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I Believe in Miracles

14 Aug

Bill Lites our normal Wednesday blogger has internet issues and was unable to send in his post for Wednesday. A true miracle occurred this week, I have written a blog post and have it ready to go. so I am posting Wednesday in the hope that Bill will be with us Thursday.

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

I believe in miracles, in fact I delight in miracles so much they send my soul into a happy dance. My favorite miracle is seeing God bring people together to meet a need, encourage someone or heal a heart. I have lived long Onishaenough to look back through time to see how God guides the threads of our lives in His hand then draws together those lives to create a miracle. It confirms to me how intimately  God cares for every aspect of our lives. I wish I could draw well because this would be one of my favorite pictures.

As I was thinking about these small miracles, my heart questioned me about the big miracles. Why don’t I feel the same joy when I pray for the “biggies” like freedom from bad life habits, healing and even salvation?  Of course I pray for those miracles and say all the right words but where is the joyous expectation?

Here is my question: Do I rejoice in small miracles because I am afraid to yearn for big ones?

UPDATE: Monday morning, shortly after writing this I received a call that my precious 10 year old grandson was having silent seizures and needed an MRI  ASAP. I marvel at how God led me to search my heart so that I can joyously expect a miracle.

This is My Story and I Am Sticking to It

23 Jul

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

This summer has certainly had its ups and downs. Our family members have been Onishaplagued with ongoing physical challenges and a precious uncle went to be with the Lord. The garden I was so excited about in the spring has pretty much fizzled. The weather has included rain most days and when it has been nice, my work with Rebekah Lyn Books has kept me hard at work on my computer instead of chilling on the porch.

Then Monday morning I looked outside and the sun was shining, my husband was feeling better and a flower basket hanging outside my front door was beautiful and

House Wrens love to nest here.once again housing a bird nest. For the past three years we have purchased the same kind of flower basket and each year an adorable bird has nested there. Something about that basket and the new life growing inside of it sparked a thrill of joy. It reminded me that whether I am experiencing mountain top highs or walking down a thorny path it is all a pattern in the seasons of life. I have rejoiced in the glorious days and I will choose to rejoice in these trying days.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.  John 14.27

Shocking! I Am Praising a Car Dealership

27 Jun

 On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

Onisha

We took our Toyota to the dealership today to resolve some recalls that we had been putting off.  The closest one is around one hour and forty minutes south of us so we decided to combine our weekly breakfast get together which is also south with a trip to the dealership.

When I called to set up our appointment the service manager asked if we could arrive earlier than our planned 11am since the repairs would take around two hours. When I told him earlier just wouldn’t work (because we do have priorities and breakfast out is high on our list) he was very accommodating and agreeable.*5

When we purchased our truck from the dealership, one of their selling points was that they provided loaner cars if you need service so I was surprised when I enquired about getting a loaner to learn that they no longer provided them. We had plans to do some shopping while we were in a “big city”. BUT, he said and this is a big but the dealership provides a shuttle that will take you anywhere you want to go. Hmm I thought, this could be interesting, picturing a dusty passenger van.

So with minimal traffic and after a short wait we were handing our truck over to the service manager. He verified the recalls and asked if he had our permission to check the truck for any other problems. We told him sure, expecting the old up sale routine. He then asked if we were waiting on the truck and we answered we were and would like to use the shuttle to go to lunch. I really expected a frown and maybe some excuse making but instead we got a big smile and assurance he would call the shuttle driver right away.

.I had done an online search for shops and restaurants and decided I would like to have lunch at Olive Garden. We were pleased to see the shuttle was a very nice Camry and the driver was a delightful middle age lady. She chatted easily as we made the short trip, delivered us to the door and told us to call when we were ready to return.

After a leisurely lunch we made the call for pick up and were pleasantly surprised at how quickly she arrived. Our driver had been listening to a pastor on the radio and left it playing softly as we talked.

Back at the dealership, the truck was going to require about forty-five more minutes.  The service manager was so upset we would have to wait and offered the shuttle to drive us to the mall. Truth to tell, I was tempted by the idea of a trip to a shopping mall without having to hunt for a parking place but we decided to just wait.

This dealership had two waiting areas, one for buyers and one for service. They each have large overstuffed leather furniture, large screen televisions and free coffee but the service waiting room was really impressive. It had two computer stations, fresh fruit that was frequently replenished and free packaged snacks. The dealership had made every effort to make it’s customers feel valued and cared

Governors Prayer Breakfast

Governors Prayer Breakfast

about. The wait didn’t seem very long before they called our name. As we went to get the truck I thought, “oh no, now we have to deal with the up sale”. You know what I mean; you need a transmission flush or when was your last lube job? But none of that happened. The service manager apologized again about the delay, chatted for a minute then sent us on our way.

What makes this dealership different? They have bibles in the waiting area. I’ve lived long enough to realize that every business that claims to be Christian owned doesn’t exactly live out the principles, but after buying two vehicles and today’s visit, I have to think this business does put Christ first. I can spot the phony smiles and everything I experienced today was genuine.

I’ve done my share of bashing car dealerships so it is only fair that I give some praise to  Milton Martin Toyota an outstanding one.

 

If you would like to visit their Facebook page click here

 

Dad~Love~Faith

15 Jun

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

Onisha

 

Back in the late fifties, going to church was a much more sociable activity than it is today. Once the service was over the adults would linger outside the church, on the sidewalk just to chat and enjoy being together. The children, glad to be freed from the trial of sitting still would run around like uncaged monkeys playing tag and screaming until a parent shushed us.  One particular evening, the air had a chill to it and I stood Lucerne Parkshivering next to my dad. Without making a big  “to do” about it, he took off his suit jacket and put it around my shoulders. It covered my small body completely and smelled like my dad’s Vitalis hair oil and a faint scent of cigarrete smoke. I felt completely safe and warm covered by his jacket. That was my first picture of how much God loved me.

My dad and mom loved to fish and we drove to the east coast of Florida every Friday night to fish. In my childhood I can’t remember a time I didn’t have a fishing pole. I started with a cane pole in the local lakes. When I was considered big enough to have a real fishing rod and reel, it was a small Zebco. I remember my dad teaching me first how to bait my hook, release the line and how important it was to “hold your pole Loved catching the big ones.up” when you were reeling in a fish. Next he taught me how to tie a hook onto my line and change the weights. He wanted me to be self-sufficient but he was always there to help me out when I tangled my line or man the long dip net when I had a fish to big for me to reel up. This was my second picture of how God loved me. Like my dad, God would always be there to help me untangle my life and he would be my “dip net” when I called out to him.

Matthew 7:11 says-“ If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”

 

My dad was a humble man and because of his humility, it took me many years to realize what a truly remarkable father he was.

Me and dad

Me and dad

T

 

Social Media and Prayer

1 Jun

Yesterday I watched in horror the television coverage of the Oklahoma tornados. “Oh dear God” my heart cried out, pleading for His mercy. I even summoned up the courage to tweet a short prayer before moving to Facebook to see if any of my friends were in the path. As I scrolled through the newsfeed, I began to come across prayers for protection, not the usual “praying for the people in the storm” but powerful prayers of “standing in the gap” and claiming safety. At each one I would join in the prayer and write “agree” or “agree with this prayer” in the comment line. I felt my spirit join with those praying.

As the storm began to break up it hit me that social media is a powerful instrument for prayer. I will continue to say and post “praying for…” because I do pray for each person or situation when I write that but I will also venture out of my comfort zone and tweet or post on Facebook prayers of petition because to not do so deprives not just myself, but other believers the wondrous opportunity to join together in prayer.

Matthew 18:20

A Mother’s Day Collage

12 May

I put out a request to the contributors to this blog to write anything they wanted to about Mother’s Day. I thought it would be interesting to read how each related to the day and it certainly was, especially since two of our bloggers are sister and brother.

So let’s start our Mother’s Day Collage with a “Match the Mother to Child” game. Enter your answers in comments to win a digital copy of one of DiVoran Lites  or Rebekah Lyn’s books. If we have multiple correct answers we will put your names in a drawing. You may also comment on  Facebook under comments.

Moms and Bloggers

No.6

No.6

No.2

No. 1

No. 5

No. 4

No. 3

No.

No. 8 Blogger

Mother's Day

No.9 Blogger

No. 10 Blogger

No 11 Blogger

No 11 Blogger

No. 7 Blogger

No. 7 Blogger

As an example in comments you would write: 1/7,2/8 etc. Good luck!!

Onisha

We hope you enjoy our Mother’s Day Collage. Choosing what to share brought back such memories and tears too. In her later years my mother told me “you will always miss your mother. I still miss mine” This surprised me since my grandmother had died many years earlier and she only saw her once a year on our family vacations. I understand that ache now. So I decided to share a poem from my mother. The date was 1964 and I was twelve years old

I said a prayer for you today

And Know God must have heard.

I felt the answer in my heart

Although he spoke no word!

I didn’t ask for wealth or fame

(I know you wouldn’t mind)

I asked that he be near you

At the start of each new day,

To grant you health and blessings

And friends to share your ways!

I asked for happiness for you

In all things great and small,

But it was for His loving care

I prayed for most of all.

Bill Lites

Thank You Mother

My mother was such a great influence and inspiration in my life.  She taught me that God loved me and wanted to guide me every step of my life, if I would only ask Him.  She taught me to be a gentleman in every area of my life.  She taught me to learn all the details and to never take anything for granted.  She taught me to always give the other person the benefit of the doubt, and to do to others as I would have them do to me.  She taught me to be observant, to work hard and to be patient with others, and to always be kind and loving.  She taught by example and there was never any question about her love, acceptance and forgiveness toward others and me.

Louise Gibson

                                                    Reflections
                         What does a Mother say to her children
                         At the end of her days-
                         Those she has loved in so many ways?
                         “Oh, what joy I felt in my heart
                         When I was informed that new life had its start!
                                Each of you was a blessing from above-
                        A gift of God, the symbol of love.
                        Each is unique, not one is the same.
                        You are loved for who you are, what you became.
                        Your talents are many-
                        Thank God for each one.
                        They will nurture your being
                        When the day is done.
                        God will supply the strength
                        To face each new day-
                        I will be with you in spirit
                       Every step of the way.”
                        I love you.
                        Mom
                       A quote from Max Lucado:
“God knows that we are only pilgrims and that
eternity is so close that any “Good-bye” is,
in reality, “See you tomorrow”.

THOUGHTS OF MY MOTHER ON MOTHER’S DAY 2013

Judy Wills

How do I describe my Mother?  She was so unique in all her ways.

One of the most unique things is that she met, fell in love with, and married a man who was 20 years older than herself.  And yet, the marriage was one that I hoped to emulate with my marriage.  She created a loving and secure home for her husband and her children.  She was heart-broken when her husband died.

                                    Judy Wills Mother and father

She loved to sing and to play the piano.  She had a great alto voice.  She had a good ear and would just go and sit down at the piano and begin playing.  I’m still frustrated that I can’t remember the names of the songs/hymns she played.  My brother and I tried to remember them, and have them played at her funeral, but neither of us could remember.

She was a good cook.  She made a pot roast that would just melt in your mouth.  And that’s something I’ve never been able to duplicate.  I never learned her technique.  My Dad used to tease her by saying “this meat is no good – it just falls off the bone!”  She made the best cherry pie.  She made home-made peach jam from the peaches in our back yard.

One time, as she and I were sitting in the living room watching TV, we heard a terrible sound!  We both ran to the kitchen – only to find that the pressure cooker had “blown” out the pressure valve and pinto beans were all over the ceiling!  What a mess!

She had the most giving spirit I’ve ever seen.  One morning, early, we were told that the husband of a friend of ours had died.  He was a gun smith.  He was carrying a rifle along his side, tripped over a rock, and essentially blew his head off.  As soon as Mother heard that, she was in the car and over to that house.  Not only did she comfort the widow, but she grabbed rags and bucket and began cleaning off the blood, bone and brains from the side of the house.

Although I suspect she would have loved to be a stay-at-home mom, she worked as an accountant at Kirtland AFB, to make money for “extra” things in our life.  She bought a new piano for our house.  But one of the best things about her working there, was that she would find young military personnel – usually men – who were away from home and homesick, and bring them to church with us on a Sunday, then home to Sunday dinner.  She kept in contact with many of them throughout her time there.  One time she broke her ankle and couldn’t climb the steps to her office upstairs.  The officials were so insistent that she not “retire” that they placed a desk and lamp under the stairway just for her.  They really liked her work.

                                                         Judy Wills mother

When my Dad retired and money was tight, Mother bought a Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio, trained for the job, and set to work.  She had a really good, strong work ethic.

Judy Wills Mother

5

Oh my………so many more memories, but these fill my heart and mind.

I miss her still.

May 12, 2013, My Fifty-First Mother’s Day

DiVoran Lites

“Mom, how do you feel?”

“Fine.”

“But really, How are you doing?”

“Divine:”

My hair is gray, my socks fall down,

And I’m not going out of town,

And I must say, I forget some things,

But what matters is: my heart has wings.

I hope you enjoyed reading out Mother’s Day collage. We all view our mothers and Mother’s Day with  our own unique perspective and  I love that.

For those who read to the bottom, here is a clue. There is one more picture than there are bloggers! Don’t forget to write your matches in comments here or on the Facebook post.

Happy Mothers Day

 

I Am So Sorry

9 May

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

I would like to apologize to everyone who made their grand announcement “I just finished building my new website, come take a look” and I just yawned or if I was feeling generous I gave it a tweet. I had no idea what you were saying, how much work and creativity you had expended. I’m so sorry.Computer

I had no idea what building a website involved until I decided to give it a try. I am attempting to build a wonderful site to showcase the work of Rebekah Lyn and DiVoran Lites, both of whom are dear to me, one as daughter the other as Spiritual mentor and precious friend.  They are fine writers who tell great stories of faith adventure and hope.

I would still be stuck in Word Press tutorial 101 if God had not sprinkled Lynn into my life. We met in tenth grade and became life-long friends. Little did I know as we passed notes in class, giggled about boys and all those other things high school girls do, that she was going to be my life line for this website building adventure.

I think I might begin calling her my Philippians 4:19  friend,

Match the Mother/Daughter Game

7 May

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

Onisha

We wanted to do something special for Mother’s Day this year. With five bloggers we each have different thoughts so I decided we would do a “collage” blog post. Each of us contributing in our own way, some as a memory, others a poem. As for me, I am a last-minute blogger so I have no clue. We are also planning a Match the Mother/Daughter game. Those who get them all correct will be put into a drawing for a FREE  digital copy of one of Rebekah Lyn’s Amazon best-selling books. I think I may be able to persuade DiVoran to donate one too.

See you on Sunday!

My Brain is Twisted Spaghetti

27 Apr

On  the Porch

Onisha Ellis

Onisha

I’m pretty sure I am driving a very dear friend crazy. You see, she made the mistake of offering to help me create a website. To begin with she told me where to purchase a domain and secure a host server. After I had accomplished step one, she patiently led me through choosing a WordPress theme, then loaded it onto the server. Easy, I thought I can do this. Next she told me to begin loading content. Whaaat? How does one load content into a blank website? I am comfortable with a blog. All I have to do is write my thoughts and publish. Content it seems is way more complicated. Without having a clue, I began creating pages and adding links. My confidence began to build then she asked me to provide pictures in a custom size for the slider. I think she mentioned other pictures too but my mind totally blanked out.  So did my friend. Her last email stated she would be hiding, I mean relaxing in the woods without Internet or phone for the whole weekend. Did I mention she lives up North?

So, I am reaching out to our blog readers with questions. Why do they call widgets, widgets? Why aren’t widgets more specific? I need one that says “want a badge, paste it here.” Why won’t my categories parent? How do I remove the book covers on the right side of my landing page? How do I get those nice Amazon buttons and how do I become an Amazon affiliate and do I paste that somewhere?

I have been reading a great deal about content for websites and they all agree a website needs a great call to action so I am practicing on our readers. Here’s my call to action- anyone want to be my website tutor?

 

Be One Spark!

20 Apr

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

Onisha

 

We had the pleasure of attending One Spark this weekend and I am here to tell you, creativity is alive and well in Jacksonville, Florida.  The whole downtown was awash with ideas, inventions and art; creators were eager to tell you their dreams as they all vied for your vote to capture a portion of the $250,000 pot of money.

Our daughter, Rebekah Lyn volunteered to take a couple of two-hour shifts at the Biblio Connection booth in the spacious Jacksonville Public Library. The “creator” Betty Poole collected books and videos from Indie authors and beautifully displayed them. She lives in Jacksonville and dreams of turning an old building into a center for authors to come together to write, brainstorm and interact with readers. She even envisions a future expansion that would include artists in other mediums. Imagine what a boon to the local Indie author community to be able to socialize while choosing a cover artist and an editor.

Businesses downtown opened their doors to the creators and we roamed the streets collecting cards from the creators to use for voting. My favorite venue was the sixth floor of the Sun Trust building.

One artist who caught my eye was Robert Adelman. His work is dark yet compelling and I could easily see his art as book covers for the horror and fantasy writers. I mentioned this avenue to him and his response was that he really wanted exposure. If you would like to check him out click here.

The other art that captured my imagination was Beyond the Facade .The artist is a photographer who enlarges photos of nature and covers the façades of abandoned buildings. He chose outdoor photographs of the local area to blend in with the cityscape.

Of course it was much more than art. There were portable solar panels, apps galore, people seeking funding for documentaries, a refrigerator barista, urban gardens and even someone seeking funding for a shrimp and grits food truck (that got my vote, the shrimp were de-licious!)

I can’t end this post without offering a huge thank you to Betty Poole of Biblio Connection. She put in a lot of time preparing for One Spark as well as manning the booth Wednesday through Sunday. Betty is not an author but loves to support the Indie author community. A lot more people know about Indie authors thanks to her passion to help. If you are an author, consider joining her at Biblio Connection as she works to build an interactive community.

Rebekah Lyn at the Biblio Connection booth

Rebekah Lyn at the Biblio Connection booth