Smith Sayings

15 Dec

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

As I mentioned last time, I recently went through some of my stuff – papers, mostly – and I found some interesting things that sparked my interest.  Obviously this one sparked my interest some time ago, because I cut out this clipping.  I got a good laugh out of most of these.  See what you think:

I especially like the first one – “The size of your foot has very little to do with your ability to get it into your mouth.”  Oh my…how many times have I done just that??!!  Far too many, that’s for sure.  James 1:26 in the Bible tells us to keep a tight rein on our tongues.  I’m old enough that you would think I would have a good handle on that, but I seem to keep putting my foot in my mouth all the time! 

Chucks, Converse, Shoes, Footwear

Credit Google Search and Pixabay

Number three is a good follow-on to number one, don’t you think?

Remember…your tongue is in a wet place and likely to slip!

Number eight is certainly one to remember.  If you fall down, keep getting up!  And you can fall down in many ways – not just physically.  You can fall down mentally, emotionally, spiritually…any number of ways.  Keep on getting up – one more time!

And number 10 is one I should really listen to.  That bathroom scale is the bane of my existence!  Of course, I don’t have to step up on it – but it’s like a magnet to me.  I just MUST see if I’ve lost any weight since yesterday!  Any of you out there like that?  Frustrating, isn’t it?

C:\Users\Judy's toy\Pictures\Judy\Go run.jpg

I have no idea where I found these jewels of wisdom, so I really can’t give credit to it to anyone.  But I thought it good enough to pass along. 

I hope you got a chuckle out of these “sayings” – as much as I did.

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. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

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On the Move

12 Dec

My Take

Onisha Ellis

Wednesday was moving day. Well not actually moving, maybe transition day is a better phrase. Early this morning, we loaded and I do mean loaded our car and set out for Florida.

We left the mountains in jackets and gloves. Let me clarify, my husband left in jackets and gloves, I left in a short sleeve Christmas shirt with a lightweight hoodie. Now we are settled into our daughter’s home with the air conditioner blasting. My feet are bare, no longer needing socks or slippers.

I am a big fan of cold days, bowls of soup, coffee, a warm throw and a good book. I will miss them. But I am also a fan of spending time with our daughter and getting together with precious friends. The winter will pass quickly and then I will be sad to leave Florida. We are blessed to be content wherever we end up.

So goodbye mountains.

Hello Florida!

I'm a winnerAfter 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  where we frequently host the best in up and coming authors.

My 2019 goal is to use my love of photographs and words to be an encourager on social media. You can visit Real Life Books and Media You Tube Channel if you would like to view some of the mini-videos I have created for our church, Gateway Community in Titusville, Fl.

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My 2019 Great Lakes Road Trip Part 9B (Continued)

11 Dec

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites

Day 9 – Wednesday July 31

Next I was hoping to visit the Golden Wings Flying Museum, located a few miles north in Blaine, MN.  This is a private collection, and I needed an appointment to visit the hanger where the collection is stored.  I had called earlier that morning to make an appointment to see the collection, but no one answered.  I had left a message, but I had never received a response to my call.  Since I knew the museum was closed, I headed to downtown Minneapolis to visit the Foshay Observation Deck and the Wells Fargo Museum.

Description: Image result for golden wings flying museum minneapolis mn

Street construction and heavy traffic made it next to impossible to get around in downtown Minneapolis.  With all that confusion, Greta (my Garmin) was still able to find the Foshay Tower.  This 32-story art deco styled tower was built as an office building in 1929, and claimed the honor as being the tallest structure in Minneapolis until 1972.  The 30th floor Foshay Observation Deck has been a major tourist attraction over the years, where visitors can get a 360 degree view of the city of Minneapolis.   In 2006 the tower was converted to the 230-room”W Hotel” (part of the Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide), but the 30th floor Foshay Observation Deck is still open to the public with its all-around great view.  

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And just around the corner from the Foshay Tower is the Wells Fargo Museum.  In this museum visitors can take an audio-guided tour describing the history of Wells Fargo (originally the Bank of North America-1781) from the late 1700s.  As an added feature, they can sit in a 1860s stagecoach, while imagining they are on a rough and dusty ride somewhere in frontier America.

Description: Image result for wells fargo history museum

For some reason I had always thought the Pony Express was associated with the Wells Fargo Express Company.  However, my recent research has informed me that they were two separate transportation companies operating about the same time in the history of our early American territorial expansion.  The Wells Fargo Company mostly carried people and merchandise in stagecoaches and wagons, while the Pony Express Company riders carried mail and important messages on horseback.  I guess I will have to someday research the facts better, and write a separate blog about each of these famous companies.

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Now I asked Greta to take me to the Minnesota Streetcar Museum which is located adjacent to Lake Harriet in the Lyndale Park area.  This museum actually operates two streetcar lines; the Como–Harriet Line between Lake Harriet and Lake Cohen, and the Excelsior Line which operates between the restored Excelsior Railway Station and Lake Minnetonka.  The Como-Harriet Streetcar stop is located just a couple of blocks from the Lake Harriet Recreation Area.  I was able to get a few photos of the restored Linden Hills Station as well as one photo of the vintage electric streetcar as it made its stop at the station.

Description: C:\Users\Bill Lites\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail\WLMDSS.tmp\WLMF117.tmp\IMG_8144.jpg

After this pleasant stop, l asked Greta to take me back to the Brooklyn Center area and the motel.  I decided to try some Chinese food this evening, and chose the Rose Garden Asian Bistro located there in a small Brooklyn Center strip mall.  I had a Sweet & Sour Pork dish, served with rice and an egg roll on the side.  A pot of hot Chinese tea topped off the meal.  That was a delightful meal, and my tummy was pleasantly full by the time I was finished.  Now it was time for me to head back to the motel, where I recorded today’s events and then it was off to bed for this tired puppy.  Tomorrow I will concentrate on visiting museums on the outskirts of Minneapolis.   

Description: Image result for sweet and sour pork

—–To Be Continued—–

Bill is a retired Mechanical engineer living with his wonderful artist/writer wife, DiVoran, of 61 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.

 

Bill

 

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

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Home Front 2

9 Dec

My Take

DiVoran Lites

By Dora as told to DiVoran

WW2 wives of Canon City

Dora is the second person standing far left. The first woman on the left standing at the back is my sister-in-law Geneva from Kentucky. 

During World War Two while our men were overseas, we had to use ration stamps for food. Sugar was scarce and pineapple was totally unavailable. That’s why no matter where my kitchen is I keep a can of pineapple in the cupboard. Whenever I open a new can I serve pineapple and cottage cheese on a lettuce leaf. Delicious…and available!

When we got our army allotment, we stuck $3.00 in the piggy bank for our pleasures for the month. Sunday morning we walked to church and on Sunday afternoon, we walked downtown to the show, which is now called a movie theater 

On summer Sundays we went to the park across from the prison for band concerts by the prisoners. When the “Star-Spangled Banner” began, DiVoran trained Dave in patriotism by snatching him up by the seat of his pants and instructing: “Tand up, Tar Pangle!!” Stand up it’s the Star-Spangled Banner.

In the winter we put on heavy coats and went downtown to see a movie. We didn’t watch what DiVoran called myrtle mysteries because I didn’t want my children to grow up scared by crime stories. As we walked home, Dave’s two-year-old legs got tired so he held his arms up and said, “Me carry you.” He was quite the bundle swathed in his homemade winter jacket. 

Because everything was rationed, Grandmother Marie and I got out the clothes that had been put away in the garage attic and cut them up to make clothes for the children. DiVoran got tired of standing for us to pin up hems so one day she grabbed the neck of the dress I was pinning and tore it all the way to the waist. That fabric had apparently been in the attic a bit too long. She turned and ran up the stairs because she knew from my shocked expression that she was in trouble. 

The children’s feet grew so fast they needed shoes every two months, so Grandmother, Granddad, and Dora limited themselves to one pair of shoes each for the duration of the war in order to have the ration stamps for the children’s’ shoes. 

Ivan wrote to me from basic training in Texas and I wrote back almost every day. Letters home were free for the men. Ivan always wrote FREE in the place where the stamps belonged so everyone would know he wasn’t trying to get away with anything. My stamps cost 3 cents each. It added up. We also had the option of buying War Bonds which were an investment that would someday pay off. 

Most of my friends were women whose men were in the military. There were many rules about sending letters, the most obvious one was to not mention anything that would give the enemy an advantage such as telling where the letters were posted from. Censors made sure by either blocking or cutting out anything they thought spies might use against us. 

Ivan and camera in Germany

I saved Ivan’s letters in the shoebox they sent his clothes home in. By the end of the war, the box was jam-packed full. He, on the other hand, couldn’t save any of my letters because he had no place to put them. He even sent me his small government-issued New Testament with Psalms Bible because he didn’t have any place to carry it. I wore that Bible out. I don’t know what I would have done without it. I knew it was the place to go for comfort. When I was six years old my Grandmother, Florenda Jane Bedell came to visit us in Canon City. She knelt by my bed every night and prayed for me to believe in Jesus and his atonement for my sins. I did that then and He was my savior and hope from then on.

Author, Poet and Artist

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.”

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I Love to Read!

8 Dec

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

I love to read.  I REALLY love to read.  I read a lot.  Mostly fiction…some suspense…some mystery…with a bit of romance thrown in.  Since I’ve retired from the working scene, I spend a lot of time in my glider, reading.  Since I purchased my Kindle e-reader,

Reading, Student, Science, Wisdom, Book
Credit Google Search and Pixabay  

I read even more.  That little machine holds 3,000 books – certainly more than my house would hold!  I’ve tried to cut down on my purchases, and just re-read the ones I have and have enjoyed reading before.  It’s kind of like visiting with an old friend.

Recently, when going through some of my stuff – papers, mostly – I found the following Blondie cartoon, by Dean Young and Denis Lebrun.  It was a 2004 cartoon, so it’s been around quite a while.  But it describes me to a “T” – see what you think:

I’ve been known to read the first chapter of a book, and then the last chapter.  I like to know how it ends up, and if the characters end up together.  And then I go back to see how they get there.  I know…crazy, huh?

However, there was one book that I read that way, but when I gave the book to Karen to read (she had the same habit I did – first chapter/last chapter), I actually stapled the last chapter together so she couldn’t find out the solution before reading the entire book.  To say she was furious with me, is quite an understatement!   I even told her that if she unstapled that chapter and re-stapled it, I would be able to tell, as the staple “holes” wouldn’t line up.

But you see, it was an Agatha Christie mystery, titled And Then There Were None (also published as Ten Little Indians.)

Image result for agatha christie books and then there were none

And if you read the book, and know beforehand how it turns out, that really ruins the mystery!  After Karen finally read the story, she was glad that I had stapled the last chapter, and she had to wait to find out “who done it.”  But she was still furious with me.

One book that I love to read – that I don’t need to read the “last chapter” is the Bible.  

The Pursuit of God Bible, NIV - By: A.W. Tozer

Credit Google Search and ChristianBooks.com  

Except for a couple of the books (Leviticus and Numbers – dealing with genealogies and numbers within the tribes), I find the scriptures fascinating.  I’ve found ways to praise God in those scriptures.  I’ve found ways to live as God would have me live and love and deal with what comes my way.  I love the adventures that take place.  I’m amazed at the battles the LORD fights and wins.  I love that He fights my battles for me, if I just step aside and let Him handle it.  Oh wow…I just love the scriptures!

So, all-in-all – I just LOVE TO READ!

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. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

5 steps to finding peace at Christmas

7 Dec

Walking by Faith, Not by Sight

Janet Perez Eckles

Reblogged December 7, 2019

Could someone forget their disabilities or limitations? I did. After living without sight for decades, I often forget I can’t see.

And dismissing that very thing, sometimes I rush to get ready to go out. I admit it, I’m a wait-to-the-last-minute kind of gal. I rush around like a crazy woman. I hop in the shower, slip on my robe and dash into my walk-in closet. Frantically, I slide hangers, looking for any outfit to wear.

How do I do this with no sight? It’s pretty simple. When I purchase an item, I store in my memory its characteristics—the texture, the shape of the neckline, buttons or length of sleeve.

One light touch tells me what the item is. But when I’m in a hurry, trying to find the right outfit gets a bit tough. Not because I can’t see, but because I just have too many clothes. Way more than any blind gal should be allowed to have. The bar holding all those hangers is probably sagging from the weight.

A jammed-full life.

Oh, how my jammed closet resembled my life—full of tasks of all kinds and sizes.

Have you been there? Some of us are programmed that way. And with no hesitation, we joined the people pleasers club. We have been members ever since we were young. We tried to perform to win our parents’ and teachers’ approval. Later on, we wanted to please our family, please our employer, and friends. Phew! We’re deceived in thinking the only way to please ourselves is by pleasing others.

What an unpleasant and often hard place to be. And to make it worse, the pleasing craze explodes during holiday season. We rush through life eager to make someone happy and win their approval. That’s when the level of stress and tension rises like the thermometer in Orlando’s summer.

Time to change. How about if we vow to cool off. God never meant us to live in the heat of tension. He gave one pretty refreshing directive: “Master, which is the greatest commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:36-37).

When God becomes our focus, when loving Him above all and longing to please Him alone rises to the top of priorities and when seeking His approval fuels our thoughts and actions, peace reigns.

Five Steps to Peace

And while the rest of the world sinks in stress, we celebrate by following these five steps:

  1. Invite God into our day.
  2. Use wisdom to arrange our priorities.
  3. Commit our tasks to Him.
  4. Thank Him ahead of time for resolving the challenges of the day.
  5. Relish in moments of rest.

Obeying His greatest commandment usher’s wisdom to avoid stress; to press forth when fatigued; to bring clarity when confused; to be calm when overwhelmed; and to know the warmth of His love when we know we please Him above all.

That’s why God says in Psalm 127:2 (The Message Bible), “It’s useless to rise early and go to bed late, and work your worried fingers to the bone. Don’t you know He enjoys giving rest to those He loves?”

Let’s Pray

Father, I know You love me, you offer rest for my soul, and calmness for my heart. I commit this truth to sing in my heart, not only for his season, but always. In Jesus’ name.

Whom will you aim to please this Christmas?

Janet

______________________________________

Did you know I wrote a book filled with words of encouragement, uplifting thoughts and illustrations of real-life triumph to empower you? Its title, Trials of Today, Treasures for Tomorrow: Overcoming Adversities in Life. You can get it HERE.

CLICK HERE for a one-minute inspirational video.

Looking for a speaker for your upcoming event? A great speaker makes the difference between a so-so event and one that shines with impact. I invite you to view one of my two-minute videos HERE.

Please share: Feel free to share Janet’s posts with your friends.

An exciting update from Janet.

One of the most meaningful steps in my life was taken this past Sunday. I became Mrs. Settles. The ceremony wasn’t about us, but about how God’s plans come to be when surrendering to Him takes place.

God was present during the pain that preceded before I met Dale. God was present during the healing and He showed up with that beautiful surprise when Dale came into my life. And at the altar, we became one.

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

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Thanksgiving Our Way

5 Dec

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

We had an untraditional Thanksgiving day. Our daughter flew up around noon and since the airport is an hour and a half away, we decided to not stress about the meal. We could be thankful just as easily on Friday. And we were!

Usually when we make an airport run to Asheville, we do some shopping. Since shops were closed we decided to take a scenic route home along the Blue Ridge Parkway. For some reason, maybe because the area is familiar, we hadn’t driven this portion. It was beautiful and we will be driving it again!

To our surprise there were several cars parked at the overlooks and the passengers were sitting in the sun, some even picnicking. This car was parked next to us and I tried to snap this picture without them noticing.

Saturday evening a cold front moved in bringing with it rain and heavy winds. I heard some noise during the night but didn’t think much about it. I always hear noises. Sunday as we were backing out of the driveway on the way to church, my ever observant husband spotted at tall pine tree down at the back of the house. We have a lot of trees and the downed one was stuck in the top of one. We were thankful for this as it prevented the tree from falling on our roof! Getting it the rest of the way down would prove to be challenging.

I was thrilled that our daughter was here to help her dad. Their brains run on the same track and she works well with him. Me….not so much.

A portion of the tree that was hanging at a 90 degree angle was fairly simple to bring down. The rest of the tree not so simple. As darkness closed in they secured the tree with ropes in the hope that if the wind brought the tree the rest of the way down, they would control the fall.

Our daughter had an early evening flight on Monday and her dad didn’t want to spend the morning working on the tree. That meant that on Tuesday I would be his helper. Uh-oh.

Tuesday morning he brought out a come-along (no idea if that is spelled correctly) and attached it to ropes and then a chain. He cranked and pulled to no avail. Mostly I watched and said “be careful!” I suggested he come inside for lunch and rest a bit. The bit turned out to be a couple of hours and that was a good thing. Because, before I could put my jacket and shoes on, I heard a whoosh. I ran to the window to make sure my husband was ok and saw this.

The tree was down and with only minor damage to a path rail! We are beyond thankful the tree didn’t damage the house and fell in such a way that we didn’t have to pay a tree surgeon to take it down. My husband has plans for the wood and next spring I hope he is able to spend many happy hours in his wood shop.

I'm a winnerAfter 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  where we frequently host the best in up and coming authors.

My 2019 goal is to use my love of photographs and words to be an encourager on social media. You can visit Real Life Books and Media You Tube Channel if you would like to view some of the mini-videos I have created for our church, Gateway Community in Titusville, Fl.

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My 2019 Great Lakes Road Trip Part 9A

4 Dec

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites

Day 9 – Wednesday July 31

My plan was to stay in Minneapolis two days to see the many museums in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.  So to start today, I headed back southeast about 15 miles on I-694/I-35W, in morning traffic, to visit the Minnesota Transportation Museum located in St. Paul, MN.  This is a fabulous museum that is housed in a portion of the restored 1907 Jackson Street Roundhouse maintenance and repair facility.   The museum is beautifully laid out to represent the original Great Northern Railroad steam engine roundhouse, where various types of restored vintage train cars are displayed for visitors to walk thru.  Many other railroad artifacts and memorabilia fill the museum.  Additional restored unique and vintage rolling stock are displayed outside the museum building.  

Now I made my way south, to visit the Commemorative Air Force-Minnesota Wing, located adjacent to the Fleming Field Airport, just a few miles south of downtown St. Paul.  This was a very active hanger, filled with 5 or 6 aircraft of various types, all being worked on by at least two or three people.  Their largest plane was a B-25J named “Miss Mitchell.”  Everyone in the hanger, while busy, was very friendly, and informed me that all of the airplanes being worked on there were in flying condition.  After that quick visit, Greta (my Garmin) and I tried to find the Science Museum of Minnesota and the New Brighton History Center, but to no avail.  We finally gave up and headed for the Historic Fort Snelling.

Next I traveled some 10 miles west, across the Mississippi River, to visit the Fort Snelling Veteran’s Memorial Chapel located in the Fort Snelling State Park.  Access to this State Park from the direction I was coming was a nightmare, and took me three tries to finally make it to the chapel.  This is a beautiful park and the 1927 Chapel is dedicated to the many U.S. veterans who have sacrificed their lives for our country.  The Chapel also honors Colonel Josiah Snelling, who served as the fort’s commandant from 1820 to 1824, and for whom the fort was named.

Now I headed a few miles north to visit the Minnesota ANG Museum located at the north end of the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport.  It turns out that the museum is on the National Guard base, and when Greta took me to a guard gate,  the guard said the museum was no longer open to the public without the proper background check pass.  Rats!  This is another case of a museum internet site not providing a person all the information needed for directions, hours, access requirements  and etc.

 I made a “U” turn and was heading for the intersection, when I spotted an unused driveway off to the side.  I pulled in to inter the address for Greta to take me to the next museum.  I couldn’t have been there more than 2 or 3 minutes, but when I looked up from concentrating on the address, there stood two Military Police outside my window.   They were dressed in their camos, wearing every accessory known to the Military Police.  With their hands on the butts of their weapons, they politely asked me what I was doing.

I explained that I was just using the unused driveway (outside the fenced area) to look up a museum address.  They informed me that I couldn’t park on “Military Property.”  I thanked them (for not shooting me) and got on my way, under their watchful eyes.  After this incident, I moved on north a few more miles, to visit the Twin City Model Railroad Museum located in the Bandana Square area of Saint Paul.  This museum began in1834 as the St. Paul Craftsman Club, and over the years, has grown to display a world-class model panorama of the Twin Cities railroads of the 1930s-1950s.  The museum also displays several different gage-size model railroad layouts and other railroad artifacts.

—–(This day’s activities will be continued next week)—–

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My Take on Reclaiming the Lost Art of Biblical Meditation By Robert J. Morgan

2 Dec

My Take

DiVoran Lites

Description: C:\Users\DiVoran\Pictures\My Take Pictures\Thea Porch Rug (2).JPG

Reclaiming the Lost Art of Biblical Meditation by Robert J. Morgan is wonderful as it leads me through the Bible and shows me how to get the most out of pondering, personalizing, and practicing what I read. This morning I started on a down-loadable study guide. After a while,  I took a break to go see if my cat, Thea wanted to come in off the porch. I looked everywhere on the small porch but couldn’t find her. I went into prayer mode.  

Lord, I can’t find my beautiful cat, Thea. I let her out on the porch about six o’clock this morning. I went back later and called to her, but she didn’t come, so I thought she didn’t want to come in. Lord, I can’t find her anywhere. I’ve shaken the treats bag so that she could hear it and be enticed, but she didn’t come. I’ve looked in about every nook and cranny, and she’s nowhere to be found. It’s almost as if someone quietly slipped onto the screened porch and kidnapped her. 

Maybe someone did that with the golden cat that used to greet me and ask to be petted when I took my walk. He has been gone for a couple of weeks now. There’s a man our son’s age who lives up the street who misses the golden cat too. What a sweet and beautiful animal. The thought occurs…perhaps someone is stealing the prettiest cats in the neighborhood to sell.  

Oh, was that a cat I just heard? I put on my hoodie and hurried outside through the porch door. I walked around the house, but saw no cat of any kind. But when I came back in Thea must have heard me because she flashed out of hiding. Apparently, she had been sleeping soundly in a chair pushed under the tablecloth. I didn’t think to look there. When I came in she thought I had some greens for her to chew on so she woke up and came out of her cozy, warm place. I had no greens, but I’ve planted some for her. Thea means a lot to both of us. If she had indeed been gone, I would have missed her terribly. 

As I go back to the verses I am reading, pondering and writing down. I sense that God speaking to me through His word and through the Holy Spirit.  

Beloved, you did well in your scare with Thea’s disappearance.

You eventually started to bring your mind away from anxiety and panic and into my presence.

Just think how quickly Thea appeared when you thanked Me for the situation.

Lord, are you telling me that the manifestation of an answer comes more quickly when we thank you than when we are anxious?

Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be     saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering faith-filled    requests and sharing the details of your life with me. 

This is the way to peace and peace is the state of mind and heart that brings the answers to prayer.

It’s a process. Learn to make your way through it so that you may live a life that is: 

  • Authentic
  • Real
  • Honorable
  • Admirable
  • Beautiful
  • Respectful
  • Pure
  • Holy
  • Merciful
  • Kind

Philippians 4, Paraphrase, The Passion Translation

Author, Poet and Artist

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.”

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CPR Alert!

1 Dec

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

Recently I read a short story in a magazine that prompted a memory for me.  It reminded me of a time back in the 1970’s when we lived on Tyndall AFB in Panama City, Florida.

Photo credit WJHG.com  Credit Google search

I don’t remember why I decided to take a CPR class on base, but I did.  I passed the class and was certified to do CPR should the need arise.  Perhaps I took it just in case I should need it with my young girls – who knows?

See the source image

Credit Google Search and wkw.com

In any case, at that time I was attending Gulf Coast Community College, majoring in music.  I remember that I was on my way to class one day, and had stopped in at a McDonald’s, for lunch.

Just as I got settled at an outside table, some people helped a lady outside and laid her down on the tiles.  My first thought was: “OH NO!!  I’M GOING TO HAVE TO USE MY CPR!!”

Fortunately, it wasn’t needed.  The lady had lots of help, and didn’t need CPR.

But that brings me to the story that brought that memory to me.  It’s MUCH funnier than I experienced.  See what you think:

It was a story of a lady (a grandma)

Grandmother, Old Age, Elderly Woman

Credit Pixabay

 who had just received her CPR training and certification.  She and her grandson were out school-shopping in a mall.  When she spotted a group of people standing around someone on the floor, she ordered her grandson to “stay here” and headed to the group.

She told the onlookers to “step back!  I know CPR!”  Just as she knelt down to begin CPR, she was grabbed by both shoulders and lifted to her feet.  Looking up into the face of another man, who was looking strangely at her, he explained that he was an undercover cop and was trying to arrest the man on the floor.

Even the thief was looking at her strangely.

I laughed and laughed at this story. I hope you did, as well.

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. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

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