I received an e-mail from my sister Anita a few weeks ago about how the demographics of our world are changing. It was rather lengthy, but interesting to read. Once again, it was written by a guy with a resume that is lengthy and impressive (lots of initials after his name). The bottom line of the entire email is that if the Judeo-Christian populace doesn’t survive, and thrive, the world as we know it will cease to exist.
My grandmother’s world was ceasing to exist right before her very eyes. I remember her talking about living through the transition of going everywhere by horse and buggy, to traveling by car, then by airplane, and finally putting men on the moon—she didn’t live long enough to see the space shuttle. She spoke of the decline of morals, absolutes in our lives that acted as our moral compass.
The gentleman who wrote the article bemoaned the time when the world as we know it will simply cease to exist, other cultures will prevail, other religions will be more practiced and widely spread than Christianity, and the socio-economic structure as we know it will collapse. This will happen mostly because people simply won’t care what happens enough to make the changes to stop it.
Stop it? I have been studying the prophets in the Old Testament, Isaiah to be specific, and the similarities to what is happening in our world today are striking. Israel was carried off into captivity because no one did anything to change the onslaught of changes that were happening right in their midst; changes that didn’t’ fit God’s plan. God had a plan to draw His people back to himself and nothing they were going to do was going to change it. He was crying out through the voice of His prophets for Israel to return to the proper relationship with Him; they didn’t. His ultimate goal was to turn them back to him, to remind them that He is God, had delivered them, fed them clothed them, and mostly loved them. They were to love Him, worship Him and praise Him for that, not just in their daily lives but to others as well. They weren’t doing it.
We have many modern day prophets who have been crying out for years for the people of God to turn back and be the people He intended us to be. James Dobson bemoans the disintegration of the Traditional Family. Jerry Falwell warned that 9/11 was just the beginning of what was in store for us as a nation. Franklin Graham’s speech at the Columbine High School memorial service spoke honestly about the deterioration of our society showing itself in the massacre that took place there. These are a few of the “prophets” who are crying out to us to change our ways and turn back to God. They are just different “ways” than the prophets of old encountered in the Old Testament.
Anita prefaced the entire e-mail by saying that she was glad after reading it, that God is in charge. I am glad too, but I must remember that sometimes God allows things to get worse before He makes them better. I don’t see stopping the tide of change that is coming; “If God wants me with him, there are none who will stop him”, is one of the lines from the movie “Little Women” starring Clare Danes where she plays the role of Beth. As she is lying on her deathbed and Jo, played by Winona Ryder, tells her she doesn’t want her to go, Beth’s response reflects the acknowledgement and realization that God is in control. His will, as Jesus taught us to pray, will be done.
I believe that in the “last days”, there will be a purifying of the saints of God. Those who can stand the heat may still die by that fire; others will stand, and lose much for the sake of their beliefs. This is the warning of the Bible; if you read it, if you believe it. The epistles of the New Testament and many of Jesus’ prophecies warn us to be prepared for difficult and hard days. They warned us then, and are warning us now. Our world will continue to change and it won’t necessarily be for the better. Priorities will have to be set, for the children of God as well as the rest of the world. We will have to be prepared to seek God only, not wealth, position, or even victory. Our victory won’t be till Jesus himself appears. Until then we may suffer. We may not win this particular battle, but like in the book of Isaiah, when the enemy comes, if we are doing what God requires of us, the enemy will fall without a sword stroke from us. God will be our deliverer. Praise His Name!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Monday, June 16, 2008
My Daughter: THE FIREMAN?!?!?!?!
When Audrey was born, I visualized her doing lots of things in her life, but I have to say she has far and away surpassed any expectations I ever had of her with this, her latest accomplishment.
When she was a little girl she would stand on the stool at the kitchen counter helping me make cookies, or fix a meal, and I would listen to her tell me how she wanted to grow up and be a "scientist". I always told both of my children there was nothing they couldn't do, if they just set their minds to it, and they have both proven that point over and over.
Audrey has fulfilled her dream of becoming a "scientist". She works in a laboratory with lab coats, safety goggles, test tubes, the whole she-bang, testing water, diesel fuel, etc; all the things involved with her job. However the one thing she does with her job that I never heard her aspire to when she was a small child was becoming a firefighter.
Yep, my daughter, the same gorgeous girl over in the column of "my favorite people", in that beautiful wedding gown, is part of the Fire Brigade at the Wolf Creek Nuclear Power Plant where she works. She has a big red bag that she keeps in the back of her car that she carries her "gear" in.
She can dress out in under 4 min. and she qualified to fight fires inside the confines of the plant; she even knows how to drive, and that means maneuver and park, a full size fire engine; not a ladder truck, but a big fire engine one that actually came from a fire station in New York City, that was located 2 miles from Ground Zero (the company lost two firemen in 9/11).
She gets excited telling us about her training, going into a burning building, and dragging out a 165 lb. dummy, and being able to hold a fire hose by herself for at least 30 seconds.
Can you tell I am impressed? I am! Roger and I are captivated at the idea that this young woman that we raised from a little girl, who when I actually think about it, wasn't really ever afraid to do too many things, is putting herself out there to do this thing of fighting fires if necessary.
She modeled her gear for us yesterday, showed us how it is stowed in her bag, which is why she is able to dress out in under 4 min.
She had everything but her hat,face mask, and tanks of air, but we got the idea.
The possibility of her actually every having to fight a fire is remote (thank God), but it is still pretty impressive to think that if the situation arises, she will be qualified, and knowledgeable to do so.
I always knew she was going to grow up to be a remarkable woman, and I am seeing it come true right before my eyes. AMAZING!!!
When she was a little girl she would stand on the stool at the kitchen counter helping me make cookies, or fix a meal, and I would listen to her tell me how she wanted to grow up and be a "scientist". I always told both of my children there was nothing they couldn't do, if they just set their minds to it, and they have both proven that point over and over.
Audrey has fulfilled her dream of becoming a "scientist". She works in a laboratory with lab coats, safety goggles, test tubes, the whole she-bang, testing water, diesel fuel, etc; all the things involved with her job. However the one thing she does with her job that I never heard her aspire to when she was a small child was becoming a firefighter.
Yep, my daughter, the same gorgeous girl over in the column of "my favorite people", in that beautiful wedding gown, is part of the Fire Brigade at the Wolf Creek Nuclear Power Plant where she works. She has a big red bag that she keeps in the back of her car that she carries her "gear" in.
She can dress out in under 4 min. and she qualified to fight fires inside the confines of the plant; she even knows how to drive, and that means maneuver and park, a full size fire engine; not a ladder truck, but a big fire engine one that actually came from a fire station in New York City, that was located 2 miles from Ground Zero (the company lost two firemen in 9/11).She gets excited telling us about her training, going into a burning building, and dragging out a 165 lb. dummy, and being able to hold a fire hose by herself for at least 30 seconds.
Can you tell I am impressed? I am! Roger and I are captivated at the idea that this young woman that we raised from a little girl, who when I actually think about it, wasn't really ever afraid to do too many things, is putting herself out there to do this thing of fighting fires if necessary.
She modeled her gear for us yesterday, showed us how it is stowed in her bag, which is why she is able to dress out in under 4 min.
She had everything but her hat,face mask, and tanks of air, but we got the idea. The possibility of her actually every having to fight a fire is remote (thank God), but it is still pretty impressive to think that if the situation arises, she will be qualified, and knowledgeable to do so.
I always knew she was going to grow up to be a remarkable woman, and I am seeing it come true right before my eyes. AMAZING!!!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
What do you do with your time now........
People ask me what I do with my time now, this is just a small example of how I spend my time.........I plant flowers......
play with Lily........
plant more flowers........
watch the weather........
plant more flowers.........
watch the sunsets..........
and plant more flowers......
Of course these are not all of what I spend my time on......just some of my favorites.
play with Lily........plant more flowers........
watch the weather........
plant more flowers.........watch the sunsets..........
and plant more flowers......
Of course these are not all of what I spend my time on......just some of my favorites.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Grandma's Porch
I haven’t written anything for awhile as outdoor activities have taken me away from the computer. I’ve been busy mowing, planting and just maintaining the garden, yard and flowers. As I have been working outside and planting flowers, and then beginning to see the results of my labors as my flowers bloom I am reminded of one of my favorite childhood memories.
My Grandmother Horack (my Dad's mother) had a small house with a front porch that faced the east. She had a porch swing which was strategically located so that we could use our feet to push off the porch railing and swing really high. We would spend hours out there swinging, drinking Pepsi, and eating Oreo cookies. We would listen to the conversations when her neighbors, Mrs. Martini and Mrs. Lowry would come out in the cool of the evening and sit on her porch with her and visit. I don’t remember what the grownups talked about, but I do remember the Pepsi, Oreo’s, and Grandma’s flowers. Grandma grew beautiful flowers, all kinds all over her yard. Peony’s with blossoms as big as dinner plates that she would cut early, keep in the refrigerator and use to decorate the graves on Memorial Day, (that is a whole other story). She had hollyhocks in the back yard so tall I had to look up to see the top. But the one I remember as really standing out was the beautiful “Pauls Scarlet” climbing rose that grew up the trellis at the south end of her porch. It grew up from the ground to the roof of the porch which meant it shaded the entire porch. In among this curtain of red roses, unnoticed until they bloomed, were the deep dark purple blooms of a Clematis vine; a striking combination. As a very young child, I thought my Grandma was truly wonderful to have such a pretty bush that would bloom two different kinds of flowers.
I don’t have a “porch” per say, we have a deck. I’ve been planting flowers, filling pots with plants of wave petunias, verbenia, pots full of impatience, and begonias that later this summer will spill blossoms over onto my deck and make me feel as if I am sitting in a garden, when in actuality I am sitting on a deck in the middle of a pasture. Our deck is an “outdoor room”. It is covered with a pergola that has wisteria growing over the top. This year it bloomed for the first time, long fragrant lavender blooms that attracted hummingbirds, and bumble bees.
Springtime was, quite literally, right out our back door. Roger loved it, and the smell was better than anything you will ever find in a bottle. I have Clematis too, growing up the trellis in the middle and on each end of the deck, and they are beautiful when they are full of blooms.
Like my Grandma's porch it is a wonderful place to sit, and chat, or in the mornings, a quiet place to take your coffee and go sit and watch the sun come up. We have a table and chairs out there, so if you feel like filling your plate and going out there to eat, that is good too.
It is a gathering place of sorts. I find people gathering there when I have a house full of guests. They take their drinks and migrate to the comfortable seating outside surrounded by the flowers and canopied with the green of the vines. I find the same kind of contentment sitting in my "garden room" as I did swinging on Grandma's porch.
Nothing tells winter goodbye like brightly colored flowers, the smell of new mown grass, and a tall glass of iced tea while you sit on the "porch".
My Grandmother Horack (my Dad's mother) had a small house with a front porch that faced the east. She had a porch swing which was strategically located so that we could use our feet to push off the porch railing and swing really high. We would spend hours out there swinging, drinking Pepsi, and eating Oreo cookies. We would listen to the conversations when her neighbors, Mrs. Martini and Mrs. Lowry would come out in the cool of the evening and sit on her porch with her and visit. I don’t remember what the grownups talked about, but I do remember the Pepsi, Oreo’s, and Grandma’s flowers. Grandma grew beautiful flowers, all kinds all over her yard. Peony’s with blossoms as big as dinner plates that she would cut early, keep in the refrigerator and use to decorate the graves on Memorial Day, (that is a whole other story). She had hollyhocks in the back yard so tall I had to look up to see the top. But the one I remember as really standing out was the beautiful “Pauls Scarlet” climbing rose that grew up the trellis at the south end of her porch. It grew up from the ground to the roof of the porch which meant it shaded the entire porch. In among this curtain of red roses, unnoticed until they bloomed, were the deep dark purple blooms of a Clematis vine; a striking combination. As a very young child, I thought my Grandma was truly wonderful to have such a pretty bush that would bloom two different kinds of flowers.
I don’t have a “porch” per say, we have a deck. I’ve been planting flowers, filling pots with plants of wave petunias, verbenia, pots full of impatience, and begonias that later this summer will spill blossoms over onto my deck and make me feel as if I am sitting in a garden, when in actuality I am sitting on a deck in the middle of a pasture. Our deck is an “outdoor room”. It is covered with a pergola that has wisteria growing over the top. This year it bloomed for the first time, long fragrant lavender blooms that attracted hummingbirds, and bumble bees.
Springtime was, quite literally, right out our back door. Roger loved it, and the smell was better than anything you will ever find in a bottle. I have Clematis too, growing up the trellis in the middle and on each end of the deck, and they are beautiful when they are full of blooms.
Like my Grandma's porch it is a wonderful place to sit, and chat, or in the mornings, a quiet place to take your coffee and go sit and watch the sun come up. We have a table and chairs out there, so if you feel like filling your plate and going out there to eat, that is good too.
It is a gathering place of sorts. I find people gathering there when I have a house full of guests. They take their drinks and migrate to the comfortable seating outside surrounded by the flowers and canopied with the green of the vines. I find the same kind of contentment sitting in my "garden room" as I did swinging on Grandma's porch.
Nothing tells winter goodbye like brightly colored flowers, the smell of new mown grass, and a tall glass of iced tea while you sit on the "porch".
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
More Favorite People
This is a picture of my nieces and nephews, and my own kids taken on the day of Mothers funeral. These are also some VERY important people in my life, and I am so proud of each and every one of them. They are a fun bunch of kids,(we have Audrey and Ryan's wedding as proof) and great people. The picture wouldn't do them justice in my "Favorite People" column, so I thought I'd highlight them here. They all mean the world to me, I was in Jr.High when they started coming into the world, and I got to play with them, spoil them, and enjoy them..........I love them!
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