is and tell everyone about it because it's very cool. Here's the site, http://www.milechai.com/judaica/menorahs.html
I took this picture of my menorah in my window because the background reflected the Christmas lights at night which I thought was a beautiful illustration that Christ came first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles, now to everyone. Happy Chanuka. Imagine the reflecting lights they're there but you can't see them.

This is the famous Hug a bear aka I need a hug tree

Anyone going anywhere near this tree will get a hug.
 

Happy Chanukka to one and all. Check out Chanuka.com for some great songs and other stuff.
I have to buy my candles today. I have been a bit remiss but we get it together. My menorah is up and it is ready to receive those special colorful candles. Celebrating God's faithfulness.
Back to yesterday. Just wanted to complete the day for you. Note: that it is a challenge at times for one who has not grown up having any Christmas at all to try to create a Norman Rockwell Christmas for those in her family and around her.
Alexandra started stirring at about 9:30 am. I made her special French toast for breakfast. Then we were off to the Christmas Service at Steele Creek in Charlotte. Great multicultural experience, very young, very dynamic, very God! Even had communion to boot which is a blessing. We got back home, had a light lunch and continued opening up our presents. Having started opening them up at 10: 00 am. we weren't finished at 11:00 so, we had to continue the festivities. That's what is good about the treasure hunt. We had 3 clues each before we left and 4 clues when we returned. It stretches out Christmas and gives the kids something to keep them excited about. So, the treasure hunt continued and opening more presents feeling loved and snapping photo's to keep as precious memories. It was all good.
We were off to the Handy's my spiritual family in Greensboro at 2:00 pm. I made a greenbean casserole and salad for our contibution to the Christmas dinner. Alexandra and I made some homemade chocolate macaroons that were to die for as presents. We put them in gorgeous presentation boxes with green and gold tissue paper dividing each level of cookies. Very Martha Stewart, very pretty for the people who have everything. I actually think we should only be able to make presents for each other. That would reduce the stress by a great margin right there. Everything was finished. James took his car and drove with his Dad to Greensboro, Alexandra drove Jan's car with me and we were off. We both took a detour off of 85N which means we got lost but arrive at the same time. James and Alexandra left about 5 minutes apart. We got there and the house looked like something out of Southern Living. It was beautifully decorated. Laura has 4 small children under 6 years old. She hadn't slept the night before for she was preparing special things for the day. It was great seeing Mary Lewis, Andrew, Weston, and the Handy's. It was nice being part of an extended family. For we don't have an extended family and Christmas seems like it was made for people to be together. We had a lovely dinner and after dinner we played an abbreviated version of the spiritual treasure hunt. With the winning team making a contribution to their charity of choice. For when God richly blesses you with all that you want what gift can you get but the gift of giving. Team Handy (Thom, Michael, and Banks) decided to give their gift to the orphans. Good going guys.
We got home safe and sound and I felt like I had had a wonderful Christmas Day. Thank you!

Christmas Eve at St. Peter's on 7th Street in the middle of uptown Charlotte, NC. Originally a outreach missions church it has a long history of serving the community. Check them out if you're ever in Charlotte.
James wanted Christmas to be traditional and that meant a Christmas Eve service at the Anglican Church steept with tradition and then some, yet when the Chior sang tears swelled in my eyes. We ate our white sausage. mashed potatoes and red cabbage before we left. That is what Jan's childhood brings to the table. A German heritage that has many wonderful ideas associated with Christmas.
We arrived home by 9:00 pm and I went up to bed still having lots to do Christmas morning.
Christmas morning I woke at about 4:30 a.m. I had written the kids their Christmas cards and I still had to write Jan's and a card from my mother to the children who is up in heaven looking down I believe. I have given the children a gift from my mother ever since she left us in rememberance of her love. So those notes were written and then I got to the real hard stuff.
Those notes are pretty hard emotionally for me as well. We have a spiritual treasure hunt that has to be inspired by God's Word. Seven clues for each child each clue associated with Scripture and each clue hidden somewhere in the house. It was tons of fun and went over exceptionally well. So the clues were hidden. Some behind pictures, others behind porcellin, some under sculptures, and others inside books. The more creative I get the more fun I have. Praise be to GOD. It's actually all about Him. The more I focus on Him the more peace and joy I have. Christmas was extraordinary good this year.

I'm making homemade Christmas Stocking for everyone today. My friend Christina is rushing home so she can bring me her sewing machine otherwise I would have to stitch all four stockings by hand. That's a labor of love. We cut and pinned all the stockings. Now we have to sew them up and add the piping with a hook or we can hang them up.
I'm trying to make Christmas incrediably easy on myself. I hope everyone gets along with each other and we can keep our eyes on Christ. On all the blessings we have. Especially the blessing that we have a family intact. So many millions of children do not even have the basics, nor do they have a mother or father who is living together. Thank you LORD for Your gift of Jesus Christ to mankind.

If anyone is in Charlotte and wants to go to a Messianic Congregation check out Hope of Israel on Saturday mornings at 10:30 am on Elm St. in South Charlotte.

Christmas is coming upon me hot and heavy. James seems to be acting up again. Why do some people have to power play in order to feel loved? Why can't children forgive the mistakes of their parents for parents forgive countless mistakes of their children?
Chistmas is upon us. Today Alexandra, Jan and yours truly went to see Memoirs of a Gesha. It was magificant. A three tear jerker tissue holder experience.

How much is your gas and electric bill? Mine seems to have doubled overnight. When I woke up this morning as saw MSN's homepage telling us 12 ways to lower our heating bills I thought I'd share it on my blog.
Good for you MSN.

12 ways to fight soaring heating bills

Rising prices for heating oil and natural gas could mean big bills this winter. Here are some things you can do to cut your costs.By Christopher Solomon
The unrelenting rise in oil and natural gas prices is about to run headlong into the steady approach of winter. Oil prices have roared to fresh record highs each time the U.S. government reported another fall in heating fuel stocks ahead of winter. World prices have surged on fears that the United States is running out of time to build winter fuel supplies.
The Energy Information Administration forecasts that households in the Midwest could spend 71% more this winter for natural gas and 40% more for propane than last winter; those in the Northeast that use heating oil could spend 33% more; and Southern households could see a 17% rise in their electricity bills. Nationwide, we’ll see an overall increase of 24% in winter heat bills, the EIA forecasts. The EIA is assuming typical winter weather, but the big forecasters call for a colder than normal season, especially east of the Mississippi.
What to do? Well, don’t simply grit your teeth and wait for a big bill.
“There’s a lot of things that the entrepreneurial homeowner can do, if he’s a little bit handy,” says John Ryan, team leader for commercial buildings for the Building Technologies Program in the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, who has spent years thinking about efficiency in homes.
Here are more than a dozen simple steps you can take to slash your home’s heating bill. Seven steps cost nothing. Eight more cost under $100. Combine them, and you can often expect to save 20% -- and possibly much, much more -- on your home heating bill this winter. And some new federal tax breaks even sweeten the opportunity.
Grab that free, low-hanging fruitFirst, the freebies. These strategies may sound simplistic, but they work well:
Turn down the thermostat. “The rule of thumb is that you can save about 3% on your heating bill for every degree that you set back your thermostat” full-time, says Bill Prindle, deputy director for the nonprofit American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). Turn down the thermostat 10 degrees when you go to work, and again when you go to bed -- a total of 16 hours a day -- and you can save about 14% on your heating bill, says Prindle.
Use fans wisely. In just one hour, a hard-working bathroom or kitchen fan can expel a houseful of warm air, according to the Department of Energy. Turn them off as soon as they’ve done their job.
Keep the fireplace damper closed. Heat rises, and an open damper is like a hole in the roof. Also, limit use of the fireplace, since fires actually suck heat from a room, says Harvey Sachs, director of ACEEE’s buildings program. Close off seldom-used rooms. And shut the vents inside.
Turn down the water heater. Lowering the temperature of water in the water heater to 115-120 degrees reduces power use often without a noticeable difference to the user, says Prindle.
Keep heating vents clear. Vents blocked by rugs and furniture prevent heated air from circulating efficiently.
Use curtains. Opening curtains and shades on south-facing windows during the day allows solar radiation to warm a living space; closing all curtains at night helps retard the escape of that heat.Web sites on the topic abound, but one of the best is run by the Department of Energy.
Low-cost fixesSo you’ve put the easiest, and free, ideas to work. Now you can really make a dent in that heating bill with one cheap trip to a hardware store (Home Depot, for example, has all of the items below) and a few hours of work:
Block that leak! The small gaps surrounding windows, doors and other areas in the American house, taken together, are like a nine-square-foot hole in the wall, according to EarthWorks Group’s “30 Simple Energy Things You Can Do to Save the Earth.” Plugging them can save you up to 10% on that heating bill, and the materials will pay for themselves within a year, ACEEE says.
First, find the leaks: On a windy day, hold a lit incense stick to the most common drafty areas: chimney flashing, recessed lighting, sill plates, window and door frames, all ducts and flues and electrical outlets.
Buy door sweeps ($3-$10) to close spaces under exterior doors, and caulk ($2-$5 per roll, plus a $10 caulk gun) or tacky rope caulk to block those drafty spots around window frames. Apply weatherstripping ($3-$6 for up to 17 feet) to moveable joints. Outlet gaskets ($10 for 10) can easily be installed in electrical outlets in a home’s outer walls, where cold air often enters.
Keep your ducts in a row. A home that uses ductwork to move heated air can lose up to 60% of that air before it reaches the vents if the ducts are poorly connected, not well insulated and travel through unheated spaces such as the attic or crawlspace, says the government. “If you are a halfway savvy do-it-yourselfer, and your ductwork and heating and air-conditioning equipment are in the attic, you can do an awful lot to fix your system, at low cost,” says Sachs.
First, look for obvious places in the attic, basement or in crawlspaces where ducts have become disconnected. Reconnect them, and fix places where pipes are pinched, which impedes flow of heated air to the house, says the Department of Energy’s Ryan.
Fix remaining gaps with tape, but don’t use traditional duct tape, which deteriorates; instead, use metal-backed tape ($6-$10 per roll) or aerosol sealant. Where possible, wrap the ducts’ exterior with special duct insulation ($8-$12 for 15 feet). Though the cost will be substantially more, it’s a good idea to get a professional to help insulate ducts when electrical wires or lighting fixtures are nearby.
Swaddle water heater and pipes. Unless you’ve got a newer water heater that already has built-in insulation, covering your water heater with an insulated “jacket” ($17-$20) will keep costs down, especially if your heater is in an unheated place like a garage. Also, wrap water pipes ($1-$5 per 5-foot section) when possible, especially when they run through uninsulated areas.
Winterize windows. If you can’t afford storm windows, put plastic film on those windows ($6 covers three windows) where a clear view isn’t crucial, which will curb drafts and keep windows from rattling.
Buy a low-flow showerhead. A water-efficient showerhead (often less than $20) can use 25% to 50% less hot water, saving both on water and power bills, with little to no reduction in user satisfaction, says Prindle.
Buy a smart thermostat. If you’re the kind of person who forgets to turn the temperature down at night and before work, but who doesn’t mind programming things like the TV remote control, a “smart” thermostat ($50-$100) can be set to change the temperature for you.
Keep your furnace in shape. “It’s amazing how often a heating or air conditioning unit stops working because a $3 or $15 air filter is clogged,” says Sachs. Replace the air filter ($4-$16) according to manufacturer’s directions and your heating system will operate more efficiently.
Oil-fired boilers should be cleaned and tuned annually, and gas systems, every two years ($100-$125). By maintaining your heating unit, you can save between 3% and 10% on heating bills, says ACEEE.
Look for other insulation opportunities. Some well-placed insulation, especially in the attic of older homes, can save a bundle ($7-$16, in rolls from 22-32 feet, depending on insulation value).
First, however, Sachs recommends going into the attic and looking for black-stained areas on the edges of the fiberglass. That’s dust, and it shows where air is flowing up out of the living space. Sealing that area first will do more good than simply piling on more insulation.
By following all of the aforementioned strategies, the owner of an older home can likely save much more than 20% on heating bills, he says.
Thinking bigSo you’ve spent the minimum and will now save a noticeable chunk of money. What else can you do in the future? Replace appliances, heating units, light fixtures and bulbs with high-efficiency replacements.
It costs money to save money, however. While an adequate vinyl window might cost $100-$150, a double-paned window with a low e-rating (that’s a good thing) can cost $50-$100 more, says Nevil Eastwood, director of construction and environmental resources for Habitat for Humanity International in Georgia. “That adds up, when you’ve got 15 windows in your house,” Eastwood acknowledges.
Many experts therefore recommend buying high-efficiency windows and appliances as their predecessors wear out and you need to replace them anyway. Over time, the extra cost is recouped in improved efficiency.
“If your furnace is over 20 years old, you’re probably paying far more to use it,” says Maria Vargas, spokesperson for Energy Star, a federal government-backed program that promotes energy efficiency and that lends its name to energy-saving products. Furnaces bearing the Energy Star label are about 15% more efficient than a standard conventional model, says Vargas.
A Chicago resident might pay an Energy Star premium of $1,400 or so on an average home furnace for that area, Vargas says, but the savings pay off the extra cost in three or four years.
Many utilities offer discounts or rebates on energy-saving products. Call and ask. Loans are also sometimes available for major improvements that will incorporate energy-efficient products or to purchase a high-efficiency home.
Thank you, George W. (sort of)The Energy Policy Act of 2005 gives most of its $14.5 billion in tax breaks over the next 10 years to businesses, but it does throw a few bones to homeowners, says CCH Inc., a provider of tax and accounting information and software.
Homeowners who make energy-efficient improvements to existing homes can qualify for a 10% tax credit, up to $500. A credit is a dollar-for-dollar reduction in taxes, compared with a deduction, which only decreases taxable income. Improvements that can qualify include adding insulation, metal roofs coated with heat-reducing pigments, and energy-efficient windows, doors and skylights (though only $200 can come from windows).
Other items that meet certain criteria qualify for the credit with specific limitations, according to CCH: Advanced main air circulating fans can earn up to a $50 credit; some natural gas, propane or oil furnace or hot water boilers are eligible for up to a $150 credit; and qualifying electric and geothermal heat pumps qualify for up to a $300 credit. The credits can be taken on 2006 and 2007 returns, but the total credits for the two years cannot exceed the $500 maximum, says CCH.
Here’s the hitch. The tax breaks don’t kick in until Jan. 1, which means consumers have to decide whether to make upgrades now, or wait and pay higher fuel prices. Prindle, ACEEE’s deputy directory, recommends this strategy: make any low-cost repairs and upgrades this fall, then invest in pricier upgrades as soon as the tax breaks kick in.
The act also gives homeowners a tax credit for 30% of the cost of buying and installing residential solar water heating and photovoltaic equipment, says CCH. The maximum credit is $2,000. Solar water heaters for swimming pools and hot tubs do not qualify. The credit, which expires at the end of 2007, also applies to homeowners who install fuel cells to supply electricity. The maximum credit is $500 for each .5 kilowatt of capacity.
Still need help?If you’re really in a pinch to pay that heating bill, some agencies and governments offer help. For example, the city of Bellevue, Wash., near Seattle, offers discounts for low-income seniors and low-income disabled and a tax rebate for all low-income customers who meet certain eligibility requirements. Contact your local utility or local Community Action Agency. National assistance for low-income families who want to make energy-saving home improvements is also available at the Department of Energy Web site.

Christmas 2005 continued

So there’s no presents and I’m already feeling guilty. Maybe money will wash away the guilt. Several years ago we did a treasure hunt for the children. There were 10 clues each with a verse attached to the clue. If you found the answer there was an envelope with a twenty-dollar bill inside. It went over really well with the kids. I guess maybe I’ll get creative with the clues once again. GOD GIVE ME INSPIRATION.

We’ve moved to Charlotte. Finally settling in yet there are still 50 boxes in the garage and no room for cars. Do not buy a house without first making sure the cars will fit in the garage. Let’s just say that my three cars are in the drive for the last 5 months. I can’t even park them on the street because of a clause in the homeowner’s association handbook that prohibits one from doing so.

Back to Christmas, I’ve gotten involved in a couple of things like teaching a Bible Study and joining several women’s clubs. One of note is the Assistance League. Remember the teddy bear tree. Their thrift store profits go towards clothing and supplying a snack for over 7000 needy elementary school children in Charlotte. I brought a tree that continues to give.

I wanted not to go over a page and I did. I want to wish you all the good blessings in the world.
Joy
Peace
Happiness
Health
Prosperity
Generosity
Thankfulness
To name a few.

I’m sending each and everyone a massive hug and kiss.

Remember the teddy bears.

Love,
Susan

This year is different. We decided to have a peaceful Christmas. What does that actually mean? First of all we decided no presents. When I pass the malls near our house and seeing not one free parking space at Carolina Mall I say “thank God” I don’t have to be in that mess. Yet I am trying to think what would please God as a gift? Is it my prayers? Is it my heart? Is it someone else’s needs? I don’t know yet. Maybe it’s all these things and more.
It’s a week before Christmas. We were singing Joyful Joyful at Church today, the first Noel as well. I started for at last to feel some Christmas bliss and peace thrown in for good measure. I haven’t decorated the house for I left all the decorations in Winston-Salem under my steps in the garage. I did buy a tree at the Assistance League Thrift Shop in Charlotte. The woman who runs the store asked me my theme. I looked around and saw so many little teddy bears. I exclaimed my theme is “I NEED A HUG”. Figuring that if I needed a hug maybe someone else needed one too.
I'm going to continue this Christmas blog when I've finished my Christmas Letter.

Correction Shannon's blog is http://shopkins.blogspot.com/

Correction Shannon's blog is http://shopkins.blogspot.com/

If there is anyone in Charlotte, NC who wants some homebaked cookies for free please e-mail me and they are yours.
Mom

I'm feeling better. Caught up with Jessica and that made my day this weekend. Hoping to see her when she comes back to Charlotte to see her family after the New Year.
Received an S.O.S from Shannon she desparately needs prayer for her financial obligations to be meet, so please join me in prayer for her. If there is anything you can do personally go to her blogsite. Her link is on the side of my blog.
Jolly is a balance I've found for the Christmas holiday season. Don't want too much, don't want too little. It's a balance.
Yesterday went to a cookie exchange. First time in my life. Got up and made 6 dozen cookies. Should have tried the receipe before I did it. They stuck to the bottom of the pan. I felt like the ugly duckling. All those Martha Stewart looking cookies on display. Mine tasted good I've been told. My friend Mia came over and picked the ugly duckling cookies as her favorites. I didn't even tell her they were mine until after the fact. I found that after I tasted three cookies they all tasted the same. So much for the fantasy and the reality. The reality is I didn't even want them in my house. I don't need the butter, sugar, flour, chocolate, nuts, and excess. At least my waistband doesn't nor does Jan need the extra calories. I think about all the times around the Curves circuit I'd have to go to work it off. Is there a spiritual lesson there?
KEEP IT SIMPLE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON.
GIVE THE GIFT OF YOURSELF.
GIVE A SPIRITUAL GIFT TO SOMEONE TODAY.

Yesterday was the pits but today is better. What a feeling of oppression and depression I felt. I just wanted to get out of my skin at times. Tody it's 7:13 am and I made it. Another day and another opportunity to feel God's peace. The peace of the LORD will guard your heart and mind please show me how this works God. Give all your anxious thoughts to Him. It's the keeping it with Him that is the challenge. Guard my mind, put on the helmet of salvation. I think about Christ's mind overshadowing my own. Help me to see the the little blessings today and feel Your peace.

What do you like to do that is superbly enjoyable? Something that is so much fun you can hardly stand it. Yesterday I went dancing at church. We learnt Israelie dances and steps. Debbie was incredibly good at teaching and calling the steps as we went. I really had fun. It seems to me a challenge to even think of things that really turn me on. Have I gotten too old or too out of the loop? I use to be so fun loving and spontaneous. Is it a product of old age (over 50) or is it a husband that is content to be by himself? I don't know I'll have to think about it. But know that I had a great time yesterday even though one of the steps was a bit over my head or should I say my feet. What was it called something like the amish step. I'll have to look it up or ask Debbie.

It's Mom here and I've not been blogging for a couple of weeks. I always feel guilty when I'm away for more than a few days. But guilt doesn't get us anywhere so I will blog on.
This weekend was great. The Rabbi came over for dinner on Saturday night with his family. We had a terrific time.

Can I write as freely as I think? Why does my mind sometimes feel like a war zone, a battlefield. Contrasting thoughts popping in and out at machine gun speed. Often the theme song of my life playing in the background. "Where am I going I don't know. Where am I heading I'm not certain. All I know is I am on my way." That was a song for the show Paint Your Wagon. Does anyone remember it?

I read this everyday. Everyday I put on the armor. Some days the battle is weightier than others. Some days I feel the battle raging, other days I'm unaware. But everyday I put on the armor for I know when I least expect it the darts start to be shot and I'm the target. So join me in putting on the whole armor of God. Tell me about your experiences.
Eph. 6: 10 - 19
The Whole Armor of God
10A final word: Be strong with the Lord's mighty power. 11Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil. 12For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.
13Use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness. 15For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared.[b] 16In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan.[c] 17Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere.
19And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words as I boldly explain God's secret plan that the Good News is for the Gentiles, too

What a praise report I have to share with you this morning. GOD IS GOOD. The night and the darkness don't last forever.
GOD ANSWERS PRAYER!
Did I tell you that I lost my engagement ring. The one that Jan, my husband designed with my mother's diamond in the center. It was the sort of thing that had exceptional sentimental value.
I was doing some gardening and I remember putting it on in the morning. I had lost 20ish pounds and my rings were somewhat loose. (If your rings are loose, please resize them or take them off before you garden). You can buy a safety guard for less than $5.00. So, I come into the house at night when I'm ready for bed I realize that I only have three of the four rings I usually wear on my ring finger. My engagement ring is missing. Should I tell? Shouldn't I tell? What should I do? What would you do? I told my husband and I prayed.
Well he was very kind and said let it pass. I even rented a metal detector the following day and tried to find it but to no prevail. So, I let it go which is hard for a type A personality.
Little did I know that Jan was upset and he prayed. About a week later, Jan tells me that God told him where my ring was. That's an answer to prayer right there. Jan praying.
Yesterday I was going to get my daughter Alexandra and together with Jan and I we were going to systematically search this area. We weren't sure just how to. As I put down 20 bales of long leaf pine needles in the front of my yard.
Alexandra hadn't returned home from running some errands. I was outside and Jan was on the steps leading up to the main door. I reached down to push aside some of the pine needles in the area we were going to search. I thought we would start on the edge and maybe move toward the back of the plot we were searching through. But Jan said it's not there go about 4 paces ahead, I did. I reached down, pushed the new pine needles away from the old ones and there facing me was my ring. I wanted to cry. It felt like a miracle. Such a GOD MOMENT. Jan said God wanted you to have your engagement ring back.
I have been praising the LORD ever since. It was truly a gift on a number of levels. Jan's prayers, trusting in the LORD, waiting on Him, His Devine relation, our obedience to follow His leading. Rejoicing with my friends and prayer partners just like the women did in the Bible who lost her coin and swept out her house until she found it. When she did she went to her neighbors and celebrated with the.
GOD IS GOOD. Thank you Abba.

When you feel you're depressed just pick up "A Million Little Pieces" and you'll feel better. I can only take it in bits and pieces because the emotion and pain is too much for me.
The song from Painted Wagon goes around in my head "Where am I going I don't know. Where am I headed I'm not certain. All I know is I am on my way". Why do I always feel like going? It's been the theme song of my life. Always some times sooner some times later feel the same way. The song keeps going through my head.

Something strange is happening in my mind. There's a battle going on. Most of the time I'm not even conscious of it. Sometimes I feel so down for no apparent reason. This morning for instance I feel my body screaming help me LORD. I don't know what is going on or why I feel this way or what to do to feel at peace. Maybe it is one of those firery darts that are being aimed towards me?. Maybe I just have to duck? Keep looking up, keep praying, keep holding on no matter what it looks like. On the outside it looks so good but the inside sometimes feels like it crumbling.

Dialogue that goes on in your brain. I've read the first chapter of James Frey's book A Million Little Pieces, and I'm depressed. Saddened by the depth of his anguish and anger, saddened that the anger that comes through in every word of his dialogue reminds me of the edge my son too often puts on his words. The same edge I may have had in the past myself. It is hard for me to read. But I may force myself. I know that the outcome is good for I've seen the author on Oprah and not only is he surviving but he has a ministry to many other kids that are walking through the same hell.

Alexandra is reading me bits and pieces of that book A Million Pieces, the one on Oprah's Book Club choice this month. I like the concept of his internal dialogue. Which gives me the courage to share some of my own. Especially that dialogue which isn't very pretty. It's amazing the thoughts that go on in our heads. The minds that are suppose to be godly, the battles that are really vicious and close to deadly. The battles are real.
Life death
Purity lustfulness
Looking up looking down
Spirit flesh
You me
Good bad
Just some of my thoughts for today

I'm going to try to keep my focus off myself and others and onto the LORD.
Today I'm going to try to be happy.
Seeing good in all things especially in the little things.
I'm going to have a praiseful heart.
There is going to an intentional smile on my face.
Let's see what the outcome will bring.

I'm thinking about new ways in which 20 something
30 something and beyond Christian people can connect with each other in hopes of finding a lasting relationship.
Any ideas?

Interesting study this morning about our attitudes towards sin. Do I have a repentent attitude or do I make excuses? How do I react when I'm corrected? Do you feel you have good or bad attitude? You know what's going on in your head and in your flesh.
I'm in Gen. 4: 6-19
6 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."
8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out to the field." [a] And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
9 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?"
"I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's keeper?"
10 The LORD said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground. 11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth."
1 John 1: 5-11
Walking in the light
5This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[a] sin.
8If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.
11You are hereby banished from the ground you have defiled with your brother's blood
12No longer will it yield abundant crops for you, no matter how hard you work! From now on you will be a homeless fugitive on the earth, constantly wandering from place to place."
13Cain replied to the LORD, "My punishment[a] is too great for me to bear! 14You have banished me from my land and from your presence; you have made me a wandering fugitive. All who see me will try to kill me!"
15The LORD replied, "They will not kill you, for I will give seven times your punishment to anyone who does." Then the LORD put a mark on Cain to warn anyone who might try to kill him. 16So Cain left the LORD's presence and settled in the land of Nod,[b] east of Eden.
One of my study questions today asks us to contrast Cain's remark after his punishment with David's remarks after his punishment. (See 2 Sam. 12:13 and Ps 51)

1 Cor. 10:13
13But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it.
My commentary said we should recognize those people and situations that give us trouble.
Chose to do only what is right.
Pray for God's help when you are tempted.
Run away from a tempting situation.
Yesterday I was on the battle field myself. Thousands of choices each and everyday. I made a couple of wrong ones. Knowing that I was moving in the wrong direction this morning I asked God's forgiveness and He gave me these verses. Not only for me but for you too. I know for me I'm really not too far from self destructing. I often feel on the edge and only by God's grace I'm here to share this with you.

Today I was reading Gen. 4:6-8, John 3:10-16, and 1 Cor. 10:13
The questions were as follows:
Compare Genesis 4:6-8 with 1 Corin 10:13. Which phrases in Genesis 4:6-8 suggest that God prepared a way of escape from temptation for Cain?
How does Gen. 4:6-7 show God's tender understanding of Cain's unhappy heart?
Explain Gen 4:7 in your own words, phrase by phrase.
List the ways 1 John 3:10-16 applies to Genesis 4: 1-15.
In what ways does Abel remind you of Christ? Are you dealing with any of the problems that Cain dealt with? ie jealeousy, anger, rebellion? (to name a few).
I was struck when I read this portion of scripture today what my commentary said about dealing with temptations.

Genesis 3
The serpent's threefold method of temptation. Interesting enough, he is still up to his same old tricks.
First, he brought doubt of God's love and discontent with our present circumstances.
(If you're moaning and groaning about something in your life today, stop and start praising God for the blessing. Look at your cup 1/2 full instead of 1/2 empty).
Second, the devil suggested that we can can away with our sin, without punishment.
(Wrong, If God says that there are penalities for sin, rest assured that they will come).
The devil caused Eve to lose her healthy fear of disobeying God and to doubt His Word concerning the consequences. Eve did die! We die! Are we going to die in our sins or are we going to have eternal life through Jesus Christ? That's the question to ponder.
Third, the serpent finally wedged open the door into Eve's heart. He excited her personal ambition to excel. She craved to appear wise and powerful, like God and to exert her independent will. Eve went for the deception and look what happened....
She listened to the deceiver, instead of running away, instead of keeping her eye on the blessing, instead of considering all that she had, she looked on the one thing she didn't.
She looked at what was forbidden. Are you spending time obsessing about what you know you should not have or do. Are you concentrating on something God has forbidden. Looking led to enchantment and infatuation with the fobidden thing as to blind her. Are you blinded? Drugs, sex, rock and roll, what's the forbidden fruit in your life that you need to flee from?
She took what wasn't hers. This was the final deliberate choice, the birth to sin. Are you at the point of making a fatal error of judgement?
She ate!
She gave! Funny how we still have a tendency to want to share sin with others. Sin done in secret still affects those closest to us.

Temptation
Sin
Rebellion
Willfulness
Shame
Guilt
Fear
Disbelief
Lies
Desire
Lust
What do all these words have to do with each other today?

Sin, shame, guilt, deception, fear, are some of the words that come to mind after reading Genesis account of how the serpent tricked Eve into eating the fruit of the tree of good and evil.
It's an interesting study on how Satan deceived, lied, twisted the truth and in so doing so tricked Eve into settling for less of what God had in store for her. He does the same thing now. He uses the same methods that he used on Eve, that he used on Jesus, that he uses on every individual I believe and certainly those who want to walk with GOD.
Do a study on sin. Both in Genesis, Matthew, John, 1 John, See the enemies tactics. What is our counter defense. It's an interesting journey. For we all hold in common our trails, temptations, and lusts of the flesh.

blog blog blog
Our thoughts, our emotions, our prayers going up to the LORD and to each other, what is their value or worth? Sometimes I feel very connected and other times very disconnected.
I was reading in Genesis that God made us for fellowship with Him. A real love relationship, intimacy, security, trust, conversation, etc. His name says He is the meeter of all our needs. I need something right now deep in my spirit yet I can't even verbalize what it is.

How did God test Adam's obedience? What is God asking you to aliviate in your life? How is God testing your obedience today?
Genesis 2:15-25
15The LORD God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and care for it. 16But the LORD God gave him this warning: "You may freely eat any fruit in the garden 17except fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat of its fruit, you will surely die."

18And the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a companion who will help him." 19So the LORD God formed from the soil every kind of animal and bird. He brought them to Adam[a] to see what he would call them, and Adam chose a name for each one. 20He gave names to all the livestock, birds, and wild animals. But still there was no companion suitable for him. 21So the LORD God caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep. He took one of Adam's ribs[b] and closed up the place from which he had taken it. 22Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib and brought her to Adam.

23"At last!" Adam exclaimed. "She is part of my own flesh and bone! She will be called `woman,' because she was taken out of a man." 24This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one. 25Now, although Adam and his wife were both naked, neither of them felt any shame.

After reading Genesis 1 today I was struck by the thought that God made us in His image, a little lower than Himself. We are crowned with glory and honor. His creation made with a purpose in mind to care and tend for the animals, gardens, and all of His creation. Our purpose has not changed from the very beginning. Am I caring for my planet, the animals, or brother and sister the way God would have me to do?
Genesis 1
The Account of Creation 1In the beginning God created[a] the heavens and the earth. 2The earth was empty, a formless mass cloaked in darkness. And the Spirit of God was hovering over its surface. 3Then God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. 4And God saw that it was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. 5God called the light "day" and the darkness "night." Together these made up one day.
6And God said, "Let there be space between the waters, to separate water from water." 7And so it was. God made this space to separate the waters above from the waters below. 8And God called the space "sky." This happened on the second day.
9And God said, "Let the waters beneath the sky be gathered into one place so dry ground may appear." And so it was. 10God named the dry ground "land" and the water "seas." And God saw that it was good. 11Then God said, "Let the land burst forth with every sort of grass and seed-bearing plant. And let there be trees that grow seed-bearing fruit. The seeds will then produce the kinds of plants and trees from which they came." And so it was. 12The land was filled with seed-bearing plants and trees, and their seeds produced plants and trees of like kind. And God saw that it was good. 13This all happened on the third day.
14And God said, "Let bright lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. They will be signs to mark off the seasons, the days, and the years. 15Let their light shine down upon the earth." And so it was. 16For God made two great lights, the sun and the moon, to shine down upon the earth. The greater one, the sun, presides during the day; the lesser one, the moon, presides through the night. He also made the stars. 17God set these lights in the heavens to light the earth, 18to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19This all happened on the fourth day.
20And God said, "Let the waters swarm with fish and other life. Let the skies be filled with birds of every kind." 21So God created great sea creatures and every sort of fish and every kind of bird. And God saw that it was good. 22Then God blessed them, saying, "Let the fish multiply and fill the oceans. Let the birds increase and fill the earth." 23This all happened on the fifth day.
24And God said, "Let the earth bring forth every kind of animal--livestock, small animals, and wildlife." And so it was. 25God made all sorts of wild animals, livestock, and small animals, each able to reproduce more of its own kind. And God saw that it was good.
26Then God said, "Let us make people[b] in our image, to be like ourselves. They will be masters over all life--the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the livestock, wild animals,[c] and small animals."
27 So God created people in his own image; God patterned them after himself; male and female he created them. 28God blessed them and told them, "Multiply and fill the earth and subdue it. Be masters over the fish and birds and all the animals." 29And God said, "Look! I have given you the seed-bearing plants throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food. 30And I have given all the grasses and other green plants to the animals and birds for their food." And so it was. 31Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was excellent in every way. This all happened on the sixth day.

The Life Application Bible gives this forward to the book of Philemon that is worth sharing in hope of breaking down those walls in our lives that separate us from each other.
Life has many walls and fences that divide, separate and compartmentalize. Not made of wood or stone, they are personal obstructions blocking people from each other and from God. But Christ came as the great wall remover, tearing down the sin partition that separates us from God and blasting the barriers that keep us from each other. His death and resurrection opened the way to eternal life to bring all who believe into the family of God.
The letter to Philemon is Paul's personal plea for a slave. Onesimus belonged to Philemon, a member of the Colossian church and Paul's friend. But Onesimus, the slave, had stolen from his master and run away. He ran to Rome, where he met Paul and there he responded to the Good News and came to faith in Christ. So Paul writes to Philemon and reintroduces Onesimus to him, explaining that he is sending him back, not just as a slave but as a brother. Tactfully he asks Philemon to accept and forgive his brother. The barriers of the past and the new ones erected by Onesimus's desertion and theft should divide them no longer, for they are one in Christ.
This small book is a masterpiece of grace and tact and a profound demonstration of the power of Christ and of true Christian fellowship in action. What barriers are in your home, neighborhood, and church? What separates you from fellow believers? Is it race? status? wealth? education? personality? As with Philemon, God calls you to seek unity, breaking down those walls and embracing your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Philemon
Greetings from Paul
1This letter is from Paul, in prison for preaching the Good News about Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy.
It is written to Philemon, our much loved co-worker, 2and to our sister Apphia and to Archippus, a fellow soldier of the cross. I am also writing to the church that meets in your house.
3May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

Pauls Thanksgiving and Prayer 4I always thank God when I pray for you, Philemon, 5because I keep hearing of your trust in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God's people. 6You are generous because of your faith. And I am praying that you will really put your generosity to work, for in so doing you will come to an understanding of all the good things we can do for Christ. 7I myself have gained much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because your kindness has so often refreshed the hearts of God's people.

Pauls Appeal for Onesimus 8That is why I am boldly asking a favor of you. I could demand it in the name of Christ because it is the right thing for you to do, 9but because of our love, I prefer just to ask you. So take this as a request from your friend Paul, an old man, now in prison for the sake of Christ Jesus.
10My plea is that you show kindness to Onesimus. I think of him as my own son because he became a believer as a result of my ministry here in prison. 11Onesimus[a] hasn't been of much use to you in the past, but now he is very useful to both of us. 12I am sending him back to you, and with him comes my own heart.
13I really wanted to keep him here with me while I am in these chains for preaching the Good News, and he would have helped me on your behalf. 14But I didn't want to do anything without your consent. And I didn't want you to help because you were forced to do it but because you wanted to. 15Perhaps you could think of it this way: Onesimus ran away for a little while so you could have him back forever. 16He is no longer just a slave; he is a beloved brother, especially to me. Now he will mean much more to you, both as a slave and as a brother in the Lord.
17So if you consider me your partner, give him the same welcome you would give me if I were coming. 18If he has harmed you in any way or stolen anything from you, charge me for it. 19I, Paul, write this in my own handwriting: "I will repay it." And I won't mention that you owe me your very soul!
20Yes, dear brother, please do me this favor for the Lord's sake. Give me this encouragement in Christ. 21I am confident as I write this letter that you will do what I ask and even more!
22Please keep a guest room ready for me, for I am hoping that God will answer your prayers and let me return to you soon.

Pauls Final Greetings 23Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings. 24So do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my co-workers.
25The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Share the Good News in good times and in bad times. The time is short and our days are numbered. What fruit am I bearing for eternity?
2 Timothy 4
1 And so I solemnly urge you before God and before Christ Jesus--who will someday judge the living and the dead when he appears to set up his Kingdom: 2Preach the word of God. Be persistent, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.
3For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to right teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever they want to hear. 4They will reject the truth and follow strange myths.
5But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don't be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at bringing others to Christ. Complete the ministry God has given you.

Pauls Final Words 6As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. 7I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. 8And now the prize awaits me--the crown of righteousness that the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that great day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his glorious return.
9Please come as soon as you can. 10Demas has deserted me because he loves the things of this life and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus has gone to Dalmatia. 11Only Luke is with me. Bring Mark with you when you come, for he will be helpful to me. 12I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. 13When you come, be sure to bring the coat I left with Carpus at Troas. Also bring my books, and especially my papers.[a]
14Alexander the coppersmith has done me much harm, but the Lord will judge him for what he has done. 15Be careful of him, for he fought against everything we said.
16The first time I was brought before the judge, no one was with me. Everyone had abandoned me. I hope it will not be counted against them. 17But the Lord stood with me and gave me strength, that I might preach the Good News in all its fullness for all the Gentiles to hear. And he saved me from certain death.[b] 18Yes, and the Lord will deliver me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly Kingdom. To God be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Pauls Final Greetings 19Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila and those living at the household of Onesiphorus. 20Erastus stayed at Corinth, and I left Trophimus sick at Miletus.
21Hurry so you can get here before winter. Eubulus sends you greetings, and so do Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers and sisters.[c]
22May the Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you all.

This last paragraph really speaks to my spirit. We must remain faithful. GOD'S WORD teaches us, corrects us, guides us, helps us, equips us and each word is inspired by the Holy Spirit.
2 Timothy 3
The Dangers of the Last Days 1You should also know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. 2For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control; they will be cruel and have no interest in what is good. 4They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5They will act as if they are religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. You must stay away from people like that.
6They are the kind who work their way into people's homes and win the confidence of[a] vulnerable women who are burdened with the guilt of sin and controlled by many desires. 7Such women are forever following new teachings, but they never understand the truth. 8And these teachers fight the truth just as Jannes and Jambres fought against Moses. Their minds are depraved, and their faith is counterfeit. 9But they won't get away with this for long. Someday everyone will recognize what fools they are, just as happened with Jannes and Jambres.

Pauls Charge to Timothy 10But you know what I teach, Timothy, and how I live, and what my purpose in life is. You know my faith and how long I have suffered. You know my love and my patient endurance. 11You know how much persecution and suffering I have endured. You know all about how I was persecuted in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra--but the Lord delivered me from all of it. 12Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 13But evil people and impostors will flourish. They will go on deceiving others, and they themselves will be deceived.
14But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. 15You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. 17It is God's way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do.

2 Timothy 1
Greetings from Paul 1This letter is from Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God's will, sent out to tell others about the life he has promised through faith in Christ Jesus.
2It is written to Timothy, my dear son.
May God our Father and Christ Jesus our Lord give you grace, mercy, and peace.
Encouragement to Be Faithful 3Timothy, I thank God for you. He is the God I serve with a clear conscience, just as my ancestors did. Night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. 4I long to see you again, for I remember your tears as we parted. And I will be filled with joy when we are together again.
5I know that you sincerely trust the Lord, for you have the faith of your mother, Eunice, and your grandmother, Lois. 6This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. 7For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. 8So you must never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don't be ashamed of me, either, even though I'm in prison for Christ. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the proclamation of the Good News.
9It is God who saved us and chose us to live a holy life. He did this not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan long before the world began--to show his love and kindness to us through Christ Jesus. 10And now he has made all of this plain to us by the coming of Christ Jesus, our Savior, who broke the power of death and showed us the way to everlasting life through the Good News. 11And God chose me to be a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of this Good News.
12And that is why I am suffering here in prison. But I am not ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him[a] until the day of his return.
13Hold on to the pattern of right teaching you learned from me. And remember to live in the faith and love that you have in Christ Jesus. 14With the help of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard what has been entrusted to you.
15As you know, all the Christians who came here from the province of Asia have deserted me; even Phygelus and Hermogenes are gone. 16May the Lord show special kindness to Onesiphorus and all his family because he often visited and encouraged me. He was never ashamed of me because I was in prison. 17When he came to Rome, he searched everywhere until he found me. 18May the Lord show him special kindness on the day of Christ's return. And you know how much he helped me at Ephesus.

2 Timothy 2
A Good Soldier of Christ Jesus 1Timothy, my dear son, be strong with the special favor God gives you in Christ Jesus. 2You have heard me teach many things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Teach these great truths to trustworthy people who are able to pass them on to others.
3Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4And as Christ's soldier, do not let yourself become tied up in the affairs of this life, for then you cannot satisfy the one who has enlisted you in his army. 5Follow the Lord's rules for doing his work, just as an athlete either follows the rules or is disqualified and wins no prize. 6Hardworking farmers are the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor. 7Think about what I am saying. The Lord will give you understanding in all these things.
8Never forget that Jesus Christ was a man born into King David's family and that he was raised from the dead. This is the Good News I preach. 9And because I preach this Good News, I am suffering and have been chained like a criminal. But the word of God cannot be chained. 10I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen.
11 This is a true saying: If we die with him, we will also live with him.
12 If we endure hardship, we will reign with him. If we deny him, he will deny us.
13 If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself.
An Approved Worker
14Remind everyone of these things, and command them in God's name to stop fighting over words. Such arguments are useless, and they can ruin those who hear them. 15Work hard so God can approve you. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth. 16Avoid godless, foolish discussions that lead to more and more ungodliness. 17This kind of talk spreads like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are examples of this. 18They have left the path of truth, preaching the lie that the resurrection of the dead has already occurred; and they have undermined the faith of some.
19But God's truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his,"[b] and "Those who claim they belong to the Lord must turn away from all wickedness."[c]
20In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. 21If you keep yourself pure, you will be a utensil God can use for his purpose. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.
22Run from anything that stimulates youthful lust. Follow anything that makes you want to do right. Pursue faith and love and peace, and enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.
23Again I say, don't get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. 24The Lord's servants must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone. They must be able to teach effectively and be patient with difficult people. 25They should gently teach those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people's hearts, and they will believe the truth. 26Then they will come to their senses and escape from the Devil's trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.

Chapter 6 really spoke to my spirit today. It was rich in instruction. Especially today as I feel that I'm walking a tightrope between worldliness and following the spirit of GOD. I live and play with people who for the most part are very well off. My heart is for all people. I don't want to get caught up in the worldliness. It feels at times like I'm trying to duck an octopus that is trying to wrap it's tentacles around my body. If God has blessed you with riches, give generously and always praise Him for His abundance. Wear the garment of abundance loosely for we don't know when we will have much or little. But always be content with what you do have. Little the contented life is the challenge.
1 Timothy 6
1 Christians who are slaves should give their masters full respect so that the name of God and his teaching will not be shamed. 2If your master is a Christian, that is no excuse for being disrespectful. You should work all the harder because you are helping another believer[a] by your efforts.

False Teaching and True Riches Teach these truths, Timothy, and encourage everyone to obey them. 3Some false teachers may deny these things, but these are the sound, wholesome teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ, and they are the foundation for a godly life. 4Anyone who teaches anything different is both conceited and ignorant. Such a person has an unhealthy desire to quibble over the meaning of words. This stirs up arguments ending in jealousy, fighting, slander, and evil suspicions. 5These people always cause trouble. Their minds are corrupt, and they don't tell the truth. To them religion is just a way to get rich.
6Yet true religion with contentment is great wealth. 7After all, we didn't bring anything with us when we came into the world, and we certainly cannot carry anything with us when we die. 8So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. 9But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. 10For the love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

Pauls Final Instructions 11But you, Timothy, belong to God; so run from all these evil things, and follow what is right and good. Pursue a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. 12Fight the good fight for what we believe. Hold tightly to the eternal life that God has given you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses. 13And I command you before God, who gives life to all, and before Christ Jesus, who gave a good testimony before Pontius Pilate, 14that you obey his commands with all purity. Then no one can find fault with you from now until our Lord Jesus Christ returns. 15For at the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of kings and Lord of lords. 16He alone can never die, and he lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach him. No one has ever seen him, nor ever will. To him be honor and power forever. Amen.
17Tell those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which will soon be gone. But their trust should be in the living God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. 18Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and should give generously to those in need, always being ready to share with others whatever God has given them. 19By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may take hold of real life.
20Timothy, guard what God has entrusted to you. Avoid godless, foolish discussions with those who oppose you with their so-called knowledge. 21Some people have wandered from the faith by following such foolishness.
May God's grace be with you all.

The LORD chose you and me. WoW! He chose our ancestors as the object of HIS LOVE. That's incredible. I read those words today and really felt GOD'S LOVE. We are very special and don't ever forget it. You are an object of God's love, chosen by HIM. WOW!
Deu. 10
A Call to Love and Obedience
12"And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you? He requires you to fear him, to live according to his will, to love and worship him with all your heart and soul, 13and to obey the LORD's commands and laws that I am giving you today for your own good. 14The highest heavens and the earth and everything in it all belong to the LORD your God. 15Yet the LORD chose your ancestors as the objects of his love. And he chose you, their descendants, above every other nation, as is evident today. 16Therefore, cleanse your sinful hearts and stop being stubborn.
17"The LORD your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords. He is the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and takes no bribes. 18He gives justice to orphans and widows. He shows love to the foreigners living among you and gives them food and clothing. 19You, too, must show love to foreigners, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt. 20You must fear the LORD your God and worship him and cling to him. Your oaths must be in his name alone. 21He is your God, the one who is worthy of your praise, the one who has done mighty miracles that you yourselves have seen. 22When your ancestors went down into Egypt, there were only seventy of them. But now the LORD your God has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky!

I'm excited for it seems that this Bible Study that I have wanted to start is finally coming around. We are going to start with the Book of Genesis. It's where God started and I've found that it is a book of beginnings. So, that when we begin our Christian walk or even want to walk closer to GOD, reading this book is a good point of entry.
I was reading 2 Thes. Today. Paul's prayer in Chapter 3 spoke to my spirit. If it was so important for Paul to ask for prayer, how much more important is it for us to be vigilant in prayer today. Both for ourselves, our ministry, our families, our nation, and beyond. I would encourage everyone to see if they can hook up with a prayer partner. It really makes a difference, for two are better than one.

2 Thessalonians 3
Pauls Request for Prayer
1Finally, dear brothers and sisters,[a] I ask you to pray for us. Pray first that the Lord's message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you. 2Pray, too, that we will be saved from wicked and evil people, for not everyone believes in the Lord. 3But the Lord is faithful; he will make you strong and guard you from the evil one.[b] 4And we are confident in the Lord that you are practicing the things we commanded you, and that you always will. 5May the Lord bring you into an ever deeper understanding of the love of God and the endurance that comes from Christ.
An Exhortation to Proper Living 6And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command with the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from any Christian[c] who lives in idleness and doesn't follow the tradition of hard work we gave you. 7For you know that you ought to follow our example. We were never lazy when we were with you. 8We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so that we would not be a burden to any of you. 9It wasn't that we didn't have the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow. 10Even while we were with you, we gave you this rule: "Whoever does not work should not eat."
11Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and wasting time meddling in other people's business. 12In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we appeal to such people--no, we command them: Settle down and get to work. Earn your own living. 13And I say to the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good.
14Take note of those who refuse to obey what we say in this letter. Stay away from them so they will be ashamed. 15Don't think of them as enemies, but speak to them as you would to a Christian who needs to be warned.
Pauls Final Greetings 16May the Lord of peace himself always give you his peace no matter what happens. The Lord be with you all.
17Now here is my greeting, which I write with my own hand--PAUL. I do this at the end of all my letters to prove that they really are from me.
18May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

I don't know what to say. I'm somewhat speechless. This disaster in New Orleans and on the coast has really taken my breath away. While I was praying with my prayer partner this morning all I could say to begin with was the verse that says The Holy Spirit makes moanings and groanings to GOD on our behalf when we don't have the right words for the situation. I'm paraphasing so please forgive me. But the truth remains, what do we ask for on behalf of our brothers and sisters in the battle zone? What do we do individually and corporately as the body of Christ, as Americans? When I see the images on the sceen they trouble my soul, begging everyone everywhere for an answer. What do you want me to do LORD?
I was reading yesterday in the WORD that there is a season for everything. What can we make of this? Is GOD trying to tell us something? I pray that even this horror can be used for GOD'S glory and bring many to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

A Time for Everything
1
Ecclesiastes 3

1 There is a time for everything,
a season for every activity under heaven.
2
A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
3
A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to rebuild.
4
A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
5
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
6
A time to search and a time to lose.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
7
A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak up.
8
A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace.
9What do people really get for all their hard work? 10I have thought about this in connection with the various kinds of work God has given people to do. 11God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end. 12So I concluded that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to enjoy themselves as long as they can. 13And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God.

14And I know that whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God's purpose in this is that people should fear him. 15Whatever exists today and whatever will exist in the future has already existed in the past. For God calls each event back in its turn.[a]

The Injustices of Life
16I also noticed that throughout the world there is evil in the courtroom. Yes, even the courts of law are corrupt! 17I said to myself, "In due season God will judge everyone, both good and bad, for all their deeds."
18Then I realized that God allows people to continue in their sinful ways so he can test them. That way, they can see for themselves that they are no better than animals. 19For humans and animals both breathe the same air,[b] and both die. So people have no real advantage over the animals. How meaningless! 20Both go to the same place--the dust from which they came and to which they must return. 21For who can prove that the human spirit goes upward and the spirit of animals goes downward into the earth? 22So I saw that there is nothing better for people than to be happy in their work. That is why they are here! No one will bring them back from death to enjoy life in the future.

Today I was reading Ecc 2. Soloman was so smart. We can learn a thing or two from the smartest person in the world. I think it's worth studying the truths he learned along the way. It could save us much pain and disappointment. Learn from your mistakes, even better learn from someone else's mistakes.
I'm picking up Jan at the airport. His flight arrives at 2:08 pm today.
Alexandra and I had a wonderful time yesterday with Calvary's High School Choir at Lake Norman. Thank you guys for hosting one of the best afternoons this summer.

It's cloudy and overcast today. We're on the way to Lake Norman for a fun day of watersports, food, and fellowship with the Calvary High School Choir. Alexandra is excited as she will be seeing many of her old friends.
Jan is coming home tomorrow. I pray for traveling mercies that everything will go exceedingly well for him and the journey in general.
News Flash! Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System is short 90 nurses.
I started Ecc. 1 today It talks about everything being useless. I think life apart from GOD is useless in the end to a large degree. Soloman the wisest man in the world came to that conclusion. So our marching order is for us to have a purposeful life with GOD.

Well the memorial service has ended and there seems to be closure for many. A good loving person will be remembered in the hearts of those who were loved.

I spoke to Jan yesterday. He seems to be feeling better. He's up in Norfolk at the Major's for the rest of the week I think. He may go down to visit a friend in Suffolk but I'll know when he's made a decision.

Life is really good here in Charlotte. I am very happy, getting settled in the house. Buying furniture here and there. Trying to fill up the rooms and get nested. I've joined two women's groups that are chartered especially for newcomers to the area. I feel the hand of God on my life and I'm just trying not to go before Him or drag behind Him.

Proverbs 29

1 Whoever stubbornly refuses to accept criticism will suddenly be broken beyond repair.
2When the godly are in authority, the people rejoice. But when the wicked are in power, they groan.
3The man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father, but if he hangs around with prostitutes, his wealth is wasted.
4A just king gives stability to his nation, but one who demands bribes destroys it.
5To flatter people is to lay a trap for their feet.
6Evil people are trapped by sin, but the righteous escape, shouting for joy.
7The godly know the rights of the poor; the wicked don't care to know.
8Mockers can get a whole town agitated, but those who are wise will calm anger.
9If a wise person takes a fool to court, there will be ranting and ridicule but no satisfaction.
10The bloodthirsty hate the honest, but the upright seek out the honest.
11A fool gives full vent to anger, but a wise person quietly holds it back.
12If a ruler honors liars, all his advisers will be wicked.
13The poor and the oppressor have this in common--the LORD gives light to the eyes of both.
14A king who is fair to the poor will have a long reign.
15To discipline and reprimand a child produces wisdom, but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child.
16When the wicked are in authority, sin increases. But the godly will live to see the tyrant's downfall.
17Discipline your children, and they will give you happiness and peace of mind.
18When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is happy.
19For a servant, mere words are not enough--discipline is needed. For the words may be understood, but they are not heeded.
20There is more hope for a fool than for someone who speaks without thinking.
21A servant who is pampered from childhood will later become a rebel.
22A hot-tempered person starts fights and gets into all kinds of sin.
23Pride ends in humiliation, while humility brings honor.
24If you assist a thief, you are only hurting yourself. You will be punished if you report the crime, but you will be cursed if you don't.
25Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but to trust the LORD means safety.
26Many seek the ruler's favor, but justice comes from the LORD.
27The godly despise the wicked; the wicked despise the godly.

Just returned from Jamaica with a medical missions team. What a wonderful experience. God gave me a spiritual nugget that I want to share with you. I was nursing at the clinic located at the orphanage high up in the mountains, a very rural spot to say the least. There are masses of people who come to be seen. Most do not have an appointment but wait patiently hoping to be seen by a doctor or nurse. Sometimes I have gotten very frustrated and weary trying to get the end of the line. Working in my own strength and not in God's gets me nowhere fast. But when I work in the power of God's love one person at a time and I am living in the present not worrying about the future, there is joy. The type of spiritual joy that comes from the LORD. I pray that I can always serve in love living in the present and appreciating the blessing.

Colossians 4

1 You slave owners must be just and fair to your slaves. Remember that you also have a Master--in heaven.

An Encouragement for Prayer 2Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. 3Don't forget to pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to preach about his secret plan--that Christ is also for you Gentiles. That is why I am here in chains. 4Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should.
5Live wisely among those who are not Christians, and make the most of every opportunity. 6Let your conversation be gracious and effective so that you will have the right answer for everyone.

Pauls Final Instructions and Greetings 7Tychicus, a much loved brother, will tell you how I am getting along. He is a faithful helper who serves the Lord with me. 8I have sent him on this special trip to let you know how we are doing and to encourage you. 9I am also sending Onesimus, a faithful and much loved brother, one of your own people. He and Tychicus will give you all the latest news.
10Aristarchus, who is in prison with me, sends you his greetings, and so does Mark, Barnabas's cousin. And as you were instructed before, make Mark welcome if he comes your way. 11Jesus (the one we call Justus) also sends his greetings. These are the only Jewish Christians among my co-workers; they are working with me here for the Kingdom of God. And what a comfort they have been!
12Epaphras, from your city, a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings. He always prays earnestly for you, asking God to make you strong and perfect, fully confident of the whole will of God. 13I can assure you that he has agonized for you and also for the Christians in Laodicea and Hierapolis.
14Dear Doctor Luke sends his greetings, and so does Demas. 15Please give my greetings to our Christian brothers and sisters[a] at Laodicea, and to Nympha and those who meet in her house.
16After you have read this letter, pass it on to the church at Laodicea so they can read it, too. And you should read the letter I wrote to them. 17And say to Archippus, "Be sure to carry out the work the Lord gave you."
18Here is my greeting in my own handwriting--PAUL.
Remember my chains.
May the grace of God be with you.

Today is Mary Schlesinger's memorial service outside of London. Jan flew over to be part of it. I wish we all could have been there. Mary was like a grandmother to the children. She was Alexandra's god-mother but went far beyond that in our lives.
She had the gift of love, generosity, and hospitality to mention a few of her gifts. I praise GOD that He put her into our lives. She was a great woman and will be truly missed by many.

Phil 4 Wow! If only I could always think about things that were praiseworthy, excellent, pure, virtuous, and of good report my mental health would improve substantially. Tell me your thoughts on Philippians 4, what speaks to your spirit?

Philippians 4

1 Dear brothers and sisters,[a] I love you and long to see you, for you are my joy and the reward for my work. So please stay true to the Lord, my dear friends.

Pauls Final Thoughts 2And now I want to plead with those two women, Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement. 3And I ask you, my true teammate,[b] to help these women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the Good News. And they worked with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are written in the Book of Life.
4Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again--rejoice! 5Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
6Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
8And now, dear brothers and sisters, let me say one more thing as I close this letter. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you.

Pauls Thanks for Their Gifts 10How grateful I am, and how I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but for a while you didn't have the chance to help me. 11Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to get along happily whether I have much or little. 12I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 13For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need. 14But even so, you have done well to share with me in my present difficulty.
15As you know, you Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help when I brought you the Good News and then traveled on from Macedonia. No other church did this. 16Even when I was in Thessalonica you sent help more than once. 17I don't say this because I want a gift from you. What I want is for you to receive a well-earned reward because of your kindness.
18At the moment I have all I need--more than I need! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable to God and pleases him. 19And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. 20Now glory be to God our Father forever and ever. Amen.

Pauls Final Greetings 21Give my greetings to all the Christians there. The brothers who are with me here send you their greetings. 22And all the other Christians send their greetings, too, especially those who work in Caesar's palace.
23May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.