MorningGloria's Xanga

Another Step...

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 17:41:06 GMT

My dearest friends,

Sorry I haven't been around and visiting with you very often in the last few weeks. It isn't because I don't care, but I've been busy taking another step with God. Lessons to be learned and faith to be bolstered.

Those of you who share my faith in Christ understand that being saved isn't the end, it's only the beginning in a long journey. We stumble, we fall. We rise back up and continue on towards the finish line; learning lessons on the way. And some of us, why we never do anything the easy way... it just isn't in our nature. Our lessons take longer...lol.

So my friends, please have patience while I continue to advance in my relationship with my Savior... I'm still a work in progress, Lord knows!

Blessings,
Glo

LAUGHING OUT LOUD....

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:17:21 GMT

Blessings,
Glo

JOY...

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:43:18 GMT

One of the very first things I noticed about my husband was his joy. Real, pure, unadulterated joy. He fairly oozes it. It springs forth from his smile, the light in his eyes and the way he meets life. It shines from him. When asked about this joy, he always seems somewhat surprised by the question - then explains it comes from his relationship with Jesus Christ.

You must understand that I'd never met a Christian who lived a joyous life. The Christians I'd known certainly weren't joyous! They were bent under heavy rules and regulations, worshiping a God of anger and wrath, one that I certainly would never be "good" enough to worship. Nor did I want to.

For many years, God was my enemy. If He'd leave me alone, I'd be a happy camper and we'd get along just fine. Fortunately, God had other plans for me.

God always uses for good the misfortunes of his children... I can prove that in my life. There is no doubt that all the trials and heartbreak I endured brought me to this place and this time. That, in fact, God used them to prepare me for the life he had planned. I would never have been able to find my joy and to appreciate the blessings Christ has bestowed without having gone through the fire.

Jeff has endured much as my husband. He was mistrusted and blamed by me for things he wasn't guilty of and in fact, had nothing to do with him. Without his deep faith and certainty, we wouldn't be married now. Because Christ chose Jeff for my husband, I have come to understand what being a Christian actually is and the joy to be found in letting God be my loving ruler; my father.

If being a follower of Jesus Christ hasn't brought you joy, then look inside yourself... reexamine your faith. Our God is a loving, gentle God. He wants your life to be filled with joy.

Blessings, Glo

I am a fan of James McDonald and thought that his sermon on joy would give you a much better explanation of the joy Christ wants you to have than I can.

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 16:57:59 GMT

From Alive In Vegas:

This is good to read whichever PARTY you think you belong to. It should make everyone consider their voting VERY seriously.

         545 People
                                By Charlie Reese

1. Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.
2. Have you ever wondered why, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, we have deficits?
3. Have you ever wondered why, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, we have inflation and high taxes?
4. You and I don't propose a federal budget. The president does. You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does. You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.
5. You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does. You and I don't control monetary policy, The Federal Reserve Bank does. One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one president and nine Supreme Court justices - 545 human beings out of the 300 million - are directly, legally, morally and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.
6. I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered but private central bank. I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority.
7. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman or a president to do one cotton-picking thing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.
8. Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.
9. What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall.
10. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits, the president can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it. The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes.
11. Who is the speaker of the House? She is the leader of the majority party. She and fellow House members, not the president, can approve any budget they want. If the president vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to. It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts - of incompetence and irresponsibility.
12. I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people.
13. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.
14. If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair. If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red. If the Marines are in IRAQ, it's because they want them in IRAQ.   If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way. There are no insoluble government
problems. Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power. Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like 'the economy,' 'inflation' or 'politics' that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.
15. Those 545 people and they alone, are responsible. They and they alone, have the power.
16. They and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses - provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees.
17. We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!
18. Charlie Reese is a former columnist of the Orlando Sentinel newspaper.

Charlie Reese is correct. These 545 people have created many of the problems this country faces. However, it is also true that we, the citizens of this country, reelect approximately 90% of the 545 every election. Therefore, we bear a great deal of the responsibility for the mess we have created.

NEW CAMERA!

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 16:32:27 GMT

Updates

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 19:40:38 GMT

Darling hubby is back on the road after a wonderful 4 days at home... we miss him like crazy - even though he picks on us something terrible. At least we get "real" meals when he's home. I just don't get hungry enough to actually cook. The last few times I tried, I seem to have lost whatever talent I use to have and the dogs ended up with the errors. Not that they complained much.

Suzie and I seem to be itching less and I'm hoping we're both on the mend. The shampoo is icky and leaves me feeling funky. It also does wonders on my hair - NOT! And is smells soooo good! Zeke and Jeff seem to have missed the contagion, so Suz and I are alone in our suffering. Seems the guys around here have much better immune systems than the girls.

We've been having lots of small thunder storms this past week and Zeke is ready to lose his mind. The bathroom is his new bunker. He and I have been spending lots of time together in there. He pants & whines, I read and try to calm him down. Fun is had by all... and I have caught up on my reading!

Blessings to all, my friends!
Glo

Sunday, July 06, 2008

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 18:01:37 GMT

I may or may not be back.. my brain, still being stubborn, hasn't decided yet. Some days it just stays in bed all day. I am enjoying a rare bout of activity...

A long weekend with hubby home. We have napped, shopped, visited the vet and lounged around the apartment. Heaven! The fur faces are getting fatter by the minute with all the treats that daddy hands out.

As I blog, Jeff is busy treating Suzie for scabies, which as it turns out, is what I've had. A little surprise gift from Suzie to me. Last night I doused myself with medicated shampoo, then sat for 10 minutes before being able to wash it off. Suzie got a shot and is now being restrained in the tub for her 10 minutes of treatment. Zeke is next. Tonight, another treatment for me. Two weeks from now, back to the vet to make sure all the little mites have died a slow, painful death.

I love my hubby - he's doing all the dog bathing. What a guy!

The new vet was smart enough not to call Suzie obese, so it looks like she'll be a keeper. I think she took one look at Jeff hovering over Suzie and realized she'd better be careful of stepping on "daddy's" toes with regards to his baby. He really is cute the way he loves his Suzie Q.

It has been raining off and on for most of the day, so besides being stressed from his bath, Zeke is freaking about the thunder and is hiding in corners. He continues to pout about the bath and refuses to play with Suzie or his toys. We are fairly certain that he'll get over it.

Poor ol' Zeke

Zeke refuses to acknowledge Suzie's attempts at play

Suzie grabs the ignored chewy

Zeke refusing to be mollified

Suzie getting some love from her daddy

Zeke is still dejected...

Suzie getting another pat from Daddy

Until next time. blessings to all!
Glo

Monday, June 30, 2008

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 19:35:53 GMT

I've been brain dead for weeks now, only emerging from my shell when under extreme provocation. Let's blame the heat, ok? Brain dead for no reason is too much like senility taking over.

In the past few weeks I have brushed enough fur from the pack to make an extra dog or fill a couple of large pillows. I keep wondering if I should learn how to spin and make some money for all the work I'm putting in. The new vacuum has paid for itself already and has been put to use daily. I've gotten good at taking it apart for cleaning and snapping everything back in place.

Storms have hit us several times this last week; twice with hail. Trying to grab plants and hanging baskets is tough when getting pinged - those little hail stones hurt like the dinkins! I've had my bears welcome sign cracked and broken... I made a planter out of the bottom half to root all the stems that littered the patio. One of my birdhouses is no longer livable and will be have to be trashed. But, for all the destruction, I've been glad for the rain. Everything is lush, green and the drought is over.

My friend, Donna, turned me on to a site called Earth Clinic which has a home remedy for anything that ails you. I've been battling a skin infection of some type for a couple of months now. Using one of their remedies, I have it under control and almost cured. It stinks to high heaven, but apparently apple cider vinegar cures almost anything! LOL

The following graphic pictures are of overdose victims. I am showing them not for shock value, but rather in the hope that you will have a frank discussion with friends and family about respecting moderation, understanding limits and knowing when to just walk away.

Remember . . .

This did NOT have to happen!!

(parental discretion advised)

So, ending things with a chuckle, I leave you.

Blessings!

Glo

IN ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION...

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 23:34:44 GMT

I received 2 emails today, both asking me the same question. Below is my answer.

My dear friends,

In answer to your question:

Have you seen the pictures from Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, etc. of the people looting the liquor stores, carrying away televisions from retail stores, sitting on the roof begging for someone to take care of them, collected in a football stadium complaining about the food and shelter being provided?

Neither have I.....

Our friends lost their home in the Indiana flood. The wife and 2 children were rescued from the second story of their home the day of the flood. They lost a lot. We did all we could to help including calling insurance companies, the red cross and relatives for them. They had the money to pay for a hotel and friends to take them in after that. They had a group come together that went to homes to clean and recover what they could within 3 days time. Our friends had money in the bank that was available. There were grocery stores open for business. There was gas to fuel their cars. There was electricity and running water.

The people who waited on rooftops and complained about conditions at the stadium didn’t have electricity, water, fuel, food, groceries, banks, hotels or friends who could take them in.

Searching for survivors a week after the floodwaters overtook New Orleans.

Destroyed Mississippi Gulf Coast Highway I-90 Pass Christian, Ms., October 4, 2005

Katrina Images; Horrible flooding in the streets of New Orleans, Louisiana.

St. Bernard Parish residences once painted bright to reflect the spirit of South Louisiana

St. Bernard Parish, La., September 18, 2005

image of flooded neighborhood in New Orleans

Aerial image of the buses that did not roll stranding thousands of New Orleans area residents on rooftops and in attics.

Coast Guard Disaster Area Response Team approach a house in a flooded area near Lake Pontchartrain. (Sept.13, 2005)

New Orleans, LA--Aerial views of damage caused from Hurricane Katrina the day after the hurricane hit August 30, 2005.

Katrina Image of a man carrying a baby through flood waters.

New Orleans, La. (Aug 31, 2005)

A National Guard multi-purpose utility truck brings supplies to the Super Dome in downtown New Orleans.
Date: 08/31/2005

New Orleans, LA. August 28, 2005 -- Residents are bringing their belongings and lining up to get into the Superdome

Date: 09/01/2005

Hurricane Katrina Photos: prepares to hoist two children into a Coast Guard rescue helicopter here today.

NEW ORLEANS (Aug. 29, 2005)

McDowell photos of Pascagoula after Hurricane Katrina.

So, in answer to your question, no, I haven’t seen people on their roofs waiting for someone to come and take care of them weeks after the flood. (It seems that the Missouri, Indiana, etc., flood water has receded in most places.). I haven’t seen them looting. I haven’t seen them complaining about conditions in shelters. I haven’t seen them do many things that were done after Katrina. But I also haven’t seen the level of loss and suffering I witnessed after Katrina. Thank God.

Glo

Dogs & A Class Act...

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:40:28 GMT

from: For Love of the Dog

Dog Writings, Philosophy and Poetry

There are so many wonderful writings and poetry written about our beloved canine companions. Many dedicated to them, to their lives, to their deaths. Many writing dedicated to those who love, shelter and rescue them. And sadly, many dedicated to the harshness and abuses far too many of them face in their life.

You will laugh, you will cry but you will always feel. If not, you don't have a heart. So get your box of tissues and keep them close, you'll be needing them for many of these.

Canine/Dog Advocacy Writings
This section will be devoted to writings and poetry on the topic of canine/dog advocacy and welfare.
Saying Goodbye
This section is dedicated to saying goodbye to our beloved canine companions, tributes and memorials to them and their wonderful lives they generously shared with us.
Dog Writings and Poetry - Other
A selection of writings and poetry dedicated to our canine companions that don't really fit in any other category at the moment. Tributes to dogs being dogs and our love and passion for them.

PLEASE NOTE: This site is currently under construction and receiving a major facelift and overhaul. Information and articles are being added daily so please stop back often!

An advertisement from a play my son, Joe was in while he was in Florida. Guess which one is him!

Reservation Line: (904) 276-2599
Read the Review from the Times-Union!

Done to Death
written by Fred Carmichael
directed by Sutton and Smith

Once famous mystery writers involve the audience as they apply their individual methods to solving various murders. They include a couple who write sophisticated murders, a young author of the James Bond school, a retired writer of the hard-hitting method and an aging queen of the logical murder. Ingeniously packed into the script is a parody of each mystery plot, hero and villain created in the past fifty years. The story alternates between reality and imagination as five mystery writers wrestle with the problem of writing a television mystery series. All around them murders occur. Critics call it "skillful and fast-paced game of guess again with the audience... clever and rewarding".

Featuring:
Nancy O'Byrne as Jessica Olive
Grey Duncan as Whitney Olive
Marianne LeSeur as Mildred Z. Maxwell
Joseph ____ as Brad Benedict
Bill LeSeur as Rodney Duckton
Rhodie Jackson as J.C. Summers
Yolanda Pendleton as Jane...the maid
Howard Weisberg as Gregory...the butler

Also Featuring:
Michael Ray
Lee Fifield
"CC" Land
Robin Loring