We’ve a Story to Tell

19 Oct

My Take

DiVoran Lites

1

Author, Poet and ArtistWe had dinner with Bill’s sister, Judy, and her husband, Fred, the other night. We do that at least once a month. October was different, though, because this time the Wills’ daughter, Karen, and her husband, Brian Clements joined us, as did our son, Bill.

Karen and her husband, Brian, are going into the new adventure of being missionaries with Greater Europe Mission (GEM). They have two grown children and live in the Chicago area. Karen is a buyer of children’s books at their town library and Brian, until recently has worked for the Baxter Healthcare Corporation. Both are well-educated and skilled in various disciplines. Now they have been called to become missionaries to the world and they are raising their support. They love their new job, though Karen hopes to stay with the library part-time as long as the Lord allows.

The statistics state that only 2% of the people in Europe are Christians now, so it’s exciting to be this close to a small part of the action.

The organization was started by a World War II Navy chaplain, Robert P. Evans, in 1949 who was also part of the Billy Graham Youth for Christ movement.

Karen’s grandfather was a Military chaplain, too. Karen and Brian were teens when Brian’s dad was the pastor of the English-language church in Heidelberg. Fred and Judy worked tirelessly in many areas of the church. Brian and Karen were 14 when they met, and by then, they had both fully given their lives to Jesus. They married several years later in America. What a match!

Because Brian and Karen have been church leaders in their home area near Chicago for twenty-two years, have reared two successful children, and Brian has been to seminary, they also have a great deal to teach children and parents about how to link up with God and how to run a home. Besides that they are just plain dear and hard-working people. We love them and they love us.

Brian has been working informally with GEM for a year and will be helping tend to some of the business side of the organization. Naturally, he travels, but he also regularly uses Skype as well. He (and sometimes Karen) will be helping the team to teach four new-missionary conferences in Colorado Springs every year. In between conferences Brian will contribute his business experience as well as his ability to mentor newer, younger team-members.

In the European countries, every job applicant is required to speak English. Brian enjoyed working with the GEM team that successfully negotiated for an academy in Madrid where immigrants will be able to learn to speak it. They’ll have access to computers, but more to the point they’ll have a chance to meet our Lord Jesus. The hope is that someday they can move back to their own countries taking Christianity and their new life-empowerment with them. If you’re flying around on the Internet someday and have time, take a look at the GEM organization and the new ways in which they are trying to reach the people of the world.Here’s what our friend and blog-mistress, Onisha, had to say about this news.

“Gem Missions sounds like a wonderful opportunity to serve. For some reason, I feel like I have heard of them from someone else. I am sure Judy was glad to have Karen and her husband visit with them and will offer their support too. Europe is a fine mission field, especially with all the refugees flooding the countries.  I read one person who said American Christians should not complain about all the Muslims settling here, but should think of it as God sending the mission field to us. That really stuck with me.”

I agree with what Onisha has written and I’d like to add that our omniscient Father is seeing to it that they’ll learn the language that is quickly becoming a means of communication for everyone in the world.

We’ve a Story to Tell to the Nations

Tags: ,

Showers of Love~Part 3

18 Oct

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

JUDY

I’ve told you about the SHOWERS OF LOVE that my husband gives me – especially following my total knee replacement surgery and my cancer episode.

2

I’ve told you about our oldest daughter’s SHOWERS OF LOVE in her coming to help out following my knee surgery.

1

I see love in my life every single day – and I can’t even begin to say how grateful I am that God has blessed me so much with family and friends who aren’t afraid to show their love. It showed up with those who came to visit, those who called, and those who brought food for us. I just hope and pray that I return that love to those around me who might need it.

As I was in physical therapy this week, the young man who is my therapist told me that he’d had an interesting weekend – he got engaged! Congrats all around!! As he was working on my knee, I informed him that my husband and I have been married for 54 years. His question was, “what kind of advice do you have for someone just starting out?”

I only had to think for just a moment before giving my response: “Well, I don’t know where you are spiritually (he began nodding his head at this), but….put Christ in the middle.”

I can’t think of a better way to show love to either your marriage partner, or to those around you. Just put Christ in the middle of any relationship, and it all works the way it’s supposed to work. God certainly knew that when he created us.

Many, many years ago, I saw a cartoon in a magazine that touched me – and amused me. I cut it out, and here it is. Those “three little words” have a way of lifting us up, and letting us know that we are, indeed, loved. Of course, a hug would have gone a long way, as well, but to say those words out loud, to the one you love, makes all the difference in our attitude.

See what you think:

2

 

May God bless you richly in all your loving relationships

 Because your love is better than life [O Lord], my lips will glorify you.

Psalm 63:3

Tags: , , ,

Three secrets to get a good night’s sleep. | Janet Perez Eckles

17 Oct

Walking by Faith, Not by Sight

Janet Perez Eckles

Turken

Naked Neck Chicken (Turken)

“Wait a minute,” I said, “let me put on some lipstick before you shoot that video.”

Why can’t I toss vanity out the window? But dare I say that we all have a trace of that from time to time, don’t we?

Some of us are way too conscious. We dress well to look sharp, dress up so we look great, wear black to look thin, fix the hair so we look young, and dress down to look cool.

And beyond how we look, we strive to do what might be impressive. We try hard to reach the top, get busy doing good stuff or even go places to rave about what we did.

Those efforts aren’t bad, unless they rule our lives. Or unless they stir electric signals to the brain, keeping it awake when it should be resting.

Jan-TurkenThis past Saturday, at the Access Life event for individuals and their families living with disabilities, a sort of strange animal taught me a big lesson about total trust and rest. I got to hold a “turken” or naked neck chicken. This peaceful little creature is half turkey and half chicken. The body of a chicken, the neck of a turkey and the head of a chicken. Since I’m not able to “see” it, I imagine it to be a sort of ugly creature.

But does it even show concern about its looks? You tell me. As I held it, it fell asleep. It had no clue a blind woman was holding it. It didn’t care how it looked, what appearance it displayed or even care about who took its picture. It showed no worry about others staring at her.

Why can’t we be like that? Why can’t we rest in peace just the way we are—with failures that might be known. With flaws that stand out. With weaknesses that are evident, or things left undone? And in face of it all, we, dare to live in complete trust. In total peace. And undisturbed confidence, the kind of confidence that we too fall asleep in God’s arms.

But we can. And here are three steps to enjoy sweet sleep in those long nights:

Visit Janet’s website to read more:  Three secrets to get a good night’s sleep. | Janet Perez Eckles

Tags: , , , ,

Positive Mind, Healthy Heart

16 Oct

From the Heart
Louise Gibson

Louise Gibson

 

 

A cheerful heart is good medicine,
but a downcast spirit dries up
the bones.”
Proverbs 17:22

 

Old age is not all downhill.
She was 80 years old still
walking on a treadmill.

 

As Robert Strauss, diplomat and
advisor to U. S. presidents, once
remarked,
“It’s a little like wrestling a gorilla.
You don’t quit when you are tired,
Your quit when the gorilla is tired.”

 

What we do to and for our body
is a personal responsibility.
No one can change your life style but you.
There is no quick fix.

 

You simply need to keep plugging on,
no matter what happens in the course
of any particular day. It is said that when
his crew grew discouraged after three weeks
at sea, Columbus urged them on by shouting,
“Adelante”, “Adelante” “Sail on!, “Sail on”!

Persevering means stopping not when you
lose heart, but when the task is done.

 

“Challenges are what makes life interesting;
Overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.”

 

Joshua J. Marine,
Writer
Quote from Yoga Barra:
“I cut my pizza into 6 pieces.
I don’t think I could eat 8!”

 

You can’t get much done if you can only work
when you feel good.

Have a GREAT day!

Tags: , , ,

Flying Legends Airshow~Part 8

14 Oct

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites

Flying Legends

 

Day 8 – Wednesday July 8th

 

When I checked in at the “Ye Ole Red Lion Hotel” the evening before, the hotel proprietor was very efficient and explained everything to me, including Wi-Fi password, dinner and breakfast menus & hours. I asked him if breakfast was to be served in the same dining area where I took my dinner (Fish & Chips) and he said, “Yes.”  I woke ready to dig into my English breakfast (served from 8-10) that was included with the price of my room. But when I arrived at the breakfast room, at 8:30, the door was locked. I knocked on the door but nobody came. I knocked on a window and still no one came. After waiting for about 15 minutes I finally decided I wasn’t going to get any breakfast. I thought, “You know that’s a good way for the hotel to save money on the free breakfast they advertise. Just don’t open up and then you don’t have to serve breakfast. The people have their destinations to get to and will usually give up and drive away, like I did.”

1

                                               

My first stop today was at the South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum in Doncaster. They had a very nicely restored Vulcan bomber sitting outside as you entered the museum property, but the rest of their outside display airplanes were in very poor condition. The inside of the only Hanger they had looked like a junkyard. It was so full of parts of airplanes, helicopters and engines that a person could hardly walk thru the mess. Their excuse for the condition was that they just didn’t have room to properly display everything they had. They did have a row of several British Cambara nose sections displayed outside that I thought Larry would be interested in.

2

 

Next it was on to the Lincolnshire Aviation Center in Hagnaby. This was a beautifully restored our WWII RAF bomber base. Several of the original buildings and the control tower have been restored and used to exhibit their WWII memorabilia. The museums claim to fame is a fully restored Lancaster bomber. Every few days (today wasn’t one of those days) they start the engines and you can buy a ride in the bomber as they taxi it down the runway and back. WOW, what a thrill that must be!

3

 

Next was the Battle of Britain Memorial Center and Coningsby. This museum reminded me of Kermit Weeks’ Fantasy of Flight in Florida. Every beautifully restored airplane they have in their collection is in flying condition, and is flown frequently. The only difference is that Kermit flies his own restored museum airplanes and this museum’s restored airplanes are flown by active duty No. 29 Squadron RAF pilots in their spare time, on special occasions, at airshows all over England. Missing from the photo below is their C-47.

4

Next on the list was the Cranwell Aviation Heritage Center in Sleaford. This museum only had one plane and the museum was mostly dedicated to the history of the Cranwell Air Field Training Center there during World War II.

5

 

The Newark Air Museum in Newark-on-Trent was closed today, but I did get a few photos of their outside static display airplanes, thru the fence.

6

 

Next was the Finland & West Norfolk Aviation Museum in Wisbeck. I didn’t get to this museum before they closed, but I would never have guessed it was a museum, except for the sign over the door and the one airplane out front. From the outside, it looked like a work shop in a small warehousing area.

7

 

I found the Riverside Chalets in the small town of Spalding.   The small apartment type rooms were located behind the Riverside Pub.  They were very nice, quiet and clean. I had a great meal of beef, new potatoes and mashpeas and a pint of Guinness at the tiny pub that evening.

8

 

—–To Be Continued—–

Tags: , , , , , ,

Trials and Tribulations

12 Oct

My Take

DiVoran Lites

Author, Poet and ArtistThis morning Bill had a procedure in a different town from where we live. It’s something we’re very grateful he can do because it means knows no surgery. Is called a TUMT  I’ll be driving Bill home because he’s having Valium and a pain pill for the procedure. I’ll be doing some waiting so I have my small art case all ready to go. I have the tiniest palette you ever saw, crayons, inktense pencils, and a multi-media sketchbook and they all fit into the case, along with a water pen to paint with.

I plan to leave the office while he’s in the back to take my morning walk. I’ll be sure to have my hat to shade my face. I’ve put on sun-screen, but I haven’t been in the habit of wearing it and have been bitten by the sun because of it. I have the cosmetic surgeon’s scar to show for it. I didn’t use sunscreen all these years because I heard that it wouldn’t allow my skin to absorb vitamin D from the sun. That reminded me of my mother, Dora, telling me she had rickets as a child. That was caused by a lack of sunshine. Her legs were slightly bowed for the rest of her life. Now I wonder if she got it soon after she was held indoors in quarantine for nine months because she had scarlet fever. Her baby brother died earlier of a disease they called St Vitus Dance.

On Bill’s and my jaunt I can do whatever I want with my phone. I can look up a youtube video for a hymn for this blog. Here it is! Nearer My God to Thee, and what a pleasure – beautiful video and words to the song included.

I’m taking a box of raisins in case I get peckish and a cup of ice water for thirst. We should be home in time for lunch.

We’re home now. Bill had no pain, but he was ready for a nap. All these medical procedures can wear a body out but like the energizer bunny, through the grace of God, we keep on keeping on.

Yellow and Green Thistle signed

Tags: ,

The Price of Exercise

11 Oct

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

JUDY

 

In previous musings, I have mentioned that I have been an “exerciser” for most of my life – well, at least most of my adult life. I guess I really became serious about it while we were living in Panama City, Florida in the early 1970’s. We were actually living on Tyndall Air Force Base (AFB).

1

 

I don’t really know what motivated me to start jogging, but that’s what I did. The ground there is pretty flat, so there weren’t any “hills” or even much of any kind of incline to thwart my progress.

And so it was, that I was jogging for about three months before I shamed Fred into getting into the program with me (he says we were actually RUNNING – not jogging!). We would get up quite early and go out together. When we came home, Fred would shower and get ready for his work day while I got the girls up and breakfast on the table. After everyone was gone, then I would go out for another run. I timed myself once, and found that I was running four miles in 28 minutes!! Not bad for an old lady of 40!

And speaking of an “old lady of 40,” perhaps the motivation was that I decided that I did NOT want to be a fat old lady, and was half-way to both! At least, that’s what I told Fred! And so, the exercise program began.

Some form of that exercise continued for many years. We were in Panama City for five years, then in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas for one year (Fred was in school – not the prison!!). And in case you don’t know – it SNOWS a LOT in Kansas! But we bundled up, including ski masks and did our daily run. Then on to Germany from there.

It wasn’t long before I discovered aerobic dancing while in Germany, and realized that I couldn’t do both the jogging and the aerobic dancing, and since I was teaching the aerobic dancing (and getting paid for it), I stopped the jogging. I continued teaching, even for about seven years after we rotated back state-side.

While I enjoyed the results of all that exercise, I can’t honestly say that I enjoyed the exercise itself. The aerobic dancing was by far more fun that jogging, but it was still exercise, and I was still dripping sweat like crazy!!

In any case, I found this cartoon once, and thought it described my attitude toward exercise exactly. I hope you enjoy it, too! Credit to Johnny Hart:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tags: , , , ,

Five secrets to looking younger. | Janet Perez Eckles

10 Oct

commons.wikimedia.org

Last Friday, I got dolled up. I even dabbed some lip gloss. Hubby and I headed to have our pictures taken for our church’s directory. He looked sharp in his black suit and I tried to look my best in my red dress. As we waited our turn, a friend came out from her session with the photographer. “So, how did you like the pictures he took?” I asked. “Ugh, I don’t know,” she said in a lamenting tone, “the problem is they look like yourself.” I laughed. Why is it that we’re never pleased with our looks, our image, the way we display the years that sweep by? And why does depression set in when another birthday approaches? Is that you? Cheer up. Here are five ways to look younger on the inside so the image can reflect on the outside.

Be sure to visit Janet’s blog for the rest of the story.

Five secrets to looking younger. | Janet Perez Eckles

What’s Been Happening

We got in the car last Saturday evening, heading out to dinner with our favorite friends. We chatted about fun stuff on the way to the restaurant. And the gift certificate made it even more enjoyable. No bill after the meal!

Well, when we walked in the door, the place was, yikes, loud, I mean really loud. Logically it had to be because it was a sports bar. We asked for a quiet table, and the hostess chuckled. “No such a thing.”

While we munched the yummilicious food, we found ourselves enjoying the football game…and guess who ended up shouting to cheer the team? Yes, we did. It was our table that cheered like everyone around us. Imagine that.

From now on, we’ll just settle in whatever restaurant of life God takes us…it may end up being more fun than we expect.

Tags: , , , ,

Don’t Forget to Say “I Love You”

9 Oct

From the Heart

Louise Gibson

Louise Gibson

The days pass so quickly and
Interests are so diversified-
But today my heart is heavy.
A dear friend of mine has died.

Take the time to tell them.
Let them know how much you care.
Don’t take it for granted,
for they may not be aware.

When you phrase the words, “I love you”
It brings comfort and joy to another’s soul.
Let communicating with others
be your foremost heartwarming goal.

People need people.
Listen with your heart to their plea.
“I don’t want to walk alone”-
There is such comfort in company.

Every day is precious-
A gift from our Lord above.
Walk with a grateful spirit.
Do all things in the spirit of love.

Love-beach

Tags: , , ,

Settling in for Fall

8 Oct

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

I'm a winner

I think we may be settled into the mountains for the duration of fall.  Of course, I may be wrong about that. We tend to have trouble settling in one place.  Last weekend we attended a family reunion in the Raleigh, NC area. When my mom’s family gets together, a lot of talking and laughing goes on and a lot of food gets eaten. As the food line was forming, my cousin, Nancy and I were eyeing the homemade mac and cheese and considering our chance of getting some before it was gone. I talked Nancy into sliding through the line and getting us a plate of the yellow yuminess to share while we assessed the various cakes and pies on display. As the line shortened, Nancy took up a place in line but I headed straight to the desserts and grabbed a piece of the chocolate cake that had been teasing my taste buds. Have you ever eaten a ding-dong cake? Oh my. For a while now, eat dessert first, has been my motto when the desserts look especially good.  It would have been a tragedy if I had choked on a fried corn bread stick and missed that cake!

On our drive back to the mountains, we noticed that more trees had begun to clothe themselves in their fall wardrobe. Next week the colored leaves are supposed to be at their peak and we are looking forward to having family come and stay for the week. Fall also ushers in craft shows, festivals and an abundance of apples. I have apples cooking in my crock pot as I type this. I went to the vegetable stand this morning and chose an assortment of local varieties to make applesauce and I added a touch of local honey to it. I know it will be delicious because I think I sampled every type of apple as I peeled them.

This morning a low fog hung over the mountains. The contrast of fog and fall color was beautiful and oddly soothing. Our flowers haven’t made up their mind about fall. The roses continue to bloom and the blue Hydrangea, which did not bloom all summer, are blooming now. I think we missed giving them a spring feeding and confused them with a late summer feed.

Got a little behind on weeding!

The cool weather here is a blessing after the heat of Florida. I plan to enjoy every moment of it. Wherever you are, I hope you enjoy your version of fall too.

Tags: , , , ,

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →