The Diver

Dear Friends, today has been a mixed up mess for me!  So I am only posting a little story that a friend passed on to me.  I think their is someone out there it is meant for.

 

This will give you chills......

Phil. 4:13 states:

"I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength."

 Here's the story:

A young man who had been raised as an atheist was training to be
an Olympic diver. The only religious influence in his life came from his
outspoken Christian friend. The young diver never really paid much
attention to his friend's sermons, but he heard them often.

One night the diver went to the indoor pool at the college he
attended. The lights were all off, but as the pool had big skylights and
the moon was bright, there was plenty of light to practice by.

The young man climbed up to the highest diving board and as he
turned his back to the pool on the edge of the board and extended his arms out,! he saw his shadow on the wall. The shadow of his body, was in the shape of a cross. The man felt a strange feeling,like someone was speaking to him. Instead of diving, he knelt down and finally asked God to come into his life.

As the young man stood, a maintenance man walked in and turned
the lights on. The pool had been drained for repairs.
 

I Love Jesus--my Savior. He keeps me functioning each day.
Without him, I am nothing but with Him I can do all things through Christ
that strengthens me. Phil 4:13.

Church Cake Sale

This entry might run a little long. I want to share a good funny with you and a little inspiration also. First for the funny stuff.

My AcraMax Joke E-mail had this lovely example of what can happen when at first we practice to decieve:

Church Cake Sale

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

Alice was to bake a cake for the church ladies' group bake sale, but she forgot to do it until the last minute.

She baked an angel food cake and when she took it from the oven, the center had dropped flat.

She said, "Oh dear, there's no time to bake another cake."

So, 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 covered it with icing.

The finished product looked beautiful, so she rushed it to the church. Before she left the house, Alice had given her daughter some money and specific instructions to be at the bake sale the minute it opened, and to buy that cake and bring it home.

When the daughter arrived at the sale, the attractive cake had already been sold.

Alice was beside herself.

The next day, Alice was invited to a friend's home where two tables of bridge were to be played that afternoon.

After the game, a fancy lunch was served, and to top it off, the cake in question was presented for dessert.

Alice 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, one of the other ladies said, "What a beautiful cake!"

Alice sat back in her chair when she heard the hostess (who was a prominent church member) say,

"Thank you, I baked it myself."

So, now that we have had a good laugh at our expense......hey, I can include you 'cause I included me!......let's move on and ponder the wonder of how God can use us to have a great impact on the lives of those around us. This is another great message from God's Work Ministry E-mail.

THE FRESHMAN One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class who was walking home from school. His name was Kyle. It looked like he was carrying all of his books. I thought to myself, "Why would anyone bring home all of their books on a Friday? He must really be a nerd." I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on. As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him. They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt. His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him. He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes. My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him and as he crawled around looking for his glasses I saw a tear in his eye. As I handed him his glasses, I said, "Those guys are jerks. They really should get lives." He looked at me and said, "Hey thanks!". There was a big smile on his face. It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude. I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived. As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before. He said he had gone to private school until now. I would have never hung out with a private school kid before. We talked all the way home, and I carried his books. He turned out to be a pretty cool kid. I asked him if he wanted to play football on Saturday with me and my friends. He said yes. We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him. And my friends thought the same of him. Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again. I stopped him and said, "Dang boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday!" He just laughed and handed me half the books. Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends. When we were seniors, we began to think about college. Kyle decided on Georgetown, and I was going to Duke. I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem. He was going to be a doctor, and I was going for business on a football scholarship. Kyle was valedictorian of our class. I teased him all the time about being a nerd. He had to prepare a speech for graduation. I was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there and speak. Graduation day, I saw Kyle. He looked great. He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school. He filled out and actually looked good in glasses. He had more dates than me and all the girls loved him! Boy, sometimes I was jealous. Today was one of those days. I could see that he was nervous about his speech. So, I smacked him on the back and said, "Hey, big guy, you'll be great!" He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled. "Thanks," he said. As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began. "Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years. Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach...but mostly your friends. I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them. I am going to tell you a story." I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the story of the first day we met. He had planned to kill himself over the weekend. He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his mom wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home. He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile. "Thankfully, I was saved. My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable." I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment. I saw his mom and dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile. Not until that moment did I realize it's depth. Author Unknown

The smallest gesture we make to someone else could be the difference of either building them up or breaking them down. The Lord Jesus says it best in Matthew 5:44 "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;" God is on the throne and will reward us according to our acts and deeds (Revelation 20:12-13). If we only do good to those that do good to us, then what reward will we have? Aren't we acting just like the world acts as it is written in Luke 6:32 "And if ye do good to them which do good to you, whatthank have ye? for sinners also do even the same." Lets try our best to be as Jesus is; to help, bless, love and be merciful to everyone we come into contact with for the same mercy we show; will it be shown to us by our Heavenly Father. (Luke 6:36) and (Matthew 5:7) Today, I am recommending a journal of a real life female police officer. I don't know how she does what she does, but I am very thankful that she and others like her do! She lives and works in the Ft. Lauderdale area. In An Officer's Day she shares many of her real life experiences. May not be for the squeemish or faint of heart. But stop by and give her a pat on the back and a word of encouragement.

Note from Bubba and our local news station: On the July 3rd/4th at 12:50 a.m. CST, NASA will be blowing something up in the Southwestern sky.....or at least Southwestern from East Texas. So, if you are a night owl go out and look for some celestial fireworks.

Ending up as usual with the Word on words and anger. Still in Isaiah, Chapter 52 vs.5 & 6: "And now, what is this? asks the Lord. Why are my people enslaved again, and oppressed without excuse? Those who rule them shout in exultation, and my name is constantly blasphemed, day by day. Therefore I will reveal my name to my people and they shall know the power in that name." There are many forms of enslavement. Here in the "Land of the free." most enslavement is a willing choice we make......to allow ourselves to be enslaved by sin. The way out is in the name of Jesus. Are you in a bondage? The name of Jesus is a bondage breaker, call on it today! And once again, let us remember that His name deserves all honor and respect, for one day....and I think it will be soon.....at the name of Jesus, every kneeshall bow, and every tongue confess! Those who adore Him. Those who riducule Him. Those who ignore Him. Those who deny Him. Every tongue. So why not start today?

Chuckles for Women

My friend, Monica, passed these "Chuckles" to me and I wanted to pass them on to you.

Woman's Revenge :  "Cash, check or charge?" I asked after folding the woman's items she wished to purchase.  As she fumbled for her wallet I noticed a remote control to a TV in her purse.  "So, do you always carry your TV remote?" I asked.  "No," she replied, "but my husband refused to come shopping with me and I figured this was the most evil thing I could do to him legally."

A Man's Perspective on Understanding Women:  I know I am not going to understand women.  How can you take boiling wax, pour it onto your upper thigh, rip the hair out by the root ......and still be afriad of a spider?!

Marriage Seminar:  While attending a marriage seminar dealing with communication, Tom and his wife, Grace, listened to the instructor, "It is essential that husbands and wives know the things that are important to each other."  He addressed the men "Can you describe your wive's favorite flower?"  Tom leaned over, touched his wife's arm gently and whispered, "It's Pillsbury, isn't it?"     The rest of the story gets rather ugly, so I'll stop right here.

Words:  The husband read an article to his wife about how many words a woman uses each day......30,000 to a man's 15,000.   The wife replied, "The reason has to be because we have to repeat everything to men."  The husband then turned to his wife and asked, "What?"

Creation:  A man said to his wife one day, "I don't know how you can be so stupid and so beautiful at the same time."  To which the wife responded, "Allow me to explain, God made me beautiful so you would be attracted to me.......He made me stupid so I would be attracted to you!"

Who Brews?:  A man and his wife were having an argument about who should brew the coffee each morning.  The wife said, "You should do it because you get up first and then we won't have to wait so long to get our coffee."  The husband said, "You are in charge of cooking so you should do it.  I can wait for my coffee."  To which the wife replied, "No you should do it.  Besides, it is in the Bible that the man should do the coffee!"   The husband says, "I can't believe that!  Show me."  So she fetched the Bible, opened it to the New Testament and showed him on top of several pages where it indeed says,  "HEBREWS".

Silent Treatment:  A man and his wife were having some problems and giving each other the silent treatment.  Suddenly, the man realized that he would need his wife to wake him the next day at 5:00a.m. for an early morning business flight.  Not wanting to be the first to break the silence, and lose, he wrote on a piece of paper, "Please wake me at 5a.m." and let it where he knew she would find it. The next morning the man woke up at 9:00a.m. only to realize he had missed his flight!  Furious, he was about to go and see why his wife had not awakened him, when he noticed a piece of paper by the bed that read, "It's 5:00a.m.......wake up!"   Men are not equipped for these kinds of contests.

I hope you all enjoyed the humor.  If there is anyone who needs a good sense of humor to get thru her days it has to be Terra.......mother to eight! Yes, eight children.  And a hubby.  And a full time job!  (Or should I say two full time jobs?)  You can attempt to keep up with her life in Bakersfield, CA at her journal, Eight is Enough.  (I think I may have reached that conclusion at six, or four or even two!  lol)  Good thing this gal loves to cook.

 I pray that our look into words and anger is a benefit to you, I know looking into these verses in the Word is a definate help to me.  "See, the Lord comes from afar, aflame with wrath, surrounded by thick rising smoke.  His lips are filled with fury; his words consume like fire.  His wrath pours out like floods upon them all, to sweep them all away."  Isaiah 30:27 & 28, TLB.  So, if we are angry, is it because someone has sinned against us?  Or is it we who sin in our anger?  Or both?  But all sin is ultimately against God Himself.  So if we are going to talk about a right to be angry, who but God has that right?  And how often has He relinquished that right in order to give you mercy and forgiveness instead of wrath?  If He is our Holy Example let us follow after mercy and seek and give forgiveness.

   

Spanky, Darla and Our Gang

If any of you have a memory of "Our Gang" let me tell you that they are alive and well here in Caneyhead! Bubba and a younger cousin, from thru the pipeline, have cleaned-out a small corner of the woods in the back and made it into clubhouse central. They are there everyday......almost all day long. There is a table. Bubba bought a tarp to put up for shelter from passing showers, a can of Deep Woods Off. Cinderblocks ringing a fire-hole for a little light at night and smoke to ward off insects. He's even hooked up some battery-powdered radio out there. So, those two, plus Bug, and a man down the roads grandson are wiling-away the days in good-old lazy summer fashion. Bug has traded in her cool summer shorts, for jeans each day so she can tote the pocket knife her Bubba gave her in a ritual Spanky and the crew would have been proud of. But there is some strife amongst the membership, as bug wanted to bring the white kitten there to pet and she was told this was a dogs only club. I'm sure Darla could sympathize.

"Spanky, will you swing me before we have lunch?"

"Sure Darla!"

"Hey, Romeo, what about your promise to the He-Man Woman Haters Club?!"

And REO Speedwagon breaks into "She Doesn't Like Tough Guys."

Hey! The British are coming! The British are coming!.........No....not redcoats. Not even the Beatles. It's Jeanette's Jottings! If you think Brits are stuffy, you have to go and visit Jeanette for awhile. This housewife and grandmother is full of vim, vigor and wit that will perk up your day. There is plenty of boasting about her grandchild, and lots about her garden (which is gorgeous and very English.!) Plenty of humor and some ghostly, gouly tales like only England can generate.

Now for the Word on our Words. From Ecclesiastes 7: 8 & 9 "Finishing is better than starting! Patience is better than pride! Don't be quick-tempered -- that is being a fool" Leave itto Solomon (the Preacher) to be blunt and to the point. You can never eat a meal you do not finish. Impatience stems out of pride, "You are wasting my time....how dare you treat me like that?!" Short fuses and hair-triggers end up only hurting the innocent.

Ten Guidelines from God

Effective immediately, please be aware that there are changes YOU need to make in YOUR life. These changes need to be completed in order that I may fulfill My promises to you to grant you peace, joy and happiness in this life. I apologize for any inconvenience, but after all that I am doing, this seems very little to ask of you. Please, follow these 10 guidelines:

1. QUIT WORRYING:
Life has dealt you a blow and all you do is sit and worry. Have you forgotten that I am here to take all your burdens and carry them for you? Or do you just enjoy fretting over every little thing that comes your way?

2. PUT IT ON THE LIST: Something needs done or taken care of. Put it on the list. No, not YOUR list. Put it on MY to-do-list. Let ME be the one to take care of the problem. I can't help you until you turn it over to Me. And although My to-do-list is long, I am after all... God. I can take care of anything you put into My hands. In fact, if the truth were ever really known, I take care of a lot of things for you that you never even realize.

3. TRUST ME:
Once you've given your burdens to Me, quit trying to take them back. Trust in Me. Have the faith that I will take care of all your needs, your problems and your trials. Problems with the kids? Put them on My list. Problem with finances? Put it on My list. Problems with your emotional roller coaster? For My sake, put it on My list. I want to help you. All you have to do is ask.

4. LEAVE IT ALONE: Don't wake up one morning and say, "Well, I'm feeling much stronger now, I think I can handle it from here." Why do you think you are feeling stronger now? It's simple. You gave Me your burdens and I'm taking care of them. I also renew your strength and cover you in my peace. Don't you know that if I give you these problems back, you will be right back where you started?
Leave them with Me and forget about them. Just let Me do my job.

5. TALK TO ME: I want you to forget a lot of things. Forget what was making you crazy. Forget the worry and the fretting because you know I'm in control. But there's one thing I pray you never forget. Please, don't forget to talk to Me - OFTEN! I love YOU! I want to hear your voice. I want you to include Me in on thethings going on in your life. I want to hear you talk about your friends and family. Prayer is simply you having a conversation with Me. I want to be your dearest friend.

6. HAVE FAITH:
I see a lot of things from up here that you can't see from where you are. Have faith in Me that I know what I'm doing. Trust Me; you wouldn't want the view from My eyes. I will continue to care for you, watch over you, and meet your needs. You only have to trust Me. Although I have a much bigger task than you, it seems as if you have so much trouble just doing your simple part. How hard can trust be?

7. SHARE:
You were taught to share when you were only two years old. When did you forget? That rule still applies. Share with those who are less fortunate than you. Share your joy with those who need encouragement. Share your laughter with those who haven't heard any in such a long time. Share your tears with those who have forgotten how to cry. Share your faith with those who have none.

8. BE PATIENT:
I managed to fix it so in just one lifetime you could have so many diverse experiences. You grow from a child to an adult, have children, change jobs many times, learn many trades, travel to so many places, meet thousands of people, and experience so much. How can you be so impatient then when it takes Me a little longer than you expect to handle something on My to-do-list? Trust in My timing, for My timing is perfect. Just because I created the entire universe in only six days, everyone thinks I should always rush, rush, rush.

9. BE KIND:
Be kind to others, for I love them just as much as I love you. They may not dress like you, or talk like you, or live the same way you do, but I still love you all. Please try to get along, for My sake. I created each of you different in some way. It would be too boring if you were all identical. Please, know I love each of your differences.

10. LOVE YOURSELF:
As much as I love you, how can you not love yourself? You were created by me for one reason only -- to be loved, and to love in return. I am a God of Love. Love Me. Love your neighbors. But also love yourself. It makes My heart ache when I see you so angry with yourself when things go wrong. You are very precious to me.
Don't ever forget......

Redneck Computer Glossary

So today has gotten of to a good start. I feel in control of my house. Bubba and Bug are doing well.....guess you can say it is a good day in the neighborhood. Not long ago, I shared with you a common practice in these parts about having to give a geneology for every person brought up in conversation. Today, let me clue you in on the proper edicate for visitin'.

In general, there is no invitation needed to visit, just the urge to stop by. If the company arrives at or near mealtime you should always ask them to join you, even if you don't have enough. Unless they know you real well, they will decline this invitation. If you are visiting a man, (especially if you are a man) you will likely spend the whole time outside. If you are lucky, there will be lawn chairs and a fire, maybe some country classics to listen to on the radio of one of the trucks. Other times, especially if you have caught the man just arriving home, you will spend the entire visit standing around the bed of a pick-up truck. This keep the drinks (cooler) and the trash (bed of the truck) both real handy.

Now if you are a woman going to visit a girlfriend, you will most likely end up perched on a stool near the kitchen, or a chair at the table, while she goes on with her cooking and dishwashing. You may even be handed potatoes to peel, or some such thing. Occasionally you may get to sit on her couch while she folds laundry. And if you catch her at a rare free moment the two of you may enjoy sitting on the front porch together over a cup of coffee.

Special rules apply....though unspoken....to situations where say a man is attempting to visit another man and only the wife is home. The visitor will never walk inside unless he is very close kin. The wife will meet him at the door or out in the lawn. He will either leave a message with her for the hubby, or if she knows hubby is due home soon, he might just sit a spell on the tailgate of his truck and wait for him. Or he may wonder around outside and look at the livestock or the gardenwhile he waits. Yep, you'd be hard put to get any man worth his salt to enter a home with the man of the house absent.

And if you didn't find this humorous enough, check out the Redneck Computer Glossary from ArcaMax:

"Hard drive" - Trying to climb a steep, muddy hill with 3 flat tires and pulling a trailer load of fertilizer.

"Keyboard" - Place to hang your truck keys.

"Window" - Place in the truck to hang your guns.

"Modem" - How you got rid of your dandelions.

"ROM" - Delicious when you mix it with coca cola.

"Byte" - First word in a kiss-off phrase.

"Reboot" - What you do when the first pair gets covered with barnyard stuff.

"Network" - Activity meant to provide bait for your trout line.

"Mouse" - Fuzzy, soft thing you stuff in your beer bottle in order to get a free case.

"LAN" - To borrow as in, "Hey Delbert! LAN me yore truck."

"Cursor" - What some guys do when they are mad at their wife and/or girlfriend.

"bit" - A wager as in, "I bit you can't spit that watermelon seed across the porch long ways."

"digital control" - What yore fingers do on the TV remote.

"packet" - What you do to a suitcase or Wal-Mart bag before a trip.

Linda lives at the base of the mountains in Upstate New York. Hard for me to understand how she can be somewhere in New York, when for all the world to me, her journal seems to say she is a redneck! (lol) She has two lovely children and knows (has met) David Hyde Pierce! If you haven't been at the base of the mountains yet, go by today, and tell her Barbara sent you!

In the Word again, we'll finish up with Proverbs today. In 29:11 we are told, "A rebel shouts in anger; a wise man holds his temper in and cools it." When you feel anger starting to well up inside, the best thing you can do is to say as little as possible, get away from the person or situation if at all possible and pray! Bathe it in prayer. Then you are ready to handle it.....though you may find there is nothing left to handle!

Proverbs 30:11-13 gives us, "There are those who curse their father and mother, and feel themselves faultless despite their many sins. They are proud beyond description, arogant, disdainful." If we start looking at the sin in others, we may begin to feel sinless......look at Jesus instead! Now how are you feeling? Still cocky? Or humbled. Likewise if we give in to every temptation to speak our minds bluntly, the repetition can numb our sensitivities. That is why we need the Holy Spirit to help us see our sin in it's true light. What we do once may be a mistake....what we mistakenly repeat will become a be-setting sin. Ruining our fellowship with the Lord and stealing our joy!

Lastly, Proverbs 30:33 could be a quote from Dr. Phil. (lol) "As the churning of cream yields butter.....so anger causes quarrels." I had an aunt that had a cow and actually churned her own butter from her own cream. It doesn't happen in an instant. You have to work at it a while. Likewise, sometimes we mull something over and over until we work ourselves into a tizzy. Then we are spoiling for a fight. If you don't want butter, best leave your hand off the churn! Don't want a fight.....let it go.

Spread them around!

There's Life in that there Pond!

Gosh, I hope eveyone had a good weekend! Ours was of the slow and lazy sort. Saturday, Bubba worked on cleaning up the mess from the fallen tree limb. Cut it up and burnt it. Pete laid up and slept all day long! Sunday was a wonderful day of refreshment for me. Started with me and the kids going to church. Then Bubba and I went to town while Bug stayed home with Dad, who sat at the picnic table and read his Sunday paper and then took a rest in his hamock. I came home and started supper. Bubba and Bug ended up going out to fish in our scummed-up old pond. I felt merry inside to see Pete join them there. And soon Pete and Bug came through the kitchen door with a 6" long catfish! Could hardly believe Bug caught that in our pond! It was a thrill for her. And daddy seemed rather tickled by her accomplishment. Glad to say too, that they took it back to the pond. (lol)

I recieved a real blessing in Evening services. We had a guest preacher as the pastor is on vacation. And he spoke on doing a spiritual checkup.....to weed out unwanted things and get rid of stubborn or unkown sin. Guess I spend entirely too much time on this PC as I immediately begin to think of it like running a virus scan......checking each file. Make sure there are no unwanted files or programs. Like lying, cursing, envy, pride, unforgiveness, jealousy, cheating, strife, lust. Deleting and purging them thru confession. And optimizing the programs that we do want to run, to function their best: like witnessing, giving, loving, encouraging, serving, ministering. God wants us running at optimum performance, for the task is large! And we should focus our energies as He designs and designates, for He doesn't want our system to crash. Anyway, I feel revived.....like I just upgraded to 256RAM!

Today, I want to direct you to a journal that I know many of you already know. Jackie's journal was the first one I found the first time I was on AOL. After I came back to AOL, and first went looking for journals, I could not remember the name: Small Town Life. But fortunately I found it again thru a list on another journal's sidebar. Jackie shares the adventure and sacrifice her family makes as her husband serves us in the military. (Their newest baby boy was born on Bubba's birthday! - May 9th) If somehow you've not been there yet, I urge you to stop by and get to know this young mother of three, holding down the fort in Kentucky.

More on our words and the Word. "An angry man is silenced by giving him a gift!" Proverbs 21:14 - In the new testiment we are urged to be kind to our enemies. Often times when we are kind or do something nice for someone who is angry or mean toward us, it out right confuses them! They are dumbfounded and at a loss for how to react. Instead of responding in kind to anger, look for a way to calm them, defuse them with kindness. "Better to live in the desert than with a quarrelsome, complaining woman." Proverbs 21:19 - Ouch! If you are constantly complaining, chances are you will soon find yourself alone. "Keep your moth closed and you'll stay out of trouble." Proverbs 21:23 - So Mama was right when she said if you can't say anything nice then say nothing at all!

Say one nice, positive thing to everyone you see today!

Cleaning the Catch-All

Isn't this beautiful? Who wouldn't want a porch like this?! But alas, mine will never be like this. Everybody has either the catch-all table, where the world dumps the mail, the keys, the change, etc. or the catch-all drawer, were there is an assortment of batteries, screw drivers, pictures, bread wrappers, etc. But we have the catch all porch! On our porch right now is:

...the feed for all the animals.

...Two deep freezers.

...three butane bottles.

...two old window units.

...one whole central air unit.

...an unidentified piece of shop equipment.

...assorted old rotten tack, for horses.

...two satelite dishes no longer in use.

...an old p/c monitor, keyboard and mouse.

...the old kitchen table.

...the old kitchen cabinet.

...One of Pete's old lazy-boys.

...assorted old shoes, half broken toys, etc.

Our porch runs the length of the front of the house. One half is walled up half way and screened in from there to the top. The other half is open. Bubba and I started to tackle cleaning the screened in side up yesterday am. We got only half way! (Notice, except for the last item on list, someone other than Bubba, I, or Bug put them there.) Going to go try to tackle the other half of the screened in half today. For those of you with neat, clean little sub-division lives I hope you got a good chuckle out of this. For anyone in my shoes, I feel your pain.

Praise God we had a thunderstorm yesterday afternoon! This may sound like a strange praise, but rain is getting so scarce around here that you truly appreciate any source of moisture. Bug and I were just about to get in her little wading pool and cool off, when it came a rumbling along. So we moved to the clean portion of the front porch and watched! Lightening, thunder, wind, rain, and even hail the size of the end of my thumb! Bug was real impressed with the ice cubes God was sending her. Bubba, Pete and some man watched from under the shop/shed as they sorta got trapped there. When everything was just about quiet, we heard a "crack" and the sound of tin being hit. Rushed around the edge of the house to see a huge limb had fallen out of the live oak. Bubba's old Ford truck he was changing the motor in was there, with the motor on the ground in front with tin over it. Limb landed in between the two for the most part. So, Bubba's project suffered only minor damage. Last night on the local news, they said we were having the second driest year in the past one hundred years. Ten inches short of our normal rainfall by this time of year. Would take 2 foot of rainfall to catch us up!?!

Today's mentionable journal, probably needs no mention. "I'm an analyzer of everything; a dreamer, a romantic, a woman who loves people more than things." This is a direct quote from her sidebar. And the truth of these words comes thru loud and clear in all of her journals and the comments she leaves in others. If youneed a lift, a blessing, an understanding point of view go to Hey! Let's Talk. I'm sure Barbara will have something there or one of her other journals listed in her sidebar that will minister to your heart.

All verses quoted from The Living Bible.

Proverbs 19: 11 - "A wise man restrains his anger and overlooks insults. This is to his credit."

Why get all worked up and worried about someone's insult? Perhaps you are putting much too much stock in their opinion of you. In the end, when all is said and done, only God's opinion and approval matter! So let the insult or unkind comment slide and run off like water off a ducks back. Shake yourself free from it. Go to God and see what He has to say instead of trying to set the other person straight. If their comment is unjust, they won't consider your rebuttal. If their comment is perhaps just, you'll need God to help you rectify this new found character flaw.

Call someone you haven't spoken to in over a month!

Lazy Ole Me

Okay, I'll tell ya'll plainly......I was a lazy good for nothing all day today. I got Pete off to work, got Bubba over pickin' peas, then put Bug on a tape and slept until time to go get Bubba! I am sitting here drinking coffee and trying to wake up as I type. Shame on me! Thunder outside....scattered thunderstorms. Hope we get rain out of it. So I have frightened Boston Terriers trying to crawl all over me while I sit here. I am going to share a little humor with you today......PG-13. I liked it 'cause the man in the story is from TEXAS. Hope you get a chuckle.

An attractive young woman was waiting at a crowded city bus stop. She was decked out in a rather tight skirt with match- ing boots and jacket.

As the bus rolled up, and it became her turn to get on, she realized that her skirt was too tight to allow her to make the first step on the bus.

So, slightly embarrassed, she reached behind her and unzipped her skirt a little thinking that this would give her enough slack to get her leg up to the first step. Again she tried but the skirt was still too tight.

Even more embarrassed, she once again reached behind her and unzipped her skirt a little more. For a second time she at- tempted the step, and once again just couldn't get her foot that high.

It was just as she was reaching behind her a third time that this big Texan right behind her picked her up from the waist and placed her lightly on the step.

Well, she was not happy to be man-handled and turned on the would-be hero, "You have no right to touch me, mister! I don't even know you!"

At this the Texan drawled: "Well ma'am, normally I would agree with you but after you unzipped my pants three times, I kind a figured that we was friends."
(From my Arca Max publishing e-mail. See side-bar for link.)

Today's journal recommendation features a young lady and her family. They just moved into a new house. She has an amusing way of telling you the things that go on within their lives. She loves horses and rides when she can. I regret I do not know her first name! But you will enjoy Life N Stuff just the same.

Now lets reflect upon the Word and our words. We are still in Proverbs, the book of Wisdom. Chapter 16, vs 32: "It is better to be slow-tempered than famous, it is better to have self-control than to control an army." Then in Chapter 17, we see in vs. 9: "Love forgets mistakes; nagging about them parts the best of friends." and then in vs. 14: "It is hard to stop a quarrel once it starts, so don't let it begin." Okay........let's face it. It takes two to argue! But it takes only one to prevent it, or stop it. This can be hard to do. Personally, I like to be right. And some people seem to just bait you with their words and attitudes. But I ALWAYS have the choice not to participate. You may want to argue with me about that. (lol) Well, try telling it to God and see how far it plays. Believe me, I have!

No Witty Tales

Hello! Hope all had a pleasant weekend. Mine seemed hectic, although I did get to sleep extremely late on Saturday. Did the grocery shopping when I had consumed enough coffee to be awake. Sunday was a nice enough day, but I was so far behind on laundry, I did laundry all afternoon after church. And I am still not finished! Made a lemon chess pie and bed beans and rice for Sunday supper. Then late last night I had the pleasure (?) of helping hubby put up his Bread ~n~Butter pickles. They turned out delicious as always. I don't do perserving just because I don't like all the prep work that goes into it. But hubby loves it, and somehow I end up doing half or more of the prep work??? Go figure. Now it's blue monday, and I really have nothing to say. So I'll go straight on to the journal mention of the day and our word on the Word.

Today's journal is written by Cynthia. A woman in a small southern town. I enjoy her journal because she has a good writing style and she is often thought provoking. I don't ascribe to the same point of view as her on everything. but still enjoy my visits at Sorting the Pieces. Stop by, because chances are you will enjoy her too!

Today we look at some more verses from the book of Proverbs. It's not considered a book of Wisdom for nothing. ;) "A wise man controls his temper. He knows that anger causes mistakes." 14:29 "A soft answer turns away wrath, but harsh words cause quarrels." 15:1 "Gentle words cause life and health; griping brings discouragement." 15:4 "A quick-tempered man starts fights; a cool-tempered man tries to stop them." 15:18 and "A good man thinks before he speaks; the evil man pours out his evil words without a thought." 15:28 All from TLB. Choices. Choices to give in to anger or not. To answer an insult or attack softly or heatedly. To start a fight or end one. To pause and reflect or give a knee-jerk reaction. With His help it is within our power to choose, and to choose correctly! Gentle words comfort and calm others. Griping and grousing discourages those around us, and even ourselves. We all tend to live up to or down to the words and expections of others. Will I tear down or build up? Will I start an argument or end it? Will I cause strife or bring peace?

Do something unexpected for someone today!

Message from Baker Company

The proud warriors of Baker Company wanted to do something to pay tribute To our fallen comrades. So since we are part of the only Marine Infantry Battalion left in Iraq the one way that we could think of doing that is By taking a picture of Baker Company saying the way we feel. It would be awesome if you could find a way to share this with our fellow countrymen. I
was wondering if there was any way to get this into your papers to let the world know that "WE HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN" and are proud to serve our country." Semper Fi

 

The attached photo was forwarded from one of the last U.S. Marine companies in Iraq. They would like to have it passed to as many people as possible, to let the folks back home know that they remember why they're there and that they remember those who've been lost.

 

This was forwarded to me in an e-mail.  I figured this was one way I could honor their wish and get thier message out.  I had problems when I tried to display the picture in the page, so please take the time to "View Larger" and honor their wishes and effort.   Have a blessed Sunday and remember them all in your prayers!    -  Barbara

 

Family Lineage

Well, hello everyone! Hope ya'll are fine and dandy. Pete and I made it to the eye doctors and back yesterday. Turned into sort of an adventure. First, let me say that his eyes checked out to be healthy. And the doctor saw no indications of any disease thru his symptoms. So, that leaves us hanging until his turn with the ear, nose and throat guy in July. I am thankful those precious blue eyes aren't goin' blind. After the doctor, we were starving so Pete took us to the Mexican restaurant we used to go to in our BC years.....before kids. The decor had changed, but the food was just as good as ever. We got stuffed! We then stopped by Home Depot to try to spend a $100 gift card we received when we bought the new mower. When we were almost there, the temp gauge on the truck pegged out! As soon as we parked, Pete looked the situation over. Seemed we needed a new hose coming off the bottom of the radiator. We went ahead into Home Depot to let the truck and us cool off. Didn't find anything to spend our money on! But a little fellow in there advised us of a parts store straight across the parking lot. So we cranked the truck and dashed over there. Luckily there was shade all in front of the store. Pete bought the hose and two cokes. After he put it on, he went back in to ask for water to refill the radiator. No one would pay him in mind, so he went in the back to their restroom, emptied their garbage can, filled it with water, brought it out and cut an empty 20oz soda bottle in half to make a funnel and poured in the water. We were never so glad to get home! To be cool and sit in a comfy chair. I fed the kids leftovers. Far as I know, they didn't get into anything while we were gone. Bubba was busy pulling motors out of Bronco's. Swapping things around to create a new, better(?) hoopie. He and Bug are going to my step-fathers to pick more peas today. Purple hull peas. A new variety called "top pick". Supposed to yield the peas on the top of the plants, mainly, for easier pickin'.

Been a thinkin' about how there are things sort of peculiar to redneck life. Or at least to this area. So, I'm gonna share with y'all a little example. Every one is familiar with how the Indians passed down their heritage through legends. And most folks understand that the Isrealites kept meticulous records of lineage so that they could honor and follow the requirements of Jubilee where property reverted to its original owner. Well, Caneyhead folks have their own method of tracking lineage. Every single time a new person is mentioned in conversation, if they are not immediate family, their lineage is listed. Below is an example of a typical conversation.

Mary: I saw Marvin out at the VFW hall last night.

Pete: Really? Marvin.

Mary: Yeah, you know. Marvin Jenkins.

Pete: Port's boy?

Mary: No, Ports's brother's boy.......Jeff Jenkins. Lives over by Masey Lake.

Pete: I didn't know he and Francis had a boy.

Mary: No! Not Jeff and Francis....Jeff's first wife, Darlene is Marvin's mother.

Pete: Oh, I remember Darlene.....wasn't she Monroe Goin's daughter.

Mary: Yeah! Darlene was the third girl. He had two boys, too. But one was killed in that refinery accident......remember?

Pete: Yeah, now that you mention it. Didn't Uncle Harvey's boy, Frank marry one of her sisters?

Mary: No....now that was Tom and Joyce Goin's girl.....Maurine.

Pete: Oh, now I remember......so what's Marvin been up to?

Conversation must not, can not proceed until all the detail of lineage is sorted out and verified by the people present. To do otherwise is just plain rude.

Today's Journal recommendation is for another fellow Texan. She recounts many things that are familiar to me, and many that are foreign. See, she lives in a totally different part of this vast state. You'll enjoy Pauline and getting to know more about her and ranch life. She lists herself in her profile as retired, but she certainly has not stopped living! Go to Pauline's Country Tales and Other Thangs first chance you get.

Our word on the Word and our words comes from Proverbs. In chapers 12 and 13, we find these verses: "A fool is quick-tempered; a wise man stays cool when insulted." and "The good man wins his case by careful argument; the evil-minded only wants to fight. Self-control means controlling the tongue! A quick retort can ruin everything." TLB Yes, people say things that infuriate you. And many times all they want is to "get your goat". There are people whose soul desire is to frustrate and infuriate other folks. Every time you let them "push your buttons", you lose and they win. Hold your tongue. Ignore thier words. If you do reply, reply thoughtfully and calmly. You shut down thier attack by responding this way and you honor God.

May God keep each of you in His care.

Redneck/Oilfield Dictionary

Well now; seems I need to do some elaboratin' and explainin' of some terms, slang and dialect that is primarily Texan, redneck or oilfield. My new friend across the pond pointed that out to me.

You use a lot of expressions I do not understand like hoopie. Is pumper something to do with water? There definitely is a language difference between the U.S.A and the U.K. lol

I checked Microsoft, but they had no downloads for my language. So here I am creatin' a dictionary that can help ya'll understand my lingo. I will put the link in my sidebar for easy reference and add new terms as they are used or questions arise.

Hoopie: A vehicle whose soul purpose is to go thru mud, boggs and woods. Usually created from an old truck, jeep, bronco or volkswagon; the hoopie must have either a lift-kit to make it higher or really tall tires with tread for the mud (superswampers, tractor tires, etc) or perferably both. Optional equipment is: doors, lights, horns, brakes, inspection stickers, license tags, heaters, etc. &n

Journal Recommendation and the Word

Celeste is warm and open. She lives on a small farm in Georgia with the hubby and the kids. Her entries reflect her down to earth warm and friendliness. You will come away from her journal feeling like you stopped in and visited a friend. You can find Celeste on her farm at My Day and Thoughts.

Doesn't this look like a place where Jesus may have walked? And now our Word on words: "He loved to curse others; now you curse him. He never blessed others; now don't you bless him.. Cursing is as much a part of him as his clothing, or as the water he drinks, or the rich food he eats. Now may those curses return and cling to him like his clothing or his belt." Psalm 109: 17-19. TLB As you sow, so shall you reap. Sow the wind and reap the whirlwind! God "spoke" the world into existence - how much power do our words carry?! Examine what you are "getting back" and you will begin to see more clearly what you are sowing. If you desire to get back more blessings and positive things, so more of the kind! If you enjoy getting curses and heartache, continue as you are. It's up to you.

Praise God! Not for what He has done for you, but for who He is.

Good News!

Good news to report today. Pete's stress test and echo both came back with all things normal/good for a man in his age group! Considering his family history this is good and glorious news! (I told him "Now if you can just get that stuck door open, your heart will be fine." He said "What?" I said, "That door in your heart that Jesus is standing at knocking and saying if you open if, he'll come in and sup with you and you with him." No comment. But no snarl either.)

While we were gone the kids took Bubba's hoopie down the pipeline and ended up in a ditch at a location. Well, he stuck it there! And after they had walked home, the pumper came thru and locked the gate. Then he and Daddy had to go down late yesterday and get it. Luckily, Daddy's old key from his pumper days managed to unlock the gate. That boy had best learn to stay out of the locations before he gets himself (and us) in trouble!

Today we go to the eye doctors and get his vision problems throughly checked out. Maybe there will be some answers there. Your continued prayers are coveted and appreciated!

A friend of mine from an AOL group who has been in a trial of her own lately forwarded this e-mail to me and I will attempt to share it with you here:

I Asked God

I asked God to take away my habit.
God said, No.
It is not for me to take away, but for you to give it up.

I asked God to make my handicapped child whole.
God said, No.
His spirit is whole, his body is only temporary

I asked God to grant me patience.
God said, No.
Patience is a byproduct of tribulations;
it isn't granted, it is learned.

I asked God to give me happiness.
God said, No.[Unable to display image]
I give you blessings; Happiness is up to you.

I asked God to spare me pain.
God said, No.
Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares
and brings you closer to me.

I asked God to make my spirit grow.
God said, No.
You must grow on your own! ,
but I will prune you to make you fruitful.

I asked God for all things that I might enjoy life.
God said, No.
I will give you life, so that you may enjoy all things.

I asked God to help me LOVE others, as much as He loves me.
God said...Ahhhh, finally you have the idea.

THIS DAY IS YOURS DON'T THROW IT AWAY
Blessed Be.

"To the world you might be one person, but to one person you just might be the world"

"May the Lord Bless you and keep you,
May the Lord Make his face shine upon you,
and give you Peace.....Forever"