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Our Trip to the UK~Part 6

7 Jan

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites

Bill

 The B & B guidebook neglected to mention the fact that our next overnight stop was at a pig farm, and we found the smell was overwhelming.  But, we figured that since we would be gone most of the day, we could stand the smell long enough to get to sleep at night.  The rehearsal lasted a little longer than we had expected, and then we got lost in the fog on the way back to the B & B.  When we finally got there, we found our suitcases on the front stoop.  Our hostess informed us she had reserved her only room to a family (who weren’t sure when they would be there) before we got there, and now they had showed up and she felt obligated to give them the room.  She said she had made a reservation for us at a friend’s B & B down the road and she was expecting us.  We were just a little miffed, as you might expect, but the family was already asleep in our bed, so we loaded up our bags and went down the road.  When we got there, we couldn’t believe our eyes!  It was the nicest, cleanest accommodations we could have ever asked for.  We thought, “Isn’t God good to us, moving us to this beautiful B & B, and at the same price as that smelly pig farm.” 

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The next day we headed northeast, through some of the most beautiful and exquisite Welch towns and landscapes you can imagine, and then finally, crossed back into England.  This time we headed for the county town of Warwick, to visit one of the most famous English fortresses, Warwick castle.  Warwick Castle was a med-evil fortress, developed from an original fortress, built by William the Conqueror in 1068, and is situated at a bend in the River Avon in Warwickshire.   During the centuries that followed, the use and miss-use of the fortress and its lands traditionally belonged to the ruling Earl of Warwick, and served as a symbol of his power.  Then, during the 15th and 16th centuries, as ownership of the castle and the lands associated with the earldom were passed back and forth from various earls, and The Crown, portions of the fortress were slowly converted for use as a castle.  But, during much of this time no one in particular wanting to foot the cost of keeping up repairs or restoring the structures, so by 1600 the castle, ended up in a state of disrepair.

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In 1604, Warwick castle and its lands were given to the Sir Fulke Greville (1st Lord Brooke) by James I.  Over the years, Greville spent  £20,000 (£3 million today) making many improvements to the castle, one being to  convert a portion of the castle into his residence, which was typical of many of the castle conversions taking place during that time period.

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Individuals have been visiting the castle since the end of the 17th century, and this practice grew in importance through the 19th century.  Then, during the 20th century, successive earls expanded its tourism potential until, in 1978, after 374 years in the Greville family, it was sold to the Tussauds Group, a media and entertainment company,who opened it as a tourist attraction.

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The castle tour was wonderful, with representations dating from mid-evil times to the early 20th century.  There were collections of mid-evil suits of armor and war weapons inside, and staged jousting matches on the courtyard grounds during the summer months, weather permitting.

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The interior rooms are decorated for various periods, with wax figures dressed in period attire, and even a recording of a famous opera singer in the grand ballroom.  The furnishings are beautiful and help one to get an idea of how the inhabitants lived and worked during the various times depicted.  As an example, in 1898, Frances Countess of Warwick, who was more affectionately known as Daisy, hosted a lavish weekend party for many of society’s elite, at the castle, in which the principal guest was the Prince of Wales, who would later become Edward VII.  Much of the Grand Ballroom authentic furniture and furnishings depict the grandeur that those guests would have experienced at such a party

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DiVoran loved the various costumes, including the scene of a maid getting one of the children ready for his bath in one of the upstairs rooms.  As part of our tour, we climbed the 200 steps, to the top of one of the towers, and DiVoran thought she would never get her breath back.  Of course, it didn’t bither me a bit.

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—–To Be Continued—–

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Multigenerational Friendships

6 Jan

My Take

DiVoran Lites

Author, Poet and ArtistHow do you put a bit of spice in an otherwise humdrum life? For me, nothing works like making a new friend. Oh, I don’t go around indiscriminately claiming to be friends with everyone, but if I give it a bit of thought, the friends are there. Perhaps I haven’t taken the time to develop them.

Starting close to home geographically, I have a dear friend among the neighbors. I’ve known her forty-four years. Our kids grew up together running free in the woods, building forts, riding bikes. They got through high school and went their separate ways, but still on holidays if any of them happen to end up in the area at the same time, they congregate in the driveway for a confab. The youngest of them will soon be fifty. Two of them call us from far away to chat and that’s gratifying and enjoyable.

Bill and I still have friends our own age, who went to elementary school with us. Since we never lost touch over all these years we have a lot of continuity and understanding, and due to the wonder of mail (e and snail) we know what’s going on in each other’s lives. A couple of winters ago I came across a photo of my eighth grade principal, and wrote Patricia to ask what she recalled about him. She still lives in Colorado, and she sent back a story not only reminiscing about the principal, but with the addition of other memories. That winter was extremely cold in Colorado and even in Florida we struggled to stay warm. Patricia and I holed up with space heaters and our computers in our respective homes, and ended up writing a whole book back and forth about the late forties and early fifties of our childhood. I still have a good friend from beauty school too. She lives in California and we email each other frequently. But those aren’t exactly multigenerational, except that they do stretch across the generations.

When I was young, the small town sheriff would come into our restaurant and I’d be allowed to sit with him and hear his stories as my parents bustled back and forth serving food and drink. Other merchants in our two blocks of Main Street befriended my brother and me, too: Miss Lily at the post office, Mr. Cope at the drugstore, and Mrs. Canda at Canda’s grocery. Mrs. Canda taught my second grade class and after she retired from teaching I’d stop at her store on my way home from the restaurant to visit.

Now I’ve made friends with the brother and sister who moved in, with their parents, across the street. They come for short visits and talk about what’s going on in their lives. This is an especially interesting time of year because one of them has a birthday and of course there’s always school and holidays to look forward to. They home school and are a fountain of information about the highly approved way their mom does things.

We have a whole array of ages at church. I teach a small Sunday School class which is a joy and a goldmine of young friends. The youngest is five years old and the eldest soon to be eleven. I believe they consider me their friend, and may continue to do so into adulthood. That’s a wonderful feeling!

A new friend is a vet from one of the Middle Eastern wars we’ve had in the past decade. I haven’t asked which one, but he has not been reluctant to tell Bill and me about some of his adventures when, after church, we drop him off at work. He has been shot four times, been injured jumping from airplanes, been knifed, and has had multiple operations. The great thing about this gentleman is that he is rebuilding his life inch by inch and one of his greatest healers is his fabulous gift of music. For praise team, he plays whichever instrument needs playing while the rest of us sing.

I have a friend who is finishing high school and getting ready to go to college or join the military. She and I, her guardian, and her cousins go to the library together sometimes. We have a lot in common because we all enjoy reading.

Of course we like keeping our relatives as friends, and that can include a multitude of ages. To rely solely on our children and grandchildren for company, however, would surely be a mistake. They have their lives, and we have ours. Many people of all ages look for friendship, as we do, so there’s no reason to sit around and pine.

Here’s a link to some things I’ve learned about friendship over the years. One thing I know: it is the greatest tool God ever gave us to keep from becoming unnaturally lonely.

Here’s an excellent blog about a multi-generational friendship that began on Face Book.

Do you have a  favorite place to meet new friends?

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After Christmas…

5 Jan

SUNDAY MEMORIES

 Judy Wills

Judy Wills

 

Christmas is such a joyous time.  I love the decorations – not only at our house – but also those that the neighbors put up.  Ours is rather tame compared to some of our neighbors, but that’s okay…….we have what WE enjoy!

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I love the season that reminds us that our Savior was born – to bring us life everlasting in His presence.  I’m sorry that society has made it into something so commercial, that so many people can’t see past the glitter to see God’s handiwork.  We received an e-mail from some friends who are working with Wycliffe Bible Translators, telling of some translators in Nigeria who were working on Luke 2:7, where “She [Mary] gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.”  After pondering the word “manger” the locals used a word.  When the Wycliffe translator asked what that word meant, they said it was a “cradle” hung by ropes where the newborn could be laid and it could be swung.

The Wycliffe translator tried to get them to understand that was not what happened – that Jesus came in the lowest possible way, that it wasn’t just a matter of tradition. God expects us to find the words that express the original meaning as accurately as possible. Furthermore, this word tells us something profound about God.  “When He came to live among us and bring salvation to us, He came in the lowliest way possible. He did not come and sleep in a nice rope-hung cradle like every mother wants for her newborn.  Instead, He showed us his unbelievable humility.  So we need to find your best word for an animal feeding trough.”

Suddenly the one who had argued most loudly for the traditional term offered, “We feed our animals out of an old worn-out basket that is not usable anymore except to feed the animals. We have another word for it.” 

And so they used that word. 

That story reminded me of a man in our church who works on the Jesus film for the Campus Crusade for Christ (now Cru).  He said that there was a translator working with the team in Africa going from village to village, and he would translate.  But it wasn’t until they took the film to HIS village, and he heard the story in his heart language that he finally understood the message of Christ!

God has made it so very easy for us to know and find Him.  In the “after-Christmas” we must hang on to the message that God sent his one and only Son to be born in the lowliest way possible, and grow into the man who would die for our sins, so we can live forever in His presence. 

How very great is our God!! 

 Psalm 8:9

Oh Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

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How to Make New Year’s Resolutions

4 Jan

Walking by Faith, Not by Sight

Janet Perez Eckles

“I hate making long-range plans,” I said to hubby at dinner the other night.

“You have to. If you don’t, you’ll flounder.”

Grrr. He’s right. But setting goals is way too tedious for me. I’d rather just do what comes up. You know, follow God’s lead for the moment. And contently, try to do my best each day.

I’m tempted to do the same this year too. When most are setting New Year’s resolutions, making plans, charting paths to reach this or that, I just want to chill.

Anyone out there feel like I do? To-do lists already dictate my day. And the daily demands beckon relentlessly.

But I guess it’s time to change. This 2014, I’ll embrace a different attitude. I’ll plan to do three things:

  •  Calm my heart enough to hear what God is instructing me.
  • Seek His Word more diligently to know if I’m heading in the right direction.
  • And be at peace when things don’t work out.

These are my three goals. I don’t know what the New Year will bring. I don’t know where God will take the ministry. But I do know that peace, sweet peace will fill my soul just because His Word whispered to me this morning: “Be still, and know that I am God…” Psalm 46:10

He’s God when I fail to plan, when I fall. And He’s still God when triumph comes in spite of it all.

Janet Perez Eckles loves to inspire. She is an international speaker, author, radio host and life coach. www.janetperezeckles.com

Legacy

Janet Perez Eckles,

Grateful for the privilege of inspiring you…

My website in English

En Español

My story (video)

Inspirational video  just for you.

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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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Angels, Lambs, Ladybugs and Fireflies

2 Jan

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

I'm a winner

When my daughter was in elementary school the second and third grade performed a Christmas program entitled “Angels, Lambs, Ladybugs and Fireflies.” She was a firefly and their job was to light the way to Bethlehem for Mary and Joseph. As they sang their song with dimmed lights, each child waved a lit flashlight and one child, I think, it was mine had this line “When everyone works together, a lot can be accomplished.” Isn’t that a great line?

This week I was notified I had won a month long  contest, a writing contest at that. It involved writing a story using only one hundred and forty characters. That is 140 letters people!  They even paid me money; fifty dollars and that is not the best part, the part that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. The only reason I won is that I have an incredibly supportive group of friends on Facebook and Twitter. Together they retweeted my story over sixty times, more than any other contestant.

When everyone works together a lot can be accomplished. I think that is my motto for 2014.

I know you have been dying to read my winning story, so here it is, don’t blink or you will miss it!

 Birthed in pain to a life of shame. Hooker by night, student by day, paying her way, trying to escape and change her fate.

Not my daughter’s performance but it’s a cute play. The wise fireflies speak around the 7 minute mark

PLUS, I wanted everyone to have the song stuck in their heads like I do right now.

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Our Trip to the UK~Part 5

1 Jan

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites

Bill

Our Trip To The UK Part 5

By Bill Lites

 

 

Now we headed north thru Patchway, and then west, across the Severn River, into Wales.  After passing thru Chepstow and Newport, we turned north again to visit the Big Pit Coalmine Museum near Blaenavon, in South Wales.  Because DiVoran’s father had once been a miner in Colorado, when she was young, we thought a tour of a real coalmine would help us understand what he had endured back then.  This turned out to be one of the most exciting experiences that either DiVoran or I had ever had.  The South Wales Coalfield, of which the Big Pit was a part, was at the height of its production between the 1880s and 1920s.

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During the Great Depression of the 1920s & 1930s, the British coal industry went into terminal decline. The reduced demand for Welsh coal, and the increased competition from abroad placed an enormous strain on the industry.  A series of pit closures in the 1970s & 1980s had additional damaging effects on many communities that had, for many generations, relied on mining.  The Big Pit, Blaenavon’s last coalmine, closed in 1980.  It was opened as a museum in the late 1990s, and has gained in popularity ever since.

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It was amazing to be lowered into the mine on the same elevator, and explore the same tunnels, that had been used by miners for generations.  One of the most fascinating areas, was the horse stalls, where the horses were kept, when not in use to move the coal cars around in the mine.

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The tour guide told us that the horses were only taken up to the surface once a year, and that they would run, jump and kick until they wore themselves out, just to be free of their confinement. It’s hard for me to see how they could ever get those horses back into that mine, once they had experienced a short period of freedom like that.

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When we finished our tour of the Big Pit Coalmine Museum, and returned to our car, there was this guy cleaning the car windows.  When I ask why he was cleaning our windows, he said he was raising money for his men’s choir to make a trip to America the next year.  Well, I was skeptical, but DiVoran had heard of Welch men’s choirs, and wanted to know all about their choir and their trip plans.  He told us the closest they would be to us during their tour would be in Charleston, SC, and we told him we would put that date on our calendar to come to their performance.          

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DiVoran told him that she had always wanted to hear a Welch men’s choir sing in concert.  After we all warmed up to each other a bit, he mentioned that their choir was rehearsing that evening, and invited us to come to the rehearsal.  We were thrilled to get the chance to hear them sing, and got directions to the church where there they would be practicing. The quaint town of Abergavenny, in Gwent, wasn’t far from the Big Pit Mine Museum, so we had time to look around some, and to still have time for a meal at the local pub, before locating the church for the rehearsal.

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They called themselves “The Blaenavon Male Voice Choir”, and were known internationally. But let me tell you, these were some of the most warm-hearted men you would ever want to meet, and could they ever sing!  Even though it was only a rehearsal for them, and they had to stop and restart from time to time, it was still some of the most beautiful singing we had ever heard.   And, to think we were a private audience of only “two” for the whole performance!

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Just as a note, when we got home, I told my sister Judy, and her husband Fred, who lived in Virginia at the time, about the choir tour and we planned to meet them in Charleston for the performance.  Then a week before we were to leave, I had to fly to California for an unscheduled Space Shuttle landing there, and was not able to meet them, for what they said was a marvelous performance.

 

 

—–To Be Continued—–

FROM ALL OF US AT OLD THINGS R NEW

Happy New Year animated

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Heaping Coals of Fire

30 Dec

My Take

DiVoran Lites

Author, Poet and ArtistAs I write, my soup heats on the stove. A banner blows from the porch over bright red poinsettias in sunshine. A shiny whirly-gig spins on the back fence. Red tallow tree leaves flutter in the breeze. I’ve had two days of being down with a cold, but today I’m feeling myself again and everything looks better and brighter.

I just had a rest listening to Dino’s incredible piano hymns on my new Pandora radio station coming from Bill’s iPhone. The cat lay on my chest purring the whole time.

Before that Bill and I cleaned house so it would be fur-free when, tomorrow, one of our grown children’s friends brings his family for a rare visit. They live in the Atlanta area and we live in Florida, so we don’t see them often, but we do talk on the phone.

Bill vacuumed and I dusted. It was cool on the porch, but not too cold to water the plants and run a dust rag over the shelf where we keep them. Oh, yes, some hot-pink Christmas cactus is in bloom there, too. I filled the birdbath and the painted buntings came to bathe, to drink, and to eat the seed Bill put out for them.

As I was lying down to rest, just before the cat got comfortable, while the music was playing softly, Bill brought in a vintage book he’s reading: Strange Scriptures. It was written by a missionary by the name of Barbara M. Bowen who lived in Palestine and published her book with Wm. B. Eerdman in 1945. It explains many of the things we read in the Bible by telling how the people of Bible lands have lived since the days of Abraham.

He read about coals of fire, Romans 12:20. Mrs. Bowen explained that where she and her husband lived people kept a brazier of fire going in their homes at all times. If the coals went out they sent someone to a neighbor’s house for fresh ones. If the neighbor was loving and generous she filled the container for the coals full and it was carried on the head back to the fireless home. Paul said that if we give our enemies food and drink, we are heaping coals of fire on their heads. In that day and time it meant to forgive fully and generously. Such love and forgiveness can only be experienced through the Spirit of God and those who love and trust Him.

It had been one year since Bill’s heart attack. As he read to me, he had his ball cap on, ready to run an errand. My bed was the right mix of firm and soft. The house was neither too warm nor too cold. Our work was done, our house was clean. The radio played softly, “It is Well with My Soul,” and it truly was well with our souls. Sometimes such moments arrive and we treasure them fleetingly. I wanted to share this one with you and wish you a New Year full of them.

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Memories of New Year’s Past

29 Dec

SUNDAY MEMORIES

 Judy Wills

Judy Wills

I guess I am just like most people when it comes to New Years – “I AM going to lose those _____ pounds this year!”  “I AM going to get the house in order!”  “I AM going to scan all those pictures and get them in an album!”  etc., etc., etc.

So, resolutions not-with-standing, what are my memories of New Years past?  I guess my favorite memory is of growing up in my church in Albuquerque.

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For many years, on New Year’s Eve, the church would have a program that started about 6:00 p.m. with a dinner.  Now, this was a fairly large church, and we had a paid staff who made the meals every Wednesday evening, before the regular activities began.  And those ladies made the BEST dinner rolls!!!  Nothing I’ve ever been able to duplicate!

Anyway, dinner started at 6:00 p.m.  After that, I remember either a movie shown on a large screen in the sanctuary, or games.  Perhaps there were games for the smaller children – I just don’t remember.  But then there was a time of “remembrance” or sharing.  Just being thankful for the year that was passing away, and looking forward to the new one approaching.

But the best thing about the entire evening, was that, after the sharing time, we would – literally – ring the outer edges of the sanctuary, holding hands to make a funny-shaped circle, and pray in the New Year.  We could hear the fireworks going off, and people yelling outside the church building.  But inside, we were asking God to bless the New Year, and us in it, and our part of it.  It was an extremely wonderful time.

And then I remember some New Year’s Eve’s in our small church in Virginia.  We would gather for a time of sharing and remembrance, then share the Lord’s Supper together, and then pray in the New Year.  The pastor would try to do the Lord’s Supper differently some times, to make it more meaningful for us.  I remember a time when he had a loaf of bread, and we pinched off our own little piece.  I also remember a time when there was a community cup for each family to share the “wine” (grape juice in the Baptist church!).

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But in all the memories I have, it always culminated with prayer for the New Year.  And I can’t think of a better way to start any New Year, than asking God’s blessings upon it.

May YOUR New Year be blessed beyond measure.

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Five Keys to Make This New Year Happy

28 Dec

“We play games every night,” my friend said. “We’re miles apart but we spend time enjoying a game online. It’s great fun.” Imagine that. Sharing time online, playing, enjoying and connecting with loved ones without having to hop in an airplane.

“How cool is that!” I said. “It’s like being close to the person, interacting and enjoying the cyberspace company.” I pondered on what my friend shared. And since I have the habit of trying out what I hear is fun, interesting or enjoyable, I decided to check out this new pass-time.

Sadly, I lack the time to play games. So I thought I’d try my own version of online connection. I’d connect with God, with His Word and with His guidance on a more intimate level.

Here are five ways I plan to connect with Him in the cyberspace of His love.

1. When He makes the first move to open the door to serve Him, I respond with no reservations.

2. When He moves a tough situation my way, I respond by seeing the possibilities, not the obstacles.

3. When He makes the move to bless me, I’m quick to move into the gratitude mode.

4. When He seems silent and makes no move to answer my prayer, I respond with gratitude anyway.

5. When He moves, displaying His discipline, I respond with requests for wisdom to learn.

Maybe I’ll begin that game before the New Year. I’ll make the first move: “…Cast my cares on the LORD…” and He will respond with His promise: “He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall” (Psalm 55:22).

Father, for this New Year, I plan the online connection with you to be rich, my efforts to be rewarding and my satisfaction, profound. In Jesus’ name, amen.

• With whom are you connecting lately?

• Who brings the satisfaction that fills your soul?

• What new connections will this New Year bring?

Legacy

Janet Perez Eckles,

Grateful for the privilege of inspiring you…

My website in English

En Español

My story (video)

Inspirational video  just for you.

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