What Thanksgiving Meant To Me This Year

23 Nov

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

 

What did Thanksgiving mean to me this year? It meant I made it through a year of deep, personal pain and am far stronger in my faith The brief moments of dipping into past memories, were nostalgic rather than tragic. I took joy working in the kitchen, side by side with my daughter to prepare our Thanksgiving meal. It was a soul satisfying day. My life and relationships don’t have to be perfect for me to experience hope and joy.

Romans 15:13-May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

To all my friends on Facebook who shared pictures of their families , thank you for including me in your celebrations. I enjoyed them all. To my friends who shared pictures of food……well that is a different story! Just kidding.

I made my first cheesecake this year. Low carb pumpkin. It was amazing.

 

The recipe is from Cooking Keto with Kristi on You Tube. If you want to try it, click the show more button to get the recipe.

 

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Go Through His Gates and Give Thanks!

22 Nov

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

I decided to share a different  version of Psalm 100. This is from The Voice. Psalm 100 is one of my favorites.

4 Go through His gates, giving thanks

 walk through His courts, giving praise.

    Offer Him your gratitude and praise His holy name.

5 Because the Eternal is good,

His loyal love and mercy will never end,

and His truth will last throughout all generations.

 

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2018 Florida Road Trip Part 1

21 Nov

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites

 

Day 1 Friday 10/19/2018

 

Heading south from Titusville my first stop was to visit the Airport Museum located inside the Melbourne International Airport in Melbourne.  This is a small museum consisting of artifacts and memorabilia related to the history of the Naval Air Station (Melbourne) that was an active naval aviation training station for U.S. Navy and Marine pilots during WWII.  Also displayed are artifacts and displays related to the ever growing airport complex, as well as the history of the surrounding city of Melbourne, and many of the space programs over the years.

 

 

While in Melbourne I visited the Liberty Bell Memorial Museum located just a couple of miles southeast of the Melbourne International Airport.  This museum was established to record and honor the history of our American Nation.  The museum includes a Rotunda which houses a replica of the original Liberty Bell, as well as artifacts and ephemera related to the history of America.  As part of the museum, there is also a Freedom Hall which displays militara related to each of the U.S. military branches of service.

 

 

Adjacent to the Liberty Bell Memorial Museum visitors can stroll thru the beautiful Melbourne Military Memorial Park, which honors many of the U.S. Military personnel who have fought and died to preserve our freedom.

 

 

Heading south on U.S.–1, next I visited the Mel Fisher’s Treasure Museum located in Sebastian.  This museum displays archeological artifacts related to what is referred to as the “1715 Spanish Treasure Fleet.” On its way back to Spain, eleven of the twelve ships in the Spanish fleet were devastated by a hurricane off the eastern coast of Florida.  This museum’s displays have been recovered from those ships over the years.  The museum also has an observation window where visitors can view underwater conservation work in progress.

 

 

A few miles south of Sebastian, on SR–A1A, I visited the McLarty Treasure Museum located on Orchid Island, which is the barrier island just north of Vero Beach.  As part of the Sebastian Inlet State Park, this museum displays more of the artifacts and memorabilia related to the destroyed “1715 Spanish Treasure Fleet” that have been recovered in this area.  This location is also believed to be the site where survivors of the hurricane that destroyed the Spanish fleet made camp, and over the next year or so attempting to retrieve as much of the lost treasure as possible, before returning to Spain.

 

 

Another 25 miles south on A1A was the National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum, located on North Hutchinson Island, which is the barrier island just east of Fort Pierce.  This museum displays artifacts and memorabilia related to the history and equipment used by the U.S. Navy Underwater Demolition Teams (UDT) and Sea, Air, Land (SEAL) teams from their inception during WWII (frogmen) up to the present.  There is also a beautiful UDT-SEAL Memorial honoring those who have died in the service to their country.  When not on tour, the actual restored 28-foot life boat from the “Maersk Alabama” hijacking incident (2009) is on display outside the museum (Used in the movie Captian Phillips).

 

 

—–To Be Continued—–

 

 

&nbsp 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 and the Porch Crisis

19 Nov

My Take

DiVoran Lites

 

 

 

Dictated by Thea (two years old)

Typed by DiVoran

Florida, November, 2018

 

Thea says:

I spy a squirrel on the swaying branches

Of an African Daisy bush

Eating with tiny paws.

He chomps down on a yellow petal.

 

Photo by Pixabay

I must have dozed off, for suddenly

I hear a frightful pounding on the roof

It’s Squirrely 1, chasing Squirrely 2.

They squirrel-fly onto the tallow tree.

 

Photo by Pixabay

 

Photo by Pixabay

 

Floating leaves catch my eye.

Squirrel brothers tight-rope-circus-walk across the power line.

 

Today:

Something terrible…

I asked to be let out

WOMAN opens the door

It’s ssooo cold on the porch.

 

“I’m going to make my bed.” Woman says.

I try to find a warm place,

But when WOMAN comes back

I streak into the house.

 

WOMAN picks me up for a hug.

I hate to be picked up and hugged,

But WOMAN does feel warm.

I wiggle to be let down,

 

Purr-meow and prowl aroun’.

Rub my cheek on her shoe.

Murmur my song, “leettmee owt.”

WOMAN lets me out again

 

 

It’s still cold

WOMAN turns on heat in the house

Why can’t WOMAN heat the porch?

For mmee. Pleeze?

 

WOMAN lets me out once more.

Then I’m in again for a second

Then begging with

White paws on her knee.

 

Looking into her squinty eyes with

My round, yellow-green ones.

When I stare at her

WOMAN can read my mind.

 

But, she says no. I pout and purr,

But I know no and soon obey.

Find a rattle mouse to play.

And the next day:

 

MAN makes a box shelter and

WOMAN puts me inside and holds my tail until I

Feel the warmth of my furry body fill it up.

“Wait here,” Man says, “until God sends a spotlight

For you to bask in the rest of the day.

 

Photo by Pixabay

 

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 13

18 Nov

SUNDAY MEMORIES

 Judy Wills

 

Shortly after we were settled in Danville, Dad took off for Japan.  We waited patiently, expecting it to be a long wait (for us to join him in Japan); however, one of the serendipities was that the powers-that-be on the Air Force Base in Tokyo had arranged to alleviate the housing shortage by allowing selected people to actually build a small house on the property just adjacent to the base.  It was leased property, and we could build the house and then sell it when we left, to somebody else who would eventually then sell it to the Japanese.

So, I believe it was for about $3,300 Dad built, or had built, a three-bedroom, single bath house – no garage.

 

Charles at the back of the house

Front of the house

It was done sometime in either April or May of 1955.  So instead of having an 18-month wait, we had a much shorter wait.  In early May, we got on a ship in Oakland, California, and 21 days later, arrived in Yokohama, Japan.  That was an interesting trip, itself (more on this later).

We enjoyed the little house there in Tachikawa AFB, in Japan.  We lived on base in one of 10 or 12 small houses on the edge of the base, right next to a Sentry Dog training area.

Charles wrote:   While waiting for the house to be built, I lived in the BOQ, of course, which had the advantage of being close to the Officers Club where I took all my meals. The food there was excellent and cheap. The club dues were something like $2.00 per month, and for that we received one dinner per month free!  The Tachi O’Club was also famous for “Smily” and his orchestra which was also very good.

 

 

Credit Google Search and Fiveprime

 

Dad had the 1955 Chevy shipped over to Japan.  He had to drive on the left side, like the British. After less than one year, a taxi company offered to pay full price for the car.  If it had been plain black and standard transmission, they would have paid double the price offered.

After Dad sold the Chevy to the taxi company, Dad bought a second-hand 1950 Buick  station wagon “Woody” – with wood on the sides.  It was a bucket of bolts, and we didn’t travel in it very much.  Most of our trips were made by train.

We had a lot of interesting experiences in Japan.  In the time before we got there, Dad had discovered that one of the things the Japanese had done was a lot of construction.  A 2-3 hour trip of about 50 miles away in the mountains west of Tokyo, they were building a dam, called the Ogochi Dam.  At that time, I think, it was about the fifth or sixth largest dam in the world.  We could go out there on an excursion on Saturday or Sunday and watch them build it. It was an adventure just to drive out there, because the roads were in terrible shape, with huge potholes, some that would almost swallow up a whole car.  But we usually made it out there safely, and enjoyed the scenery en route. The drive and the dam were quite spectacular.

 

Photo credit wikipedia

 

Charles wrote:  Tachikawa was a lovely assignment. The religious program was full and satisfying.  We were comfortable in our little home and on base.  We were close enough to downtown Tokyo to get there by rail or to drive there on avenues K or L.  We drove down Japan Highway #1 to Oiso for a day at the beach and on another occasion drove to the Gohra hot springs area where we enjoyed the baths, and our children could climb Mount Fuji.  We drove north to the resort city of Karuizawa, on wretched roads, to see our daughter Emily enjoy a stay with friends there.  Our favorite drive on a Sunday afternoon was to see the Ogochi dam, following a winding river road in the mountains.  For a trip in winter time we took the Romantic Railroad to Nikko and enjoyed several days on the ski slopes with a chaplain friend and his family.

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

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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Is Death the End

17 Nov

Walking by Faith, Not by Sight

Janet Perez Eckles

 

I have to share this wonderful news with our readers. This honor is well-deserved and I am thrilled for her-Onisha

 

Dear Janet,

Congratulations again on being named the   Winner!  You have been selected among a very special group of people who have received this prestigious honor.

 

 

 

Reblogged November 17, 2018

“I think I’m about to lose my job,” a friend told me, “The writing is on the wall.”

God has a plan for your life.

“Goodness, I’m so sorry,” I said. “If that happens, just remember that God has a plan for your life.”

After a long pause he said, “I don’t believe in God. I think man invented a god to use as a crutch.”

He continued with his perception of evolution that in his mind erased any notion of God’s creation.

I got a little bold and asked if evolution was indeed true, and if we “evolved” and eventually became a greater and greater “being” why is it we’re not physically getting better and better every day? And why are we all aging and, without exception, we all ultimately die?

No answer.

So, I asked…

Then I asked, “What happens when you die?”

“Nothing, that’s it,” he said.

Yikes! How’s that for hope and for reassurance?

To live your life only until you physically die is like preparing and packing for a vacation only to spend it at the airport.

No one would do such a crazy thing.

But living with the notion that physical death is the end can only end up sinking in subtle hopelessness—no life after the last breath. No expectation of heaven where the best awaits. No joy anticipating all suffering to end.

How can we believe this life has meaning if we don’t find meaning in God’s promise when He says?

“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him Who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life” (John 5:24).

My friend lost his job.

He stuck to his beliefs and found solace in his beer.

No judging here because in my college days, I was just like him. When taking Insecurity 101, I deserved an A. Those insecure thoughts led me to find comfort in relationships, boyfriends and attention from the opposite sex.

No wonder God says we’re lost until we find Him. Until we let go of our pride and welcome His passionate love instead.

Filled with that love, we face this world. Life doesn’t turn perfect, in fact, it can turn ugly. It did for me. But glorious comfort came when I started hanging out with Jesus, relishing in His Word that sang to my heart and His genuine love that kept me company at night.

Then I could embrace the truth that no matter what happens or doesn’t happen in this life, eternity is ours.

My friend believes there’s only death after life. God says there’s life after death. And to welcome us to that unending glory, He prepared a mansion in heaven. With the pen of Jesus’ love, our name is written on the door.

Let’s Pray

Father, thank you for the freedom to believe in you, for the security found in the promise of life eternal and thank you for each moment’s reassurance that we’re drawing closer to the best. In Jesus’ name, amen.

What truth dominates your heart these days?

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.

 

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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Today I Choose to Take Heart

16 Nov

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

 

 

I remember in my journalism class how the teacher drilled in elements of a news story:

 

Who-What-When-Where

 

I can’t remember if how many was part of it. The glorious truth that sets my heart to soar is that no matter who, what, when, where or even how many, God has overcome every-single-one. 

 

 

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2018 Florida Road Trip (Prelude)

14 Nov

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites

 

Prelude:  Because of the influence of NASA and the U.S. Air Force, east central Florida is the home to many historic, space, and aviation related museums.  Living in this area for many years, I have visited many of these museums more than once. Because they are all within a “Day Trip” distance, or less, from where I live, they will not be counted as part of this current road trip.  However, I will start off by giving you a brief account of each of them so you will know what is available in the area.

 

 

Because we live on Florida’s east coast near the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), one of my favorite places to visit is the KSC Visitors Center.  This is one of the most frequently visited attractions in Florida, next to Disney World in Orlando.  The visitor center is one of the best ways for NASA to advertise their launch operations business that has been on-going within the 144,000 acre Kennedy Space Center over the last 60+ years.  The KSC Visitor Center complex displays a variety of artifacts, memorabilia, and exhibits related to the history and future of America’s manned space flight programs.  The U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame is also located within the NASA Visitor Center Complex. There is a rocket garden and several space related attractions, as well as bus tours. The bus tour gives visitors a close-up look at the KSC and provides educational information about the many past and current projects as well as those planned for the future from this location.

 

 

Located southeast of the KSC, across the Banana River, on the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station you will find the Air Force Space & Missile Museum.  This small museum exhibits artifacts and memorabilia related to the early days of America’s space programs.  The museum also has a Rocket Garden which includes the restored launch complex 26, from where the first successful American satellite was placed in earth orbit, and launch complexes 5/6 which were used to place America’s first Astronauts in earth orbit.

 

 

While in Cape Canaveral anyone who has an interest in lighthouses will want to visit the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse, located on the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, and operated by the U.S. Air Force Space Wing.  The lighthouse has a very interesting history beginning with the first lighthouse placed at this location in 1838.  Other lighthouses have been built and moved to this location over the years, to warn mariners of the dangerous Southeast Shoals located just off the Florida coast.  Free tours of the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse can be scheduled for Wednesdays & Thursdays (only) thru the Patrick AFB Public Affairs office.

 

 

Just a few miles west of Cape Canaveral, across the Banana River, you will find the 82 acre Brevard Veterans Memorial Park located just south of SR-520 at the south end of the Sykes Creek Parkway.  Within this beautifully laid out park you will find the Veterans Memorial Library, the Veterans Memorial Plaza and the Veterans Memorial Museum.  The museum displays artifacts and memorabilia related to all branches of the U.S. Military Services dating from the Revolutionary War to the present War on Terror.

 

 

On your way back towards Orlando from either of the afore mentioned museums you will find the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum located just off SR-405 on the east side of the Space Coast Regional Airport in Titusville, FL.  This is a large three-hanger museum that displays 40+ beautifully restored aircraft from WWI to the present.  As with most aircraft museums, there are always aircraft in various stages of restoration by the excellent staff of volunteer mechanics. Several of the aircraft in this museum’s collection are in flying condition and for those who wish the thrill of flying in a vintage warbird, and have the money, this can be arranged at the gift shop.

 

 

Another local space related museum is The American Space Museum located in downtown Titusville, FL. This museum displays artifacts and memorabilia related to the history of America’s manned space exploration from its earliest days.  The museum also has examples of launch control consoles from the blockhouse of launch complex 36, from which NASA and the U.S Air Force launched various payloads on Atlas rockets from 1962 to 2005.

 

 

The outdoor Space View Park, located on the Indian River, just two blocks east of the museum, is the site of the Space Walk of Fame and is an integral part of the American Space Museum. The monuments and brick engravings honor the Astronauts and many of the workers who made the U.S. Manned Space Programs possible.  The Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and Space Shuttle monuments and engravings displayed in the park also help keep alive the memory of the people and programs and what they have accomplished in their generation.

 

           Additional Brevard County area museums will be discussed next week.

—–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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Favorite Things

13 Nov

Onisha Ellis

On the Porch

 

This is one of my favorite paintings by DiVoran and  my favorite scripture of the week. They both make my heart sing.

 

 

 

 

 

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School Days Again 4

12 Nov

My Take

DiVoran Lites

 

I waited two full weeks to hear about my acceptance as a certified school volunteer..

 

Photo by Charles Deluvio 🇵🇭🇨🇦 on Unsplash

 

At the beginning of the third week, I was thinking I should ask somebody. I called the School Board and they said, “Yep, you’re good to go.” You can go over to the school right now and start.”

I didn’t want to go over there, “right now.” I had no idea where to go or what to do. I wanted to know the next step. I called the school and the woman there connected me to the voice mail of the volunteer coordinator. I left a message, but she never got back to me, I believe it was because they have just made changes in the phone system there.

The next day the School Board left a message on our phone telling me my fingerprints had been rejected and we had to do them over, no expense to me. So I wasn’t good to go after all.

Before that day came, I talked with a friend from our church’s Book Chat. She is a volunteer at the library with the very impressive background of having been a research librarian herself. I asked about her fourth-grade grand-daughter who is brilliant. The last time we talked, the granddaughter was doing virtual school, but it wasn’t right for her she was way ahead. Next,they tried a charter school. The granddaughter got the only slot, and she began to succeed. She loved her teachers and they loved her. My friend, the grandmother, said she had volunteered to work in the media center where her granddaughter attended, but they didn’t need any more help, not even from a certified research librarian.

Today I went back to have my fingerprints done again. When I told the receptionist I was back for the second time she got everybody hustling to tend to me. I’d been told not to use hand sanitizer but to wear lotion on my finger-tips. I had done that, but when I got to the computer every one of my prints were labeled, poor quality again. The finger-print taker said she would send them to the FBI and if they were rejected again, she would ask for a name check. I guess that meant an FBI background check. I was feeling more and more important, not discouraged at all. Hmm, certififed and approved by the FBI. I was coming up in the world.

 

Photo by Corinne Kutz on Unsplash

 

 

 

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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