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The Lord props us up....

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 23:58:49 GMT

Every time I am asked to pray, I think of the old deacon who
always prayed, 'Lord, prop us up on our leanin' side.'

After hearing him pray that prayer many times, someone asked
him why he prayed that prayer so fervently.

He answered, 'Well sir, you see, it's like this...I got an old barn
out back. It's been there a long time; it's withstood a lot of
weather; it's gone through a lot of storms, and it's stood for
many years.

It's still standing. But one day I noticed it was leaning to
one side a bit.

So I went and got some pine poles and propped it up on its
leaning side so it wouldn't fall.

Then I got to thinking about that and how much I was
like that old barn. I've been around a long time.

I've withstood a lot of life's storms. I've withstood a lot
of bad weather in life, I've withstood a lot of hard times,
and I'm still standing too. But I find myself leaning to one
side from time to time, so I like to ask the Lord to prop us
up on our leaning side, 'cause I figure a lot of us get to
leaning at times.

Sometimes we get to leaning toward anger, leaning toward
bitterness, leaning toward hatred, leaning toward a lot of things that we shouldn't . So we need to pray, 'Lord, prop us up on our leaning side, so we will stand straight and tall again, to glorify the Lord.''

Thought for today

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 23:48:47 GMT

Kimberly considered breaking off her longtime friendship with Lori because of differences that had surfaced between them. But one Sunday as she worshiped in church, God showed her Lori’s need for acceptance and love. That week Kimberly appeared at her friend’s house with a loaf of homemade bread in hand. This kind act eventually helped unite the two. However, the reconciliation had actually begun days earlier as Kimberly praised God.

Many of the Psalms are songs of praise to God. The natural mind does not understand how singing a praise song or hymn can serve any useful purpose. Yet, the Psalms teach us to dedicate ourselves to a lifetime of praise. “I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live” (Psalm 146:2).

Praise opens our eyes to God’s identity and power. Praise tells Him we understand and appreciate His worth. When we praise God, we enter into a spiritual realm where earthly principles and values fade, and heavenly values are revealed. Praise changes us!

Thought for Today: Praise to God, like oil, keeps the wheels of life moving along smoothly.

Monday, June 02, 2008

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 23:56:33 GMT

...and you question God -'why me?'...

always look at the bigger picture....

A day without the Lord- Is a day wasted.

NASA and the Bilble

Mon, 26 May 2008 12:03:05 GMT

Thought this was pretty amazing and interesting!!

For all the scientists out there, and for all the students who have a hard
time convincing these people regarding the truth of the Bible, here's
something that shows God's awesome creation, and that He is still in
control.

Did you know that the space program is busy proving that what has been
called "myth" in the Bible is true?

Mr. Harold Hill, President of the Curtis Engine Company in Baltimore ,
Maryland , and a consultant in the space program, relates the following
development.

I think one of the most amazing things that God has done for us today
happened recently to our astronauts and space scientists at Green Belt,
Maryland. "They were checking out where the positions of the sun, moon, and planets would be 100 years and 1,000 years from now. We have to know this so we
won't send up a satellite and have it bump into something later on in its
orbits.

We have to lay out the orbits in terms of the life of the satellite and
where the planets will be so the whole thing will not bog down. They ran the
computer measurement back and forth over the centuries, and it came to a
halt. The computer stopped and put up a red signal, which meant that there
was something wrong with either the information fed into it or with the
results as compared to the standards.

They called in the service department to check it out, and they said,
'What's wrong?' Well, they found there is a day missing in space in elapsed
time.

They scratched their heads and tore their hair out. There was no answer."

Finally a Christian man on the team said, 'You know, one time I was in
Sunday school, and they talked about the sun standing still.' While they
didn't believe him, they didn't have an answer either, so they said, 'Show
us, '

He got a Bible and finally went to the book of Joshua where they found a
pretty ridiculous statement for any one with 'common sense.' There they
found the Lord saying to Joshua, 'Fear them not, I have delivered them into
thy hand; there shall not a man of them stand before Thee.'

Joshua was concerned because he was surrounded by the enemy! And if darkness
fell, they would overpower them. So Joshua asked the Lord to make the sun
stand still! That's right... 'The sun stood still and the moon stayed and
lasted not to go down about a whole day!'
(Joshua 10:12-13)

The astronauts and scientists said, “There is the missing day!” They checked
the computers going back into the time it was written and found it was
close, but not close enough. The elapsed time that was missing back in
Joshua's day was 23 hours and 20 minutes. .. not a whole day.

They read the Bible, and there it was about [approximately] a day. These
little words in the Bible are important, but they were still in trouble
because if you cannot account for 40 minutes, you'll still be in trouble
1000 years from now.

Forty minutes had to be found because it can be multiplied many times over
in orbits. As the Christian employee thought about it, he remembered
somewhere in the Bible where it said the sun went BACKWARDS.

The scientists told him he was out of his mind, but they got out the Book
and read these words in 2 Kings that told of the following story: Hezekiah,
on his death bed, was visited by the prophet Isaiah who told him he was not
going to die. Hezekiah asked for a sign as proof. Isaiah said 'Do you want
the sun to go ahead 10 degrees?'

Hezekiah said, 'It is nothing for the sun to go ahead 10 degrees, but let
the shadow return backward 10 degrees.' Isaiah spoke to the Lord, and the
Lord brought the shadow ten degrees BACKWARD! Ten degrees is exactly 40
minutes!

Twenty-three hours and 20 minutes in Joshua, plus 40 minutes in Second Kings
make the missing day in the universe! Isn't it amazing?

References: Joshua 10:8 and 12, 13 and 2 Kings 20:9-11.

If God could do this then; how much more can he do for us today. If we ONLY
believe in his word.

Never be afraid to try something new, like trust in a Power that is greater
than our selves.

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Sat, 24 May 2008 14:04:13 GMT

SCATTEGORIES. . .

It's harder than it looks!

Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following...

they have to be real places, names, things...nothing made up!

Try to use different answers if the person in front of you had the same 1st initial.

You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name. . .

 What is your name...........................Tracy

4 Letter Word......................................true

Vehicle................................................ taurus

City......................................................Talahasee

Boy Name........................................... Tracy, Trace

Girl Name........................................... Tracey, Traci, Tracie

Alcoholic drink.................................... Tennessee Whiskey

Occupation.......................................... Teacher

Something you wear............................tops

Celebrity...............................................Tom Cruise

Food......................................................Tropical fruit salad

Something found in bathroom.....toothpaste

Reason for being late...tire blew

Cartoon Character.......................... tweety bird

Something you shout.............................Totally!

Animal...................................terrier

Body part...........................................toes

Word to describe you........................truthful

44 Things

Sat, 17 May 2008 08:24:01 GMT

1. Do you like blue cheese? eh

2. Have you ever smoked? yes but less than a pack total ever

3. Do you own a gun? wouldn't be without one

4. What flavors Kool Aid was your favorite? red

5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? depends on what it's for. Routine, not so much. Kid's a little. If I have questions, yeah.

6. What do you think of hot dogs? yuck

7. Favorite Christmas movie? Don't really have one. Maybe Babes in Toyland

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? COFFEE

9. Can you do push ups? not if the term is plural

10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? wedding ring

11. Favorite hobby? Family time

12. Do you have A.D.D.? nope

13. What's one trait you hate about yourself? I'm frequently too nice

14. Middle name? Jo

15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment. Sleep. Sleep. I need sleep!

16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink? water, coffee, and water

17. Current worry? $

18. Current hate: Gas prices, work hours

19. Favorite place to be? with God

20. How did you bring in the New Year? at work, again

21. Where would you like to go? home to bed

22. Name three people who will complete this? leave a comment here if you do, I'd like to read yours

23. Do you own slippers? I use my Crocs for slippers now

24. What shirt are you wearing? navy blue Cogentrix

25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? never tried it, but I'd like to.

26. Can you whistle? a tune, yes, most of the time
27. Favorite color? all

28. Would you be a pirate? nah

29. What songs do you sing in the shower? depends on what I just heard on the radio

30. Favorite Girl's Name? Naomi, Cherith, and a couple others I can't think of

31. Favorite boy's name?    Aaron

32. What's in your pocket right now?   chap stick

33. Last thing that made you laugh? Aaron

35. Worst injury you ever had? Ankle sprains

36. Do you love where you live?   I love some aspects of it. I love anywhere I can sleep in my own bed nearly every day.

37. How many TVs do you have in your house? 2 in the house, 1 in the garage, 1 in storage

38. Who is your loudest friend? my sister

39. How many dogs do you have? 1

40. Does someone have a crush on you? I hope that Clint still does and I think Aaron's getting to the age that he thinks I'm pretty

41. What is your favorite book(s)? Bible

42. What is your favorite candy? Dove dark chocolate

43. Favorite Sports Team? eh

44. What song do you want played at your funeral? Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone) by Chris Tomlin and Martyr's Song by Todd Agnew

This Should Be Taught In All Schools

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 23:23:05 GMT

Back in September of 2005, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a social studies school teacher at Robinson High School in Little Rock, did something not to be forgotten.
On the first day of school, with the permission of the school superintendent, the principal and the building supervisor, she removed all of the desks out of her classroom. When the first period kids entered the room they discovered that there were no desks.

Looking around, confused, they asked, 'Ms. Cothren, where're our desks?'

She replied, 'You can't have a desk until you tell me what you have done to earn the right to sit at a desk.'

They thought, 'Well, maybe it's our grades.'

'No,' she said.

Maybe it's our behavior.' She told them, 'No, it's not even your behavior.

And so, they came and went, the first period, second period, third period. Still no desks in the classroom.

By early afternoon television news crews had started gathering in Ms. Cothren's classroom to report about this crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of her room.

The final period of the day came and as the puzzled students found seats on the floor of the deskless classroom.
Martha Cothren said, 'Throughout the day no one has been able to tell me just what he/she has done to earn the right to sit at the desks that are ordinarily found in this classroom. Now I am going to tell you.'

At this point, Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and opened it.

Twenty-seven (27) U.S. Veterans, all in uniforms, walked into that classroom, each one carrying a school desk. The Vets began placing the school desks in rows, and then they would walk over and stand alongside the wall.

By the time the last soldier had set the final desk in place those kids started to understand, perhaps for the first time in their lives, just how the right to sit at those desks had been earned.

Martha said, 'You didn't earn the right to sit at these desks. These heroes did it for you. They placed the desks here for you. Now, it's up to you to sit in them. It is your responsibility to learn, to be good students, to be good citizens. They paid the price so that you could have the freedom to get an education. Don't ever forget it.'

By the way, this is a true story.

If you can read this, thank a teacher.

Since you read it in English, thank a soldier.

The Daffodil Principle

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:39:21 GMT

Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, 'Mother, you must come to see the daffodils before they are over.''

I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead . 'I will come next Tuesday', I promised a little reluctantly on her third call.

Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and reluctantly I drove there. When I finally walked into Carolyn's house, I was welcomed by the joyful sounds of happy children. I delightedly hugged and greeted my grandchildren.

'Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible in these clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these children that I want to see badly enough to drive another inch!'

My daughter smiled calmly and said, ' We drive in this all the time, Mother.'

'Well, you won't get me back on the road until it clears, and then I'm heading for home!' I assured her.

'But first we're going to see the daffodils. It's just a few blocks,' Carolyn said. 'I'll drive. I'm used to this.'

'Carolyn,' I said sternly, 'Please turn around.'

'It's all right, Mother, I promise. You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience.'

After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church, I saw a hand lettered sign with an arrow that read,'Daffodil Garden'.

We got out of the car, each took a child's hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path. Then, as we turned a corner, I looked up and gasped. Before me lay the most glorious sight.

It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it over the mountain peak and its surrounding slopes. The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns, great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, creamy white, lemon yellow, salmon pink, saffron and butter yellow.. Each different-colored variety was planted in large groups so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue. There were five acres of flowers.

'Who did this?' I asked Carolyn.

'Just one woman,' Carolyn answered. 'She lives on the property. That's her home.' Carolyn pointed to a well-kept A-frame house, small and modestly sitting in the midst of all that glory. We walked up to the house.

On the patio, we saw a poster. 'Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking', was the headline.

The first answer was a simple one. '50,000 bulbs,' it read.

The second answer was, 'One at a time, by one woman. Two hands, two feet, and one brain.'
The third answer was, 'Began in 1958.'

For me, that moment was a life-changing experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than forty years before, had begun, one bulb at a time, to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountaintop. Planting one bulb at a time, year after year, this unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived.

One day at a time, she had created something of extraordinary magnificence, beauty, and inspiration. The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles of celebration.

That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time, often just one baby-step at a time and learning to love the doing, learning to use the accumulation of time. When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things. We can change the world

'It makes me sad in a way,' I admitted to Carolyn. ' What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty five or forty years ago and had worked away at it 'one! bulb at a time' through all those years? 'Just think what I might have been able to achieve!'

My daughter summed up the message of the day in her usual direct way.. 'Start tomorrow,' she said.

She was right. It's so pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays. The way to make learning a lesson of celebration instead of a cause for regret is to only ask, 'How can I put this to use today?'

Use the Daffodil Principle. Stop waiting.....

Until your car or home is paid off
Until you get a new car or home
Until your kids leave the house
Until you go back to school
Until you finish school
Until you clean the house
Until you organize the garage
Until you clean off your desk
Until you lose 10 lbs.
Until you gain 10 lbs.
Until you get married
Until you get a divorce
Until you have kids
Until the kids go to school
Until you retire
Until summer
Until spring
Until winter
Until fall
Until you die...

There is no better time than right now to be happy. Happiness is a journey, not a destination.

So work like you don't need money. Love like you've never been hurt, and dance like no one's watching.

Why animals' lives are shorter.

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:33:07 GMT

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife, Lisa, and their little boy, Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on.

Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away. The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why."

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. He said, "People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice." The six-year-old continued, "Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:
When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
Take naps.
Stretch before rising.
Run, romp, and play daily.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Be loyal.
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.

ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 12:52:57 GMT

This was written by an 83-year-old woman to her friend.

*The last line says it all. *

Dear Bertha,

I'm reading more and dusting less. I'm sitting in the yard and admiring the view without fussing about the weeds in the garden. I'm spending more time with my family and friends and less time working.

Whenever possible, life should be a pattern of experiences to savor, not to endure. I'm trying to recognize these moments now and cherish them.

I'm not "saving" anything; we use our good china and crystal for every special event such as losing a pound, getting the sink unstopped, or the first Amaryllis blossom.

I wear my good blazer to the market. My theory is if I look prosperous, I can shell out $28.49 for one small bag of groceries. I'm not saving my good perfume for special parties, but wearing it for clerks in the hardware store and tellers at the bank.

"Someday" and "one of these days" are losing their grip on my vocabulary. If it's worth seeing or hearing or doing, I want to see and hear and do it now

I'm not sure what others would've done had they known they wouldn't be here for the tomorrow that we all take for granted. I think they would have called family members and a few close friends. They might have called a few former friends to apologize and mend fences for past squabbles. I like to think they would have gone out for a Chinese dinner or for whatever their favorite food was.

I'm guessing; I'll never know.

It's those little things left undone that would make me angry if I knew my hours were limited. Angry because I hadn't written certain letters that I intended to write one of these days. Angry and sorry that I didn't tell my husband and parents often enough how much I truly love them. I'm trying very hard not to put off, hold back, or save anything that would add laughter and luster to our lives. And every morning when I open my eyes, tell myself that it is special.

Every day, every minute, every breath truly is a gift from God.