God’s Shining Light

29 Nov

A Time to Live

Melody Hendrix

The greatest challenge in life is discovering who you are….
The second greatest is being happy with what you find…..
unknown
Let your light shine so brightly that others can see their way out of the dark.
Katrina Mayer
Speak to your children as if they are the wisest, kindest, most beautiful and magical humans on earth, for what they believe is what they will become.   Brooke Hampton
light-painted-sunflower

 

 

I am retired and enjoying life. My hobbies are my 5 grandchildren, son and daughter, and my loving husband. I am a photographer and extreme nature lover. I love spending time in my garden or in the wilderness connected to God my Creator.
Melody

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31 Days of God’s Comfort Day 2

28 Nov

trails

 

Picture and paraphrase by DiVoran Lites

Day Two

Trails

Jeremiah 29:10-12

Beloved,

Because you are mine,

My plans for you are real, constant, and good.

You are my design.

My designs are built to last.

You need never tell me what to do or how to do it.

I am the One who knows what to do.

You will not need to “help” Me.

I am the Helper.

All you need to do is ask Me how to pray.

Ask Me what you need to plan for.

Listen and intuit my answers.

Wait.

I show you how to live the life I have planned for you,

As you travel along the trails I have cleared ahead of you.

Watch, as wonderful, unexpected things begin to happen.

 

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Treasures From Germany~Part 5

27 Nov

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

 

 

In previous postings, I mentioned that one of our very favorite cities in Germany to visit was Rothenburg. It is a walled city, that has existed by name since 1170 A.D. While we didn’t know all the Nazi history of Rothenburg, we still loved the city. Here is an excerpt from Wikipedia:

In March 1945 in World War II, German soldiers were stationed in Rothenburg to defend it. On March 31, bombs were dropped over Rothenburg by 16 planes, killing 37 people and destroying 306 houses, six public buildings, nine watchtowers, and over 2,000 feet (610 m) of the wall. The U.S. Assistant Secretary of War John J. McCloy knew about the historic importance and beauty of Rothenburg, so he ordered US Army General Jacob L. Devers not to use artillery in taking Rothenburg. Battalion commander Frank Burke (Medal of Honor) ordered six soldiers of the 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Division to march into Rothenburg on a three-hour mission and negotiate the surrender of the town….When stopped by a German soldier, Private Lichey, who spoke fluent German and served as the group’s translator, held up a white flag and explained, “We are representatives of our division commander. We bring you his offer to spare the city of Rothenburg from shelling and bombing if you agree not to defend it. We have been given three hours to get this message to you. If we haven’t returned to our lines by 1800 hours, the town will be bombed and shelled to the ground.” The local military commander Major Thömmes gave up the town, ignoring the order of Hitler for all towns to fight to the end and thereby saving it from total destruction by artillery. American troops of the 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Division occupied the town on April 17, 1945, and in November 1948, McCloy was named Honorable Protectorate of Rothenburg. After the war, the residents of the city quickly repaired the bombing damage. Donations for the rebuilding were received from all over the world. The rebuilt walls feature commemorative bricks with donor names. Traffic-reducing measures were put in place in a significant portion of Rothenburg to increase safety and accommodate tourism.

Since our days in Wiesbaden (1967-1970), we had visited Rothenburg, and collected etchings that we liked, and had them framed. Here are some of them.

 

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Here are some recent pictures of Rothenburg that we enjoy:

 

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

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So, Why Should I Be Thankful?

25 Nov

From the Heart

Louise Gibson

 

 

 

A thankful heart causes us to look upward.
It causes us to look around,
and causes us to look within
where the peace of God is found.

 

The number one secret to happiness
is a grateful heart.
Beginning our day with a prayer of gratitude
brings tranquility from the start.

 

Fear is the father of failure-
a negative emotion, to be sure.
Replace it with a positive thought-
Failure you will no longer endure.

 

Quote:

“When we choose not to focus on what is missing
from our lives, but are grateful for the abundance
that is present, we experience heaven on earth.”

Author unknown,
but is wise advice

 

 

squirell-taking-a-bite

 

 

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My Thanksgiving Letter

24 Nov

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

 I am writing this as a letter because, I think of our readers as friends. You come and let us share our lives with you and share yours in return. That is what friends do. I am beyond thankful for the friends who faithfully blog here each week, DiVoran, Bill, Louise, Judy, Melody and Janet. They inspire me with their commitment and wisdom. I love you guys!

Dear friends,

It is funny how circumstances change our thankful list. Usually on Thanksgiving our  list is for family, health ,friends, and of course, our Savior.  This year, we woke up to wet grass and the wonderful rain is at the top of our list.

Our beautiful North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee mountains that are part of the forest service lands, have been viciously attacked by arsonist and thousands of acres  are affected.  I pray it was enough to give our firefighters and those from across the country who came to help, a rest this Thanksgiving day.

This morning, I pulled out old favorites as well as new cookbooks to get our meal started. One of my “must have” books is an old one from Ebenezer United Methodist Church in Raleigh, NC. It has been a part of our Thanksgiving meal for years. They have put out newer ones, but I love the old version. This year, I have added a new favorite, Janet’s Appalachian Cookbooks. Rebekah mixed up the School House Rolls recipe and I can’t wait to sink my teeth in their yeasty goodness. Of course, I had to go to the internet to find a recipe so we have a beautiful blending of old with new. Our turkey is in the roaster and the oven is almost ready for the side dishes. It has been a joy working side by side in the kitchen with my daughter. We each have our quirks when it comes to cooking and how we do things, but we can laugh about them and it adds to the fun.

I won’t pretend that my heart does not have a tender spot, missing the large family meals with my parents, brothers and their families. We don’t have any children’s voices laughing and arguing or the camaraderie of a bunch of women in the kitchen. I miss it but I am so blessed to have had that time. I hope wherever you gathered today, that you treasured the moments and you loved richly.

Talk to you later, the oven is ready!

Love,

Onisha

philippians-48

UPDATE: One of our favorite places in Macon county is Wayah Bald, with it’s rustic fire tower and breathtaking views. It is also a favorite rest stop for hikers on the   Appalachian Trail. I read on Facebook tonight that one of the forest fires burned the tower. I can’t conceive of the anger a heart must hold to destroy so much beauty. I fear the damage to the stone structure might be too damaged to repair. I am thankful for the memories we made there and hopeful it will be restored.

Beautiful in the fall
Burned

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God Has Been Watching Over Me~Part 3

23 Nov

From the Heart

Bill Lites

 

Sometime during my last year in high school, my friend Leon invited me and two other guys to make a weekend trip to El Paso, Texas to visit another of his friends and check out Juarez, Mexico just across the border. Leon had a job, so we left late Friday after he got off work (poor planning on our part). We were having a great time on the road south until it got dark, and we discovered it had rained heavily somewhere north of our route and now we had to cross a water-filled arroyo.

 

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It didn’t look too deep and didn’t seem to be running too fast (bad assumption anytime, but especially at night). As you have probably guessed, we got about halfway across that arroyo, but Leon didn’t keep the engine revving and the water went up the tailpipe and stalled the engine. Of course, the water was deeper than it had looked. There we were, stalled, with water piling up to the bottom of the window on my side of the car, and water starting to leak into the car. Leon was trying to start the car but it wouldn’t re-start. Then this guy tried coming across the arroyo from the other direction. Just as he got to us, the water his car was pushing moved Leon’s car sideways just enough for him to side-swipe Leon’s car as he passed (not bad with the water cushion between the cars). The guy kept on going in order to keep from getting stalled like we were.

 

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Then a semi-truck started across from the other side toward us. His truck was high enough and heavy enough to get through, but his huge bumper was pushing a wall of water in front of him. That wave of water rolled right over Leon’s car as the truck passed us. If we hadn’t had the windows rolled up, the water would have filled the car. All this time Leon was trying to re-start the engine. He finally got it started (a real miracle) and I hollered at him to keep it in first gear until we were clear of the water. We made it! (I think God must have His hands full when it comes to teenagers). We had fun in El Paso and in Juarez and by the time we headed back to Albuquerque there was no water to be seen anywhere for that 265 mile stretch of New Mexico desert.

 

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The summer after I graduated from high school, I was ready to go out and meet the world head-on and make my fortune in life. I had heard from friends that the pay was really good for “Roughnecks” at the oil fields in northern New Mexico (Can you just imagine a smooth faced 18-year old skinny kid, 120 lbs. soaking wet, trying to keep up with experienced workers on a job like this.

 

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After much begging, pleading and promising to be careful, I somehow I talked my parents into letting me go try my luck at that kind of work there for the summer.   I packed a suitcase full of clothes, strapped it to my trusty Harley Davidson and headed for Farmington, New Mexico, some 185 miles north of Albuquerque on US-580.* One day during my adventure there in Farmington (You’ll have to read the blog for the gory details of that summer adventure) I was riding down the road and came to a curve that wasn’t really sharp enough to slow down for, so I just leaned into the curve like any other. What I didn’t see was the light film of sand right across the middle of my lane.   Halfway through the turn, the rear wheel lost traction and I went down. My Harley and I went sliding down the road for several yards, and across the double line into the oncoming lane.   This was another case of no cars anywhere on the road at the time of the incident. Thank you Lord!

*See Bill’s blog “On My Own”- 8/15/2012.

 

—–To Be Continued—–

 

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My Most Meaningful Picture

22 Nov

A Time to Live

Melody Hendrix

Everyone has a favorite meaningful photo that brings back memories. I have plenty I love of family and friends, but taking this picture was the most exciting I have ever experienced. Here is the story.
My friend Pat and I are picture taking addicts. We love learning new abilities and tricks. We woke about 4 am from our hotel on St Augustine beach one summer morning. She says we should just go out and take our cameras to the beach. As we walked towards the water, I realized it was totally dark. I could barely see my hands in front of my face. I told her we were crazy to be doing this. As we got to the very calm waters, she said she had learned some things about night photography. We stood in the shallows and put our cameras on our tripods and after some adjustments to the camera, I pressed the shutter button. I waited…. and waited…. and wondered if something was wrong because I wasn’t hearing the shutter close. Then finally it finished taking the picture. It took a while to show up on the screen, but when it did, I screamed with delight.
This picture is what I saw. Now keep in mind it was still totally dark. How could this be? This was the beginning of my love for night photography. You see, the light, know matter how dim, keeps collecting on the sensor until it has enough to expose the magnificent cobalt blue sky and the wonderful silhouette of the pier. The water and waves smoothed out by its continuous recorded movement. You can see the birth of a new day and the landscape you would miss forever if it wasn’t for the beloved instrument called a camera.
St Augustine Beach

St Augustine Beach

 

 

I am retired and enjoying life. My hobbies are my 5 grandchildren, son and daughter, and my loving husband. I am a photographer and extreme nature lover. I love spending time in my garden or in the wilderness connected to God my Creator.
Melody

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Thirty One Days of God’s Comfort Day 1

21 Nov

trees-of-the-hills

Painting and Paraphrase by DiVoran Lites

Day One

Trees of the Hills

Isaiah 55:8-13

 

Beloved,

My thoughts are not your thoughts,

You receive my thoughts to replace your thoughts,

You follow My ways which are not your ways.

Now the mountains and the hills sing.

The trees of the fields clap their hands.

You are led forth in light and joy.

You are filled with truth, grace, and peace.

 

 

 

 

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An Anniversary with a Thanksgiving

20 Nov

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

 

 

This Thanksgiving week marks an anniversary of sorts for Fred and me. 21 years ago, on a Tuesday, we left Virginia, our home for nearly 13 years,

 

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and drove down to Orlando, Florida. On that next day, Wednesday, we signed the papers for our new house in Kissimmee, obtained the keys for the house, drove to our new house and unloaded all the stuff we had packed in the car for the trip.

From there, we drove over to Titusville to spend the night with my brother and sister-in-law, since we had no furniture in our new house.

The next day was Thanksgiving, 1995. We celebrated that day with my brother and sister-in-law, their daughter and her husband, and her husband’s family.

 

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We will always cherish the memory of that time – that everyone opened their homes and hearts to us on such short notice. After a few weeks of sorting, disposing of stuff we had managed to collect after 13 years of living in one place, and cleaning the house, it was quite nice not to have to do anything but enjoy a good meal, and have wonderful fellowship with those around us that we love.

And so we remember the 21st anniversary of our arrival in Florida, along with our first Thanksgiving here, and the love that was just showered upon us.

And after that wonderful meal and a good night’s rest, we were up early on that Friday and drove back to Kissimmee in time to meet the moving truck with all our household goods. So we got to work setting our house in order.

 

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We are so thankful….and this is the week to express that thanks.

I found this pilgrim couple a few years ago, and they have decorated our Thanksgiving table ever since. I think they’re cute.

 

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A friend did a macramé pilgrim for me some years ago. He proudly welcomes any and all to our door this time each year. I love his bushy beard!!

 

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happy-thanksgiving

 

 

Courtesy Google Search

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Six ways to soothe your soul. 

19 Nov

Walking by Faith, Not by Sight

Janet Perez Eckles

10-28-16-6

I wasn’t prepared to hear this revelation. A group of seven folks sat around the table, eager to learn about the writing craft. And I planned to impart all I knew about my writing journey.

“How about if we share a bit about our story,” I said, hoping to know a bit about them.

Everyone took their turn. And then the lady seated in a wheelchair to my left spoke.

“I lost my leg. But I still have my courage,” she said in a peaceful tone.

I gave a silent gasp. She not only had a leg amputated, but she lost her sight too.

“I want to write my story,” she said, “to inspire others who might be feeling sorry for themselves,”

Admirable desire for sure. But little did she know that God had already written her story. He wrote all the details: He knew the moment she would receive the bad news from the doctor. He knew the limitations put on her life. He had written her future. He jotted down her every need and He’s still writing her story.

He’s also writing your story and mine, too. So we can be free to let go that anxiety about the future and instead, take a deep breath of relief. He’s aware of what we’re facing. What is being cut off from our life. What is diminishing. What we lost. What we miss. He knows the joy and hard times of tomorrow. And best of all, He’s written in the tablet of His love our victory over grief.

That tablet is the Bible. No matter what you’re missing in life, whisper these six truths found in Psalm 139. They will soothe your soul:

  1. He knows me intimately. “O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.”
  2. He knows my every move. “You know when I sit and when I rise…”
  3. Even my thoughts are familiar to Him. “You perceive my thoughts from afar.”
  4. He knows where I came from and where I’m going. “You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.”
  5. He knows what I’ll say, “Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely…O LORD.”
  6. He is close enough to touch my pain. “You have laid your hand upon me.”

If He knows your thoughts, your words, ways and whims, how can He not know how to soothe your soul?

Source: Six ways to soothe your soul. | Janet Perez Eckles

 

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I considerate it a privilege to pray for you. Please send updates to previous prayer requests, too. You can send them HERE.

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