Tag Archives: #amblogging

Starting the New Year Face to Face

8 Jan

Last night the bloggers for Old Things R New met face to face for the first time in our history. It was an incredible and laughter filled evening.

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From left to right, Judy Wills, Divoran Lites, Onisha Ellis, Lynn Shepherd (web genius and daughter of Louise) Louise Gibson, Janet Peres Eckles. Back row, Bill Lites

I created the blog January 13, 2012 and my first post was to announce my daughter, Rebekah Lyn’s debut novel. I had no idea what I was doing, but knew I needed a platform to help promote her work.

In Febrauary 2012,  DiVoran Lites, my long time friend and mentor, brought her fun and inspiring wrting to our blog. She has now published three novels which you can find here.  Her husband Bill, loves travel and vintage WWII airplanes and we were pleased to add him on April 19,2012. In September of 2012  we welcomed Judy Wills, a talented pianist,  whose life as a military spouse brought us an inside look at family life both in and out of the military. In 2013 we were blessed with two new bloggers, Louise Gibson, whose poetry about nature, feline friends and life touches many hearts and brings smiles to the readers face, and last but certainly not least is Janet Perez Eckles, a dynamo of energy and faith, who shares her life experiences with us through weekly posts that encourage us to dig deep into our own faith and challenges.

Janet was recently interviewed on Emotional Mojo   a nationally syndicated show that  combines the best of Psychology, personal development, life coaching, and daily inspiration in a single Mojo brand.

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Extra Effort for Ordinary Results

3 Jan

From the Heart

Louise Gibson

author of Window Wonders

Sometimes I need a reminder
of just how blessed I am-
Especially when my heart is troubled,
as though I had failed an exam.

Perhaps it is age-related-
My arthritis is here to stay.
I sincerely try to ignore it-
but it refuses to go away!

I was on my way to go shopping
when it began to rain.
The car ahead bore a message on its tag-
“Too Blessed to Complain”.

When I reflected on My blessings,
my pains began to subside.
“Dear Lord, You are our healing physician-
In YOU I want to abide.

You provide all of our needs,
according to Your riches in Glory-
As I reflect on Your mercy and grace,
I am humbled to tell Your story.

P.S. We don’t need more to be thankful for-
We just need to be more thankful.

Proverbs 18:21
Death and life are in the power of the tongue.
And they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

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What Cats Can Do for You

9 Aug

 From the Heart

Louise Gibson

author of Window Wonders

Dogs are said to be “Man’s best friend”

To their owner that may be true-

But please allow me to list some things

That a cat can do for you..

Yes, I am a cat lover-

I grew up with them, you see-

Never allowed to have a dog,

Cats gravitated to me.

Cats warm your lap, and

Give you someone to talk to-

They help reduce your blood pressure

As they communicate with you.

Cats are so easy to entertain-

They can turn a bottle cap into a toy.

They display daring acrobatic feats

That turn “hum drum” into joy.

Cats make you more aware of birds.

I used to have so many-

But since the Lord sent those cats-

I find I don’t have ANY!

Cats teach you how to “land on your feet”-

And how to “lick your wounds and go on”.

They contribute to living a longer life-

As your affection they try to “con”.

They remind us that life is mysterious-

They share the “all is well” purring with you.

They make an old worn couch look beautiful!

You can see why I love cats- can’t you!

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Shocking! I Am Praising a Car Dealership

27 Jun

 On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

Onisha

We took our Toyota to the dealership today to resolve some recalls that we had been putting off.  The closest one is around one hour and forty minutes south of us so we decided to combine our weekly breakfast get together which is also south with a trip to the dealership.

When I called to set up our appointment the service manager asked if we could arrive earlier than our planned 11am since the repairs would take around two hours. When I told him earlier just wouldn’t work (because we do have priorities and breakfast out is high on our list) he was very accommodating and agreeable.*5

When we purchased our truck from the dealership, one of their selling points was that they provided loaner cars if you need service so I was surprised when I enquired about getting a loaner to learn that they no longer provided them. We had plans to do some shopping while we were in a “big city”. BUT, he said and this is a big but the dealership provides a shuttle that will take you anywhere you want to go. Hmm I thought, this could be interesting, picturing a dusty passenger van.

So with minimal traffic and after a short wait we were handing our truck over to the service manager. He verified the recalls and asked if he had our permission to check the truck for any other problems. We told him sure, expecting the old up sale routine. He then asked if we were waiting on the truck and we answered we were and would like to use the shuttle to go to lunch. I really expected a frown and maybe some excuse making but instead we got a big smile and assurance he would call the shuttle driver right away.

.I had done an online search for shops and restaurants and decided I would like to have lunch at Olive Garden. We were pleased to see the shuttle was a very nice Camry and the driver was a delightful middle age lady. She chatted easily as we made the short trip, delivered us to the door and told us to call when we were ready to return.

After a leisurely lunch we made the call for pick up and were pleasantly surprised at how quickly she arrived. Our driver had been listening to a pastor on the radio and left it playing softly as we talked.

Back at the dealership, the truck was going to require about forty-five more minutes.  The service manager was so upset we would have to wait and offered the shuttle to drive us to the mall. Truth to tell, I was tempted by the idea of a trip to a shopping mall without having to hunt for a parking place but we decided to just wait.

This dealership had two waiting areas, one for buyers and one for service. They each have large overstuffed leather furniture, large screen televisions and free coffee but the service waiting room was really impressive. It had two computer stations, fresh fruit that was frequently replenished and free packaged snacks. The dealership had made every effort to make it’s customers feel valued and cared

Governors Prayer Breakfast

Governors Prayer Breakfast

about. The wait didn’t seem very long before they called our name. As we went to get the truck I thought, “oh no, now we have to deal with the up sale”. You know what I mean; you need a transmission flush or when was your last lube job? But none of that happened. The service manager apologized again about the delay, chatted for a minute then sent us on our way.

What makes this dealership different? They have bibles in the waiting area. I’ve lived long enough to realize that every business that claims to be Christian owned doesn’t exactly live out the principles, but after buying two vehicles and today’s visit, I have to think this business does put Christ first. I can spot the phony smiles and everything I experienced today was genuine.

I’ve done my share of bashing car dealerships so it is only fair that I give some praise to  Milton Martin Toyota an outstanding one.

 

If you would like to visit their Facebook page click here

 

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For Such a Time As This

26 Jun

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites

Have you ever wondered what God’s plan for your life really is?  I’ve been told Billmany times throughout my life that God’s plan is perfect and that all I have to do is trust Him and He will direct the events of my life according to His perfect plan.  Well, over the years, I’ve had enough experiences with this concept that I believe it.

As an example, several years ago, while attending another church, the congregation had started a building program to accommodate the added growth of our church.  DiVoran and I had been asking the Lord what we should give as our part, and we were having a hard time hearing from Him about that.  Then finally He got through to us and impressed upon us to give some bank stock we owned to the church as our part.  This was really strange, because of how we had come to own this bank stock in the first place.

About 12 years before this particular building program was set up, a good friend in the banking business had suggested we buy some stock in a new bank. This investment looked good to us because we were getting in on the ground floor, and our friend and his business partners had made money starting banks before.

After DiVoran and I bought the new bank stock. that’s where the value of the stock stayed–on the ground floor.  Every year we looked forward to receiving the bank’s annual report to see how much we had made, but there always seemed to be some good reason no dividend was paid.  Now, we weren’t losing money, we just weren’t making any.  There were times during those 12 years when we really could have used the money, and several times we tried to sell the stock, but nobody wanted to buy it.

Well, as it happened, it was about this time that we started hearing rumors of a bank merger.  These rumors culminated a month later with our bank merging with a larger bank, and suddenly our stock was worth 4 times what we had paid for it!   Why didn’t it increase in value or sell in all those years?   We felt God was saying, “It was for such a time as this.”   So, we signed the bank stock over to the church, and when they asked us what value to put on the stock, we said, “We have no idea, that’s up to God, and you will know its value when you sell it.”

We originally had made the investment thinking we would make some money for ourselves, but God had other plans for that money.  How did He do that?  We don’t have a clue.  All we know is that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways

are not our ways and His timing usually doesn’t match up with ours.  He is able to plan everything way ahead of us.  Then, if we can be still long enough, and listen to His voice, and obey Him, He is able to work out good things for us.

Isaiah 55:8

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The Bearded Barbet

23 Jun

SUNDAY MEMORIES

 Judy Wills

 JUDY

 We have lived in Central Florida since 1995 – our retirement dream.  We had originally thought we would retire here and “work” at Disney, doing something mundane, so we could see the theme parks to our heart’s content.Well, it didn’t work out quite like that.  Within four months we had found the church where we felt God wanted us to be members, and so we joined it.

 1Within another six months – much to my surprise! – I became the Church Secretary.  Fred wasn’t too sure about turning in my application for the vacant position, but it just “felt right” to me, so I did.  And was hired (I was Church Secretary for nearly nine years).  I think it helped that I was an older woman, and my last position had been a Financial Secretary, and had learned to keep my mouth shut.  Financial and pastoral stuff is just something one doesn’t blab about.Within another nine months, Fred was the Church Administrator.  It was nice working together, and we made the distinction of working WITH each other – neither of us working FOR the other!  Even with our desks in the same room, we just worked together, as it should be.

In spite of all that “work” stuff, we found time to go to Disney, SeaWorld, and Universal Studios.  We especially enjoyed going to SeaWorld after a stressful day 3at work.  It just seemed like it was more restful there – not as frantic a pace as at Disney or Universal.  Perhaps it was the animals…I don’t know.  I just know that we enjoyed it and felt refreshed after spending a few hours at that theme park.

After we had been going to SeaWorld for a few years, we happened to go around a corner that we didn’t usually go around – and saw a bird “cage” along side one of the buildings.  We heard a strange sound coming from there, and stopped to see.  Inside the large cage were two of the most unusual birds we had ever seen!  And the sound was a raspy croak – called a “growling scrawk”! 4 WOW!  What were these birds??!!  The sign said “Bearded Barbet” – have you ever heard of that?  They, along with Toucans are mainly from tropical West Africa.

I rubbed my finger along the wire mesh, and one of them hopped right over to the metal frame, and took a good look at my finger.  The mesh was tight enough that I couldn’t be bitten – and it’s a good thing!  Look at that beak!!  But it did try to “peck” at my finger.  And it scrawked at me a few times, before it flew back to it’s perch.

Every time we went to SeaWorld after that, we would make sure we stopped to see 5the Bearded Barbet, and were thrilled each time.

Imagine our disappointment when we discovered that they weren’t there any more – and had been replaced by Australian Kookaburras.  Nothing wrong with Kookaburras, but they just weren’t the Bearded Barbet!

Ah – the wonders of God’s world.  They never cease to amaze me!

Psalm 8:1, 3, 8-9

Oh Lord, our Lord, how Majestic is Your Name in all the earth…

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My One & Only Ski Trip

19 Jun

A Slice of Life
Bill Lites

Bill

I believe the year was 1978, and one of my job related trips was to, what was then, the Hercules Powder Co. facility in Utah. The purpose of the trip was to coordinate design requirements for the Navy’s Trident submarine missile with the Hercules engineers. As it turned out, scheduling of the trip took place during the winter and I 1 planned to try my luck at skiing while I was there. All the skiers in my office were envious and wanted to share all their skiing experiences with me. Having lived most of my adult life going to college in southern California and working in Florida,
I hadn’t ever done any snow skiing, and appreciated most of the advice. I had no skiing togs and was in need of everything to play the part of a novice ski bum. Then, as luck would have it, I learned one of the other young engineers in our office was an avid skier and was willing to let me borrow his equipment for the trip. He provided me with a hat, goggles, gloves, sweater, a lined ski jacket and ski pants. All I had to come up with was some long johns, a couple pair of heavy wool socks and sun glasses. What a deal that was! He told me I could rent the skis, polls and boots at the ski lodge. So, off I went ready to meet the challenges of the Utah ski slopes.

It was recommended that I try the Park City, Utah ski resort, and since I was only going to have time for one day of skiing, that’s where I went. The snow that year in the Park City area was deep and beautiful, and I had no trouble finding the resort. The ski lodge was a picturesque structure set at the bottom of a mountain slope, 2where several ski trails were cut into the tree covered mountainside converged, with ski lift access to each. The ski instructors were very helpful, providing all levels of instruction. They had a beginner’s package, which included skis, polls & boot rental, a morning of basic instruction and a full day lift pass, all for a very reasonable price.

Even though I may have looked the part of a skier, I wasn’t ready for those first three hours of hard work it took 3just to learn how to stay upright on skis. They taught us how to walk sideways up a slope, how to point the front of our skis together to “wedge” slowly down a slope, how to fall and how to get up. And boy did I ever need to know how to do that! Once the morning basic class was over, I was ready for a rest and some lunch somewhere warm.

After lunch, the next four hours were spent riding the lift up the mountain and trying to4 get back down the beginners slope without running into a tree or crashing into someone or falling and breaking something. To this day, I can’t believe I fell down that many times, in that many different ways, and didn’t break something. I have to admit, by the end of the day, even though I was tired, I was enjoying myself and really didn’t want to turn in my skis and leave. But I did, and of course that isn’t the end of the story.

I went back to my motel in town, thawed out in a long hot shower, had a wonderful steak dinner at a local restaurant, then went back to the motel and tried to watch some TV. But I was so tired by then I couldn’t stay awake, and just went to bed early, since I had to catch my flight back to Florida the next day anyway.

The next morning I woke up with two surprises. First of all I could hardly get out of 5bed. I was sore from head to toe. I hurt in places I didn’t even know I had muscles. I finally struggled over to the window and looked outside to find it had snowed 6during the night and the rental car was covered with almost 12 inches

of snow. What a sight that was! Then I began to worry if I would be able to get to the airport in time for my flight.

As it turned out, by the time I had breakfast, packed and checked out of the motel, the roads were clear enough for me to make it to the airport in time to catch my flight and my once in a lifetime ski trip was over. But that didn’t mean the muscle pain was over. Not on your life! It took almost a week for my body to recover from that day on the ski slopes. Even though I have never been on snow skis again my entire life, I wouldn’t exchange that experience for anything. I think the only type of snow skiing I would consider now would be in a nice slow horse-drawn sleigh ride with the love of my life by my side.

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The Epitome of Love

14 Jun

The Epitome of Love

” One word frees us of the weight and pain of life; that word is “love.”

The irony of that quote is it was written before Christ by a Greek

Tragedian.  We are so blessed to know that God came in the flesh to

redeem us back unto himself. That was true love.

I thrive on love.

There is promise in the air.

I stand on the word of God.

I see Him everywhere.

He is in the air I breathe-

His promises fill my soul.

Without Him I can do nothing,

With Him, I am whole.

We are all so different-

Still all of God’s own plan.

I marvel how He leads us

To support our fellow man.

I thirst to hear the words you speak-

I long to know your soul.

Tho diverse in our interests-

Our similarities make us whole.

 

 

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Little Things Mean a Lot

10 Jun

My Take

 DiVoran Lites

Author, Poet and Artist

One of our adult Sunday School teachers happened to mention the other day he was sitting in the open door of his garage looking out and talking to God when a neighbor going by on her bike stopped to ask if he would fill her water bottle. He gave her a new one. He has done that before.

Every Sunday I see a man all dressed up in his black suit with his Bible in his hand waiting for a ride to church. He stands as straight as a soldier and I admire his faithfulness and that of the person who picks him up, sometimes after we have gone by. They don’t go to our church.

Funny what happens when you do only one little thing over and over. Your good deeds add up.

A woman in my class is a red-hat lady and she loves thrift store sales. You wouldn’t believe the bags of children’s clothes she finds in perfect condition for little or nothing. She brings them to church for families who can’t afford a lot of clothes for growing children.

Our other Sunday School teacher works at the hospital as a volunteer to take people to their cars in wheel-chairs. He’s a father himself and he gets a big kick out of being around teenagers who volunteer for the same job. What a precious counselor I’m sure he is.

I know someone who goes to the home of her aged mother-in-law where other members of the family care diligently for her and bathes her twice a week. She makes it special with soaps, and powders and takes supper for both of them that evening.

We hear so much about movers and shakers, about heroes, and heads of charities, but we don’t hear that much about the little people doing the little deeds many times a year. I’d like to celebrate them, wouldn’t you?

The song, “Little Things Mean a Lot,” is a love song, and why not. We show love with our small, faithful, routine deeds. Maybe we’ll discover that they pile up and if we could see the accumulation of them or the way they have changed people’s lives, we’ll be surprised. Won’t that be encouraging?

dog

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THE ELEPHANT WALK

9 Jun

SUNDAY MEMORIES

 Judy Wills

 

JUDY

                                                     

 2When I was a small child, we lived in Dallas, Texas.  My mother’s mother and father lived in San Antonio, so it was probably a short ride (about four hours in today’s time) for a trip to visit with Granny and Grandpa.  I have many pictures of my brother and me in Granny’s yard.  They lived in the country, so there were lots of animals – particularly peacocks, cats and dogs.  Interesting times.

 Mother told me once that, as I was sitting on Granny’s back step, they heard me scream and then cry out.  When they rushed to see what was the matter – they discovered that the peacock had plucked my peanut butter and jelly sandwich out of my hand, and I was furious!

 San Antonio has a lot to offer – whether you are living there or just visiting.  And we 3found that one of the best zoos in this country is in San Antonio.  I actually remember visiting there often.  Remember – we moved from Texas to New Mexico when I was just four years old – so that is a long memory!  But one memory that has stayed with me for a very long time, is the elephant ride we took.  I have pictures of my brother and me on one of the elephants.
4While I don’t know whether or not the San Antonio Zoo still offers those elephant rides, I do know the zoo was still offering elephant rides when our girls were young and we were living in San Antonio.  I have pictures of both our girls – along with me – on an elephant ride.  I’m not sure Janet remembers that ride – she was pretty young – but I’m pretty sure that Karen does.

5

Apparently an elephant ride isn’t such an uncommon event.  Fred’s sister and her husband took a trip to Africa not too long ago, and they took an elephant ride, as well!

6

It’s always been interesting to me just what my mind has stored away.  But it only takes a comment, or a picture, to bring an event back into focus.  And the elephant ride of my childhood stands out as a grand event.

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