From the Heart
Louise Gibson
Every day is a blessing from above.
Thank God for His promises.
We thrive on His love!
Keep looking up, dear friend.
That’s where your future lies.
I am always spellbound
when I gaze up at the skies.
I can hear God whisper,
“I did all this for you.”
The clouds are white and billowy
floating in a sky so blue.
Just stand still and listen.
God’s promises have no end.
“I wish you a Merry Christmas
and a Happy New Year my friend.”
On the Porch
Onisha Ellis
Day 8 September 14, 2017
We got up early, excited to pick up our daughter and family friend, Pam at the airport and begin this portion of our trip. Our daughter’s home was still without electricity in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma so Rebekah had made arrangements for her cat, Mia, to stay with Pam’ daughter until the power came back on. She had managed to shift the food in her freezer to another friend’s home that had electricity and room for the food.
Arriving flights at the Denver airport was frustrating as they would not let us stop the car long enough for our party to get their luggage and walk to our meet us. I feel like they were going to arrest me for asking for an extra minute! However, we finally connected and headed off to find some breakfast and coffee for the travelers who had to be at the Orlando airport at 3 am.
Once we were caffeinated we set our GPS for Rocky Mountain National Park and began our Colorado adventure .The drive to Estes Park situated at the entrance to the park would take somewhere between one and one half to two hours.
A cute town, but enjoying nature was our goal today. Attribution: Frans-Banja Mulder
From the National Park website:
Rocky Mountain National Park’s 415 square miles encompass and protect spectacular mountain environments. Enjoy Trail Ridge Road – which crests at over 12,000 feet including many overlooks to experience the subalpine and alpine worlds – along with over 300 miles of hiking trails, wildflowers, wildlife, starry nights, and fun times. In a world of superlatives, Rocky is on top!
At one stop we saw this gorgeous bird in a tree. Rebekah took a few shots of it. Does anyone know what type of bird it is? It looks like a type of Jay to me.
That smile won’t last long on this trip!
One of our first stops was to explore a boardwalk. As Rebekah, Pam and I strolled down the walk, Rebekah began to feel queasy. It seems the combination of altitude change from sea level to over 10.000 feet was not settling well. It is possible the day and nights of Florida heat with no air conditioning weakened her body’s ability to adjust.
Looking a little pale
I thought maybe lunch would perk her up so we began to look for a picnic area. Every time we found one, it was full. Finally we turned down a side road that lead to a horse camp. It was closed for the season and we had the whole area to ourselves!
As we drove higher in the mountains, we reached a tundra like area. Pretty even in its bareness. The views from there were lovely.
Rebekah was too nauseous to leave the car and spent the rest of the drive with her head down, resting her forehead on the back of the front seat. She gave me her camera and asked me to video the scenery she was missing. Pam was a trooper. It can’t have been fun to ride next to someone who was being sick.
Colorado fall is famous for its Aspen trees. We assumed we were too early for the color but there were several patches scattered across the mountains.
It had been a long day for our Florida folks, so we decided to skip one of the other drives in the park. We made it back to our hotel in Denver in time to have supper at the welcome buffet. Rebekah retired to her room with tea and crackers.
A Slice of Life
Bill Lites
Day 14 (Thursday)
Today I started off heading east on I-80 to visit the Heartland Museum of Military Vehicles located in Lexington, NE. This museum has an amazing collection of over 100 beautifully restored military vehicles, of all types from all military services, housed in a huge hanger and outside. There is also a large number of displays of weapons, uniforms, engines, and other military equipment.
Next on the list today as I continued east on I-80 was a visit to the Chevyland USA Museum located in the middle of a cornfield just south of Elm Creek, NE. This is a one-man classic car and motorcycle museum, collected, owned, and operated by Monte Hollertz. Monte says he started collecting his cars in 1972 after he read the book titled “60 Years of Chevys” and just kept on collecting. The problem is, he has collected some 100 cars and motorcycles, and parked them and that is all. They are mostly in the same condition they were when he parked them in his museum building. Also, the lighting is poor, which is not good for taking photos.
Just 15 miles east on US-30, I visited the Classic Car Collection located on the east side of Kearney, NE. WOW! What a difference over the last museum! This collection of over 200 beautifully restored and displayed classic cars, dating from the early 1900’s to the present, is one of the best of its type I’ve seen. The displays are well positioned and well lighted so the visitor has a chance to get good photos of the collection. It’s hard to leave a collection or museum that is so well presented.
While I was in Kearney, I decided to visit the Trails & Rails Railroad Museum located just to the west of SR-44, on the south edge of town. This museum is situated in the restored 1898 Shelton Union Pacific Railroad Depot, and consists of artifacts and memorabilia related to the history of the great transportation routes that passed thru the local area over the years. The museum also has a restored 1903 Baldwin Steam Engine #481 with flat car and caboose.
Back on I-80, I headed east again to visit the Pioneer Village Museum located just north of Minden, NE at the intersection of US-34 & SR-10. This 20 acre museum complex consists of 28 buildings that display over 50,000 item dating from the 1830’s to the present. As part of the Village Complex, there are also restored frontier buildings, early automobiles, airplanes, tractors and a variety of other farm equipment, a motel and campground. Way too much to see all at one time.
I got back on I-80, heading east and got off at exit 312, and north on US-34/281 to visit the Stuhr Pioneer Village located in Grand Island, NE. This is another frontier village type museum, located on 207 acres, with several areas of interest. There is a pioneer settlement consisting of eight 1850’s log structures. There is also a Railroad Town where living historians. dressed in period costumes, tell you all about how it was to live and work there in 1897. There is also a 38-foot diameter replica of a 1830’s Pawnee earthen lodge showing where as many as 50 people would have lived. Here again, this was another case where there was just too much to see in such a spread out area, so this museum got a “hit and miss” visit from me today.
Next I stopped by to check out the Nebraska National Guard Museum in Seward, NE to see if they had any airplane displays, but they were closed. So, while I was there in Seward, even though it was getting late in the day, I looked up Whisler Aviation located at the Seward Municipal Airport, but their hanger was also closed.
I thought I would try the Lincoln Airport to see if I could catch a glimpse of at least one airplane today, before I headed for my motel for the night. The Lincoln Air National Guard Base shares the airport facilities, but Greta couldn’t find their address for me. However, God was good to me, allowing me to see one of the most unusual airplanes I would ever have expected. It was located at the entrance to the Lincoln Airport. I couldn’t believe my eyes! But there it was, perched on its pedestal, in all its simplistic beauty. I just had to stop and take a photo. I’m sure you can see why.
After getting checked into my motel for the evening, I sat back, relaxed and tried to watch TV while I enjoyed leftover El Paraiso Mexican food. Of course there was nothing on the TV worth watching, but the leftovers were a treat.
—–To Be Continued—–
A Life to Live
Melody Hendrix
The yellow butterflies you see around fall are the Sulphur butterflies. There are many variations, but all look similar.
Cloudless sulphur, a common year-round resident in much of peninsular Florida, the cloudless sulphur rapidly extends it range northward each spring and eventually establishes breeding colonies as far north as Canada and the Midwest by the end of summer. As cool autumn weather approaches, adults from the final generation begin a return migration, coming back to the Deep South to overwinter.
You may see them in most open, sunny areas such as roadsides, old fields, gardens, pastures, and fallow agricultural fields.
Larval Host Plants: Cloudless sulphur caterpillars use a various plants in the pea family including, Cassia tree, Partridge pea, sickle-pod senna, sensitive pea, wild senna, coffee senna and Christmas senna or golden shower. Cloudless sulphurs may be found in all habitats when migrating, but breed in disturbed open areas where their caterpillar host plants and nectar plants are found. They have relatively long tongues and can reach the nectar of some tubular flowers that some other butterflies cannot. They have such a sweet fuzzy face and big eyes.
Males patrol for females throughout the day and especially around nectar. The male initiate courtship by making contact with the female’s wings either with his wings or legs. A receptive female usually flicks her wings and then closes them. Unless the female assumed a “mate refusal” posture (open wings and raised abdomen)
Eggs are laid singly on the host plant. Larvae live exposed (no shelter) and feed on foliage, buds and flowers.
At night, on dark, cloudy days, and during storms, adult cloudless sulphurs roost singly on leaves. Although the adults are brightly colored when flying, they seem to disappear against similarly colored leaves in the shade. The roost site may be low to the ground in shrubs with lots of foliage or high up in the leaves of trees.
The fall migration of cloudless sulphurs is the easiest to observe butterfly migration in the southeastern United States. (Monarchs are migrating at the same time, but they generally fly too high to see and are heading for Mexico. During fall, the numbers of cloudless sulphurs crossing an east-west line bisecting the Florida peninsula at the latitude of Gainesville may approach the numbers of monarchs overwintering in clusters at highly localized sites in Mexico.
The seasonal migrations of cloudless sulphurs and monarchs are similar in that each species is abandoning large and favorable summer breeding areas that have lethally low winter temperatures for more favorable climates to the south. In the spring, surviving adults head northward and soon repopulate the summer breeding areas. In both species, the northward migration is evidenced by the reappearance each summer in the breeding areas they abandoned the previous fall.
It’s always so interesting to me how plants defend themselves against herbivores. Caterpillars can be quite destructive to it’s host plants. So many host plants grow extrafloral nectaries on the leaf petioles to attract predacious ants for protection.
Different plants grow different shaped cups, but they are all filled with nectar for the ants. The ants in return protect the plants from the herbivores. I find this fascinating how nature works.
Raising these yellow beauties is easy if you have the host plants, which for me is the Cassia tree. A beautiful tree that blooms in the fall in a fantastic display of yellow unusual looking blooms.
It’s chrysalis is much different than the monarch. You can see the butterfly colors through it the day before it emerges.
Next week we will explore our own Florida state butterfly, the Zebra Longwing.
My Take
DiVoran Lites
Sufferings
Romans 8
Beloved,
When you took me on, you received a gloriously adventuresome life. You know you are my child and that along with your brothers and sisters in Christ you will inherit everything I have. I help you to be ready for anything whether so-called bad times or good times.
Believe Me when I tell you that We of the Trinity are praying in you, through you, and for you at all times. My Spirit will always make something good come from the seemingly bad. We will always guide you through your mind and your intuition. Don’t panic or jump to conclusions. Wait, ask for wisdom to think things through. When you turn to us you can tell the difference between your thoughts and ours. Ours bring peace, yours bring illusions.
The way to handle suffering is to know that it will not last forever. Inner change is inevitable no matter what you are going through.
Quotation: “The life of a Christian is a sometimes confusing combination of joy and sadness, contentment and restlessness, comfort, and pain.” Kenneth C. Haugk, Don’t Sing Songs to a Heavy Heart
“For I consider [from the standpoint of faith] that the sufferings of the present life are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in us! Romans 8:18 Amplified Bible (AMP)
On the Porch
Onisha Ellis
We went to EPCOT at Walt Disney World Sunday night for the Candlelight Processional. Judy wrote about her visit there a couple of weeks ago and I wanted to share my thoughts while they were fresh in my mind.
The Disney Parks blog description of the Candlelight Processional:
The Candlelight Processional is one of the most anticipated holiday offerings that many Walt Disney World Resort guests look forward to – and return for again and again – each year. The show takes place at the America Gardens Theatre at Epcot and features a celebrity narrator retelling the traditional Christmas story, as well as live music from a 50-piece orchestra and mass choir. Each year the list of celebrity narrators varies and is usually announced during summer, with more narrators added as the season gets close. The live music in the show is delightful, with the show featuring both recognizable Christmas carols and a handful of international holiday songs. The show is included in Epcot admission and takes place three times nightly, usually running from late November to late December (this year’s dates are November 25 – December 30, 2016).
We have attended this many times over the past twenty years but for some reason, this year’s performance kept me on the verge of tears. Maybe it was because our seats were very close to the stage so that we could see the performers so well. There are three groups that sing: A small group of professional singers, The Voices of Liberty, a cast choir and a large choir dressed in yellow robes who are high school students.
There is so much activity, with the live orchestra, the conductor and the narrator that I am usually trying to take it all in. Tonight was different.
Once the high school choirs found their places on the risers, two men in wheelchairs were wheeled onto the stage. There have been adults in wheelchairs each show I have attended but I haven’t been close enough to see them well. Tonight, I could see them, as well as their escorts and they were singing and enjoying being a part of the performance. As I looked at the faces of students singing words of joy for the birth of Jesus, I claimed the promise that God’s words would not return void (Isaiah 55:11). Wherever their lives will lead them, I prayed the seeds planted would flourish in their lives someday.
The music that accompanies the Christmas story is filled with such joy and there is always someone on stage interpreting the story and songs with sign language. The woman signing tonight literally captured words, lyrics and sound in her hands and her whole being. I had to stop watching her as I feared I might begin sobbing at the sheer beauty. I wanted to shoot video to share with you but decided to refrain out of respect for her and the people around me. Our daughter did take a still shot. It is blurred but I think it captures the moment.
I always look forward to the triumphant call of the herald trumpets. The orchestra has six of them and uses three on each side of the stage during the performance. A tweak to my enjoyment of tonight’s performance is that we sat directly underneath them. I wanted to give them a thumbs up, but decided I might embarrass my family.
These two herald the beginning of the processional.
The show always ends with the The Hallelujah chorus and the voices and instruments soared to almost heavenly heights. Although Disney overuses the word, tonight was magical.
“Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace and goodwill to all men.”
PS… I almost forgot to mention that the celebrity narrator was someone named Trace Adkins. People seemed excited about him. I guess he is some kind of singer.
SUNDAY MEMORIES
Judy Wills
More Christmas memories.
I have always enjoyed music. I’m not a terrific pianist, but I get by. Unfortunately, I usually have to have the music sheet in front of me in order to play anything. I don’t have the gift of “playing by ear.” I wish I did, but God didn’t give me that talent.
I have always loved to sing. As I mentioned in another post, my first memory of singing was my first grade class’s Christmas program. I think I did a solo to Santa Claus Is Coming To Town. I’ve been in choirs of some sort all my life, especially the church choirs. But I was also in school choirs, as well. (Please see my post of October 16, 2016, titled Music to my Ears)
I have one Christmas musical memory that is precious to me. We were stationed at Tyndall AFB, Florida (Panama City, Florida), and I had joined the Officer Wives Club singing group. We performed for quite a few venues throughout the Christmas season, doing our Christmas music.
Photo credit WJHG.com
Credit Google search
This one particular time, we were performing our Christmas program for anyone on Tyndall who would like to come to a concert. We did the performance in the Chapel, since it held a large number of people.
I had told Fred to bring the girls, to enjoy the concert. As I recall, they sat near the front of the Chapel. We sang quite a few songs, then I was to do a solo…I Wonder as I Wander. Since I had always done a bit of public speaking, it was my habit to look at the “audience” as I was speaking – or in this case, singing. As I looked out at the audience, I happened to look at my family. While Fred and Karen were invested in my song, when I looked at Janet (she was about five years old at this time), I nearly stopped singing for joy! Her little mouth was open to an “O” and her eyes were saucers! She was completely swept up in Mommy singing!
Perhaps she had never heard me singing before. I’m not sure. I’m only sure that she was entranced with her mother singing. The look on her face was one I’ve never forgotten. It is so precious a memory for me.
That’s one sweet Christmas memory I won’t forget.
~~~~~~~~~~To Be Continued through Christmas~~~~~~~~~~
Walking by Faith, Not by Sight
Janet Perez Eckles
Reblogged December 15, 2017
Why do folks feel depressed during the holidays? Maybe trying to overcome depression adds to the pressure of life.
My neighbor and I stood in front of the mailboxes near the sidewalk, chatting about life. She sighed. “Things are bad all around. More shootings all the time. I can’t seem to get out of debt, and my job is on the line.”
“I’m so sorry,” I said hoping to give her a bit of comfort. “Life is not up to us…it’s up to God. He provides, guides, and comforts all who call to Him.”
OOPS…wrong thing to say. She grunted. “Not everybody has the outlook you have,” she said.
But was it my outlook or the truth that God repeats over and over again that He never meant us to live a life of pessimism no matter what bad news flash through our mind, through the TV screen or the internet?
Although that is not His plan, we all succumb to the temptation to check out the latest news.” And those details mix with personal conflicts that don’t seem to stop. No wonder so many are feeling lousy, down, defeated and depressed.
Who has the answer?
Only one person, who’s active, caring, aware, and willing to give you the right answer, the reliable promise, and lasting assurance. His first sign was on the cross, His arms open, His heart submitted, and His love abundant.
He said in His action and in His words too: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1 NIV).
How’s that for the ultimate reassurance? The profound confidence and the guarantee for a lifetime! He took it all—the pain, the heartache, the loneliness so you wouldn’t have to.
Emotions come and go, feelings are deceiving, but His help is ever-present, ever-abundant, and always available.
That’s why we don’t take on the task to overcome depression. He already has. Jesus, on the cross, already “felt” the pain so we wouldn’t have to.
He overcame so we wouldn’t have to be in the battle. He triumphed so we wouldn’t have to do the fighting. And He sang victory so we wouldn’t have to seek it on our own.
Pray with me: Father, I’m tired of wrestling with feelings of depression. I ask that you open my eyes to see your hand at work to heal me. And to receive your grace to lift my darkness. In Jesus’ name, amen.
When will you give your depression to the One who died to set you free?
__________________
You will find more stories like this one in Janet’s book, Simply Salsa: Dancing Without Fear at God’s Fiesta. Your copy filled with inspiration and path to healing waits for you HERE.
Janet
CLICK HERE for video sneak peak.
Source: How to overcome depression. ~ Janet Perez Eckles
From the Heart
Louise Gibson
Welcome to Gibsonville
(My fantasy village)
It is a small, inviting Fantasy Land
with one main street-
but very well planned.
There are five single family homes,
a boarding house, a church, a bank ,
and department store, a gas station,
ski slope and an ice skating rink.
Practically everything you’ll need,
ask for or think.
Oh, I forgot to mention-
There is a pub in the town.
That probably explains why
one of the skaters keeps falling down.
All of this begins under the Christmas tree.
and extends across the floor-
truly a delight to see.
Yes, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas
All within our view.
My dearest wish for all of you
is “A Merry Christmas that warms your heart
and makes all of your dreams come true”.
On the Porch
Onisha Ellis
September 13, 2017 Day 7
Our seventh day on the road. We are moving at a turtle pace, but we are savoring the journey. Tomorrow we pick up our daughter and family friend at the Denver airport and they will spend the week with us. We checked in with Rebekah before hitting the road. She is still without electricity but good news, a friend from church who does odd jobs will be over to repair her roof. I know she will be relieved to have it fixed before joining us in Denver.
I am particularly excited about this leg of our trip as we have tickets to ride the Royal Gorge Train near Cañon City, Colorado, I first learned of this train while reading Go West by DiVoran Lites but never dreamed I would have the opportunity to ride it. To add to the fun, my husband would enjoy the up close view of scenery straight out of a cowboy movie!
Our seating was in a club car and we began the journey sharing a table with a lovely newly wed couple. Once the train pulled out of the station, we moved to an empty table so we could stretch out.
Food and drinks were available but we brought a picnic lunch and ate before boarding the train.
As we pulled out of the station, we passed the Colorado Territorial Correctional Facility. The prisoners here ran the first water flues through the gorge to bring fresh water to the town. I wondered if this was the prison where DiVoran’s father once worked.
As we entered the gorge, we decided to check out the view from the open bed car. We were fortunate that one adjoined our club car.
My hair was a mess
The front of the train heading into the narrow opening.
The opening through the mountains is so narrow, the first tracks laid were a “slim gauge,” 36″ between rails;
A bridge was constructed 1,000 feet above the gorge but as cars became larger, it was downgraded to walk across only. As our train passed under the bridge we saw a brave soul riding a zip line across the gorge, over 1,000 high. For the less brave, there is a gondola. We decided we were content to leave the adrenaline pumping to the more adventurous. We didn’t get a picture but we also saw several groups of people in rafts taking on the whitewater of the Arkansas river.
Zip line was almost too fast to capture the shot
The bridge is 1,000 high and they are higher!
The railroad provided a guide on the open car to point out interesting sights as well as share tidbits of history. When we came alongside these miniature power poles, he explained them to us. They were not power poles at all. The short lines extending down from the cross tie were in fact, used as a rock slide alert. If a rock touched the line and broke the connection, the train station was instantly notified there were rocks on the track and pinpointed the location. Clever, yes?
My husband was fascinated by this tree as we waited to board the train. At the end of the trip, he asked what type it was. Being from Florida, he had never seen a cottonwood tree and was pleased to finally be able to touch the bark. He enjoys carving and had read that cottonwood was excellent for carving. I wonder where we would find the bark for sale in Florida.
After all the fresh air and sunshine, we were both craving some ice cream before heading to Interstate 25 to complete our trip to Denver. We went to McDonald’s for a hot fudge sundae, but their ice cream machine was broken. Has anyone else noticed that McDonald’s has a high rate of ice cream machine failure? Not to be deterred from our ice cream craving, we pulled into a Sonic Drive In . Their ice cream machine worked fine and our cones were decadently delicious.
Our hotel for the night provided a free welcome buffet so we ate our supper there, then made it an early night. We were both looking forward to picking up Rebekah and Pam the next day and beginning a new adventure.
Old Things R New 