Our much loved poetess, Louise hasn’t been able to compose of late. Her poems spoke words of comfort, encouragement love and humor. Just the sort of words our current world needs. So, I am planning to reblog them. Enjoy
May you always remember God is in control. He has a plan for your life.
Listen with your heart As he leads you. You will ward off the strife.
The events in our life Are meant to be. There is a peace that Can be found.
The challenges are many Diligence is profound.
We may not have chosen The path we are on, But trust it was meant to be. God works in mysterious ways As he plans our destiny.
There is a peace that can be found, Know God has a plan for our life. Keep your faith strong in him. You will ward away the strife.
When I was ten years old and lived in Colorado with my family, my mother sent me to the cellar to get a jar of canned pears. As I started back up the steps, I saw a slimy-looking creature as big as my hand lying on a step. Startled, I flew from the cellar screaming. From that day on, I was afraid of any salamander or lizard.
Now I’m all grown up, but I’m still watchful for any reptile, including lizards. Yes, lizards are designated reptiles. We always see several when we look out the window or walk around the yard. Unless it’s cool enough to eat supper on the porch, we sit at a table in front of a large window inside to have our meals. Lately, we have had a visitor every meal. We have named him Lizzy. He jumps onto the windowsill from the top of a small fence. When he gets to the closed window, he puts his tiny claws on the windowsill and looks in. He seems to want to come in. If we play music, he bobs his head. He’s a plain brown/black lizard, the size of my palm, with a dainty finger added. But wait, no, I would never touch a lizard, not even with a glove on.
When we moved to Florida, we were surrounded by lizards. They were everywhere. One Sunday, I saw one on the wall over the baptistry in the church. Lizards weren’t the only thing I had to deal with. We had green frogs on our back porch that splacked themselves to the sliding glass doors on the outside. I didn’t like them much, but I’m sorry that they are all gone now. Their greenness glowed, and they had a strip of real gold along their sides. Their chorus after rain was inspirational.
Our children played with the lizards by letting them hang from ear lobes or the skin between their thumb and finger. If one came around when I was on the porch, I ran into the house to get one of the kids or their dad to take it away. If no one was home, I slid something flat under it, tipped it into a glass, and let it slide back into the yard where it belongs.
One day I tried to move a small lizard away from where he was lying by using a spoon. He ran frantically back and forth so obviously scared to death that I had to leave him where he was. In the meantime, I had a new answer to an unasked thought. Lizards have feelings. They are afraid for their lives. I never thought of a lizard having fear. As far as I know, no animal or insect wants to die. Remember how the smallest ant or spider runs or flees-on a string-to stay alive.
Anyhow, once you get a lizard that wants to be your friend, wants you to let him in, and likes to hear the beat of the music, you start to think about loving things that seem to love you. And you begin to comprehend that some creatures and even others we know might have good hearts and be worth loving. Maybe we all need to get on the love train and forget about picking over every problem, worry, appearance, or whatever someone else is or has, and pray about loving them instead. I hear that trail is easier the more you walk it.
Jesus prays for us night and day, so that means He will greatly help us in this endeavor.
DiVoran has been writing for most of her life. Her first attempt at a story was when she was seven years old and her mother got a new typewriter. DiVoran got to use it and when her dad saw her writing he asked what she was writing about. DiVoran answered that she was writing the story of her life. Her dad’s only comment was, “Well, it’s going to be a very short story.” After most of a lifetime of writing and helping other writers, DiVoran finally launched her own dream which was to write a novel of her own. She now has her Florida Springs trilogy and her novel, a Christian Western Romance, Go West available on Amazon. When speaking about her road to publication, she gives thanks to the Lord for all the people who helped her grow and learn. She says, “I could never have done it by myself, but when I got going everything fell beautifully into place, and I was glad I had started on my dream.”
DiVoran has been writing for most of her life. Her first attempt at a story was when she was seven years old and her mother got a new typewriter. DiVoran got to use it and when her dad saw her writing he asked what she was writing about. DiVoran answered that she was writing the story of her life. Her dad’s only comment was, “Well, it’s going to be a very short story.” After most of a lifetime of writing and helping other writers, DiVoran finally launched her own dream which was to write a novel of her own. She now has her Florida Springs trilogy and her novel, a Christian Western Romance, Go West available on Amazon. When speaking about her road to publication, she gives thanks to the Lord for all the people who helped her grow and learn. She says, “I could never have done it by myself, but when I got going everything fell beautifully into place, and I was glad I had started on my dream.”
I am not a confident driver on good days, throw in rain and curvy roads and I become a teary eyed mess. A few weeks ago, I needed to drive my husband to a doctor appointment in a town two hours away and the weather report warned of heavy rain all day. I was stressed.
In my waking conversation with God I was telling him that I was distressed and plain out scared. When I gave Him the chance to respond, He reminded me of the multiple times he had given us a clear, dry bubble as we traveled. Most recently I was driving through pouring rain in Orlando traffic. I noticed that while my back window was a sheet of water, the windshield wipers were not having any problem clearing the screen.
Oh yeah, I had forgotten His mercies in my anxiety. Kind of like those Israelites who kept forgetting the ways God miraculously rescued them time after time. Think parting of the Red Sea.
I confess I have frequently questioned the character of those Israelites who grumbled at every challenge, forgetting how faithfully God delivered them from dangers.
I was thinking like the Israelites!!
On Wednesday we had another appointment set up in the town two hours away. My husband had enjoyed six days in a row of doing well and I was feeling confident I wouldn’t need to drive. No worries about the forecast rain, he handles rain driving very well. Except Wednesday morning his feeling well streak crashed. I looked once again at the rain prediction and felt anxiety seeping in.
Then I made the decision to remember the Israelites and remember God’s mercies. There was rain that day, but not a drop fell on us.
After my retirement, I decided to re-learn the canning and preserving skills I learned from my mother but hadn’t practiced for twenty years. I titled the blog Old Things R New to chronicle my experience. Since then I have been blessed to have six other bloggers join me, DiVoran Lites, Bill Lites, Judy Wills, Louise Gibson, Janet Perez Eckles and Melody Hendrix
In addition to blogging, I work as the publicist/marketer/ amateur editor and general “mom Friday” for my author daughter, Rebekah Lyn. I also manage her website, Rebekah Lyn Books
My 2022 goal is continue to use my love of photographs and words to be an encourager on social media.
Soon we will be celebrating our 65th wedding anniversary when we more or less ran away to get married. Our mothers, Bill’s sister, and my cousin and aunt made it to California, where Bill was in the Navy. Our Dads, who both traveled for their work, missed it.
Here is my tribute to you, my love.
Thank you for making us a pair.
Thank you for the good times and the hard times.
Thank you for your forgiveness and comfort.
Thank you for your safety and the knowledge of handyman things.
Thank you for your resounding laugh.
Thank you for your curiosity about almost everything.
Thank you for being a tenacious man who got things done.
Thank you for your tender love.
Thank you for loving and caring for our children.
Thank you most for trusting Jesus and teaching us to know him too.
DiVoran
DiVoran has been writing for most of her life. Her first attempt at a story was when she was seven years old and her mother got a new typewriter. DiVoran got to use it and when her dad saw her writing he asked what she was writing about. DiVoran answered that she was writing the story of her life. Her dad’s only comment was, “Well, it’s going to be a very short story.” After most of a lifetime of writing and helping other writers, DiVoran finally launched her own dream which was to write a novel of her own. She now has her Florida Springs trilogy and her novel, a Christian Western Romance, Go West available on Amazon. When speaking about her road to publication, she gives thanks to the Lord for all the people who helped her grow and learn. She says, “I could never have done it by myself, but when I got going everything fell beautifully into place, and I was glad I had started on my dream.”
DiVoran has been writing for most of her life. Her first attempt at a story was when she was seven years old and her mother got a new typewriter. DiVoran got to use it and when her dad saw her writing he asked what she was writing about. DiVoran answered that she was writing the story of her life. Her dad’s only comment was, “Well, it’s going to be a very short story.” After most of a lifetime of writing and helping other writers, DiVoran finally launched her own dream which was to write a novel of her own. She now has her Florida Springs trilogy and her novel, a Christian Western Romance, Go West available on Amazon. When speaking about her road to publication, she gives thanks to the Lord for all the people who helped her grow and learn. She says, “I could never have done it by myself, but when I got going everything fell beautifully into place, and I was glad I had started on my dream.”
DiVoran has been writing for most of her life. Her first attempt at a story was when she was seven years old and her mother got a new typewriter. DiVoran got to use it and when her dad saw her writing he asked what she was writing about. DiVoran answered that she was writing the story of her life. Her dad’s only comment was, “Well, it’s going to be a very short story.” After most of a lifetime of writing and helping other writers, DiVoran finally launched her own dream which was to write a novel of her own. She now has her Florida Springs trilogy and her novel, a Christian Western Romance, Go West available on Amazon. When speaking about her road to publication, she gives thanks to the Lord for all the people who helped her grow and learn. She says, “I could never have done it by myself, but when I got going everything fell beautifully into place, and I was glad I had started on my dream.”
DiVoran has been writing for most of her life. Her first attempt at a story was when she was seven years old and her mother got a new typewriter. DiVoran got to use it and when her dad saw her writing he asked what she was writing about. DiVoran answered that she was writing the story of her life. Her dad’s only comment was, “Well, it’s going to be a very short story.” After most of a lifetime of writing and helping other writers, DiVoran finally launched her own dream which was to write a novel of her own. She now has her Florida Springs trilogy and her novel, a Christian Western Romance, Go West available on Amazon. When speaking about her road to publication, she gives thanks to the Lord for all the people who helped her grow and learn. She says, “I could never have done it by myself, but when I got going everything fell beautifully into place, and I was glad I had started on my dream.”
I’ve mentioned in previous musings, that I am on facebook quite a bit. And if I find something that resonates with me, I “save” it and sometimes use it in a blog post.
That’s exactly what I would like to do with today’s post. I found this particular cartoon by Charles Schulz, and it appealed to me, so here it is.
Credit facebook and Charles Schulz
Credit facebook and Charles Schulz
Why did this particular cartoon spark my interest? Well yes, it WAS, indeed, sound theology. And sound theology from God does, indeed, have the means to comfort and reassure us. I have, personally, found that to be quite true.
How often have I found Satan trying his best to sway my thinking to something that God would not want me to be thinking about? Far too often, that’s for sure.
So what do I do – to get my mind off that topic and onto something pure? I turn to Scripture. There are many Scripture verses that I have learned/memorized, that lead me right back to God. Satan cannot stand to be in the presence of Scripture – it literally drives him away and out of my mind!
One of my favorites – and one I’ve quoted in oldthingsrnew before is:
In this world you will have trouble,
but TAKE HEART!
For I have overcome the world
John 16:33
But the Scriptures that help me the most, are ones that praise and adore God Himself. They lift me up as no others.
Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty
Who was, and is, and is to come!
Revelation 4:8
and again:
Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord Almighty,
The whole earth is full of His Glory!
Isaiah 6:3
You see, it doesn’t take a lot of memory space to praise God. But that SOUND THEOLOGY gives peace like I’ve never had before.
And just for your information – those Holy, Holy, Holy words are the words batted back and forth among the angels, before God’s throne. WOW! I get to magnify God with the angels! Amazing!
I am so glad God made a way for me to praise and adore and worship Him that way!
Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .
Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.
After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.
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.
(C) Copyright 2012-2019 Old Things R New All rights reserved.
This website is an Amazon affiliate and the income from sales helps to defray the cost of running the site.
In the process of writing the Jessie Cole series I immersed myself in extensive research. I grew up on Florida’s Space Coast and I wanted this series to capture what amazing and inspiring story lie behind the headlines. If you are interested in space exploration, this is a list of books I enjoyed reading while […]
Solitude isn’t the same as isolation, at least in my heart and mind. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines solitude as “the quality or state of being alone or removed from society” and isolation as “the action of isolating or the condition of being isolated.” I find something relaxing and restorative about solitude, while I never associate […]