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."
Monday, December 21, 2009
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!
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