As another decade draws to a close, it brings a lot of remembrances.
Tim (husband) was diagnosed with cancer in 2004. He lived approximately 3 1/2 months, after the diagnosis, before he died in 2005. He had taken a few weeks of chemo, to begin with, but that did not help. In that short period of time, before his death, he was able to have all his children visit him and, also, his mother, brother and sisters. During this time he also received his 30 year pin and a clock from the Post Office. He stayed busy enjoying the company of family and friends. Tim was at his best when he was surrounded by others or enjoying the one-on-one company of a friend. He also took the time to enjoy the "quiet" and "peace" of his home.
We had a good life. We were both in the Army, where we met, and traveled a lot while in the service. After we got out, we traveled Europe on a 1st Class Eurailpass. Traveling with Tim was a lot of fun. He was energetic and knowledgeable about the world.
I recall when we were on our way to Pompeii, we took the wrong train and ended up on Mount Vesuvius as rain started to fall. After we had taken a "local train" up the mountain, Tim informed me that for Mount Vesuvius to erupt again, all it would take is one drop of water to make its way down to the lava. We had gotten to the point on the mountain where we had to hike up the rest of the way; I now balked and demanded that we hightail it out of there. (Tim was very pleased with himself!)
During our travels we camped on the island of Sicily. (We had brought a tent and sleeping bags with us.) When we woke in the morning, we found the area was covered with ants. We decided to head back to Stuttgart and ditch the tent and sleeping bags and sleep on the train only. We bought a loaf of bread and a coke before leaving the island and put it in the backpack. When we got on the train, we got out our lunch. We split open the loaf of bread and it was full of ants, so all we had was a Coke for the day.
We saw the Coliseum and Nero's Garden in Rome. It is unbelieveable the cruelty that evil men are capable of! What brave men, women and children were the early Christian!!
We saw beautiful churches, open markets, and the gentle countryside of the "old country" was everywhere. We saw the fjords of Norway, and the windmills, tulips and The Minature Village in the Netherlands. We went through many museums. We sat on the beaches of Venice, Barcelona and Nice. In Paris we saw the world from atop the Eiffel Tower. We went to shows there, visited the museums and then found ourselves discovering the Arch of Triumph. When we took the wrong direction and ended up on the other side of the Bahnhoff (train station) we discovered another small "Arch of Triumph". Here, as we walked on, we found ourselves in the "red light" district of Paris.
While in Germany we visited many castles and wine and beer fests. There was always something to do. We danced on a riverboat that was a disco. There were many "gasthouses" where we enjoyed the German cuisine. We skiied the Alps for our honeymoon and spent a romantic get-away weekend riding the Rhine-River cruise, enjoying the castles and the shopping at the stops.
As we returned to the United States our adventures turned domestic. We got jobs and bought a house. We completely remodeled the house. Tim took on college, the Guard, working full-time and also managing a tri-plex we bought. It is amazing, when you are young, that you have the endurance to be able to manage. Through the years we raised four children. One child died from a congenital heart defect. How great the songs of joy from the angels must have been, when our little one went to heaven!
There is no way to condense into a short essay, life with the children. No treasures in the world or amazing wonders can take the place of watching a little child play. To be given the privilege of raising a child is the greatest blessing known. I had never really learned to "care for" or "love" children when I was young. Now, I am so thankful for my children AND I can also see children, other than my own, through a mother's eye. God's greatest gift of love, is the family! Money was a problem. Time was a problem. We endured many influences that come into one's life, but through it all--we survived. It took the Hand of God, and the help of family and friends...but we made it.
It was a good life. Now Tim is gone. The children are grown and making it on their own. It is time for me to find a new road. Whatever path the Lord will give me, I will be honored to go.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Holiday Blues
Don't let the holiday blues get you! It is so easy to get caught up in all the excitement of Christmas with the gift giving! planning! shopping! and getting ready! After Christmas the blues set in--you expected more. Look at your kids, they are happy, or maybe bored, or on sugar highs. Life goes on.
It is the preparation for "family moments" that is important, not the gifts themselves. It is the connection made that continues on forever, not the big surprises. If you had Christmas alone, write Christmas letters, or just start getting ready for the New Year.
There are many opportunities available to us. Ask the Lord to open doors for you and go where He leads you. Go to Church, listen to the radio services, or tv services and get to know your God.
Be content, and happy, and know that God loves you.
It is the preparation for "family moments" that is important, not the gifts themselves. It is the connection made that continues on forever, not the big surprises. If you had Christmas alone, write Christmas letters, or just start getting ready for the New Year.
There are many opportunities available to us. Ask the Lord to open doors for you and go where He leads you. Go to Church, listen to the radio services, or tv services and get to know your God.
Be content, and happy, and know that God loves you.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Let It Snow
I hope the "Santa Baby" or little "Santa Elves" in your family brought you some special gifts this year. I opened my present and found a nice, plush, blue electric throw. Needless to say, I've already tried it out and it is so cozy and warm! Now, for the cold days ahead--a warm throw, a good book and a comfortable spot on the sofa! Life is good!
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Merry Christmas
The Weather Station is forecasting warnings of blizzards, rain, ice storms, winds and tornados in various areas of the United States during Christmas Eve day and Christmas Day. Hopefully everyone will stay home and see family and friends when the weather improves. It is Jesus that is the center of our celebrations--celebrate Him. If you miss the Christmas Day dinner, those left-overs will still be great this weekend!
A little over 2,000 years ago, God came to mankind as a baby. The first to hear the announcement of our Savior's birth were some country shepherds in the field. Can you imagine an angel standing before you with a message from God, and then to see and hear a MULTITUDE of angels singing?! They sang of peace on earth and goodwill toward men. May that peace and goodwill be found in your home...wherever you are tonight! Merry Christmas.
"Luke 2:8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.'
"13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
"14 'Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!'”
A little over 2,000 years ago, God came to mankind as a baby. The first to hear the announcement of our Savior's birth were some country shepherds in the field. Can you imagine an angel standing before you with a message from God, and then to see and hear a MULTITUDE of angels singing?! They sang of peace on earth and goodwill toward men. May that peace and goodwill be found in your home...wherever you are tonight! Merry Christmas.
"Luke 2:8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.'
"13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
"14 'Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!'”
Monday, December 21, 2009
Ice Everywhere
Monday I was running late. I ran out to feed the dogs and had to go off the deck to get one of their dog dishes, as they like to carry them around. The ground felt slick and I wondered what those dogs had gotten into now!
I made up a small plate of Mom's cookies for my friend and hurried out the door. The little and the teenage kittens were in front of the house and they jumped when I opened the door. They ran like they were running in place. I must really have scared them!!
The door is locked, now off to town. I step off the steps and onto the walk. You have seen those comic pictures of someone stepping on a banana skin and his feet go way up in the air and he falls down??? Well, I could have been in the comics. I didn't notice that the sidewalk was a sheet of ice. No sooner was my foot on the walk than it slid forward and then both legs went up in the air. It happened so fast; it was like a blur--there was no time to think!! The bun I wore on the back of my head, cushioned my head as I slammed backwards, landing on my back. I lay there a moment and as soon as I realized I was able to move, I rolled over and onto the grass. The grass was ice covered! The snow packs were ice covered. The gravel was even ice covered. Finally, I got to the pickup, scraped the windows and and was able to drive to town.
I wasn't seriously hurt, but I am going to be very sore for quite some time. If, however, I had not slid forward (the sidewalk is slightly sloped) I would have hit my head and back on the cement steps and the injuries would have been quite different.
Those animals gave me plenty of signs that it was icy out there - but I was too busy and in a hurry to notice. So it is with this world. The signs of the Second Coming are all around us, but we are too busy to notice. Jesus, in His words, told us of the time to come:
The Signs of the Times and the End of the Age
"Matthew 24:3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, 'Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?'
"4 And Jesus answered and said to them: 'Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, "I am the Christ," and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
"9 'Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
The Great Tribulation
"15 'Therefore when you see the "abomination of desolation," spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place' (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 'then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.
"23 'Then if anyone says to you, "Look, here is the Christ!" or "There!" do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand.
"26 'Therefore if they say to you, "Look, He is in the desert!" do not go out; or "Look, He is in the inner rooms!" do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.'
The Coming of the Son of Man
"29 'Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.'"
John the Baptist was called by God to prepare the way for the Lord when He came to earth. We need to heed his words, and prepare ourselves for Second Coming of the Lord.
(This is spoken by Zacharias, who was filled with the Holy Spirit,) "Luke 1:76 'And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, 77 To give knowledge of salvation to His people By the remission of their sins, 78 Through the tender mercy of our God, With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; 79 To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.'”
John the Baptist, speaking of Jesus and baptism of the HOLY SPIRIT:
"Luke 3:16 John answered, saying to all, 'I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.'"
The arms of the Lord reaches out to all--salvation is there for you. What better time than now to search for the Truth. There may be no further opportunity for you, nor any further time for those you love. He loves you.
"2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance."
I made up a small plate of Mom's cookies for my friend and hurried out the door. The little and the teenage kittens were in front of the house and they jumped when I opened the door. They ran like they were running in place. I must really have scared them!!
The door is locked, now off to town. I step off the steps and onto the walk. You have seen those comic pictures of someone stepping on a banana skin and his feet go way up in the air and he falls down??? Well, I could have been in the comics. I didn't notice that the sidewalk was a sheet of ice. No sooner was my foot on the walk than it slid forward and then both legs went up in the air. It happened so fast; it was like a blur--there was no time to think!! The bun I wore on the back of my head, cushioned my head as I slammed backwards, landing on my back. I lay there a moment and as soon as I realized I was able to move, I rolled over and onto the grass. The grass was ice covered! The snow packs were ice covered. The gravel was even ice covered. Finally, I got to the pickup, scraped the windows and and was able to drive to town.
I wasn't seriously hurt, but I am going to be very sore for quite some time. If, however, I had not slid forward (the sidewalk is slightly sloped) I would have hit my head and back on the cement steps and the injuries would have been quite different.
Those animals gave me plenty of signs that it was icy out there - but I was too busy and in a hurry to notice. So it is with this world. The signs of the Second Coming are all around us, but we are too busy to notice. Jesus, in His words, told us of the time to come:
The Signs of the Times and the End of the Age
"Matthew 24:3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, 'Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?'
"4 And Jesus answered and said to them: 'Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, "I am the Christ," and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
"9 'Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
The Great Tribulation
"15 'Therefore when you see the "abomination of desolation," spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place' (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 'then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.
"23 'Then if anyone says to you, "Look, here is the Christ!" or "There!" do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand.
"26 'Therefore if they say to you, "Look, He is in the desert!" do not go out; or "Look, He is in the inner rooms!" do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.'
The Coming of the Son of Man
"29 'Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.'"
John the Baptist was called by God to prepare the way for the Lord when He came to earth. We need to heed his words, and prepare ourselves for Second Coming of the Lord.
(This is spoken by Zacharias, who was filled with the Holy Spirit,) "Luke 1:76 'And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, 77 To give knowledge of salvation to His people By the remission of their sins, 78 Through the tender mercy of our God, With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; 79 To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.'”
John the Baptist, speaking of Jesus and baptism of the HOLY SPIRIT:
"Luke 3:16 John answered, saying to all, 'I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.'"
The arms of the Lord reaches out to all--salvation is there for you. What better time than now to search for the Truth. There may be no further opportunity for you, nor any further time for those you love. He loves you.
"2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance."
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Early Celebration
This morning I hurried to visit a friend that needed some help. What a surprise, when I walked out the door, to see rain lightly falling. It felt like spring.
I looked out the window later that morning and wondered if there was snow in the air..it seemed like there was a change out there. Mom called to warn me of the ice. She had taken her garbage out and had fallen twice on the ice. After the first fall she wasn't going to give up-- she was going to get her garbage out. She then fell again before she managed to get it in the garbage receptacle. She did not get hurt.
I left my friend's condo about 10 and went down the back stairs of the condo complex, cutting across the grass to the sidewalk. The moment I set my foot down on the sidewalk I began to slide across the walk on one leg, with arms flying outward trying to get a balance. It had LOOKED wet, but it was a solid sheet of ice. I stopped in an upward position and gingerly and cautiously crossed the street to my pickup. Driving slowly, I got home and drove right up next to the garage door. The drive was a sheet of ice. I held the door and took a huge step to the grass and walked up the lawn.
Then over to Mom's. My brother came down for an early Christmas celebration, since he couldn't make it on Christmas Day. Before getting there, he picked up some ice melt for Mom's sidewalks. NOW, it is time for our first Christmas dinner this year. My 2nd cousin, who is Mom's age, came over and we enjoyed a wonderful ham dinner with everyone taking time out for a lot of teasing. It was fun! Mom loved having everyone's company.
As years pass, time seems to lose a foothold in our lives. It sifts through our lives, as sand through our fingers, making memories of the moments spent together. We come to realize that, soon, what we have today will be gone forever. Nothing remains in this life, only the blessed HOPE that we have--to spend eternity with the Lord, in a new and beautiful world where all things are new. And our hope that those we love will be there too.
"Revelation 21:1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.'
"5 Then He who sat on the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new.' And He said to me, 'Write, for these words are true and faithful.'
"6 And He said to me, 'It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. 7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. 8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.'
* * *
"22 (The Glory of the New Jerusalem) But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. 24 And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. 25 Its gates shall not be shut at all by day. 26 And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. 27 But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life."
I looked out the window later that morning and wondered if there was snow in the air..it seemed like there was a change out there. Mom called to warn me of the ice. She had taken her garbage out and had fallen twice on the ice. After the first fall she wasn't going to give up-- she was going to get her garbage out. She then fell again before she managed to get it in the garbage receptacle. She did not get hurt.
I left my friend's condo about 10 and went down the back stairs of the condo complex, cutting across the grass to the sidewalk. The moment I set my foot down on the sidewalk I began to slide across the walk on one leg, with arms flying outward trying to get a balance. It had LOOKED wet, but it was a solid sheet of ice. I stopped in an upward position and gingerly and cautiously crossed the street to my pickup. Driving slowly, I got home and drove right up next to the garage door. The drive was a sheet of ice. I held the door and took a huge step to the grass and walked up the lawn.
Then over to Mom's. My brother came down for an early Christmas celebration, since he couldn't make it on Christmas Day. Before getting there, he picked up some ice melt for Mom's sidewalks. NOW, it is time for our first Christmas dinner this year. My 2nd cousin, who is Mom's age, came over and we enjoyed a wonderful ham dinner with everyone taking time out for a lot of teasing. It was fun! Mom loved having everyone's company.
As years pass, time seems to lose a foothold in our lives. It sifts through our lives, as sand through our fingers, making memories of the moments spent together. We come to realize that, soon, what we have today will be gone forever. Nothing remains in this life, only the blessed HOPE that we have--to spend eternity with the Lord, in a new and beautiful world where all things are new. And our hope that those we love will be there too.
"Revelation 21:1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.'
"5 Then He who sat on the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new.' And He said to me, 'Write, for these words are true and faithful.'
"6 And He said to me, 'It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. 7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. 8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.'
* * *
"22 (The Glory of the New Jerusalem) But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. 24 And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. 25 Its gates shall not be shut at all by day. 26 And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. 27 But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life."
Friday, December 18, 2009
Shopping with Mom
Good news. Little black kitten was back this morning.
Today was a shopping day for a few hours with Mom. We ended up doing a lot of walking, so she was tired by the time we got out of Holiday Village--and we only hit two stores.
To get from one level to the other, we had the option to go up the escalator. Mom, now 88 yrs old, had said she wasn't going to walk up the stairs. Wonderful! This means she WILL go up the escalator. I tied her shoe lace up, so it wouldn't drag and get caught. She didn't think I needed to bother with that, so I explained to her how dangerous it could be. Then she stepped on the escalator, and, of course, stepped half-way on two steps, so she kinda got bumped to only one step. At least she hung on, and she did try to climb a few steps by herself.
When we went to leave Penney's she wanted me to take her to the front on the top level, and then for me to go to the lower level and get the pickup and go all the way around the stores to the front and pick her up. This is twice the distance for me to walk, and my knee is already giving me difficulties, and, in addition, I am packing her heavy bag. She just didn't want to go DOWN the escalator. I told her she was going to have to live a little dangerously and go down the escalator. (She commented that she does live dangerously to go with me.) I just chuckled at her and cautioned her to hang on and not try to walk it. Luckily we were pretty close to it and she didn't have much time to think about it. So down the escalator we went. She hung on and just stood there. It was a complete success.
Now we just had to walk down the hallway and out the store. She was really going slow, so I told her I was going to pick up the speed and leave her and go get the pickup and meet her at the door. We were over half way down the hallway, so she wasn't by herself for long. I went out and climbed the hillside to get to the pickup, got in it and drove to the doors. NO MOM! It is totally glass all the way across and I can't see her at all. I don't move that fast, so I know she had plenty of time to get to the door. So I park the pickup right there and locked it up. (No parking area!) She can't be too far away. As I was heading in, a young lady suddenly opened the inside door and out came Mom. What a relief. Now, one more stop...the grocery store for two items. I got delegated to do the running, so I left her in the pickup and locked the door. I cautioned her against trying to open the door, as it would set off the alarm. I came back out and she hadn't set it off. So, good!!
After I took her home and then got myself home, she called. She has to go back to the store to straighten something out. So...another adventure tomorrow morning!
Today was a shopping day for a few hours with Mom. We ended up doing a lot of walking, so she was tired by the time we got out of Holiday Village--and we only hit two stores.
To get from one level to the other, we had the option to go up the escalator. Mom, now 88 yrs old, had said she wasn't going to walk up the stairs. Wonderful! This means she WILL go up the escalator. I tied her shoe lace up, so it wouldn't drag and get caught. She didn't think I needed to bother with that, so I explained to her how dangerous it could be. Then she stepped on the escalator, and, of course, stepped half-way on two steps, so she kinda got bumped to only one step. At least she hung on, and she did try to climb a few steps by herself.
When we went to leave Penney's she wanted me to take her to the front on the top level, and then for me to go to the lower level and get the pickup and go all the way around the stores to the front and pick her up. This is twice the distance for me to walk, and my knee is already giving me difficulties, and, in addition, I am packing her heavy bag. She just didn't want to go DOWN the escalator. I told her she was going to have to live a little dangerously and go down the escalator. (She commented that she does live dangerously to go with me.) I just chuckled at her and cautioned her to hang on and not try to walk it. Luckily we were pretty close to it and she didn't have much time to think about it. So down the escalator we went. She hung on and just stood there. It was a complete success.
Now we just had to walk down the hallway and out the store. She was really going slow, so I told her I was going to pick up the speed and leave her and go get the pickup and meet her at the door. We were over half way down the hallway, so she wasn't by herself for long. I went out and climbed the hillside to get to the pickup, got in it and drove to the doors. NO MOM! It is totally glass all the way across and I can't see her at all. I don't move that fast, so I know she had plenty of time to get to the door. So I park the pickup right there and locked it up. (No parking area!) She can't be too far away. As I was heading in, a young lady suddenly opened the inside door and out came Mom. What a relief. Now, one more stop...the grocery store for two items. I got delegated to do the running, so I left her in the pickup and locked the door. I cautioned her against trying to open the door, as it would set off the alarm. I came back out and she hadn't set it off. So, good!!
After I took her home and then got myself home, she called. She has to go back to the store to straighten something out. So...another adventure tomorrow morning!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Chinook winds are here
What a great relief from the cold. The chinook winds blew in rapidly melting the snow and bringing warmer temperatures. The ground is almost bare again. I love those winds. When I was a kid and the chinooks came in I would run across the pastures just to feel the freshness of the wind blowing against my skin and through my hair. Droplets of cold moisture mingled with the warming wind, moisture gleamed from the snow it passed over. Always promising a new life, yet to come.
The dogs were in last night. Early this morning about 5, something woke them. The next thing I heard was the crashing of the baby gate, which we used to pen them into the front hallway. Now the sound of the pitter-patter of paws moving quickly on carpet and THEN here they come straight into my bedroom, tails awagging. With their noses in my face they got the message to me "We're up!!!" So I grabbed my robe and headed to the deck door and out they went. It was nice out, so I locked the door and there they stayed.
When I awoke the little black kitten was gone..and only him. Since it was such a beautiful night last night I wonder if he had gone hunting with MaMa Cat and got lost along the way. We will see if he is here tomorrow morning.
Tonight I had lunch at Applebee's with Andy's Mom. The time went quickly as we enjoyed our meal and caught up on what we were doing in our lives. Then we hurried and scooted out of there before falling to the temptation of those "Little Shooter" desserts that looked so very good in their pictures.
Earlier at Mom's I saw my niece, who just had laser surgery on her eyes. I didn't recognize her without her glasses and then having gotten herself a new swept-back hair style, also! Perhaps I should do something about my appearance too. Well, I guess that is what New Year's is for.
Time is running out to complete stuff for Christmas...mailing deadlines are passing by and nothing is ready for Christmas up here. Busy time ahead. So glad Mom is putting together a cookie box for us.
Christmas what a wonderful family time. How easy it is to foget to take time out to wish our Lord Happy Birthday!! And, to thank our Heavenly Father for the sacrifice he made when He gave us His son to live and die for us. When we celebrate our birthdays, we don't think of when we were little babies, we see each other in the "now" and wish each other happy birthday and see the future, not the past. But this little baby was different...this one was a miracle that would save all those who are God's children. What "Happy Birthday" present will we give our awesome King of Kings and Lord of Lords?
The dogs were in last night. Early this morning about 5, something woke them. The next thing I heard was the crashing of the baby gate, which we used to pen them into the front hallway. Now the sound of the pitter-patter of paws moving quickly on carpet and THEN here they come straight into my bedroom, tails awagging. With their noses in my face they got the message to me "We're up!!!" So I grabbed my robe and headed to the deck door and out they went. It was nice out, so I locked the door and there they stayed.
When I awoke the little black kitten was gone..and only him. Since it was such a beautiful night last night I wonder if he had gone hunting with MaMa Cat and got lost along the way. We will see if he is here tomorrow morning.
Tonight I had lunch at Applebee's with Andy's Mom. The time went quickly as we enjoyed our meal and caught up on what we were doing in our lives. Then we hurried and scooted out of there before falling to the temptation of those "Little Shooter" desserts that looked so very good in their pictures.
Earlier at Mom's I saw my niece, who just had laser surgery on her eyes. I didn't recognize her without her glasses and then having gotten herself a new swept-back hair style, also! Perhaps I should do something about my appearance too. Well, I guess that is what New Year's is for.
Time is running out to complete stuff for Christmas...mailing deadlines are passing by and nothing is ready for Christmas up here. Busy time ahead. So glad Mom is putting together a cookie box for us.
Christmas what a wonderful family time. How easy it is to foget to take time out to wish our Lord Happy Birthday!! And, to thank our Heavenly Father for the sacrifice he made when He gave us His son to live and die for us. When we celebrate our birthdays, we don't think of when we were little babies, we see each other in the "now" and wish each other happy birthday and see the future, not the past. But this little baby was different...this one was a miracle that would save all those who are God's children. What "Happy Birthday" present will we give our awesome King of Kings and Lord of Lords?
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Winter continues
Well, Anita, maybe we can further our education and you be an electrician ($75/hr)and I, a plumber ($85/hr)! (or vice versa) The pay looks pretty good, even with the overhead and that is probably about 40-50%, plus taxes. Decent work, with good pay, and it is work that will always be there. Well, maybe we should have thought about it when we were much younger!!
Andy and Kat are now down. Andy decided against taking out the ceiling to insulate the water line. Since the basement is unfinished on either side of the family room, you can see all the way down into the area between the floors (where the lines are), from the unfinished rooms. He showed me where the hot water line was bowed and was lying against the cement wall. It just goes to show what an effect the wind has on the extreme cold the cement is going to conduct from the wind chill. Andy is going to try to insulate between the cement wall and the lines, from the unfinished rooms.
While out in the garage with Kathleen, Andy got the idea to use their camping mat (a piece of insulation to put under the sleeping bag) to insulate the wall. So they cut it to size and then taped the pieces together with masking tape until it was the length of the space where the lines ran. Using some extension sticks borrowed from his Dad, he tried to get the mat to go behind the lines and cover the cement wall. It is not going all the way down the wall--obstructions are keeping it from going through. In addition to the obstructions, the line is tight against the wall and it is difficult to push the mat. He tried using a number of different things to get it through. Nothing worked.
Today Andy went down again, this time he took Kathleen with him and with pulling and pushing they got it to finally fit flatly against the cement wall...a perfect fit.
Today was a good day in spite of it being so cold. We had a new blanket of snow last night and the land was all very pretty and white. A good day to bake. I had gotten some dates that were on sale yesterday even though I have never had a recipe for using them. Last night I went on-line and found a recipe for date bars. Today I made them and they were delicious. (mmmmm) Date bars and a glass of ice tea....a wonderful treat. Both Kathleen and Andy said they were good too. The recipe was found at: www.tablespoon.com/recipes/date-bars-recipe/1/ As we get closer to Christmas I will bake the mincemeat bars.
Tomorrow we need to create some Christmas cards. Eleven days until Christmas Eve! The time is starting to go quickly. Kat and Andy have been busily filling the space under the tree with many beautiful presents--they are going to be ready--it will be fun!
Victoria and Nick took Madison to her meet this weekend. Victoria told me about a wheel on her car "wiggling". She said a mechanic had looked at it and said it was her tires. I just had a problem with the pickup vibrating badly, even after I got new tires. It turned out to be some very bad u-joints. I pray the Lord will keep her safe. Perhaps it IS just a need for new tires, although that is dangerous enough!
I can't tell you how many times the Lord has brought me through danger on the roads. One time, I was driving from Shelby to Cut Bank, on a winter day a number of years ago. The highway looked clear, however, as I hit the shade, from the interstate passing over it, the road was solid black ice. Before I had a chance to realize it, the Scout did a complete 360 degree spin and then with a "thunk" the wheels hit dry pavement and continued on down the road. It happened so fast, there was no time to react. If the ice had been longer and my speed slower or faster, I would have wrecked or at least gone into the ditch.
There are miracles all around us, all the time. As I walked back from the roadway today, it seemed amazing that we can breathe air that is -9 degrees and not freeze our lungs -- whether we breathe through our nose or our mouth. What about the eyes...how is it that they have enough salt in them to keep from freezing and yet not enough to burn the eye. How could anyone believe such wonders happened by chance? Not just by chance, but billions and billions of chances that turned out perfect! Our God is good!
Andy and Kat are now down. Andy decided against taking out the ceiling to insulate the water line. Since the basement is unfinished on either side of the family room, you can see all the way down into the area between the floors (where the lines are), from the unfinished rooms. He showed me where the hot water line was bowed and was lying against the cement wall. It just goes to show what an effect the wind has on the extreme cold the cement is going to conduct from the wind chill. Andy is going to try to insulate between the cement wall and the lines, from the unfinished rooms.
While out in the garage with Kathleen, Andy got the idea to use their camping mat (a piece of insulation to put under the sleeping bag) to insulate the wall. So they cut it to size and then taped the pieces together with masking tape until it was the length of the space where the lines ran. Using some extension sticks borrowed from his Dad, he tried to get the mat to go behind the lines and cover the cement wall. It is not going all the way down the wall--obstructions are keeping it from going through. In addition to the obstructions, the line is tight against the wall and it is difficult to push the mat. He tried using a number of different things to get it through. Nothing worked.
Today Andy went down again, this time he took Kathleen with him and with pulling and pushing they got it to finally fit flatly against the cement wall...a perfect fit.
Today was a good day in spite of it being so cold. We had a new blanket of snow last night and the land was all very pretty and white. A good day to bake. I had gotten some dates that were on sale yesterday even though I have never had a recipe for using them. Last night I went on-line and found a recipe for date bars. Today I made them and they were delicious. (mmmmm) Date bars and a glass of ice tea....a wonderful treat. Both Kathleen and Andy said they were good too. The recipe was found at: www.tablespoon.com/recipes/date-bars-recipe/1/ As we get closer to Christmas I will bake the mincemeat bars.
Tomorrow we need to create some Christmas cards. Eleven days until Christmas Eve! The time is starting to go quickly. Kat and Andy have been busily filling the space under the tree with many beautiful presents--they are going to be ready--it will be fun!
Victoria and Nick took Madison to her meet this weekend. Victoria told me about a wheel on her car "wiggling". She said a mechanic had looked at it and said it was her tires. I just had a problem with the pickup vibrating badly, even after I got new tires. It turned out to be some very bad u-joints. I pray the Lord will keep her safe. Perhaps it IS just a need for new tires, although that is dangerous enough!
I can't tell you how many times the Lord has brought me through danger on the roads. One time, I was driving from Shelby to Cut Bank, on a winter day a number of years ago. The highway looked clear, however, as I hit the shade, from the interstate passing over it, the road was solid black ice. Before I had a chance to realize it, the Scout did a complete 360 degree spin and then with a "thunk" the wheels hit dry pavement and continued on down the road. It happened so fast, there was no time to react. If the ice had been longer and my speed slower or faster, I would have wrecked or at least gone into the ditch.
There are miracles all around us, all the time. As I walked back from the roadway today, it seemed amazing that we can breathe air that is -9 degrees and not freeze our lungs -- whether we breathe through our nose or our mouth. What about the eyes...how is it that they have enough salt in them to keep from freezing and yet not enough to burn the eye. How could anyone believe such wonders happened by chance? Not just by chance, but billions and billions of chances that turned out perfect! Our God is good!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
A good job to have!
The water line has frozen the last two nights on the kitchen and laundry room side of the house. I called a plumber YESTERDAY morning and they were totally booked up for the day, but gave me a reference to another. I called and they said $85 an hour from the time they leave the shop, minimum one hour. Well, it is one hour just to travel back and forth so we know there is two hours at least for a visit. Not wanting burst lines, I said ok, and they said it would be in about 3 hours. Now anyone looking to go into a high paying line of business might go to school for plumbing....it pays well!!!
Having seen Dad thaw pipes a number of times, I thought I would try it. I found the hand-held hair dryer and went downstairs. Checked the line to see where the feeze spot could be. So I started blow drying the line. It wasn't too long and we had cold water. The plumber now called about coming out, so I canceled the appointment. However, it took all day to get the hot water line unthawed.
Last night the temperatures were not nearly as cold as the night before, but still TODAY there was no hot water in the kitchen or laundry room. I used a heater downstairs and the blow dryer and no results. Now I am going to try blocking some of that wind coming in under the deck by putting a tarp along the front of it to stop that bitterly cold wind. The frozen spot apparently is right below the deck, which means Andy is going to have to tear out part of the ceiling in the family room to get to it. That will be for tomorrow...I hope the pipes are good through the night. (About an hour later, after putting up the tarp...the line thawed!!)
Will be glad when it is all done! Or, this could be a long winter. Tomorrow is 17 above! The dogs can be outside all day!!!
Having seen Dad thaw pipes a number of times, I thought I would try it. I found the hand-held hair dryer and went downstairs. Checked the line to see where the feeze spot could be. So I started blow drying the line. It wasn't too long and we had cold water. The plumber now called about coming out, so I canceled the appointment. However, it took all day to get the hot water line unthawed.
Last night the temperatures were not nearly as cold as the night before, but still TODAY there was no hot water in the kitchen or laundry room. I used a heater downstairs and the blow dryer and no results. Now I am going to try blocking some of that wind coming in under the deck by putting a tarp along the front of it to stop that bitterly cold wind. The frozen spot apparently is right below the deck, which means Andy is going to have to tear out part of the ceiling in the family room to get to it. That will be for tomorrow...I hope the pipes are good through the night. (About an hour later, after putting up the tarp...the line thawed!!)
Will be glad when it is all done! Or, this could be a long winter. Tomorrow is 17 above! The dogs can be outside all day!!!
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Winter Weather
Tonight the low is suppose to be -20 and tomorrow is even colder with a HIGH of -10 and a low of -25. That does not take into account the wind chill factor. So it is getting very cold out there.
The dogs are in the house. Well, in AND out of the house. Beamer keeps wanting to go out, so I let them out so he doesn't have an "occurrence" in the house. Now we have cooled the house down way too much, so he is just going to have to WAIT until it warms up a little. The high today is suppose to be 4, so I figure about 10 or 11 I will send them out and they can spend the day outside. With a little more straw in their dog house, they should be fine, and then he can go all day if he wants to.
Sunday's paper came out with articles of people all thumbing their noses at the Word of God. First, an LA Diocese elected a lesbian as its assistant bishop. She still needs the approval of a majority of dioceses within that church to actually get the appointment.
Then, there is a man in Sacramento who wants to ban divorce. Malachi 2:16
indeed tells us, “For the LORD God of Israel says That He hates divorce, For it covers one’s garment with violence,” Says the LORD of hosts. “Therefore take heed to your spirit, That you do not deal treacherously.”
Deuteronomy 24 gives one of the instructions from God for divorce 1 “When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some uncleanness in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house, 2 when she has departed from his house, and goes and becomes another man’s wife, 3 if the latter husband detests her and writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house, or if the latter husband dies who took her as his wife, 4 then her former husband who divorced her must not take her back to be his wife after she has been defiled; for that is an abomination before the LORD, and you shall not bring sin on the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance."
If we go on in Deuteronomy 24:5 we find a very special law for newly weds, “When a man has taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war or be charged with any business; he shall be free at home one year, and bring happiness to his wife whom he has taken." Perhaps there will be less divorce if we bring about ALL of God's laws.
Jesus said of divorce, "Matthew 19:9 And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.” The Lord, our God, takes marriage very seriously and our vows very seriously. Divorce is talked about a number of times in the Bible.
God, although hating it, did permit divorce (with restrictions) but abortion and homosexuality were never permitted and were always an abomination. These all deal with families, and the destruction of it.
The third article that makes these times "a cold day in hell", (something one once would have thought unimaginable) is "Dr." LeRoy Carhart taking over "Dr." George Tiller's late term abortion practice. Dr. Carhart is the one that gave testimony in Court on Partial Birth Abortion and described his practice. It can be found at http://mttu.com/Articles/The%20Abortionist%20Speaks.htm (or go to http://mttu.com/main.htm in the permanent archives).
We know whatever the past sin, there is forgiveness for those who repent and walk with the Lord.
The Lord came to Saul (changed later to Paul) (Act 9:1 Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. 4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”
Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”) (goads: a type of stick to prod animals)
Paul - the apostle everyone knows and loves, persecuted the christians and consented to the killing of Stephen, before he became a believer in Jesus Christ. As an apostle of the Lord he was sent to preach to the Gentiles (us). (Acts 22:19 So I said, ‘Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You. 20 And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death,[a] and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’
Then He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.’” 21)
David, the greatly beloved King, was the great (28 generations back) grandfather of Jesus. He commited adultry with the wife of one of his soldiers. She became pregnant. David tried to cover his sin by having her husband think it was his. This failed, and he had her husband killed by putting him at the front of the battle. (2 Sam 11:14 In the morning it happened that David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah. 15 And he wrote in the letter, saying, “Set Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retreat from him, that he may be struck down and die.” ) He then married Bathsheba. David repented of his sin and carried his guilt to the Lord. The Bible is full of people who sinned. People who realized the great consequences of their sin(s) and truly repented of their sin(s). The Lord changed their hearts and they walked with the Lord and became great witnesses and Paul became the great Apostle.
We all have the blood of abortion on our hands, but by acknowledging the sin and being repentant and asking for forgiveness, we will find it through the awesome grace and love of our God, if our hearts are truly with the Lord. Then we must go and "sin no more."
Revelation 22 "(9 in part) Worship God. 10 And he said to me, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. 11 He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.”
12 “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.” 14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. 15 But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.
16 “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”
17 And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.
The Lord is returning soon. The time for us to be ready is here. The time to save your children and those you love, is now. God help us all.
The dogs are in the house. Well, in AND out of the house. Beamer keeps wanting to go out, so I let them out so he doesn't have an "occurrence" in the house. Now we have cooled the house down way too much, so he is just going to have to WAIT until it warms up a little. The high today is suppose to be 4, so I figure about 10 or 11 I will send them out and they can spend the day outside. With a little more straw in their dog house, they should be fine, and then he can go all day if he wants to.
Sunday's paper came out with articles of people all thumbing their noses at the Word of God. First, an LA Diocese elected a lesbian as its assistant bishop. She still needs the approval of a majority of dioceses within that church to actually get the appointment.
Then, there is a man in Sacramento who wants to ban divorce. Malachi 2:16
indeed tells us, “For the LORD God of Israel says That He hates divorce, For it covers one’s garment with violence,” Says the LORD of hosts. “Therefore take heed to your spirit, That you do not deal treacherously.”
Deuteronomy 24 gives one of the instructions from God for divorce 1 “When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some uncleanness in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house, 2 when she has departed from his house, and goes and becomes another man’s wife, 3 if the latter husband detests her and writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house, or if the latter husband dies who took her as his wife, 4 then her former husband who divorced her must not take her back to be his wife after she has been defiled; for that is an abomination before the LORD, and you shall not bring sin on the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance."
If we go on in Deuteronomy 24:5 we find a very special law for newly weds, “When a man has taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war or be charged with any business; he shall be free at home one year, and bring happiness to his wife whom he has taken." Perhaps there will be less divorce if we bring about ALL of God's laws.
Jesus said of divorce, "Matthew 19:9 And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.” The Lord, our God, takes marriage very seriously and our vows very seriously. Divorce is talked about a number of times in the Bible.
God, although hating it, did permit divorce (with restrictions) but abortion and homosexuality were never permitted and were always an abomination. These all deal with families, and the destruction of it.
The third article that makes these times "a cold day in hell", (something one once would have thought unimaginable) is "Dr." LeRoy Carhart taking over "Dr." George Tiller's late term abortion practice. Dr. Carhart is the one that gave testimony in Court on Partial Birth Abortion and described his practice. It can be found at http://mttu.com/Articles/The%20Abortionist%20Speaks.htm (or go to http://mttu.com/main.htm in the permanent archives).
We know whatever the past sin, there is forgiveness for those who repent and walk with the Lord.
The Lord came to Saul (changed later to Paul) (Act 9:1 Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. 4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”
Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”) (goads: a type of stick to prod animals)
Paul - the apostle everyone knows and loves, persecuted the christians and consented to the killing of Stephen, before he became a believer in Jesus Christ. As an apostle of the Lord he was sent to preach to the Gentiles (us). (Acts 22:19 So I said, ‘Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You. 20 And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death,[a] and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’
Then He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.’” 21)
David, the greatly beloved King, was the great (28 generations back) grandfather of Jesus. He commited adultry with the wife of one of his soldiers. She became pregnant. David tried to cover his sin by having her husband think it was his. This failed, and he had her husband killed by putting him at the front of the battle. (2 Sam 11:14 In the morning it happened that David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah. 15 And he wrote in the letter, saying, “Set Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retreat from him, that he may be struck down and die.” ) He then married Bathsheba. David repented of his sin and carried his guilt to the Lord. The Bible is full of people who sinned. People who realized the great consequences of their sin(s) and truly repented of their sin(s). The Lord changed their hearts and they walked with the Lord and became great witnesses and Paul became the great Apostle.
We all have the blood of abortion on our hands, but by acknowledging the sin and being repentant and asking for forgiveness, we will find it through the awesome grace and love of our God, if our hearts are truly with the Lord. Then we must go and "sin no more."
Revelation 22 "(9 in part) Worship God. 10 And he said to me, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. 11 He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.”
12 “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.” 14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. 15 But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.
16 “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”
17 And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.
The Lord is returning soon. The time for us to be ready is here. The time to save your children and those you love, is now. God help us all.
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