Divine Encounters

7 Jan

My Take

DiVoran Lites

 

You just never know what might happen when you go out of the house.

 

 

This one day, I was up about two blocks walking in the neighborhood and I took a short-cut around the block. I had to walk past a UPS truck and because I say hello to everyone I meet on my walks I said it to the young man who was going up to the door with a package. Then the man standing inside the truck said, “Hi,” and I looked up at him and said hello. He said, “What are they telling you?”

Immediately, I thought about the life of a UPS man, especially in the Christmas/New Year’s holiday time, and this man’s probable life flashed into my brain and I jokingly said, “You work too hard, you don’t get enough sleep, and you don’t eat right.” Folks, I think that’s how fortune tellers do it. They see you, they’ve studied people, they guess. The young man turned slightly away and stood seemingly stunned for a couple of seconds. Looking at me then he said, “You really got me.”

“Well, Happy New Year.” I went on my way. It seems the older I get the more impulsive I am. Gotta watch that.

The next day I was in Publix and enjoying the many shoppers and the near buggy crashes. I started down an aisle and noticed a grandmother trying to read labels with a boy about five years old tugging on her hand. I realized it was my friend the preacher’s wife from my one time favorite church. She and her husband were now retired and helping to look after the grandchildren while still spreading their particular way of loving people in other churches and all around.

“Oh, hi,” I walked over to her and she reached out to hug me and the little fellow came right in and joined in the hug by putting his arms around our legs He never saw me before in his life. Half a century ago, our son stayed with these people while we went to a conference. When we got back he didn’t want to leave their house and come home with us. Love spreads, that’s all I have to say about that.

 

 
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.”

Happy New Year 2019

6 Jan

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

 

I can hardly believe that another year has passed by – and it’s 2019 already!!  Remember all the “hoopla” that was made over Y2K (year 2000)?  None of that came to pass, and now it is 19 years past that!!  Amazing. My life is whizzing by!

In thinking of the new year, many random thoughts have come to my mind.  I would like to share some of them.

I wrote a post on December 29, 2013 (Memories of New Years Past) about the “watchnight” service that was held each New Year’s Eve at my home church in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  Lovely memory of home.

First Baptist Church, Albuquerque, New Mexico Credit Google Search

Another memory of New Year’s Eve watchnight service was when Fred and I were in Wiesbaden, Germany.  That New Year’s Eve, the little church we were in was having a watchnight service, and they wanted to do a skit.  They needed an “old year” grownup, and a “new year” young child. They asked Fred to be the old year, and since our Karen was small, they thought she would be good for that.  Fred had a fake white beard and wig to wear. So as not to frighten Karen, we had Fred dress up in the wig and beard and then present himself to her.  She took one look at him and said, “Hi Daddy.” So much for the disguise!  We were quite amused.  (I thought I had a picture of the two of them, but unfortunately, I can’t find it.  Sorry)

Our church in Seaford, Virginia always had some type of watchnight service.  It wasn’t as elaborate as the one in Albuquerque – I don’t remember having a dinner or movie or games or anything.  But we did gather and prayed, shared thoughts for the new year, and frequently had the Lord’s Supper, or communion, as some call it.  Another sweet memory.  I do remember that the year Karen and Brian married (on December 30), that as we were sharing thoughts, I shared that I would have to learn to keep my mouth shut and be a good mother-in-law!

Seaford Baptist Church, Seaford, Virginia – oldest buildings

And that brings us to Orlando, Florida, where we now live.

 

Because Fred and I have had such good memories of watchnight services throughout our lives, we wanted to have a service at our current church.  We really thought most churches have a service of some sort, so the first year we were in our church here, we suggested to the pastor that the church have a watchnight service.  He wasn’t very enthusiastic about it, saying they had never had one before, but if we wanted to sponsor it, he approved.  And so we spread the word, that the church would have a watchnight service, beginning at 10:30 p.m. on that New Year’s Eve.  We arrived at the church at about 10:15 p.m. and got the church ready for the service.  And we waited….and we waited….and we waited….11:00 p.m. came and went…..11:30 p.m. came and went.  And not one other person arrived.  So we went home.  And we’ve not attempted to have another watchnight service in this church since. In a way, that hurts our hearts a bit, but then, we are now older, and enjoy being at home – and usually in bed asleep – when the clock hits 12:00 midnight each New Year.

 

I hope and pray that your new year is healthy and prosperous and full of the JOY OF THE LORD!

 

And so – HAPPY NEW YEAR 2019 from the Wills family!

 

May the God of hope fill you with all joyand peaceas you trust in him,

so that you may overflow with hopeby the power of the Holy Spirit

Romans 15:13

 

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

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Today I Choose to Seek Peace

4 Jan

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

 

2018 was a year-long journey to experiencing joy. I have a tee-shirt that is inscribed with “Joy…in spite of.”  While reading Galatians 5:22-23, I decided that my purpose for 2019 would be to aspire to the next aspect of the Spirit’s fruit and peace was next on the list.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

 

I confess I am not looking forward to 2020 with long-suffering following peace!

Hebrews 12:14-15 advises us to make every effort to live in peace with everyone. How hard can that be?  Ha!

I confess that the state of my mind this first three days of January has been a war zone with past angers rising like a bon fire’s hungry flames.

 

 

Hebrews 12:14-15 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

 

We are living in an era that is soaked in contentious speech and disrespect.Seeking peace will be challenging, yet exciting.  I’m counting on converting the flames of anger into flames that will purge bitterness from my heart and mind so that no roots will survive.

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Redeemed Angel

3 Jan

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

 

 

Painting by DiVoran Lites

 

Morning mist, heavy with moisture shrouded our front yard as I sipped my first cup of coffee for the day.  Does any other cup, taste as satisfying as that first cup? Our land has two levels with the house setting on the top while the front yard is flat, then drops sharply towards the road. The mist draped the tress “down below” in white shadows.

My mind drifted to our hopes and dreams eight years ago at my husband’s retirement. Finally we would have a home in the North Carolina mountains, a retreat from Florida’s long and brutal summer heat. And it was all good for a time. My husband enjoyed his woodworking shop and a brand new rider mower. The slope below our house was a challenge to weed whack, but he was able to do it…until he wasn’t. It became evident, that we were going to need to hire help, something of which, we had no experience. We asked our friends and they recommended John, but he came with a caveat. John had served jail time for driving under the influence more than once.

After jail, John began attending our church and eventually married one of the women in the congregation. He was a hard worker and could turn his hand at just about anything from lawn care to home repairs but due to his record, his drivers license was suspended. One of our friends drove John to his job sites for quite a while until his drivers license was returned.

We hired John that summer and he was a blessing. What had taken my husband a couple of hours to clear, John could knock out in 45 minutes or less.  He was a regular helper among our friends and we often talked about what John had done for us that week. He kept our yard looking tidy for at least three years. In time, my husband’s health improved and he was eventually able to resume his yard work.

As I continued sipping my coffee, I gave thanks for John and I wondered, did God place him in our lives, kind of like an angel, a redeemed angel?

 

 

 

 

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.

 

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2018 Florida Road Trip Part 4 (Continued)

2 Jan

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites

 

Day 4 Monday 10/22/2018

 

Now I headed 10 miles northeast on SR- 684 to visit the Manatee Village Historical Park located in Bradenton.  This historical village park consists of some ten restored buildings, a steam locomotive, artifacts and memorabilia, arranged to give visitors an idea of what the old “Cracker Trail” of Florida was like before paved roads and electricity.  In addition to the 1903 Wiggins General Store, there is a farmhouse, a barn, a bunkhouse, a community church, a schoolhouse, a courthouse, a smokehouse, a sugar cane mill, and boat works.

 

 

There seems to be several definitions for the term “Florida Cracker” that I have come across in my travels. Wikipedia suggests the term “cracker” was used as far back as the Elizabethan era England to describe a braggart.  Then in the 1700s the term “cracker” was used to describe American frontiersmen who the British considered boastful and lawless rascals.  By the 1800s the term “cow hunter,” in the south, had morphed into “cracker cowboy” because of their use of whips to drive the cattle.

 

 

Then there is the definition I’ve heard that the term “cracker” was derived from the Spanish Vaqueros, who had migrated from Mexico to the southeastern U.S. and also used whips to drive their cattle.  And then there are the people today who use the term “cracker” to boast about how many generations their families have lived in a certain area (e.g. George Cracker or Florida Cracker).  So take your pick.  I like all the definitions, and am not about to argue with any of them.

 

 

Next I headed northeast 15 miles on U.S.-41/-301 to visit the Florida Railroad Museum located just north of SR-62, outside the city of Parrish.  The museum consists of a collection of some 40+ pieces of rolling stock from various time periods.  This museum is known for its short round-trip railroad excursions in their restored vintage 1930s Pullman cars, on a six-mile section of the original 1895 Seaboard Air Line track, between Parrish and the ghost town of Willow.

 

 

After this quick visit, I headed east on SR-64 to visit the Pioneer Park Museum & Wildlife Refuge located in Zolfo Springs (1878).  This turned out to be a big waste of time, since I almost missed the tiny “Cracker Trail Museum” in the middle of the huge campground area.  It turns out this is a camping/events site, and their few “Cracker” houses & buildings didn’t hold much interest for me.

 

 

Now I headed northwest on several Florida backroads, to visit the TECO Streetcar Line in Tampa. The address Greta (my Garmin) took me to turned out to be the streetcar stop for the Port of Tampa Bay.  There were no streetcars there, but The Florida Aquarium was in the same location.  Since the aquarium was on my list of things to see on this trip, that worked for me.  This attraction is home to more than 7000 aquatic plants and animals, and their exhibits are laid out in such a manner as to show the extensive journey a single drop of fresh Florida spring water takes to get to the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

 

 

My original plan was to stop in Tampa for a meal at the Columbia Restaurant, but time was running out on me, “…and I had miles to go before I could rest.”  So I by-passed the Columbia and headed for the Tampa Firefighters Museum there in Tampa. This museum is housed in the restored 1911 Old Fire House No.1 and has on display artifacts and memorabilia related to the history of the Tampa Fire Department from 1885.

 

 

Now I headed west on I-275 to visit the Tampa Bay Automobile Museum located in Pinellas Park.  This is a fabulous museum with a unique collection of some 60+ beautifully restored vintage cars from all over the world.  I can’t begin to tell you how impressed I was with this museum.  A car collector’s “must see” when next you’re in the Pinellas Park/St. Petersburg area.

 

 

Next I tried to find the Tampa Bay SimCenter, close to the Tampa/Clearwater International airport, where I was hoping to take a flight in a Boeing 737 simulator.  When I couldn’t find their facility, I called them and they said I would need a 24-hour advanced reservation for a slot.  Well that didn’t work, so while I was near the airport, I looked for the Florida Military Aviation Museum.  When I saw the Grumman Albatross, out front where the museum should have been, I thought I had found the museum, only to discover it was no longer in business. Bummer!  The Albatross was the “gate guard” for the Coast Guard office at the airport.

 

 

So I told Greta (my Garmin) it was time for her to take me to dinner, which tonight was going to be at the original Crabby Bill’s seafood restaurant (1983) located in Indian Rocks Beach.  I had a delicious dinner of Wild Sea Scallops with cold slaw and onion rings.  Yummm!

 

 

 

—–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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Thea Tells All

31 Dec

My Take

DiVoran Lites

 

 

Purrow. It’s been a while since I wrote you.
I’m lying on Ma’s bed. (She lets me call her ma now)
And taking a rest from having company.
While I chat.

 

Lacey and Jacob and their Ma and Pa came over today
I had met the Pa, but not the Ma or the kittens.
They are really big kittens, but they play well
And are gentle.

 

Ma and Pa showed them my art work.
Every day, I bite cardboard off a me-sized
Cardboard box. I spit the pieces on the floor.
Ma admires the sculpture and cleans up later.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She hides treats in the folds of my soft red blanket.
After I eat them all, I knead the blanket
Ma sits on a stool to pet me
If I move away she pulls me close

 

Me and Ma play a mouse catching game.
We’ have a great mouse. It dances and flies.
So I dance and fly, too
Life is good. Happy New Year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your cat friend,
Thea

 

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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Fred Remembers~Part 18

30 Dec

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

 

More of Fred’s adventures at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque (UNM):

 

University of New Mexico – Credit Google Search and UNM websit

 

During the first week – Freshman Orientation – various organizations on campus set up tables to advertise their presence.  As God would have it, the first table I came to was the BSU – Baptist Student Union.  They quickly found out I was a believer, and they offered to provide a ride to church the next Sunday.

Sure enough, on Sunday, one of the students came to the dorm and took me to his church – the First Baptist Church of Albuquerque.  I remember the young men’s Sunday School class he took me to was called “The Radiators.” Their motto was:  “if we rest, we rust.”

 

Photo credit Google search First Baptist Church, Albuquerque

 

After visiting that church for a few months, I joined the church and soon joined the adult choir.

One of the classes I signed up for was Air Force ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps).  (There are only three ways to be commissioned as an officer in the United States military:  (1) ROTC, (2) attending the Military Academy, or (3) completing Officer Training School (affectionately called the “90 Day Wonders,” since it is a 90-day program).

During my third semester of ROTC, I completed all the officer-qualifying exams which included a complete physical exam.  My vision was such that I was not qualified to be a pilot.  Since the Air Force was only commissioning pilots at that time, I was not allowed to continue in the ROTC program.  Some years later, after I completed my graduate school, I applied to Air Force Officer Training School and was accepted.  After completing the 90 days, I was commissioned a 2ndLieutenant in the Air Force.  I was immediately ordered to San Jose State College in California for training as a meteorologist.

 

Fred’s commissioning 1966

 

Fred receiving his commission papers as a 2nd Lieutenant

 

For many years, beginning in my high school years, I had a “Dairy Queen” hairdo, complete with a large curl in front.

 

 

 

 

I knew the Air Force ROTC unit would not allow such a haircut, so before my first class, I went to the nearby Kirtland AFB barber shop and had my hair cut in a very short “flattop,” which I kept until after Judy and I arrived in Germany in the summer of 1967. (As a side note to this: I quickly discovered after arriving in Germany in 1967, that the German people looked askance at me with my flattop.  It was because Hitler’s German Youth Corps wore their hair so short, that I reminded them of the Nazi’s.  When I learned that, I let my hair grow out – but no longer with the curl)

 

 

Charles wrote:   In December of 1957 we left Japan for assignment to Cannon Air Force Base at Clovis, New Mexico.  There we would be not too far from Fred.

We went over to Albuquerque to pick up Fred at the end of his first year there and brought him to spend the summer with us.  During that same summer we were visited by a group of young people from the First Baptist Church of Albuquerque.  Fred had joined that church and was active in the young people’s group. Among those visiting us was a very attractive young woman who seemed interested in Fred and he in her. Eventually this mutual interest led to their marrying a few years later.

 

 

 

And so, as they say, the rest is history……

 

~~~~~~~~~THE END~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

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

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How do I overcome grief?

29 Dec

Walking by Faith, Not by Sight

Janet Perez Eckles

 

How do I overcome grief?

 

 

Reblogged

December 29, 2018

I held on to my friend’s arm.

With wool scarfs around our neck, we shivered, trying to keep the cold wind that swept through the streets of the city that never sleeps. We weaved around people on crowded sidewalks. A strange symphony of sounds played—cars blowing their horns, music blaring from speakers by clubs and restaurants, and all around, people speaking in varied languages passed us by.

We finally reached her car. I settled in the passenger’s seat while she drove. “And we’re now crossing the bridge to another borough,” she said. “In New York, the five boroughs are divided by bridges.”

They divide wonderfully luxurious neighborhoods and also some sadly riddled by poverty.

How similar to those bridges in life.

They serve as passages transitioning the traveler from one point to another–from employment to unemployment, from health to a troubling diagnosis, from abundance to scarcity, from the security of a solid relationship to loneliness, from calmness to grief.

And the unpleasant journey continues even when Christmas comes around. While others rejoice and wish each other Merry Christmas, our wish is to have enough strength to keep crossing. Carrying the bag of hope, we shuffle forward on that bridge. And as we do, we have these choices: to trust or crumble. To move forward or retreat. To walk with confidence or with shaky steps. And to lament the long journey or enjoy each stage instead.

God invites us to choose the latter, to trust in Him, truly trust without looking around at the circumstance. And while crossing that bridge, for us to remove any trace of fear. He said:

“Fear not; for I am with you: be not dismayed; for I am your God: I will strengthen you; yes, I will help you; yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness” (Isaiah 41:10).

And His yes should be a reassuring conformation that He is with us. That He will pave the way. And that He will make the bridge from grief to peace possible.

Let’s Pray

Father, I reach out to You to hold me steady. I lean on Your promise that You will strengthen me when my weakness shows and my despair rises. Help me to stay in course to reach the other side of this bridge. In Jesus’ name I ask, amen.

How do you interpret God’s yes when He promises He will help you?

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.

 

Source https://janetperezeckles.com/blog/victory/how-do-i-overcome-grief.html

 

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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Christmas 2018

28 Dec

My friend, Pam has lived for 13 years without her much loved husband, Bill by her side. She shares her love and positive personality in her church WIdow’s ministry and also serves on the bereavement committee as a coordinator. When she emailed this to me, I was honored to be allowed to read her intimate thoughts. I asked permission to share it on our blog-Onisha

 

 

 

Christmas 2018

by Pam Gheen

I don’t normally write those Christmas letters that people place in their Christmas cards each year; mostly I don’t even get my Christmas cards out in the mail; maybe next year!

I especially don’t write or talk about the sad, deep things one may think about at Christmas.  I am a widow of 13 years, and I certainly should have moved on when it comes to “Christmas milestone sadness”. But……

But you know what? – our Christian journey, until we end it in Heaven, is alive and changing each day. Perfect healing for sadness comes daily if we need it!

“Earth has no sorrow that Heaven can’t heal”  Irish Poet-Thomas Moore

 

This Christmas, I deal with my emotions, as each one needs to do.

The house is quiet but my thoughts are not.  My fingers are itching to say something with words.

Think on this thought: God made us human and we feel feelings, we ponder the past, and we have empathy for others. Thank You God!  

I think of the little page that comes up on the computer, when I shop on-line, “I am not a Robot”! Check that little box on that little page and say you’re not-NOT made of hardness and steel, but made with a pliable, caring heart.

Maybe your normal tendency is to “shove down” and “ignore” the very attributes of our humanness, our “made in the image of God” capability to love, to embrace loss, and to reach out to others.  Some isolate, some want to become as busy as they can to forget and move on.

So how do you run away from the way God made you and me?  I’m thinking you can’t run fast enough; you turn around and face and embrace the “learning moment” from God.  

You may even find a quiet place in your home and light a candle in remembrance of the home-goings this past year of a loved one or friend. 

Or you may think of the ones in fragile health this Christmas, or those who have precarious relationships that still need to be healed.  You think of friends who say to you, “enjoy the time with your family; I have no one.”

You lift up your prayers and you wait in stillness.

Silence, communion and love is received in your heart and you know you are better; you turn TOWARDS the Father, to the WORD, Jesus, and to the COMFORTER, Holy Spirit.

“Now let your unfailing love comfort me, just as you promised me, your servant”. 

Psalm 119:76 NLT

This Christmas, as in the last twenty-years, I am enjoying my youngest daughter and her family, here from California.  I am blessed in so many ways when they come “home” to family and friends.

This past Sunday, we all filed into a beautifully decorated sanctuary and took our seats in a comfy pew after greeting numerous friends with hugs.  As we sit there, I’m tapped on the shoulder from behind; there’s my friend who’s husband went home to the Lord a few months ago; she is sitting beside her daughter and family also.  “Good”, I think, “she has family with her.”

Another widow walks in and sits in front of me. She is my “new widow friend”, as I didn’t really know her until I helped with her celebration meal for her husband this past year.  She sits beside her loving sister and her husband.

The choir sings and leads us in uplifting songs, and then disperses themselves into the congregation to hear the message.  Another beautiful choir widow of three weeks slips into a pew; how is she strong enough to resume her place in the choir so quickly, I wonder. She hugs her friends and smiles through her tears.  Our close friends become our family even more when we need them.

By now, it is hard to think of anything else except of all the victory memorial services of the past year. My thoughts rush to two other friends I’ve know almost fifty years, who have said to their spouses, “goodbye, see ya later”, this year. They are making their way through the grief process and through one of the many “firsts” that come along during the year.

Finally, I think of my brother-in-law who is not seeing his only son this Christmas, and I pray for him, “God, comfort him in his sadness this Christmas.”

So today, after going through highs and lows, tears and hugs, I light my candle and I lift up my friends and family on Christmas Eve, the night of HOPE and RENEWAL and EMBRACEMENT of my very own “image of God’ . 

My fingers finish their clatter on the keyboard, my whole being asks God to fine-tune me into His loving image, and I wait…..wait for the Holy comfort and joy to fill-in the sad places in my heart, and help me overflow to others.  

I am “good again”, and move on, finding JOY in my sad thoughts, and HEALING in my communion with my Maker.

Signing off now….I need to make a few love phone calls before the day is done.

“You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in Your Presence.”  Acts 2:28 NIV

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2018 Florida Road Trip Part 4

26 Dec

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites

 

Day 4 Monday 10/22/2018

 

After breakfast this morning I headed north on U.S.-41 & I-75 to visit the Sarasota Classic Car Museum located just south of the Sarasota International Airport.  I had been to this museum several years ago, but wanted to see what kind of new additions they had in their collection. This is a very large museum with 100+ beautifully restored antique and classic cars dating from 1885 to the present. The docent informed me that this is the second oldest continuously operating antique auto museum in the country.

 

 

Just down the street from the Car Museum is the John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art, the Ca d’ Zan Ringling home, and the Ringling Circus Museum, all of which are part of what is now the rambling 66-acre Ringling museum complex.  John Ringling came to the Sarasota area in 1911 and purchased 20 acres of Sarasota Bay waterfront property.  John built his magnificent new 32 room palatial summer home (Ca d’ Zan-Venetian for “House of John”) in 1926, and he and Mable moved into the house in 1927.  (Google “Ringling Home-Sarasota” for some interesting details of this mansion, whose design inspiration was taken from the Ringling’s love of the palazzos of Venice, their favorite vacation city).

 

 

DiVoran and I had visited the Ca d’ Zan Ringling home and Art Museum some years ago, and I didn’t have the time to visit all of the museums again today.  So I took a photo of the entrance, and headed for the Ringling Circus Museum, which is what I was really interested in seeing on this trip.

 

 

After John and Mable moved to Sarasota in 1927, John proceeded to buy more land, around his original 20 acres, in order to have all the necessary space to move the winter quarters of his Ringling Bros. Circus to Sarasota.  As a natural process, and with the inspiration of Ringling’s first Director, Mr. A. Everett Austin Jr. the Ringling Circus Museum was originally established in 1948 as the Ringling Museum of American Circus.  Over the years the museum has grown and now displays artifacts (such as performers’ wardrobes & performing props), lots of memorabilia (such as 19thcentury circus posters & rare circus handbills), and exhibits (such as carved parade wagons & a human cannon) related to the history of the circus in America, specifically the Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus.

 

 

In 2006 the Tibbals Learning Center was added to the museum, which displays the marvelous 3,800 sq. ft. (44,000-piece) miniature model that is a re-creation of the Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus combined shows from 1919-1938.  Absolutely Amazing!

 

 

Next I headed north on U.S.- 41 & SR-684 to visit the Florida Maritime Museum located in the historic fishing village of Cortez, just south of the Palma Solo Bay.  This small museum is housed in the restored 1912 Cortez Schoolhouse, which is now a part of the Cortez Nature Preserve.  The museum displays artifacts, model boats, and memorabilia, relating to the growth of the local and Gulf Coast fishing industry from the city’s founding in the 1880s.

 

 

 

—–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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