PHOTOGRAPH - PULITZER PRIZE

Out journal hopping and saw this on a dear sister in Christ's journal.  PHOTOGRAPH - Pulitzer PRIZE :

Started to just leave a comment there, but then decided to "Blog about it" would be better.  Please view and read her entry so this will make more sense.

I know I've seen this photo before.  It is so hard for us to realize that most of our dogs and livestock eat better than half the people in the world.  So many ways we are blessed!!!!  Homes of our own, even if you rent, few have to share small spaces with multiple families.  Clothing for every event and weather.  Assortments of shoes.  And medical care may cost a lot, but at least we have it available.  We are truly blessed beyond measure and we can't even comprehend it!  And seldom appreciate it like we should.  I think of "to whom much is given much is required."  It seems by and large as a people we hoard and don't share.  And when we do share it is not in a biblical way - giving our best - but giving our cast offs and leftovers.  How much longer can we stand??  -  Barbara

Dear Paige,

                                                

Hope this finds you and yours doing well.  Thought I'd let you know what has been going on around here.

I went in to work on the 4th and helped them get statements out.  Everyone was kind to me.  Enjoyed the day, really. 

I've been getting a few things accomplished around the house.  Bought a hummingbird feeder.  We have steady traffic to it, especially in the mornings and late afternoons.  Makes sitting on the porch all that more enjoyable.

Had a chance to go to work full time here in town.  A place I had inquired at last fall, before the storm.  But I just don't want the demands of full-time employment for now.

Finally got some help in Children's Church!  A couple.  They are great.  He just loves it.  And she joins him and helps whenever she can.  Giving me a much needed rest from the weekly duties involved in it.

Did I tell you that Pete's colt, Stanley died?  Yeah, poor little thing.  Just 10 months old.  Looked so much like his mama you'd have sworn they were twins if they had been the same size.  We think he foundered in the night.  See, Pete had brought home some hog slop during the day, fed half to the hogs, set the bucket on the ground and put a board on top.  Bubba comes in from school and lets the horses out to graze like he is supposed to, without knowing about the slop.  All we can figure is the nosy little thing musthave gotten into it as the board was gone.  And when Bubba fed and put him up at dusk, all seemed fine.  The next day, there he was.  Heartbreaking.  He was supposed to be Bug's horse. 

Bubba had to give up his feedstore job.  Just too much around here for Pete to keep up with on his own.  But I told you how well he did in the TSA competition.  And he is still getting some odd jobs.  Just Saturday he cleaned and burned a huge pile of debris for Bro. C.W.

Did your kids have a good Easter?  Pete brought Bug home a 3 month old little nanny goat Friday.  Red with white ears speckled with red.  Bug calls her Rosa Bell.  

We had a really quiet Easter weekend.  Had our main meal Saturday evening.  Wonderful time of worship and fellowship at church Sunday morning.  Stayed for dinner and a huge egg hunt for the kids.

Suppose I'd better run.  Have to pay bills today and need to run errands.

Take care and give my love to all!

Barbara 

P.S.  The pretty pictures are by my friend Donna.  Check the margin for her addresses!

Hero or Villain?!

Only a good ‘ol boy in the tradition of the Dukes, like Bubba,

could in the same week be a school hero and a school bad boy.  You see the Regional Technology Students Association contest was approaching.  Bubba and his friend, Brandon, needed a project for the competition, and as Bubba needed a “stereo in a box” for his four-wheeler, loves all things car audio and has done carpentry with his dad, they decided to make this “Box” their entry.

Didn’t take long for them to find that when you are working on a project for a big competition with the school’s reputation on the line, time in the shop for your project becomes priority number one.  One day as Bubba was working on this little project, he was running short on time.  So his teacher who is the club sponsor called up his chemistry teacher to let her know he’d be running late to her class.  Then he had to leave the school.  Well, Bubba finished what he was doing and cleaned up the area in the shop where he’d been working and most probably piddled away a little time as well…being 16 and much more enamored with idle time verses chemistry. 

When he did arrive to the class…seems he was in hot water.  His chemistry teacher took the call to mean that Bubba was late, but already on his way.  So, even with excuse in hand, he was off to see the junior class principle for truancy.

Few days go by.  The project is coming along nicely, despite the theft of a pioneer CD player that Bubba had brought to the school for the project.  They had a JVC in it instead, the speakers…each enclosed in their own separate compartment.  They had a shiney flame paint job on the outside.  Looking good! 

Then the day before the competition, Bubba has worked thru his regular lunch and gone to a late lunch, right before Chemistry class.  Grabs a cold Dr. Pepper out of the vending machine to quench his thirst a little and save the rest for the bus ride home.  There he is in class, nearly time for the tardy bell to ring and he opens it to take one good swig before he tucks it under his desk.  Oooops!  Well, Chemistry teacher immediately says she has had enough.  That she told the class no more drinks.  Gotta throw it away.

Bubba had a bad experience along those lines in middle school.  And being just a poor boy, he begged her to reconsider.  Let him put it away and it’ll never happen again.  Just please don’t make him waste it!  After a little thought she agrees to this.  THEN, in walks a tardy boy and guess what?!  He is swigging on the last bit of a softdrink as he enters the room.  So, teacher feels ignored, mad and her authority threatened and demands he sling it in the garbage, which he does.  Then she tells Bubba to bring his to her until after class.

Then it really started.  Late boy hollers, “That ain’t fair!!!”  So teacher tells Bubba it’s got to be thrown away.  Bubba is persistent with “No, mam…I ain’t wasting it.”  Best I can tell this conversation circled around a few times and then ended with the ultimatum to “Give it to me to throw away or go to the office!”  Now, folks…guess what Bubba chose?  Yep, the office. 

What had to be a weary vice principle told Bubba that little act of defiance was worth two days in ISS

 (sort of like an all day school jail)

starting tomorrow and the charge was “insubordination”.  Okay Bubba.  The Regionals at L.I.T. are tomorrow.  How can you possibly do both?! 

Folks, things weren’t too good for this redneck technology student.  Mama gave him a little lecture on needing to take a page from Kenny Rogers and “know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em.”  Well, Bubba skipped ahead to “know when to walk away and know when to run!”  All I can say is add up the cost, boy.  Is getting on that bus tomorrow for the contest going to be worth the cost you’ll pay when you get caught?  Apparently, he concluded it would be.

He went to the Regional TSA contest.  He showed his box.  He took tests for other competitions.  His sponsor got a call on his cell phone mid-morning from the school administration.  Yep, he has him.  First he knew of the ISS, though.  But frankly, I believe he was so tickled with the prospects of Bubba and Brandon’s box that he was past the point of truly caring. 

On Monday Bubba received a citation. Seems his little trip was considered more truancy by the vice principle.  And it netted him three more days of ISS.  For the mathematically challenged, that brings his total to 5 days In School Suspension. 

On Tuesday, Bubba received multiple citations.

One was the First Place Blue Ribbon for his box.  The second, was a first place blue ribbon fora test he took on site.  He had to design a childproof latch that was easy for an adult to open.  And the third, was Honorable Mention for a T-shirt design he also made on site.  Bubba is headed to the TSA Texas State competition in Waco, TX the first week of May!!!!  Even has orders coming in from some of the local-yokels for a custom stereo box of their own.  Good start for a boy that wants to do custom car stereo installation for a living.

Now, folks, if you are wondering if this story has a moral, well…there ain’t one.  ‘Cept maybe that good ‘ol boys ain’t always good, but they are always boys.  And that redneck common sense and hands on experience can sometimes get you farther in a competition than a lot of book learnin’.
 

Let 'Em Do Their Thing!

Okay, this proves that they just don't get it!   How can they measure and study prayer when they don't even understand it??!    God is not some genie in a bottle that you rub the right way and get your wish!  There is no "formula" or "equation".  It is a relationship.  A conversation.  A meeting of the minds and the wills. 

And they think they can set up a test that will measure God's effectiveness?  Remember the temptation of Christ?  When Satan wanted him to throw himself off the temple top and let the angels run and catch him, Christ said you don't put the Lord God to foolish tests. 

Yes, prayer could be proven.  But I don't believe God will allow it.  If He did then there would be no faith required.  The Bible tells us that Salvation comes by faith.  And the salvation of mankind is God's most important mission.  He would not jeopardize it.

As for their doubt and "explanations" of the miracles God performs I feel like the little boy in the joke:  He's on the park bench reading where Moses led the Israelites thru the parted Red Sea.  And he starts praising God and His greatness.  A man on the bench asks him what he's so excited about.  When the boy tells him, the man tells him that science has proven that the water level was probably much lower then, just a few inches and was no real feat for them to walk across.  The boy, quiet, returns to Exodus.  In a few minutes he goes to jumping and hollering and praising God all the more.  The startled man asked, "Why, didn't I just explain to you this was foolishness?"  But the boy said, "Mister, God drowned the whole Egyptian army in just a few inches of water!" 

Thank God there are scientists out there that are also Christians.  That can see and accept the hand of God, and admit wedon't know it all and never will in this world.

As for the others, that's okay.  Let 'em do their thing.  One day their knee will bow and their tongue confess.

 

Trying New Things

Well, we shall see!  Today I seem to be in the mood to try new things.  Why I don't know.  I don't like trouble or problems.  I prefer things to go smooth. 

But I'm trying using Photobucket as a host today.  So if you don't see anything, keep coming back as I am sure I'll be editing!  lol

And I am trying a chicken casserole I made up using two recipes and a little of my own imagination.  Anything to get out of frying chicken! 

It's been a routine, ordinary weekend for us for the most part.  The guys outside tinkering on one thing after another.  Me wondering in and out.  On and off the computer.  Bug watching cartoons, playing Frisbee or practicing with a basketball.  Folks coming by to visit. 

I was thinking about how people seem to read the Bible a whole lot more as they get older.  Then it dawned on me...they are cramming for their final exam!  lol 

Here's a little more Arcamax humor:

 

A friend was in front of me coming out of church today, and the preacher was standing at the door as he always is to shake hands. He grabbed my friend by the hand and pulled him aside.

The Pastor said to him, "You need to join the Army of the Lord!"

My friend replied, "I'm already in the Army of the Lord, Pastor."

Pastor questioned, "How come I don't see you except at Christmas and Easter?"

He whispered back, "I'm in the secret service."

OUCH!  How many of us are in the secret service?  Squirreling away our relationship with God.  Keeping it in the "closet".  Saving it like fine china to get out on special occasions?!

God doesn't want to be fine china. He wants to be Correll Ware.  Everyday, plain, ordinary and dependable.  Able to go from the ice box to the oven.  Microwave to dishwasher.  Serving an elegant meal and then put on the floor for the dogs to lick up the crumbs. 

I mean no disrespect to the Lord here.  But do you get my point? 

And who are you or I or Pastor John to say what service is enough?  To count and tally days in attendance and percentage of wages given to tithe?  I sencerely believe the Holy Spirit is completely capable of reining in each child of God.  When we try to take on His task we hurt our sisters and brothers feelings.  We wound and scar one another and even give Satan the excuse in their minds he needed to have them break fellowship. 

Christ said it best, "get the board out of your eye, then you can see to help your brother with the speck in his."  Yet, we might find once the board is out that the Spirit working in us gave our brother all the help and encouragement he ever needed. 

Do you know a fellow Christian that doesn't seem to be headed in the right direction?  Who you see little evidence of a lively walk with Christ in their life?  Then simply be the best servant of God around them that you can be.  Be an example, not a lecture.  Lift them in prayer that their fire & passion might be rekindled.  That God make you sensitive towards them.  More than likely, then when they get to the point they are ready for  a hand they will turn to you through the Spirit's leading.

Now let's go try that casserole.