Archive | January, 2017

The Glory of the Morning

31 Jan

A Life to Live

Melody Hendrix

 

The glory of the morning awaits our step
Days promise reborn as we slept
Dew is the tears that darkness wept
On each blade of grass the promise is kept

Light above chases shadows beneath
Bud and blossom and furled leaf
A gentle urging the day bequeaths
A shake, a nudge, a call from sleep

Angled shafts of grays and blues
Shifting through the morning hews
The veil is lifted, the colors are loosed
So that first light might brighten our view

Awaken, open, raise your head
Nights gone away, finally fled
Turn pink, turn blue turn yellow turn red
Day is coming, make your bed.

Author Unknown

 

orlando-wetlands

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31 Days of God’s Comfort~Day 11

30 Jan

 

prayer

 

 

Day 11

Compassion

Romans 8:31

 

Beloved,

If I am for you, what experience or entity could ever win against you?

Stop trying to figure everything out and turn to me. Let me deliver My thoughts, goals, and rewards to you.

Compassion doesn’t originate in your bleeding heart. Compassion and empathy must come from me. My empathy, not yours. My love, not yours. Immersing yourself in me will make you buoyant.

Remember, when you don’t know how to pray, I am always inside your spirit praying for you and for your situation.

You may ask me what and how to pray and I will tell you. Now that’s a prayer I guarantee will be answered just right.

 

 

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The Gurgle Pot

29 Jan

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

 

Some years ago, Fred’s youngest sister gave us a most unusual gift – a Gurgle Pot. Never heard of it? Neither had we, so let me tell you about this neat item.

It is a water pot for your table. It is shaped like a fish. It makes a delightfully amusing “gurgling” sound as you pour. According to the information card that came with the Pot, the designer, Matt Ellison tells us how it all got started:

“Years ago, I attended my brother’s wedding in a small village in Southern France. Since there were no hotels in town, all guests were matched with French hosts. My hosts spoke no English and I spoke no French which made dinner conversation a challenge. Long stretches of awkward silences were compounded by the fact that French dinners can last 3-4 hours. There was, however, one saving grace…a fish shaped water pitcher that “gurgled.” I found myself drinking more water than wine so I could fill the silent room with “gurgling” and unite the table with smiles.”

“Inspired by the lighthearted affect of the gurgling sound, I returned home and began sculpting my own version. Ten years, two kids, 15 molds and one typhoon off the coast of China later, I can finally share the GurglePot™ with you. I’m confident it will create similar smiles around your dining table in years to come.

Pour, Listen, Enjoy!”

So there you have it – the Gurgle Pot in all it’s glory. It really is a fun thing to have on your table. It is definitely a conversation-starter. If you care to go online to see all the different colors it comes in, just type in “gurgle pot” in your browser and see them all.

Fred’s sister gave us one in what might be called earth-tones or clay-flower-pot, but most websites call it “red.” It is produced in a rainbow of colors.

 

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We thoroughly enjoy our very own GurglePot™ – and you might, as well.

Amazon has a large selection of GurglePots  large and small.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Measure Your Words

27 Jan

From the Heart

Louise Gibson

 

 

Years ago an anonymous writer penned a short
poem about the merit of measuring our words:

“A wise old owl sat in an oak.
The more he saw the less he spoke.
The less he spoke the more he heard.
“Why can’t we all be like that wise old bird?”

 

There is a connection between wisdom
and limiting what we say.
It is wise to be a good listener
while holding our tongue at bay.

 

Be sensitive to the needs of the one
you are speaking to.
Listen to what their heart is saying
before expressing your point of view.

 

Wisdom from above:

“Although there is a time to be quiet
and a time to speak (Eccl.3:7)
choosing to speak less allows us
to hear more.”

 

Psalm 19:14
Let the words of my mouth,
and the meditations of my heart,
be acceptable in Thy sight.
Oh Lord, my strength and my redeemer.

 

Psalm 96
Shout to the Lord
(If you are depressed you need to read the Psalms.)

 

Psalm 119
“Forever, oh Lord, your word is settled in Heaven.

 

snowy-owl

#Wunderphoto

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My 2016 Dawn Patrol Rendezvous Trip~Part 4

25 Jan

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites

Day 4 (Sunday, Oct. 2, 2016)
I was up early today in order to make the drive to the National Museum of the USAF here in Dayton, Ohio. I knew I was going to spend a lot of time at this museum today, and because of that, I wanted to be one of the first to get one of the many electric carts they provide for visitors with bad knees like mine.

 

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I believe this is the largest military aviation museum in the world, with 360+ aircraft, and is laid out (mostly) chronologically in four huge hangers. All of the aircraft in this museum have been beautifully restored, and displayed, in such a manner to allow photographs to be taken from the best possible angles. In the first Hanger, are aircraft examples from the beginning of American aviation history, through those used during World War I (The Early Years Gallery).

 

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 The Early Years Gallery

 

And then, there are the huge variety of aircraft used by the USAF during the WW II years, which are displayed in the (World War II Gallery).

 

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World War II Gallery

 

The second Hanger, consists of aircraft used by the USAF during the Korean War, and are located in the (Korean War Gallery).

 

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Korean War Gallery

 

The aircraft used by the USAF during the Vietnam War era, are also located the second hanger, in the (Southeast Asia War Gallery).

 

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Southeast Asia War Gallery

 

The third Hanger houses a large variety of aircraft used by the USAF during the Cold War era, and are located in the (Cold War Gallery). Also located in the third Hanger are many of the modern aircraft being used by the USAF as part of their current operations.

 

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Cold War Gallery

 

The third and fourth Hangers are separated by the (Missile Gallery), which displays many of the USAF offensive and defensive rockets and missiles which have been developed and deployed over the years.

 

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Missile Gallery

 

The huge new fourth Hanger houses aircraft used by past U.S. Presidents while in office, from Franklin D. Roosevelt to Bill Clinton, and are located in the (Presidential Gallery).

 

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Presidential Gallery

 

The many different types of aircraft used by the USAF Airlift Command, to move personnel and equipment where needed around the world, are located in the (Global Reach Gallery) of the fourth Hanger.

 

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Global Reach Gallery

 

There is a Space Shuttle Exhibit, including the CCT-1 Crew Compartment Trainer, various satellites, and a Titan IVB Rocket located in the (Space Gallery) section of the fourth Hanger.

 

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Space Gallery

 

The museum’s largest aircraft, the XB-70, and other aerospace related vehicles that the USAF has sponsored, for research and development projects, over the years are located in the (Research & Development Gallery) of the fourth Hanger.

 

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Research & Development Gallery

 

The majority of these aircraft had been on display somewhere in one of the three hangers, or outside, the first time I visited the USAF museum in 2009. With the opening of the new fourth hanger in 2016, many had been rearranged or relocated to new areas within the four hangers. As a result, it did not take me as long to go through, and view all the aircraft in the four hangers, as I had originally expected. It still took most of the day to see everything.

 

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Since many of the Wright Brothers aviation historical points of interest here in Dayton are close together, I spent the rest of the afternoon visiting as many of those locations as time allowed. These short visits to many of the sites on the “Aviation Trail” included stops at the Dayton Aviation Heritage Historical Park, the Huffman Prairie Flying Field, the Wright Brothers Aviation Center, and the Aviation Trail Museum. Stay tuned for details about these visits in tomorrow’s blog.

 

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On the way back to the motel I stopped in Englewood, Ohio for a delicious meal at the Cazadores Mexican Food Cantina. Their EL Morro Special, consisted of grilled chicken strips cooked with pineapple and Mexican pork sausage, topped with shredded cheese and fresh green onions, served over a flower tortilla. I had a small side salad with guacamole and sour cream. The combination made for an outstanding meal. Then I topped it off with a dish of Mexican Flan for dessert.

 

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—–To Be Continued—–

 

 

 

 

 

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Florida Caverns State Park

24 Jan

A Life to Live

Melody Hendrix

Did you know that Florida has caves as beautiful as the famous Mammoth Cave and Carlsbad Caverns? Florida Caverns State Park is located in the Florida Panhandle near Marianna. It is home to the only air-filled cave accessible to tourists in Florida.
Florida Caverns is unusual for the state. It is a limestone cave, part of a system of Ocala limestone which stretches out into north Florida and south Alabama and south Georgia..
The Florida Caverns has dazzling formations of limestone stalactites, stalagmites, soda straws, flowstones and draperies. The caverns are home to blind salamanders and crayfish, as well as the endangered gray bat.

This is just one more example of Florida’s diverse landscapes. The tour of the cave is a must.
caves-2

The address is  3345 Caverns Rd, Marianna, FL 32446

Directions to Florida Caverns State Park

Florida Caverns State Park is located three miles north of Marianna, off of U.S. 90 on State Road 166. From Tallahassee, take I-10 west to exit 142, turn right on Highway 71 and travel north to Highway 90. Turn left. Follow brown park signs. From Pensacola: Take I-10 east to exit 136, turn left on Highway 276, travel north to Highway 90. Turn right. Follow brown park signs.

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31 Days of God’s Comfort~Day 10

23 Jan

 

 

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Picture and paraphrase by DiVoran Lites

 

 

Day 10

Beloved

1 Corinthians 12:9

 

My grace is enough to get you through anything.

Start focusing on Me instead of on the problem.

The problem can’t help you,

And you can’t help yourself, but I can.

The weaker you are,

The stronger Christ’s power is in your behalf.

Take all limitations as blessings.

Thank me for them.

Then let Christ take over.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Reunion

22 Jan

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

 

Have you ever been to a family reunion? Ever heard of families having a reunion? My family has never really had one. Our little family gets together quite often, and so we don’t consider it a “reunion” as such. My father was one of 13 children, but most of them lived close to each other, and there wasn’t any need for a reunion.

But there are other kinds of reunions. Fred and I attended one just this week. In August of 2015, I had a total knee replacement at Celebration Health in Kissimmee, Florida.

 

 

 

I was in the hospital for four days, under the care of the nurses there. While there, they told me about the “Joint Replacement Reunion” that the hospital sponsors each year. Now that I am included in the “joint replacement” crowd, I am always and will be forever eligible to participate in the annual reunion. Included in the reunion are those with knee, hip, shoulder replacement, and any other “joint” that has been replaced.

 

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Our first reunion was in January 2016. We were eager to experience this – but turns out that a MAJOR storm was passing through! Everything was under the tent – and the wind and rain blew so hard at times that we were afraid the tent would blow down! Fortunately, it didn’t. The advertised event was to be held rain or shine.

 

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One of the “events” is a walk around part of the hospital complex. That didn’t happen last year! But this year, it did. It was a nice walk, and some of the sports orthopedic doctors were in attendance with those of us walking. Nice to converse with them along the way.

Last year, since the walk didn’t happen, some of the nurses set the music, and got a “conga-line” going. Quite a few of the reunion participants joined in that dance. It was fun to watch. My new knee was only five months old, and I wasn’t up to that.

There were people running around, helping out, that had on dark blue t-shirts that proclaimed the reunion. I was amused to see the back of the shirts, and asked one lady if I could take a picture of it. Here it is. Cute, huh?

 

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After the walk, a meal was served. Last year, we were pleased to see that the hospital had the meal catered by 4Rivers Smokehouse – one of our favorite bbq places!! And they catered it again this year. Yay!

 

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Credit Google search and Adam J.V.

 

We thought 4Rivers was just a local Mom-n-Pop place that had expanded a bit (there is now one near us in Kissimmee). But to my surprise, I found online that there are 14 restaurants, with one coming to Atlanta later this year. The rest are in Florida.

Here is a short tidbit from their website:

FUN FACT:

Why four Rivers? In short, it represents our family, John, Monica (wife), Jared (son) and Cameron (daughter). But they also appreciate the serendipitous double meaning with Genesis 2:10, where four rivers branch from that which flows out of Eden

Here are a few pictures of this year’s event:

 

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Debra – one of my favorite nurses manning a registration table

 

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The big tent

 

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The starting line for the walk

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The only way to be safe from troubles. 

21 Jan

Walking by Faith, Not by Sight

Janet Perez Eckles

 

Why did I give in?

Some years ago, my friends and I walked on the soft sand in the Cabo San Lucas beaches.

She elbowed me. “You’re going with us. C’mon, parasailing will be fun.”

I frowned. “You’re nuts. I’m not doing that,” I said. “Going up in the air with nothing underneath me? Ain’t happening.”

“You’ll love it.” She shook my arm and her voice grew with excitement. “C’mon where’s your sense of adventure?”

My sense of adventure was at home in Orlando, where it belonged—safe and secure.

With her nudging, a little tiny part of me said, “Why not…what could happen?”

I gave a long sigh. “All right, I’ll go.”

Once I was strapped in, the man placed my hands on the leather bands. “Hold on tight.”

Slowly, we were lifted up in the air and the wind lifted my hair. My friend giggled, oohed and aahed. Then she said, “Whatever you do, don’t fool with the metal hook.”

Ah! The hook. The one latch that connected the seat to the parachute. Should that hook come undone, or should I somehow open it and let the strap loose, I’d plop 30 feet into the Pacific Ocean and turn into an afternoon snack for the sharks below.

Crazy experience. But crazier is the fact that we’re also dangling above the tension of life. Almost daily we’re threatened by the teeth of anxiety that could devour our peace and bite into our confidence.

Knowing that, we should never, never undo the hook that connects us to the One who keeps us afloat. The One who sustains us above the fangs of adversity. The One who holds us beyond the reach of despair.

And when we’re safely connected to His power, we’re secure and protected from any and all dangers, threats or evil that hovers about. Nothing can touch us for “He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:15-18).

In Him all things hold together. What relief, what freedom! Not in our efforts, our performance, our image, or our crazy ways. None of that holds our life together. It’s only the connection with Him who has the power to lift us above problems, struggles, and daily battles that can keep us secure and safe.

What are you connected to these days?

Source: The only way to be safe from troubles. | Janet Perez Eckles

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Self Evaluation

20 Jan

From the Heart

Louise Gibson

River of Life by DiVoran Lites

River of Life by DiVoran Lites

 

 

At the end of my days, how will God evaluate
the time spent with my fellow man?
Will I have satisfied the commission
of our Lord’s ultimate plan?

 

Will I have loved my neighbor
as well as myself?
Will my “Must do” list be completed
or still found on the shelf?

 

Did I abandon the longings,
the dreams, the vision?
Did I give in to circumstance
the need for decision?

 

The still small voice of the Spirit
breaks through,
“My child, stop fretting,
I’m not through with you.”

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