Archive | Uncategorized RSS feed for this section

The Bible Story Lady-In Person

26 Mar

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

In my post of January 8, 2023, I mentioned my time in Dallas, Texas, my birthplace.  In thinking about the First Baptist Church of Dallas, I also mentioned Ms. Bertha Mills, the nursery worker who would take me on her lap and read a story.  I have vague memories of that.  My brother Bill says he really doesn’t remember that.

She wrote down some of her stories and published them in book form.  It was published by The Story Book Press out of Dallas, Texas, and copyrighted in 1948.

I contacted First Baptist Church of Dallas, and asked about any more information on Ms. Bertha they could give me.  Ruth Turner, the Director of the Truett Memorial Library for the church replied to my request.  She gave her permission to use any/all of the information she sent about Ms. Bertha.

Ms. Bertha died January 12, 1964.  The following article was in FBC’s weekly “Reminder” by the pastor, Dr. Criswell.

Last week we laid to rest in the arms of Jesus our sweet Miss Bertha Mills.  The record of her ministry among little children in this First Baptist Church of Dallas is nothing less than phenomenal.  It covers a full half century….will be preparing a beautiful memorial for this worthy and noble teacher….write a tribute in verse that would say better than we could in prose our tenderest thanksgiving for Bertha Mills.  It is so true to the spirit of this noble Nursery Leader.“

As I’ve said before, she was a much-loved lady in the church.  If I can figure out the copyright laws concerning her stories, and it is okay, then I will share her stories with my readers.  They are short, but very entertaining – to both children and adults. 

For now, this is all about Ms. Bertha.  

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you.

Philippians 1:3

Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .

  Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.

After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

Tags: , , , , , ,

Three Questions to Determine How Prepared You Are to Face Life’s Troubles

7 Mar

Walking by Faith, Not by Sight

Janet Perez Eckles

Reblogged 3/7/23

Are we living in dangerous times as troubles intensify? Facing them requires courage, conquering them requires faith.

Photo Credit:Canva

A couple of decades ago, it was a fall, breezy afternoon. The traffic was heavy in downtown St. Louis. My hands shook a little when I held my white cane and stood at the edge of the sidewalk. My very first attempt to cross the street on my own.

“Remember what I told you,” my mobility instructor said.

I gave a shy smile.

He placed his hand on my shoulder. “Listen carefully to the sound of engines, focus on each step forward, concentrate on the direction you’re going, do not hesitate or be intimidated, take firm steps swinging your cane from left to right.”

The loud and constant noise from car and truck engines before me was deafening. I froze, then looked in his direction and gave him a you’re out of your mind look. “I think we’ll go with plan B,” I said. “I’ll have a sighted person with me when I need to cross a street.”

That was the end of my mobility training. Go ahead, I give you permission to judge me as a coward and a wimpy blind gal. Without sight, crossing streets on my own was not happening.

You might also be intimidated by the traffic of troubles before you. You’re not alone. Some are paralyzed with fear. Some are confused. And others shrink back with helplessness. But perhaps you belong to the group who looks beyond the traffic, holds on to the white cane of faith and trusts in God’s understanding of your limited vision, of your uneasiness and the fear that attacks when crossing through the junk of life.

That’s why the answer to these three questions determines how equipped you are to face what’s before you and measures the level of your courage.

Three Questions to Ask Yourself

“Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it’” (Isaiah 30:21).

When your Divine Teacher speaks, His voice drowns out the noise from the traffic of troubles, of persistent evil and approaching threats. And rather than follow the trending lines on social media, we follow Jesus as we hear His voice of comfort: “My sheep hear My voice. I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27).

And the closer we follow Him, the clearer His promise: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you” (Psalm32:8). As you cross, He will watch, guide, and shield you.

When you’re trying to navigate through days of desperation, looking at the financial struggles, broken relationships, situations you can’t change, God’s fingertips of love lift your chin for you to declare: “I lift up my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1-2).

If He made all in the universe, He will make the way for you to receive His strength. He will make the path clear for you to follow His lead to keep you safe during the journey.

Is it the uncertainty of tomorrow, is it the stress you cannot handle? Is it the marriage that’s crumbling? Is it conflict with the kids?

No matter which one threatens your security or peace, “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6).

No number of threats can bring you down, remove your courage or keep you defeated when you declare: “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped” (Psalm 28:7).

You trust Him with each struggle, with each heartache and with each anxious moment, because He will be by your side as your steps take you to the other side where peace is found, safety awaits, and confidence is yours.

Let’s Pray

Lord, I confess I’m often paralyzed at the edge of the sidewalk of life, afraid of what could happen, but from now on, I will trust in You, listen to Your voice and with each step, hold on to Your hand for strength.

What keeps you from moving forth with courage? (For you: Bible Verses for difficult times.)

Janet

It’s my joy to have you as part of my inspirational family. Please feel free to share today’s post with others.

Let’s Stay in Touch

You and I are only a click away. Hop on over to this CONTACT FORM.  Once there you can leave your prayer request, make a comment, ask a question, or invite me to speak to your group.

I also invite you to visit my WEBSITE. You’ll find more inspirational blogs along with my story, books, and videos. You’ll also learn the passion and mission of JC Empowerment ministries.

Tags: , , , , ,

Three Ways to Prepare for the End Times

18 Feb

Walking by Faith,Not by Sight

Janet Perez Eckles

Many ask what to do as we reach the end times.

I was so very curious when I visited my hometown of La Paz a few years back. In particular I wanted to visit the home I was born in where I lived part of my childhood before moving to the U.S.

My desire was satisfied when a cousin and I visited the house. It was in the same place. And it was the same house. But oh, so different. The three-tier garden was leveled and, in its place, sat a two-story building with condos. The garage was turned into a small apartment. I hardly recognized it because of the drastic changes.

The same thing has happened to our country, the USA, the greatest country on earth. It too looks way different. Same country, same location. But goodness gracious, the changes in the moral landscape are alarming. Check out just some of the social changes we’ve seen in the 54 years since Woodstock.

But we shouldn’t be surprised. In the book of Timothy, God lists the terrible times which sadly, mirrors today’s culture: “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God– having a form of godliness but denying its power.” 2 Timothy 3:1-5

It’s hard to deny this depravity at its best. And although we’re in the middle of that mess, we should be at the beginning of wisdom to know how to face it, how to react, and how to prepare.

These three steps could be the start of that preparation: Fear not. Clean up. And be bold.

1: Fear Not. Instead, stand firm, confident on the truth of God’s Word that remains solid no matter the terrible times. God has the victory in place. And He has the reassurance we will remain victorious (Romans 8:37).

When the enemy of our soul advances in this world, he’s powerless. “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:3-4).

Through Christ, the divine power that’s at work to demolish, destroy and to dismantle any stronghold is ours. We carry that power and strength. That’s why we don’t sink in fear but rise up in faith.

2: Clean up. It’s true our sins have already been washed, cleaned and forgiven through the blood of Christ Jesus. Of course, they have. But sadly, if today you choose to sit at the table of sin, consequences are disturbing. They disrupt your peace, break you down, and usher in sorrow.

The woman caught in adultery knows this firsthand. With hair a mess, red eyes swollen from crying, and arms limp at her side, she waited. “Jesus straightened up and asked her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ ‘No one, sir,’ she said. ‘Then neither do I condemn you,’ Jesus declared. ‘Go now and leave your life of sin’” (John 8:10-11).

Although forgiven, Jesus didn’t ignore the sin or condone it. He acknowledged it, giving a clear instruction to leave her life of sin. Why did He give that instruction? Because He knew she, as well as you and I, had free will to make choices.

A prisoner is quoted saying: I followed Jesus and believe He died for all my sins. But I made the choice to commit the crime and these cell bars remind me of my choices. I

God wants us to live in the freedom of good, Godly choices. As we prepare, as we wait and anticipate His return, He’s offering the same freedom to leave behind that sin-filled choice which traps us, brings on sorrow and puts us behind bars of regret.

Jesus’ return is imminent, and whom we allow to control our mind is an urgent decision because “The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace…” (Romans 8:6).

3: Be Bold. The world is sinking. Disasters are increasing, souls are in darkness, and the discouraged are turning to despair. Therefore, being passive is now a thing of the past. Boldness and courage need to be renewed to carry out God’s orders to spread the good news. No need to write books or speak from a platform. Your message is loud enough through the way you conduct your life. How you follow God’s orders. And how you carry God’s Word to dictate what you think, what you do, how you work, how you love and where you go.

God’s pattern is clear: Feeling anxious? Invite God’s peace. Facing troubles? Cast them to the Lord. Seeing financial collapse? Fix your eyes on things above. Others insult and criticize you? Pray for them anyway. Going through trials? Commit to persevere. Government is corrupt? Declare God’s still on the throne. Immorality is growing? Praise God for His mercy. Personal conflicts don’t end? Turn them over to God. Despair threatens? Declare the victory you have in Jesus.

Jesus will return while we’re in the middle of reading blogs, posting on social media, shopping online, heading to the doctor, changing diapers…but we’re prepared, we fear nothing, we make wise choices, and we become bold in sharing the Gospel.

Let’s pray.

Lord, the end times, the tribulation, the persecution and the signs of which we need to be aware are becoming more real. But I will not fear, succumb to the world’s ways, or give in to worry. Instead, I will declare your victory through my thoughts, words, and actions till the day You return. Amen.

Which of these three steps have you taken to prepare for the end times?

Janet

It’s my joy to have you as part of my inspirational family. Please feel free to share today’s post with others.

Let’s Stay in Touch

You and I are only a click away. Hop on over to this CONTACT FORM.  Once there you can leave your prayer request, make a comment, ask a question, or invite me to speak to your group.

I also invite you to visit my WEBSITE.  You’ll find more inspirational blogs along with my story, books, and videos. You’ll also learn the passion and mission of JC Empowerment ministries.

Janet Eckles Perez

Some say she should be the last person to be dancing. Her life is summarized in this 3-minute video: http://bit.ly/1a8wGJR

Janet Perez Eckles’ story of triumph is marked by her work as an international speaker, #1 best-selling author, radio host, personal success coach and master interpreter. Although blind since 31, her passion is to help you see the best of life.

www.janetperezeckles.com

Tags: , , , ,

2022 Road Trip-Part 12 B

28 Dec

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites

Day 12 Continued (5/27/2022)

So, after missing out on a visit to the Gasoline Alley Museum there in St. Marys, I just headed east 15 miles on US-33 to visit the Armstrong Air & Space Museum located in Wapakoneta, OH.  I had visited this museum once before on another road trip, but since I had worked on the Apollo-Saturn V launch vehicle (at KSC) that put Neil Armstrong, and the other eleven American astronauts on the Moon, this museum held a special interest for me.   The museum is housed in a specially designed 17,291 sq. ft. building and displays artifacts and memorabilia related to the military and space life achievements of Neil Armstrong and what led to man’s first steps on the moon on July 20, 1969.  There is now doubt that he was an amazing person. 

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

After that great trip down memory lane, I headed south 30 miles on I-75 & SR-273 to visit The Bicycle Museum of America located in New Bremen, OH.  This 2-story museum is absolutely jam-packed with 150+ bicycles of every size and configuration dating from 1816.  The curator told me the museum is a part of the private collection of one man, Jim Dicke II, and consists of some 750 cycles (600+ in storage).  I even got a chance to try my luck on their 1870 ‘Big Wheel’ cycle (fixed in place).

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

Now it was less than 10 miles south on SR-66 to where I visited the Wilderness Trail Museum located in Fort Loramie, OH.  This museum is situated in the old renovated 1852 two-story brick building that was originally a hotel used by Miami-Erie Canal travelers to the area.  The museum is arranged to represent a mid-1800s hotel and displays antique artifacts and memorabilia related to the history of Fort Loramie and the surrounding Shelby County area from the late 1700s.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

Now it was another 15 miles south on SR-66 to where I visited the Johnson Farm & Indian Agency located in Piqua, OH.  The Johnson Farm is a 200-acre site where General Anthony Wayne built the Fort Piqua in 1811.  After the military withdrew from the fort around 1858, John Johnson extablished a traiding post and Federal Indian Agency at the site.  The farm includes the Johnson home (circ 1815), restored portions of the old Fort Piqua, and a one-mile restored section of the Miami-Erie Canal.  Visitors to the Johnston Farm can also take a ride in a replica of the 70-foot mule-drawn ‘General Harrison’ canal boat (circ 1845).

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

Now it was only about 10 miles south on SR-25A to where I planned to visit The Museum of Troy History located in Troy, OH but they were closed.  So, while I was in Troy, it was only a short drive to visit the WACO Aviation Museum located there in Troy.  This museum has a restored 1856 barn that was relocated from Lorain, OH and two other large hangers, filled with a beautiful collection of restored WACO biplanes dating from 1921.  WACO built some of my favorite “Golden Age” aircraft, and I love seeing them up close and flying (Not today).

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

The original 1820s building in which the Overfield Tavern Museum, is housed is also located there in Troy, and was in the process of being renovated when I stopped by for a visit.  So, all I got for my troubles was a photo and then was on my way to the next museum on my list.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

It was another 10 miles south on I-75 to Vandalia, OH where I wanted to visit the Sunwatch Indian Village, but they were closed.  So, I just continued south another 50 miles on I-75 to Sharonville, OH where I planned to stop for the night.  I found an IHOP Restaurant in the Oakley Center and ordered one of their ‘Colorado Omelettes’ and enjoyed that delicious meal.  Yummm!  It was hugh, and I even had enough left over for tomorrow night.

Photo Credit: ihop colorado omelette – Bing images

After that great meal, I gave Greta (My Garmin) the address for the motel there in Sharonville, and she took me right to it.  I got checked in, got my stuff into the room, and recorded the day’s activities.  Then it was to bed for this tired puppy.  No TV again tonight.

—–To Be Continued—–

Bill is a retired Mechanical engineer living with his wonderful artist/writer wife, DiVoran, of 65 years in Titusville, Florida. He was born and raised in the Southwest, did a tour of duty with the U.S. Navy, attended Northrop University in Southern California and ended up working on America’s Manned Space Program for 35 years. He currently is retired and spends most of his time building and flying R/C model airplanes, traveling, writing blogs about his travels for Word Press and supporting his wife’s hobbies with framing, editing and marketing.  He also volunteers with a local church Car Care Ministry and as a tour guide at the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum there in Titusville.  Bill has two wonderful children, two outstanding grandchildren, and a loving sister and her husband, all of whom also live in Central Florida, so he and DiVoran are rewarded by having family close to spend lots of quality time with.

One of Bill’s favorite Scriptures is:  John 10:10

Tags: , , ,

Shouts of Glory

26 Dec

My Take

DiVoran Lites

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Psalms 148:1-7

Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!

Let the skies be filled with praise and the highest heavens with the shouts of glory!

Go ahead—praise him, all you, his messengers!

Praise him some more, all you heavenly hosts!

Take it up even higher up to the highest heavens until the cosmic chorus thunders his praise!

Let the entire universe erupt from nothing to something. He spoke and created it all. 

He established the cosmos to last forever, and he stands behind his commands so his orders will never be revoked.

A little Christmas humor.

DiVoran has been writing for most of her life. Her first attempt at a story was when she was seven years old and her mother got a new typewriter. DiVoran got to use it and when her dad saw her writing he asked what she was writing about. DiVoran answered that she was writing the story of her life. Her dad’s only comment was, “Well, it’s going to be a very short story.” After most of a lifetime of writing and helping other writers, DiVoran finally launched her own dream which was to write a novel of her own. She now has her Florida Springs trilogy and her novel, a Christian Western Romance, Go West available on Amazon. When speaking about her road to publication, she gives thanks to the Lord for all the people who helped her grow and learn.  She says, “I could never have done it by myself, but when I got going everything fell beautifully into place, and I was glad I had started on my dream.”

Tags: , , , , ,

Christmas 2022

25 Dec

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

To quote myself from 2016…..

Christmas, Christmas, Christ-mas….in the air…  If you are ever at Walt Disney World, and EPCOT in particular in the Christmas season, stop by and hear the Voices of Liberty in the American Pavilion.  The singers are dressed in Dickens-themed attire, and their songs are all Christmas, as well as a few Hanukkah songs.  Totally delightful!

Picture by Judy Wills

And now to 2022 – it’s been far too long with the Covid pandemic for Christmases to be as joyful and filled with joy as previous years.  But this year promises to be more.  And for that we are grateful.  

Our church is more filled this year than it has been the past two years – and we are grateful.  Our Sunday School classes are ramping up with more attending to learn the Word of God – and we are grateful.  While we don’t have a Minister of Music in our church, we still have music – and we are grateful.

Our church building/Sanctuary has undergone some renovation this year.  Here is a picture of the original way it was – pews and old blue carpet.

2008 – Picture by Judy Wills

Here it is newly renovated – chairs and carpet squares.

As I mentioned last time, we have Cast members from Disney who give of their talents to decorate our building.  Here are a couple of pictures from past years and this year:

2013 – Picture by Judy Wills

2022 – Picture by Judy Wills

2022 – Picture by Judy Wills

I am grateful to be living in a free country, where I can go to church and worship with fellow believers.  We are free to worship as we feel God wants us to worship.  I am not afraid or ashamed of my beliefs.  I am grateful to have the freedom to say these things.  May that always be true for this country.

Also from 2016…

As we all know, the future is in God’s hands…and His plan for our lives is so much better than anything we could devise for ourselves…..  We will continue to share the Good News of Christmas with those we meet and love – that God sent His one and only Son to this earth as a baby, so that He would die on a cross for our sins, but, miraculously, by the Hand of God, be raised from the dead and grave, to give us eternal salvation. 

GOD IS AMAZING!!  And He is LOVE.  And He is PEACE.   And He is JOY.  And He is all of those things, and more, in this life, with the promise of eternal life with Him.  How great is that??!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL

~~~~~~~~~~To Be Continued~~~~~~~~~~

Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .

  Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.

After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

Tags: , , , , ,

This is How Stress Turns to Peace This Christmas

23 Dec

Walking by Faith, Not by Sight

Janet Perez Eckles

My friend went bananas. During the last lock-down, she posted on Facebook: “If you’re looking for ripe bananas anywhere in town, don’t bother. I bought them all.”

And she did! She was in the middle of a banana nut bread baking marathon. Who got a loaf? Anyone who posted their request on Facebook. She kept going and lost count after the 75th loaf. Was she nutty? Yup…and so was her banana bread.

Some she mailed, others she hand-delivered. Comments of gratitude poured in. She asked for no payment, no exchange of anything. Everyone got a loaf just for asking.

God uses the same method.

He has the bread of life prepared in the oven of His love. It’s ready to ease our hunger. Ready to dismantle stress and bring on peace.

But as crazy busy as we are, we don’t stop to ask. We have all kinds of reasons: the Christmas season is way too hectic to pause and receive. We’re way to committed. Way too focused on pleasing others, and driven to bake those cookies and hang the ornaments. Bedtime can’t come soon enough.

How sad, caught up in the frantic and frills, we miss the beautiful, rich, and wholesome bread of life, which by the way, God hand-delivers to the doorstep of our soul.

But that gift of love remains unopened, untouched. Could that be why our peace turns to pieces of stress instead? It does while we’re in the midst of the rush, in the middle of the worry, and in the depth of our busy days.

But if you halt that busyness and pause to inhale the delicious aroma, this allows your soul to delight in the truth spoken by the apostle Paul.

God’s Message for You

Although he wrote to the Ephesians, the message may be for you today, for this very moment. Instead of dwelling in how life used to be, how sad things seem, how wide and long and high and deep your troubles are, Paul says: “I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ…” (Ephesians 3:17-18).

It’s the depth of that love that satisfies the deepest hunger. Love that soothes past wounds. Love that transforms stress to peace.  And, it’s that love that “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work with in us” (Ephesians 3:19).

Beyond what you can ask or imagine, in spite of what anxiety grips you, gloom that surrounds you, or the loneliness that invades you. He goes beyond your expectations: He not only heals, He restores. He not only provides, He gives you riches. He not only satisfies, He brings a lifetime of delight.

Pure love was born on Christmas day. That’s worth celebrating. How about slicing some of that delicious bread, and delighting our soul in the bread of life prepared with God’s love. Christmas comes alive—nourished by His love, strengthened by His Word, and empowered by His promises.

Let’s Pray

Father, thank You for showing me that fulfillment, satisfaction, peace and meaning aren’t found in the frills of the Christmas season. Thank you for granting me the wisdom to pause and realize my hunger was for you—the bread of life. I praise you for allowing me to savor Your love through Christ—love that permanently delights my soul.

What will satisfy your hunger today?

It’s my joy to have you as part of my inspirational family. Please feel free to share today’s post with others.

Janet

Let’s Stay in Touch

You and I are only a click away. Hop on over to this CONTACT FORM.  Once there you can leave your prayer request, make a comment, ask a question, or invite me to speak to your group.

I also invite you to visit my brand new WEBSITE.  You’ll find more inspirational blogs along with my story, books, and videos. You’ll also learn the passion and mission of JC Empowerment ministries.

Janet Eckles Perez

Some say she should be the last person to be dancing. Her life is summarized in this 3-minute video: http://bit.ly/1a8wGJR

Janet Perez Eckles’ story of triumph is marked by her work as an international speaker, #1 best-selling author, radio host, personal success coach and master interpreter. Although blind since 31, her passion is to help you see the best of life.

www.janetperezeckles.com

Tags: , , ,

What Matters to You?

26 Jul

Reblogged from September 15, 2017

From the Heart

Louise Gibson

author of Window Wonders

Compassion and love are what matters
Reach out to a needy soul.
There is such a hunger for recognition
Make communication your goal.

People need people.
Listen with your heart to this plea.
“I don’t want to walk alone.”
There is such comfort in company.

Every day is a blessing
that comes from our Lord above.
Walk with a grateful spirit.
Do all things in the spirit of love.

I recognize that bad things happen,
Most of which we cannot comprehend.
But then, we are not made to understand it.
Try to be an optimist to the end.

When you accept the things you cannot change
You will dwell on things worthwhile.
Put on a happy face –
You are never fully dressed until you smile.

Food for Thought:
“When God pushes you to the edge, trust Him fully,
because only two things can happen.
Either He will catch you when you fall
or He will teach you how to fly.” Unknown

Tags: , , , , , ,

The Seamstresses in my House-Part 12

27 May

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

When our Karen was just a little thing, I tried to sew up some clothing – usually dresses – for her.  For the most part, she was happy with what I did.  But occasionally I would be in the process of making something for her, have her try it on, and she would say “I don’t like it…take it off.”  That’s when I decided that all the work and time I was putting in on clothing for her was not worth the effort.  That’s when I decided that I could purchase her clothing – with all the “bells and whistles” much cheaper.  And so I did.

However, Here are a few examples of things I made for her.  You will notice how simple the lines are – more straight stitching than fancy.  I made this “jumper” for her, and she seemed to enjoy wearing it.  That was a “church” outfit.

And here is another dress – a sun dress she could wear during the summer.  It was made from cotton, and so was cool, and could be worn throughout the summer months.

Here’s a dress I made for Karen for a Halloween costume years later.  It was a very light-weight cotton, easy to sew, and she loved it.

This is a picture of the singing group I was in when we lived in San Antonio, Texas.  Obviously we all had the same style and fabric of clothing.  As I recall, it was a 100% polyester fabric, that was nice and “swingy” that we all enjoyed, and that made for easy maneuvering up and down those risers.

When we lived in Panama City, Florida (Tyndall AFB), we lived not too far from the Gulf of Mexico.  The girls and I would frequently walk down to the beach and just have fun in the white sand that was there.  Here is a picture of the three of us (perhaps Fred went with us that time – who took the picture?).  I had made the outfit I have on in this picture.  The top was a cotton jersey, and the shorts were polyester.  Very comfortable, easy to wear, easy to wash.  I made several outfits like that, in different fabrics.

In the outskirts of Panama City, there was a shop that sold fabrics, some of which was  cotton jersey – and some of the cotton jersey (T-shirt fabric) was in an “unending” style.  Buy just the length you needed for a T-shirt, and there were no side seams!  Loved it!

~~~~~~~~~~To Be Continued~~~~~~~~~~

Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .

  Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.

After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

Moving On…Almost on Schedule

14 Apr

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

Our target date for our annual migration from Florida to North Carolina was April 4th. Our actual leaving date was April 6th. A two day delay is almost a record for us as we seldom leave on the planned date.

Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay

We managed this even with two surgeries and an emergency hospital admission for my husband. We did have to promise to return in June for medical follow ups.

Saturday, April 2nd was the annual Fox Lake Spring Craft Fair. For our area it is a pretty big event and our daughter had secured a table to sell books. Of course, I wanted to remain in Florida for that! The weather forecast was almost 100% rain and even though her table was under a large pavilion, a day of wind and rain didn’t sound good for sales. Regardless, the event was on and we went early to set up. Fortunately, there was an overseer making sure everyone was in the correct spot.

Our set up was simple. A table cloth, banner and books. I enjoyed watching the other vendors set up. It was obvious they were well acquainted with craft fairs. Most had help but the vendor next to us set up her whole table alone and did a great job. One thing I will say though, books are heavy, even with a hand cart.

Vendors spaces were not limited to the pavilion. There were a lot of vendors on the outside. I didn’t realize how many until we were leaving for the day. I was too tired to take pictures of them. I did snap these pictures early in the day of a few vendors set up close to the entrance of the pavilion.

Besides my daughter there was another local author there, Jay Heavner. I bought two of his books a few years ago and was hoping he would be there. He writes murder mystery novels set in our county. When people stopped at our table we would ask what type of books they enjoyed. If the answer was murder or mystery, we told them there was an author in the far corner with just what they were looking for. On a side note, since people are moving to Florida in record numbers, his books give a local’s perspective of Florida. Check him out.

I walked around looking at the different crafts for sale. Man, there are some talented people in the area! I was drawn to two of my favorite things, quilts and wreaths.

A man stopped by our table carrying what looked like twisted wire. And that is exactly what it was. Twisted aluminum wire made into art by a retired electrician. Our cousin, Roger, is a retired electrician and I promptly took a picture and emailed it to him with the text, you can do this!

As the day progressed we kept checking our phones for the hourly rain forecast. Little by little the expected rain time pushed further out. With each delay we said, “thank you, Jesus.” The event was supposed to end at 4 pm. Around 2:30 the skies took on a threatening locker and some vendors began packing up. At 3 pm, we decided to pack away most of the books and leave one or two of each title on the table. We were making ready for a quick departure. Hauling books in the rain would not be fun. My daughter scoped out the vendor parking field and found an empty space next to the paved road. I don’t know how she did it, but she maneuvered her car into the space. When we decided to pack and run, we wouldn’t have to pull the cart in mud.

Being in the pavilion recalled to mind memories of church picnics there as well as the year the high school Band Parents association ran the kitchen for the MacDonnell Douglas company picnic. It was a hot, hard work, fund raiser, but when you have kids, you do these things. It was mind boggling that 32 years had passed since then.

The crowd, which had been quite heavy began to dwindle as the clouds became heavy and dark. We decided it was time to go. We almost made it home when the skies delivered the promised rain. Once home, we left the books in the car and made a dash for the house. We were tired, hungry and happy that the day went well.

The following day, my husband and I celebrated our 51st wedding anniversary. We are blessed. And now we are settling into our home in the North Carolina mountains. The hummingbirds arrived two days ago and unfortunately a bear did too. My neighbor captured a photo on his game camera of one a bear sniffing around their children’s trampoline. The neighborhood is hoping that if we all bring in our bird feeders at night the bear will move on. It’s kind of creepy seeing a bear on the porch like we did last year. He made multiple visits.

The following day, my husband and I celebrated our 51st wedding anniversary. We are blessed. And now we are settling into our home in the North Carolina mountains. The hummingbirds arrived two days ago and unfortunately a bear did too. My neighbor captured a photo on his game camera of one a bear sniffing around their children’s trampoline. The neighborhood is hoping that if we all bring in our bird feeders at night the bear will move on. It’s kind of creepy seeing a bear on the porch like we did last year. He made multiple visits.

I'm a winner

After my retirement, I decided to re-learn the canning and preserving skills I learned from my mother but hadn’t practiced for twenty years. I titled the blog Old Things R New to chronicle my experience.  Since then I have been blessed to have six other bloggers join me, DiVoran Lites, Bill Lites,  Judy Wills, Louise Gibson, Janet Perez Eckles and Melody Hendrix

In addition to blogging, I work as the publicist/marketer/ amateur editor and general  “mom Friday” for my author daughter, Rebekah Lyn. I also manage her website, Rebekah Lyn Books  

My 2022 goal is continue to use my love of photographs and words to be an encourager on social media.

Tags: , , , ,

← Older Entries

%d bloggers like this: