News! News!

                                                  

No, not news on the job front......just news about Bug and Bubba and from around J-land.

Bug came home all excited Tuesday.  She had gotten to make the walk down the hall to the nurses office to get her 1st lose tooth pulled!  She has seen so many kids take that walk and wanted so desperately to do it herself.  It's like a right of passage or status symbol among her peers.  The nurse puts on a latex glove, gently pulls the tooth and places it in a small plastic treasure chest that the kids can take home with them.

Bubba stayed after school yesterday for a club meeting.  Don't know the name of it, but they do stuff like paint the mascot, a Bengal Tiger on the field, etc.  After the meeting they had an ice cream social.  Good idea on a hot afternoon!

Got some tid-bits from around J-land I want to pass on.  You can find links to the journals I mention in the sidebar.   

First I want to encourage everyone to Praise the Lord and go by and extend a hand of Christian fellowship and encouragement to Racheal at What Can You Do?  She was recently saved!!  I am so happy for her! 

Then be sure to send congradulations to Jeannette on her new grandson!  You can see pictures at her journal:  Jeannette's Jottings.  He really is a doll!

Oh the thoughts I'd be thinking, I could be another Lincoln....if I only had a brain!  Donna has a neat little link to find if you think more male or more female, at Sweeping the Cobwebs of my mind.  Or if you prefer, go to Sorting the Pieces and Cynthia has a link to see if you are more right brained or left brained.  I did them both!  Seems I am 60% male, 40% female, and go the the left with 65% of my brain and 35% right.  Reckon that explains why I don't do a lot of girly things, and why I am as comfortable or more so working around and with men as women.

Oh!  Hunybea's Open Journal is Two years old!  Gee, she's been around!  So, be sure to pat Mary on the back and wish her a happy journal bithday when you see her.

I know you may not believe me, but this is NOT laziness!  I am not posting a word today because there is a word I hope you'll read over at Friends in HIM.  A very timely message that goes to the heart.

So I will leave you with a laugh I stole from ArcaMax.  It's a joke about a little girl and her Goldfish.......could be Bug!

Little Nancy was in the garden filling in a hole when her neighbor peered over the fence. Interested in what the cheeky-faced youngster was doing, he politely asked, "What are you up to there, Nancy?"

"My goldfish died," replied Nancy tearfully, without looking up, "and I've just buried him."

The neighbor was concerned, "That's an awfully big hole for a goldfish isn't it?"

Nancy patted down the last heap of earth then replied, "That's because he's inside your stupid cat!"

May God bless all who pass this way!

Odds & Ends

                                            

Hello J~land!  Hope everyone is having a good morning.  I wanted to make an entry real quick before I get caught up in the job-hunt thing again.  Since several folks have asked for an update on things here at home, here goes.

Pete still seems to have more bad days than good ones.  We still don't know what's wrong.  Now there is no insurance, but even if there was.....where would we go?  What would we have done?  He's trying to find something he can do close to home or even at the house.  Then perhaps he could work when he felt good and wouldn't have to when he didn't.  He's applied for his unemployment compensation.  I think this is only the second....no third....time he has ever used it.  But it will be at least 3 weeks before he gets a check, assuming everything goes smoothly.  He has been inquiring into the price of junk iron and such.  To see if we can sell something for some ready cash.  The money well is sure 'nough almost dry!

 

I have resumes out all over the place.  Texas does have a wonderful site run by the workforce commision.  Was supposed to interview for a job last week, but me and the guy played phone tag all day instead.  It is not as close to home as I would like, but it sure sounded like my kind of job.  I've even completed a form for emergency aide.  But there are only four people running the office for all of our county, so that will take up to two weeks for and answer!  So we'll probably get an answer from everywhere all at once and then have to go about changing/updating everything we told everyone based on the new info and will probably then have nothing?!?!   lol 

 

Okay, so now I don't know about you, but I need a good laugh.  I much prefer David Letterman over Jay Leno.  (Dave's voice greets me when I sign on or get e-mail!)  Pete is a Leno person, though I am slowly swaying him toward Dave.  But Jay did have a good one-liner here:

"Today is the 24th anniversary of the IBM personal computer. Experts say it revolutionized work and made people more pro- ductive at the office. Except for the six hours a day they are emailing friends, sufing the Internet, and playing solitaire!" --Jay Leno

And borrowed from ArcaMax, don't you just love it when.....

You can never put anything back in a box the way it came.

Your tire gauge lets out half the air while you're trying to get a reading.

A station comes in brilliantly when you're standing near the radio but buzzes, drifts and spits every time you move away.

You wash a garment with a tissue in the pocket and your entire laundry comes out covered with lint.

You set the alarm on your digital clock for 7pm instead of 7am.

The radio station doesn't tell you who sang that song.

You rub on hand cream and can't turn the bathroom doorknob to get out.

You can't look up the correct spelling of a word in the dictionary because you don't know how to spell it.

You had that pen in your hand only a second ago and now you can't find it.

You reach under the table to pick something off the floor and smash your head on the way up.

Yep!  I am guilty of all of the above.  What about you?

Now let's get serious and see what word the Word has for us today.  Lord knows I need it.  The book of James is considered to be the "proverbs" of the new testament, for it is full of moral precepts.  James was the brother of our Lord and apposed his claims while he lived on earth, but came to believe in Him after the resurection.  "Dear brothers, don't ever forget that it is best to listen much, speak little, and not become angry, for anger doesn't make us good, as God demands that we must be."  James 1:19 & 20 TLB  It's not a sin to be angry.....but it is hard to be angry and not sin!  Miscommunication can cause anger and hurt.  Let us communicate accurately with one another, never be vague and don't jump to conclusions.  Say what you mean and mean what you say, but wrap it all up in the context of love.  Four little words from this verse can go a long way in helping us to avoid anger......listen much, speak little.

May God bless your day in Abundance!

(graphics from Peachtree Accounting software)

Just for Fun

Just gonna have a little fun today.  With the headlines the way they have been, I think we could all use a few good laughs.  And here's some I got from ArcaMax.  (See their link in side bar if you'd like to get them e-mailed to you.)   I have done a little editing and graphic enhancement.  Hope they don't mind.

I love you all, and I love e-mails.....but we all know that sometimes they go too far:

I want to thank all of you who have taken the time and trouble to send me your chain letters over the past two years.

Thank you for making me feel safe, secure, blessed, and wealthy. Because of your concern.......

 I no longer can drink Coca Cola because it can remove toilet stains.

I no longer use Saran wrap in the microwave because it causes cancer.

I no longer check the coin return on pay phones because I could be pricked with a needle infected with AIDS.

I no longer use cancer-causing deodorants even though I smell like a water buffalo on a hot day.

I no longer go to shopping malls because someone will drug me with a perfume sample and rob me.

I no longer receive packages from UPS or FedEx since they are actually Al Qaeda in disguise.

I no longer shop at Target since they are French and don't support our troops.

I no longer answer the phone because someone will ask me to dial a stupid number for which I will get the phone bill from hell with calls to Jamaica, Uganda, Singapore, and Uzbekistan.

I no longer eat KFC because their chickens are actually horrible mutant freaks with no eyes or feathers.

 Thanks to you, I have learned that God only answers my prayers if I forward an email to 7 of my friends and make a wish within 5 minutes.

I no longer have any savings because I gave it to a sick girl who has been dying for the past seven years.

I no longer have any money at all, but that will change once I receive the $15,000 that Microsoft and AOL are sending me for participating in their special e-mail program.

---

Now to Return the Favor:

If you don't send this e-mail to at least 1200 people in the next 60 seconds, a large bird with diarrhea will fly over your head at 5:00 PM and the fleas of a thousand camels will infest your armpits.

I know this will occur because it actually happened to a friend of a friend of a friend's neighbor's cousin, and he's a lawyer. So you'd better get going on that e-mail!!!

Okay......now to pick on hubby.  lol    This next one really hits home around here.

I have changed my system for labeling homemade freezer meals. I used to carefully note in large clear letters, "Meatloaf" or "Pot Roast" or "Steak and Vegetables or "Chicken and Dumplings" or "Beef Pot Pie."

 However, I used to get frustrated when I asked my husband what he wanted for dinner because he never asked for any of those things. So, I decided to stock the freezer with what he really likes.

 If you look in my freezer now you'll see a whole new set of labels. You'll find dinners with neat little tags that say: "Whatever," "Anything," "I Don't Know," "I Don't Care," "Something Good," or "Food." My frustration is now reduced because no matter what my husband replies when I ask him what he wants for dinner, I know that it is there waiting.

I don't know about where you live, but here in Texas it is so HOT that...

The birds have to use pot holders to pull worms out of the ground.

Farmers are feeding their chickens crushed ice to keep them from laying hard boiled eggs.

The cows are giving evaporated milk.

The trees are whistling for the dogs.

You eat hot chilies to cool your mouth off.

The temperature drops below 95, you feel a bit chilly.

 
You notice the best parking place is determined by shade instead of distance.

Hot water now comes out of both taps.

You can actually burn your hand on the steering wheel.

No one would dream of wearing shorts and sitting on a vinyl seat!

You realize that asphalt has a liquid state.

Now that your yard has burnt, you do not have to spend time mowing. 

You have to chew the air properly before you can swallow it.

The next person to ask you "Hot 'nuff for ya?" WILL receive a black eye. 

And just because it's a good one:

A young boy enters a barber shop and the barber whispers to his customer, "This is the dumbest kid in the world. Watch while I prove it to you."

 The barber puts a dollar bill in one hand and two quarters in the other, then calls the boy over and asks, "Which do you want, son?" The boy takes the quarters and leaves.

"What did I tell you?" said the barber. "That kid never learns!"

Later, when the customer leaves, he sees the same young boy coming out of the ice cream store. "Hey, son! May I ask you a question? Why did you take the quarters instead of the dollar bill?"

The boy licked his cone and replied, "Because the day I take the dollar, the game's over!"

 

God bless you with a lighter heart today!!

 

Someone's a Little Older!

It's my Sweetie Pete's Birthday!

                           

Yes, he is gettin older.....but in many ways he is getting better!  In case you stop by:  I love you!

 

Sharing a little ArcaMax humor with you again related to marriage in honor of my hubby's birthday.

What's That Restaurant?

An elderly couple had dinner at another couple's house, and after eating, the wives left the table and went into the kitchen. The two gentlemen were talking, and one said, "Last night we went out to a new restaurant and it was really great. I would recommend it very highly."

The other man said, "What is the name of the restaurant?"

The first man thought and thought and finally said, "What is the name of that flower you give to someone you love? You know... the one that's red and has thorns."

"Do you mean a rose?"

"Yes, that's the one," replied the man. He then turned towards the kitchen and yelled, "Rose, what's the name of that restaurant we went to last night?"

A Noise

My wife has not spoken to me in three days. I think it has something to do with what happened on Sunday night when she thought she heard a noise downstairs.

She nudged me and whispered, "Wake up, wake up!"

"What's the matter?" I asked.

"There are burglars in the kitchen. I think they're eating the tuna casserole I made tonight."

"That'll teach them!" I replied.

 

Hunting, sort of....

Shelia walked into the kitchen to find her husband, Fred, stalking around with a fly swatter.

"And what are we doing?" she asked.

"Hunting flies" he responded.

"Oh? Killing any?" she asked, with a smirk.

"Yep! Got 4 males, 3 Females," he replied.

Intrigued, she asked. "How the heck can you tell?"

"Simple." He replied, "4 were on a beer can, 3 were on the phone."

 

Like horses?    Dream of wide open mountainous spaces?  Take a stroll by windshadow walks.  MaggieMae and her hubby have a 1940's farmhouse in Oregon.  When they are not working, they are often out on the trails for a ride.  Maggie often shares pictures of these excursions or of flowers and grandchildren.  Happy trails!

 

  I fancied this little picture because it reminds me that we need the whole armour of God to stand against the onslaught of the dragon.  (And we all know who he is!)  I'll be absolutely honest with you, I seem to be three steps forward and two steps back many days.  But we are not commanded to win only to strive......the victory belongs to Jesus! 

Today's Word takes us over to the good doctor Luke's gospel, Chapter 22:63-65, on the night of Christ's arrest by the temple guards:  "Now the guards in charge of Jesus began mocking him.  They blindfolded him and hit him with their fists and asked, 'Who hit you that time, prophet?'  And they threw all sorts of insults at him."  I ask whom do we want to be like?  The guards or Jesus?  The guards mocked and ridiculed.  They were mean in spirit and in action.  Jesus uttered no reply or rebuke.  He took his mistreatment with quiet determination towards the cross of calvary.  A line from a hymn seems to apply, "But the question comes to me, when I think of Calvary, is Jesus be satisfied with me?"  Remember, Christian literally means little Christs.  Does the term fit?  Only by His all sufficient Grace!

 

A Lil' Humor ;)

                                                                                                              

Mildred was a 93 year old woman who was very upset over the recent death of her husband, Earl.  She decided that she would just kill herself and join him in death.  

Thinking that it would be best to get it over with quickly, she took out Earl's old Army pistol and made the decision to shoot herself in the heart, since it was so badly broken in the first place.

Not wanting to miss the vital organ and become a vegetable and burden someone, she called her doctor's office to inquire as to just exactly where the heart would be on a woman.

The doctor said, "Your heart would be just below your left breast."    Later that night, Mildred was admitted to the hospital with a gunshot wound to her knee. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (Thanks to Sheila!)

The 4th is Fast Approaching!

Here we are with the 4th of July fast approaching. I may not post again until next week. For sure I won't continue with all the regular features until then. I want to just share a few thoughts with you as this holiday approaches.

For all of it's ills......for the controversies I still believe I am priviledged to live in the greatest nation on earth! I know I have it better on any given day of the week than most of humanity, and for that I am grateful......to God and this nation. Some rile and rant continually agianst most everyone and every thing here. And I do tend to agree with Meryl Haggard reguarding those folks. But I am fearful that in the name of protectionism we may be setting aside some of our most precious priviledges. For instance this legislation regarding the burning of the flag. I love our flag. My heart swells with pride when I see it. It embodies all I hope and all I believe about this country of ours. I would never be irreverant to it. But it is a symbol. A symbol not only of what we should be, but of the government of our nation at any given point in time. I just can't see making it illegal to burn the flag in protest. Free speech about our government and what it is doing and where it is headed is fundimental to our citizenship. (Not free speech to shove profanity down my throat.....but that's a whole 'nother topic.) Somehow, I perceive that when we make this grafic display of disagreement illegal, we will all be losing a big chunk of that free speech. Personaly, I had rather see the flag burnt in protest by someone who is trying to get his government's attention to a problem or a plight than to see it left on a flagpole in someone's front yard in the rain. The former is reminiscent of the spirit of patriotism, while the later screams disrespect. Of course, should the cause be just enough and the situation dire enough to warrant it, any patriot would risk charges and jail to stand against tyrany. Just my thoughts andreflections, to get you thinking.

Now let me leave you with some humor to lighten the mood! I just loved this from ArcaMax......they did an excellant job of "reading between the lines."

Job Market

If you're in the job market right now you might want to familiarize yourself with the Human Resources Lingo...

"COMPETITIVE SALARY"

We remain competitive by paying less than our competitors.

"JOIN OUR FAST-PACED COMPANY"

We have no time to train you.

"CASUAL WORK ATMOSPHERE"

We don't pay enough to expect that you'll dress up.

"MUST BE DEADLINE-ORIENTED"

You'll be six months behind schedule on your first day.

"SOME OVERTIME REQUIRED"

Some time each night and some time each weekend.

"DUTIES WILL VARY"

Anyone in the office can boss you around.

"MUST HAVE AN EYE FOR DETAIL"

We have no quality control.

"APPLY IN PERSON"

If you're old, fat or ugly you'll be told the position has been filled.

"NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE"

We've filled the job; our call for resumes is just a legal formality.

"SEEKING CANDIDATES WITH A WIDE VARIETY OF EXPERIENCE"

You'll need it to replace three people who just left.

"PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS A MUST"

You're walking into a company in perpetual chaos.

"REQUIRES TEAM LEADERSHIP SKILLS"

You'll have the responsibilities of a manager, without the pay or respect.

"GOOD COMMUNICATION SKILLS"

Management communicates, you listen, figure out what they want and do it.

Have a Safe and Happy 4th!

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.

   

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!

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!

I Finally Made it Back on The Computer!!

No this is not Emmy and her colt, but it sure could be!! Except that Emmy's tail is blonder and she is not as fat. Pete and I went to go over the results of his tests with the the Doc yesterday. Everything checked out fine, normal, good, etc. except that he has 6 out of 8 sinuses blocked up. So he will be going to an ear and nose guy. And still has his stress test to do. Then the Doc also got an appointment for him with a good eye doctor as he has been having quite a bit of vision irregularities. Doc changed his stomach medicine as he has been on Prilosec for 5 years now. I was beginning to think I would never get back on-line long enough to post an entry! With everyone home these past days seems each time I get on-line someone wants or needs something, or they are asking me to let them have the computer. (lol)

I had been wondering why it was so quiet around here at night. Something just seemed to be missing. Well, last night I figured it out. The froggy chorus had been missing! Things have been so dry here that they had gone away. But last night, when I stepped out they were there again in all their joyful, croaky symphony of noise. And all seemed right again here.

Want to pass on a link to you that Cody's mom sent to me over the weekend. Click here: To Everybody Back Home [ If I Die Before You Wake] It may be a little sad, but it is a beautiful statement about these who guard freedom. She also passed on an alert about a new virus that I want to warn you about: A new virus has just been discovered that has been classified by Microsoft as the most destructive ever. This virus was discovered by McAfee and no vaccine has yet been developed. This virus simply destroys Sector Zero from the hard disk, where vital information for its functioning are stored. This virus acts in the following manner: It sends itself automatically to all contacts on your list with the title: "A Card for You". As soon as the supposed virtual card is opened the computer freezes so that the user has to reboot. When the ctrl+alt+del keys or the reset button are pressed, the virus destroys Sector Zero, thus permanently destroying the hard disk. So don't open any mails with subject: "A Virtual Card for You." As soon as you get the mail, delete it!! Even if you know the sender !!!

And now for our lighter sides......you know how they say "out of the mouth of babes."? Well this little funny from my ArcaMax e-mail is a perfect illistration of that.

Wedding Vows A grandmother overheard her 5-year-old granddaughter playing "wedding." The wedding vows went like this:

"You have the right to remain silent, anything you say may be held against you, you have the right to have an attorney present. You may kiss the bride."

If you delight in great pictures, especially ones of nature, you will love a visit to Helen's journal My Everyday Life. This lady really has a way with a camera! And she has lots of little tidbits of info along with many of them. She and her husband, Ken, reside in Alabama. This beautiful southern state gives her plenty of photo ops. When she's not shutter-bugging, her and Ken are probably out fishing. You'll find she is just a delightfully nice person also.

And now for our look into the word!

In the book of JOB Chapter 5 one of his friends is responding and speaking of people who turn from God. In verse 2 we begin, "They die in helpless frustration, overcome by their own anger....then comes sudden disaster. Thier children are cheated with no one to defend them. Their harvests are stolen....misery comes upon them for sowing seeds of sin." TLB Anger is never satisfied. Like the fire that leaps and engulfs all around it, searching for more fuel, anger consumes all around it. But like a fire dies quickly when you withhold the fuel, anger can be quenched by not giving it breath and fodder.

A Little Leviety

Good day dear friends! God has surely blessed me in this place with the friends who drop by. Pete's first day back at work went well enough. Tuesday we go to the doctor to get results from other tests they ran and see where we go from there. The kids are home from school for the first time today. Bubba is STILL asleep at 11:25am. I can't say much, I went back to bed after I got Pete off to work and slept until 10:00 myself!! Bug was the first one up, around 8:30 I think. She does pretty good on her own. She knows not to go outside. She can operate the video and DVD herself. Fix her own cereal etc. Sometimes she leaves creative mayhem behind. She loves to do all things artsy/crafty. At which her Mom is totally enept. She had an all Excellant report card. Scored in the top 13% on some standardized test the school had given. And was voted Miss Sunshine by her graduating class! Guess she brings joy to the heart of more folks than just her mom.

Yesterday's entry was rather weighty and thoughful......so I thought I would pass along a little leviety I recieved in a Arca Max Joke E-mail. (See link on sidebar.) I am very tempted to do this, as it is a DAILY question at our house! LOL

One afternoon a man came home from work to find total mayhem in his house.

His three children were outside, still in their pajamas, playing in the mud, with empty food boxes and wrappers strewn all around the front yard.

The door of his wife's car was open, as was the front door to the house.

Proceeding into the entry, he found an even bigger mess.

A lamp had been knocked over, and the throw rug was wadded against one wall.

In the front room the TV was loudly blaring a cartoon channel, and the family room was strewn with toys and various items of clothing.

In the kitchen, dishes filled the sink, breakfast food was spilled on the counter, dog food was spilled on the floor, a broken glass lay under the table, and a small pile of sand was spread by the back door. He quickly headed up the stairs, stepping over toys and more piles of clothes, looking for his wife.

He was worried she may be ill, or that something serious had happened. He found her lounging in the bedroom, still curled in the bed in her pajamas, reading a novel. She looked up at him, smiled, and asked how his day went. He looked at her bewildered and asked, "What happened here today?"

She again smiled and answered, "You know everyday when you come home from work and ask me what in the world did I do today?"

"Yes," was his incredulous reply.

She answered, "Well, today I didn't do it."

And now to announce this day's journal link! She is a Sister in the Lord who hails from Kentucky. She's married to her high school sweetie with a boy and a girl. Many of you probably already know I am speaking of Jess, over at the everyday mundane life of a housewife. For any who haven't met her, she blends humor and warmth in her entries, along with pictures and goings on in her home and life. So stop in and see her!

Today's word on the Word and use of words! Moses had been on the mount receiving the Ten Commandments from the hand of God. "When they came near the camp, Moses saw the calf and the dancing, and in terrible anger threw the tablets to the ground and they lay broken at the foot of the mountains." Exodus 32:19 TLB. He was so angry that these people had so quickly turned from God! Yet, he interceed for them in verses 31 & 32, asking God to forgive them. The smashed tablets meant he had to climb the mountain and receive the law again. Be careful. Be certain. Even righteous anger in men can severe relationships and delay God's plans and blessings. Better to leave the wrath to God......the better part for us is intercession.

Passing on Some Jewels

Good day dear Sisters......and any one else! I have another marriage devotion (probably the last) coming along hopefully later today. As I am going thru my mailbox, I am finding amusing and ecouraging things to share with you today. The art above is by ChristArt. The little poem below is from AcraMax.

A Woman's Poem He didn't like the casserole
And he didn't like my cake.
My biscuits were too hard...
Not like his mother used to make.

I didn't perk the coffee right
He didn't like the stew,
I didn't mend his socks
The way his mother used to do.

I pondered for an answer
I was looking for a clue.
Then I turned around and smacked him...
Like his Mother used to do.

LOL Please realize this is for humor only! I would not advise doing this.

And now for a word of encouragement from Godswork Ministry:

SHAKE IT OFF A parable is told of a farmer who owned an old mule. The mule fell intothe farmer's well. The farmer heard the mule braying - or whatever mulesdo when they fall into wells. After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with themule but decided that neither the mule nor the well was worth the troubleof saving. Instead, he called his neighbors together, told them whathappened, and enlisted them to help haul dirt to bury the old mule in thewell and put him out of his misery. Initially, the old mule was hysterical! But as the farmer and hisneighbors continued shoveling and the dirt hit his back, a thought struckhim. It suddenly dawned on him that every time a shovel load of dirtlanded on his back, he should shake it off and step up! This he did, blow after blow. "Shake it off and step up... shake it offand step up... shake it off and step up!" he repeated to encouragehimself. No matter how painful the blows or distressing the situationseemed, the old mule fought panic and just kept right on shaking it offand stepping up. You're right! It wasn't long before the old mule, battered and exhausted,stepped triumphantly over the wall of that well! What seemed like it wouldbury him actually blessed him - all because of the manner in which hehandled his adversity! Author Unknown

Hope ya'll enjoyed this. I'll leave you with a quick update on family life.

Bubba is on a field trip to a Welding Contest today. I hope some of them win something!

Bug complained of her stomach last night. Asked me to pray for her. Then she just repeated, "Please, Jesus." over and over. She said each time she said it, she felt a little better. In about 30 minutes I heard her switch to "Thank you, Jesus." over and over again. Seems her tummy was feeling all better by then. So proud that she knew enough to give Him thanks for His answer! We must all take note and learn a lesson here, after all we must come as children.

My dear Pete is feeling very lousey lately. He rattled off a whole list of complaints last night! And its' not like him to do that. We had almost gotten into an argument. Seems it was my fault he's been running late to work lately, even though I start trying to wake him about 40 minutes before he ever gets up! But, it actually led to a discussion. A discussion where I shared things with him about my prayers for him and his family that I had never shared.

Emmy still has not had her foal! Guess she really is Perpetually Pregnant!

The baby chicks and the little kittens are all living and thriving. Know anyone who wants a kitten?

My Kate Jesmines are blooming! Oh I just love their smell! Like to put them in the house and let the aroma fill it. I think some folks call them Gardenias. Or maybe the two are just closely related? I'll leave that up to someone else to figure out.

May everyone who comes this way have a joyful day! I know your sweet and thoughtful comments add joy to mine!!!!!

A Forward from my Friend Louise

Don't step on the Ducks !!

 

Three women die together in an accident and go to heaven.   When they get there, St. Peter says, "We only have one rule here in heaven: don't step on the ducks!"

So they enter heaven, and sure enough, there are ducks all over the place.  It is almost impossible not to step on a duck, and although they try their best to avoid them, the first woman accidentally steps on one.  Along comes St. Peter with the ugliest man she ever saw.  St. Peter chains them together and says, "Your punishment for stepping on a duck is to spend eternity chained to this ugly man!"

The next day, the second woman steps accidentally on a duck and along comes St. Peter, who doesn't miss a thing. With him is another extremely ugly man. He chains them together with the same admonishment as for the first woman.  The third woman has observed all this and, not wanting to be chained for all eternity to an ugly man, is very, VERY careful where she steps.

She manages to go months without stepping on any ducks, but one day St. Peter comes up to her with the most handsome man she has ever laid eyes on ... very tall, long eyelashes, muscular, and thin.

 

St. Peter chains them together without saying a word.



The happy woman says, "I wonder what I did to deserve being chained to you for all of eternity?"


The guy says, "I don't know about you, but I stepped on a duck!"