Unusual Santas

Is it just me or do people have too much time on their hands these days? And I'm not just talking about us Americans. This event, whatever it was, took place in South Korea. I don't know...maybe they're trying to get their minds off the problems they're having coming from up north. Seems to me they better be concentrating on the folks from the "northern kingdom" as there is nothing funny about them.

Also, as cute as these little penguins may be, and as much as I like animals, I am really bothered by the waste of money that we see going on here and abroad on foolishness when there is so much worldwide hunger. Sorry, but that's my two cents for whatever it's worth. Tell me if I'm wrong--I don't mind.

Tranquility in Sorrow

Between now and this past August, five friends of mine have lost their husbands. These are all ladies whom I have been friends with for many years, and in each instance, the marriage was a solid and long lasting one. Each was a wonderful testimony of the beauty of marriage, and now each of these dear ones will face the holidays for the first time as widows. Today I went to a church to get a good tight hug from the latest widow, shortly before she went to bury her companion of 46 years. I remember going through the whole saga of her dating him and then their marriage those many years ago. . .and now our tears mingling at such a time as this.

I just wanted to remember them now for a few minutes and ask that you'd please take a moment to say a prayer for Carol, Carole, Carolyn, Joan, and Joyce during this first Christmas season without their husbands. God has blessed each of them with children and grandchildren, so we can be thankful for that.

There is something I see in each of these ladies; it's something you see when the years have been many and the relationship has been harmonious and loving. I see tranquility in their sorrow.

Little Decorators

Well, we had the tree sitting in the living room without decorations when my four and two year old granddaughters came over. So, they started it for me. Doesn't it look beautiful?

Happy Thanksgiving

From our house to yours....many blessing for this Thanksgiving season. We have a great God, a wonderful Savior, a marvelous salvation, and a beautiful mansion in glory awaiting us. Why shouldn't we be thankful?

Have a safe and enjoyable holiday tomorrow and don't eat too much!!

White Lie Church Cake

This story was too good for me to pass up passing on to you all. Just be sure not to read ahead to the end and I have no doubt you'll appreciate it.

Have you ever told a white lie? You are going to love this --especially all of the ladies who bake for church events.

Alice Grayson was to bake a cake for the Baptist Church ladies' group bake sale in Tuscaloosa, but she forgot to do it until the last minute.

She remembered it the morning of the bake sale and after rummaging through cabinets she found a dusty old Angel food cake mix in the back of her kitchen cabinet and quickly made it while drying her hair and getting dressed, while helping her son Bryan pack up for Scout camp.

But when Alice took the cake from the oven the center had dropped flat and the cake was horribly disfigured. She said, "Oh dear, there's no time to bake another cake." This cake was so important to Alice because she did so want to fit in at her new church, and in her new community of new friends. So, being inventive and not wanting anyone to think she was not the perfect woman able to handle all things at all times or that, God forbid, she not participate in her church's bazaar, she looked around the house for something to build up the center of the cake.

Alice found it in the bathroom -- a roll of toilet paper. She plunked it in and then covered it with icing. Not only did the finished product look beautiful, it looked perfect! Before she left the house to drop the cake by the church and head off for work, Alice woke her daughter Amanda and gave her some money and specific instructions to be at the bake sale the minute it opened at 9:30, and to buy that cake and bring it home.

When the daughter arrived at the sale, she found that the attractive perfect cake had already been sold. Amanda grabbed her cell phone and called her Mom. Alice was horrified...she was beside herself. Everyone would know ... what would she do, she would be ridiculed. She would have to move or kill herself! All night Alice lay awake in bed thinking about people pointing their fingers at her and talking, What would they think?
"Oh, my goodness; what can I do?" she wailed! She would be ostracized, talked about behind her back.

The next day, Alice promised herself that she would try not to think about the cake and she would attend a fancy luncheon/bridal shower at the home of a friend of a friend and try to have a good time. Alice did not really want to attend because the hostess was a snob who more than once had looked down her nose at the fact that Alice was a single parent and not from the founding families of Tuscaloosa, but having already RSVP she could not think of a believable excuse to stay home.

The meal was elegant, the company was definitely upper crust old South.... and to Alice's horror the CAKE in question was presented for dessert. Alice felt the blood drain from her body when she saw the cake, she started to get out of her chair to rush into the kitchen to tell her hostess all about it, but before she could get to her feet, the Mayor's wife said, "What a beautiful cake!"

Alice who was still stunned and trying to formulate what words she would use to explain the situation, sat back in her chair when she heard the hostess (who was a prominent church member) say, "Thank you, I baked it myself."

Alice smiled and thought to herself "THERE IS A GOD!!!!!!!

*I found this story at Christian Life Stories and thank them for sharing it.*

A Wonderful Savior

Hallelujah. (And my darling sweet cardinal is an added treat.)

Don't Ask . . .

. . .because I don't know. However, I felt compelled to post it. lol

Thy Law, My Delight

Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction. I will never forget thy precepts: for with them thou hast quickened me. Psalm 119:92-93

I got the idea for this WFW post from a blog post I just read yesterday. I have this VOM magazine and the cover picture touched me as well. Look at her hands and look at the Bible they are holding. This lady has no doubt undergone some type of persecution and her Bible has been burned, as you can see. But the persecutors have not destroyed God's Word nor have they incinerated this woman's love for it. Indeed, no doubt the spark of affection that the child of God has for His precious Word only is inflamed and burns all the brighter under the face of affliction.

As the psalmist says, the precepts of our Lord do quicken. That means they "keep us alive." Amen and amen.


More Word Filled Wednesday posts can be found at the Internet Cafe.

Fall Treats

This is my FAVORITE fall treat. LOVE them! I can't think of anything I'd rather have on a blistery November evening, while sitting on the couch with a throw across the lap. The perfect companion. At least there is some nutrition, right? Especially with the nuts.;)

What's your favorite tasty treat for this time of year?

Thomas Sowell Quotes

It's Election Day once again in America and I, among many others across this nation, have gone and cast my votes. There were only three offices up for election in our area, but of course one of them was extremely important. That would be the vote I cast for my congressman. Each and every one of us has that crucial vote this year. Please do cast that vote for your representative in Congress as it's been a while since it's been as important.

Thomas Sowell is a well known conservative economist and political commentator, among other things, and is a favorite of mine. This man really has his head on straight. I like him so much that I wish he were a Christian, though I don't think he professes to be. Wouldn't it be even more wonderful if the Lord would bring salvation to him? He'd really be dynamite then! On Facebook, I posted something he said in one of his latest articles and then happened upon some more quotes. In honor of this critical time in the life of our country, particularly for Election Day this year, I thought I'd post some of these quotes and let Mr. Sowell speak to us as Americans at this critical time in our history.

"The most basic question is not what is best, but who shall decide what is best. "

"The first lesson of economics is scarcity: there is never enough of anything to fully satisfy all those who want it. The first lesson of politics is to disregard the first lesson of economics. "

"What is ominous is the ease with which some people go from saying that they don't like something to saying that the government should forbid it. When you go down that road, don't expect freedom to survive very long. "

"Elections should be held on April 16th- the day after we pay our income taxes. That is one of the few things that might discourage politicians from being big spenders. "

"Freedom has cost too much blood and agony to be relinquished at the cheap price of rhetoric. " [My favorite]

"If the battle for civilization comes down to the wimps versus the barbarians, the barbarians are going to win. "

"If you are not prepared to use force to defend civilization, then be prepared to accept barbarism. "

"It is hard to imagine a more stupid or more dangerous way of making decisions than by putting those decisions in the hands of people who pay no price for being wrong. "

"Liberalism is totalitarianism with a human face. " "

Socialism in general has a record of failure so blatant that only an intellectual could ignore or evade ."

Mr Sowell focuses most of his attention on economics and on that we differ. I believe that the biggest problem in America is a moral one. I am against liberalism and socialism, yes, but more than that, humanism and secularism are the real issues. Our country desperately needs the Lord.

Be Still

Dedicated to a dear friend of mine whose husband of 52 years has just passed on to glory. To my dear sister, as you told your dear one at his bedside, this is only temporary. You'll see him again over there. Be still and know that in every change our God faithful will remain, even though through thorny ways. Love you, dear sis. . . you have been so special to me over the years.

Rescued

He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my foot upon a rock, and established my goings. Psalm 40:2

I have always loved this verse and what it means in the life of any believer. What is happening right now in Chile cannot but help make us think of this blessed truth.

This ongoing rescue of the miners is amazing. It is often unbelievable what man can accomplish when he sets his mind to it. What is sad is that often he (man) does not really understand (even though he make give a token acknowledgment) that he can do absolutely nothing apart from what almighty God allows. God is sovereign. He allowed this trapping of the miners and it's He that is orchestrating this whole rescue. We may not know fully what His purposes are in all of this, but He has them and all glory goes to Him.

I understand that when the oldest of the miners was taken out of the capsule that the first thing he did was get down on his knees in thanksgiving to God. Of course, we don't know what the true state of his soul is, but this miner surely did what each and every one of them should be doing. We can keep praying that as they are being rescued out of the pit, the same thing will some day be true in the spiritual realm.

Only Jesus saves from the horrible pit of sin. May He be glorified!!

Visit the Internet Cafe for more word filled Wednesday posts. 

Shana's Turn!

Now it's birthday time for Shana. As of tomorrow, our little Shae-Shae will be all of two years old! Do you remember when I posted about her birth? How can that possibly be two years ago?! Well, it has been and she is no longer a little baby. That doesn't mean Nanna can't still hold her on the lap and cuddle and give lots of kisses and hugs. She'll never get too old for THAT as far as I'm concerned.

Many people love little Shae. Of course, her mommy and daddy do; her big sister REALLY does, her Auntie Nee does too, and I could go on and on. But need I say, that she has a Nanna and Poppop who love her and are so thankful to the Lord for her and all the happiness she brings to all of us with her winsome little ways.

God bless you, sweet Shana-Bana. And may you come to love HIM even while you're young. We'll keep praying for you and your big sister.

A No-No

Unbelievable. The Phillies kick off the playoff season with a No-Hitter! In a no-hitter, for those of you who don't know (or care), the star of the show is always the pitcher and credit goes to him, but the catcher is the next biggest part of the whole thing. Above you see Roy Halliday, who made history by throwing only the second playoff no-hitter in the history of Major League Baseball (and his second this season), but also you see his catcher, Carlos Ruiz, a/k/a "Chooch," who also happens to be my favorite player. And then we must remember, the other seven players who fielded all the plays should get a lot of credit also.

Such excitement in our area last night and this morning! All over the radio and TV it's being talked about. Nice to have something that's absolutely of no significance to life to take our minds off of the many serious things that are going on in our world.

I'm quite a fan of the Phils, but Jesus still reigns whether they win it all or not. Needed to remind myself of that. ;)

Natural Remedies

Hi there. Long time no talk to. How's the weather there? It's cold, damp, and shivery here, especially nice weather to be home baking bread and drinking tea. Well, I'm doing neither, but will soon be going out to run some errands rather than stay in and be cozy. It's fall, which is the favorite season for me, but unfortunately, cold and flu season has started and we're already seeing that first hand in our family and among the people from church.

Now don't make fun of me, but when my daughters were young, they got lots of colds and flu illnesses with high temps. Oh, how I hated those days. Once, when Bev was five or six she got a really scary virus, which made her lethargic and with which she was running a particularly high fever. Somewhere in an old beaten up medical book which we had rescued from my husband's family home we read that putting onions and garlic in the sickroom would cause the fever to break. So we said why not try it, and try it we did and her fever broke that night, never to return. We've tried it on occasions since then and it just seems to so happen that fevers aren't quite as bad or last as long with garlic or onion in the room, even though not the most pleasant aroma to greet you when you enter.

Now, that has been of course poo-pooed as an old wives' tale, etc. etc. by the moderns of today but I say, what's it hurt? So last year with all the swine flu scary talk I kept an onion in Neesie's room all winter in a pretty little dish. When one would shrivel up, I would replace it. I figured it wasn't hurting anything and she just lived with it as she has had to do with many of her mom's weird ideas. Now I am not saying I necessarily believe all that, but as I said, I felt it wouldn't hurt anything. I do know that eating a few cloves of garlic when you have lots of chest congestion, will clear things out nicely if you don't mind what goes along with it. :)

And I do feel that the Lord can use whatever He wants to heal us and however He wants, so why not an onion or garlic? After all, He gives "herb for the service of man" as it says in Psalm 104:14.

With all that said, my purpose for this post is to pass along a link to an article on the Old Farmer's Almanac website which has lot of suggestions for natural remedies to help you when you get a cold. Please note fact number 4. When you get to the OFA site, also check out the link to the article on cold and flu prevention. I already practice a lot of the suggestions in that one and I really do believe doing so makes a big difference. So, read it all here and take or leave whatever you want from it. Oh, I just saw a link to cough remedies there too! Have a blessed day.