Saturday, November 30, 2013

Chickens in Hawaii.....


Chickens....

Banty Chickens are everywhere in Hawaii.  Running across the streets, along beaches, at the malls, wondering around the airport parking lots....at weddings....

Some are fearful and others are fearless....pecking away, gathering the multitude of bugs.  Roosters, hens, chicks,  all ages...running to and fro....you would think for as many loose chickens as there are, the bug populations would be low, but not so...there are everywhere, all kinds, big and little as well....

As a child, we grew had banty chickens...they are smaller than other regular chickens, but so colorful....hard to keep in pens,,as they tend to escape easily ...it seems like they made good mothers as they would hide their eggs, sit on them, until hatched and then run around with their cute little yellow fluffs of babies...

As food, not too meaty,....as egg layers, prolific....little eggs about the size you can make with your pointer finger and thumb.

"Why does Hawaii have so many chickens?
Wikipedia suggests a possible theory: “Others say that sugarcane plantation laborers in the late 1800s and early 1900s brought and raised chickens (for eating and cockfighting) and many got loose over the years and multiplied.”"
 In fact, when we visited a sugarcane museum, one of the displays was of cock fighting...

I would suspect that every tourist has  at least one picture of a wild chicken.....

In the Bible, there are only a few references to fowl....one being a listing of food supplies, the others refer to getting free of the fowler's snare...it would take a pretty good snare to catch the Hawaiian chicken, they are pretty quick...and the last reference  refers to the comfort and protection that God longs to offer with His protection....

But a fowler's snare, Satan's schemes......we don't want to be caught by his schemes or become entangled by things that take us away from God...

As a parent,the picture presented in Matthew of protection, is so real....the hen gathering her offspring under her wings...so that they are all hidden, protected...cared for...

I love how the Bible so graphically portrays so many life situations ....protection, snares....simply bringing us into the stories with life lessons...we don't want to be snared,  we want that protection....simply said...hard to live, sometimes....

Thank YOU that Your word speaks to us simply...but with life sustaining lessons of faith, protection, care...love...You so desire that we get the lessons with our simple and complex minds ....You desire that none should perish...and you continue to draw us to Yourself...
.
1 Kings 4:23
ten head of stall-fed cattle, twenty of pasture-fed cattle and a hundred sheep and goats, as well as deer, gazelles, roebucks and choice fowl.

Psalm 91:3
Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.

Proverbs 6:5
Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.

Matthew 23:37
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.


Friday, November 29, 2013

A kiss in the heart....

A kiss in the heart....


Walking on the beach this morning, I came upon several cut tree stumps.  Each a different shape, ...until one caught my eye,   "A kiss in a heart"....isn't that a great thought..love ...shown in the the heart of another... Weddings...children...anniversaries, families...so many places...

God touches our hearts with love as well through so many things...times....answers...His son...a touch...a smile...a hug,....a gift...innumerable  ways...a kiss in the heart.....


There are actually several places in the Bible that speak of kissing,,,most as a greeting of one kind or another...

There are good greeting kisses,..

 Bad greeting kisses from non-friends..

Betrayal kisses such as Judas with Jesus....

Worshipful kisses....

Honor kisses...

Goodbye kisses...

Forbidden kisses...

Welcoming kisses. ...

And, of course, love kisses....

But, my kiss In the heart was just a fitting reminder of the week of friendship, weddings, fellowship with good friends and family....as we parted for places afar....

Thank YOU for so many heart felt memories of friends, love over the years. Care over the years...


Genesis 27:26
Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come here, my son, and kiss me.”

Genesis 29:11
Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep aloud.

Genesis 29:13
As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he hurried to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his home, and there Jacob told him all these things.

Genesis 31:55
Early the next morning Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then he left and returned home.

Genesis 33:4
But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept.

Genesis 45:15
And he kissed all his brothers and wept over them. Afterward his brothers talked with him.

Genesis 48:10
Now Israel’s eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly see. So Joseph brought his sons close to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them.

Genesis 50:1
Joseph threw himself on his father and wept over him and kissed him.

Exodus 4:27
The Lord said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So he met Moses at the mountain of God and kissed him.

Exodus 18:7
So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other and then went into the tent.

Ruth 1:9
May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.” Then she kissed them goodbye and they wept aloud

Ruth 1:14
At this they wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her.

1 Samuel 10:1
Then Samuel took a flask of olive oil and poured it on Saul’s head and kissed him, saying, “Has not the Lord anointed you ruler over his inheritance?

1 Samuel 20:41
After the boy had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone and bowed down before Jonathan three times, with his face to the ground. Then they kissed each other and wept together—but David wept the most.

2 Samuel 14:33
So Joab went to the king and told him this. Then the king summoned Absalom, and he came in and bowed down with his face to the ground before the king. And the king kissed Absalom.

2 Samuel 15:5
Also, whenever anyone approached him to bow down before him, Absalom would reach out his hand, take hold of him and kiss him.

2 Samuel 19:39
So all the people crossed the Jordan, and then the king crossed over. The king kissed Barzillai and bid him farewell, and Barzillai returned to his home.

2 Samuel 20:9
Joab said to Amasa, “How are you, my brother?” Then Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.

1 Kings 19:18
Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”

1 Kings 19:20
Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with you.” “Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?”

Job 31:27
so that my heart was secretly enticed and my hand offered them a kiss of homage,

Psalm 2:12
Kiss his son, or he will be angry and your way will lead to your destruction, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Psalm 85:10
Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other.

Proverbs 7:13
She took hold of him and kissed him and with a brazen face she said:

Proverbs 24:26
An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.

Proverbs 27:6
Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.

Song of Songs 1:2
[ She ] Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth— for your love is more delightful than wine.

Hosea 13:2
Now they sin more and more; they make idols for themselves from their silver, cleverly fashioned images, all of them the work of craftsmen. It is said of these people, “They offer human sacrifices! They kiss calf-idols!”

Luke 7:38
As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

Luke 15:20
So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

Luke 22:48
but Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

Acts 20:37
They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him.

1 Corinthians 16:20
All the brothers and sisters here send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.

1 Peter 5:14
Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.


Thursday, November 28, 2013

Firsts and lasts....

Lasts and firsts.....

Two years ago, my husband had just been diagnosed with terminal cancer. He had surgery to remove as much of the tumor as possible, recovered quickly, no pain, but radiation and chemo to go through, still not pain.  We had thanksgiving dinner with some longtime friends, their family and  grandchildren.  Our Last thanksgiving....
Later, we celebrated our last Christmas, our last anniversary , our last Easter .....lasts.....so precious.....so meaningful....so ........last.....

We talked, visited, not willing to let any time be wasted.....we even praised....telling stories, reminiscing ....with family, ...but all along it was lasts.....and firsts....first time through all of this new territory which no one wanted to travel ...this was us, not someone else...us...not some stranger we read or heard about....us, our family ....firsts in this journey of lasts and firsts.....

I read psalms at night before we went to bed, we cried, we prayed, we smiled...praise of still no pain....

I didn't want to think of lasts and firsts. But it was always there in the forefront and the background...."make good use of these times"...praise for those times....until it was the last....

So many memories, so many years, so much and so few all wrapped into life....through it all, God has been there. He is good even in the lasts and the firsts. He is the first and the last, the beginning and the end....

Now, as I watch others on their journeys in life, it is personal...it may be lonely at times and it is, but I want to say enjoy enjoy those firsts and lasts....laugh, love, tell stories, hug, live while you can....

Praise, God takes those firsts and lasts....laughs with us, cries with us..loves us .....takes the pain, holds  the tears...gives us new life in Him...somehow....

Thank YOU, the tears are still there, the pain eased, but You are still here in the firsts and the lasts...I am yours....your love endures forever, and your faithfulness continues.....

Revelations 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,”says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Psalm 100

A psalm. For giving grateful praise.

1 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
2     Worship the Lord with gladness;
    come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the Lord is God.
    It is he who made us, and we are his;
    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanksgiving  to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
    his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Bobbing in the sea.....

Bobbing In the sea.....

Yesterday was an interesting day....tired from the wedding, I got up early to go snorkeling with a friend....we arrived at the boat, ready to go...adventuring ....

We left the docks and headed for the popular snorkeling place, a crater, an hour away from shore...bobbing away in the boat, up and down , front to back, side to side.  Always bobbing...

We arrive at the crater, anchor, slide into the water, ....amazing sites, fish of all colors, coral all shapes and sizes, crystal clear water, but always bobbing away, up and down...

 A shout from boat, "come aboard ASAP". Off we go back to the boat...crowding the entry, quickly obeying , boarding ...medical emergency ...two men swam into jelly fish...
Bad reactions, so speeding back to dock, where an ambulance awaited...still bobbing away....

Then on to another private bay for more snorkeling,....sighting of whales, bottle nosed dolphins  along the way....fun to see ...whales are just arriving to this "nursery area"..
The dolphins, like Flipper, play around the boat...swimming stomach up, waiting for that rubbing of their tummies, then surf the wake of the boat...then again join the snorkelers in the cove....more fish, more coral..variety of colors....more bobbing....7 hours of bobbing....

Finally, I had to go to the boat, the bobbing has gotten the best of me...as well as several others...no more snorkeling without seasick pills....my body was "bobbing" til well Into the night...lots of water....rest....

It just made me think about Noah, his family and all of those animals....did they get sea sick at all, bobbing on the water for all of those days?  Did they have buckets prepared for that event, or railings at which to stand ......lots of bobbing for all those days....did they take ginger for seasickness? These were land people, animals, not used to the constant swaying , up and down....back and forth.....or was God gracious in helping them not to get sick...the Bible  doesn't say or give the nitty gritty details of day to day living in a zoo....

Or the sea creatures, did they play around the ark, fun to watch...?

But, they were saved and went forth again to multiply....that is the point, seasick or not, they made it....as did I...and the others....hopefully lessons learned...memories  made...

Thank YOU, for your bobbing seas, sea life, care, provision....it was another adventure along the the path....

Genesis 6-9

Wedding singer....


Wedding singer......

At the wedding this week, there was a true wedding singer, with guitar, amplifiers, and accompanied by the sounds of beautiful ocean waves in the  background, waving palms and even wild chickens which roam around at will in Hawaii..
He sang delightful soothing music, old tunes with contemporary, Hawaiian with pop, love songs and fun songs....all good for the soul....the ocean sang along with its rhythmic beating against the volcanic and coral rocks on the beach...

I just thought it was fun to find that in the book of psalms, there are psalms that were wedding songs...to the tune of "lilies".   What was that like?  We sometimes associate wedding with lilies, calla, which was used at this wedding with an abundance of orchids....or the beauty of Casablanca white lilies or the deep pink fragrant stargazer lilies....or even the popular colorful alstroemerias ....

Lilies, songs, go with weddings, celebrations, rejoicing, both in the Bible and in the here and now...even with the building of the temple...as well as comparisons of how beautiful they are...

Pictures of the past wedding s as well as the future wedding celebration with the Prince of princes, King of kings....the Lamb...

Thank YOU for the preparation of the greatest celebration of all, the wedding supper of the Lamb, who was the sacrifice for all...

Psalm 45:1
[ Psalm 45 ] [ For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil. A wedding song. ] My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.

Song of Songs 3:11
come out, and look, you daughters of Zion. Look on King Solomon wearing a crown, the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his wedding, the day his heart rejoiced.

Matthew 22:2
“The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son...

Luke 12:27 (KJV) |
27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Revelation 19:7
Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.

Revelation 19:9
Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”

1 Kings 7:26
It was a handbreadth in thickness, and its rim was like the rim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It held two thousand baths.

1 Kings 7:19
The capitals on top of the pillars in the portico were in the shape of lilies, four cubits high.

2 Chronicles 4:5
It was a handbreadth in thickness, and its rim was like the rim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It held three thousand baths.

Psalm 60:1
[ Psalm 60 ] [ For the director of music. To the tune of “The Lily of the Covenant.” A miktam of David. For teaching.

Song of Songs 2:1
[ She ] I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys.

Hosea 14:5
I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like a lily. Like a cedar of Lebanon he will send down his roots;




Tuesday, November 26, 2013

A time for everything...weddings...

A time for everything......weddings....

Times of celebration and times of mourning are great reflection events. For our family, We have had lots of times of mourning these last four years. So it has been a pleasure to be apart of a great celebration, a wedding.  But not just any wedding but a wedding of dear, longtime, wonderful friends....and not just that but a "destination" wedding, Hawaii.
Flowers, sightseeing, laughter, amazing sunsets, getting lost and talking to the gps lady, friendship, craft shows, shopping for just the right shirt (4 shops later), church, picture taking, snorkeling, walks on the beach, fresh pineapple, papaya, fresh fish.... Remembering.....

God is such a wonderful provider.....a time for laughter during a time of tears.....
Oh, the tears are still there, not far below the surface. A gift, a song, a word, a smell, a thought, or whatever can quickly bring the tears of mourning...but in the same can  bring laughter....a time for everything....

Wedding vows, holding of hands, smiles of love hit the hearts of the couple, but also the attendees...remembering their vows and celebrations. Grandchildren all around, dancing in the sunset, shows of vows in the past, from couples, family in attendance...how the marriages gone on and on...commitments made in times past...more poignant for the parents of the couple and family who have watched the couple grow and mature over the years, waiting for just the right one to come into the lives of their dear children...tears and laughter together ....a time for everything....

At funerals, we sometimes reflect on our shortness of days...
At weddings , we reflect on the blessings of days and times watching our children and their children growing up....
A time for everything....

Thank YOU for the blessings of days....celebrations, times for everything....just thank YOU for life.....in all times.....

Ecclesiastes 3:3-8
A Time for Everything

3 There is a time(A) for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2     a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot,(B)
3     a time to kill(C) and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,
4     a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5     a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6     a time to search and a time to give up,
    a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7     a time to tear and a time to mend,
    a time to be silent(D) and a time to speak,
8     a time to love and a time to hate,
    a time for war and a time for peace.

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
—Psalm 118:24


Monday, November 25, 2013

Fruitfulness....abundance....

Fruitfulness.....abundance.....

There is a fruit stand down the street from where I am staying. If you know me, I love fruit and I love to try new fruits.  My goal when traveling,  is to try a new food everyday....anyway, so we stopped at the stand, one new fruit, plus papaya, pineapple, and pomelo...nothing like fresh picked pineapple...
It is a treat to have fresh locally fruit with every meal....

Funny thing or a God thing , I had already started working on verses for abundance and fruitfulness.....

Genesis 27:28
May God give you heaven’s dew and earth’s richness— an abundance of grain and new wine.

Job 36:31
This is the way he governs the nations and provides food in abundance.

Psalm 36:8
They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights.

Psalm 65:11
You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance...

Psalm 66:12
You let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.

Psalm 107:37
They sowed fields and planted vineyards that yielded a fruitful harvest.

Isaiah 27:2-3
2 In that day—
“Sing about a fruitful vineyard:
3     I, the Lord, watch over it;
    I water it continually.
I guard it day and night
    so that no one may

But, being at  a wedding event, with grandparent potential, there are the innuendos or outright questions of how soon will there be grandchildren ....fun to look from afar at the interaction about that subject...

Genesis 1:28
God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

Psalm 128:3
Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table.

But, the I have to come back to the verse that most of us don't like to hear.....the pruning one for more fruitfulness....especially the pruning part...I don't like to be pruned, cut back, shaped, , but the promise of "more" is significant....
I like the term, superfluous. Get rid of any extra...I have lots of extra stuff, things, attitudes.....fluff...get down to the plant that becomes more fruitful..I just don't like the pruning part.. The clipping, shaping, sorting, of my life and attitudes.  But, I want to be more fruitful...pain from loss....but growth....

Prune defined...prune
to reduce
:  to cut off or cut back parts of for better shape or more fruitful growth
:  to cut away what is unwanted or superfluous

John 15:2
He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

Thank YOU, for the abundance...that only you can provide...in life, whether in fruit of the land, families...even the pruning...to be fruitful for You....



Sunday, November 24, 2013

Putting myself Into the scenes...

Putting myself Into the scenes...

From  time to time, we put our names Into verses in the Bible, personalizing them...

Rarely have I seen myself bodily ,not just my name in the verses...

Have you ever seen yourself bowing at the foot of the cross, no one else around... Just the suffering Jesus ?

Or breaking the jar of perfume and applying it to Jesus?

Or cooking a meal, or just sitting there at His feet listening, intent on the words, the looks, the nuances?

Or maybe fetching water, while no one else is around, and talking to Him??

Or His mother, watching over the years, pondering His words and actions...

Or coming in from fishing, putting down your nets, and following Him?

Or walking along a road, listening to His explanations, history, and knowing that this is different from all the other trips you've walked...

And on and on, the places you could have walked, talked, been ....with Jesus....

Can you close your eyes, and just imagine being there? What would the sounds around you be, or the smells,, the people....the feel of the atmosphere...the taste of the food....the whole experience .....

Going to Bibleland, came close, or doing the movie for Crown financial, the make up, the terrain, the costumes...

But, sitting in church this morning, singing a praise song,  just moved me to want to capture that ambiance of the Bible.   Different ages, different places.  Different times,,,but that time when Jesus was there.   What would I have really done? Been on the outskirts, afraid of the crowds, or cooking that meal or listening???  Belittling at the cross or heartbroken because of his death, thrilled at his ressurection?  Or taking in the leaders' lies and stories?  

We all get to make that choice....what it real...or just a story of a good man...or the living God with us...who came, lived, died and rose again for us, all mankind?  Who took upon himself the sins of all the world...so that, believing , we might have eternal life...

So, in the scene where am I???

Thank You, that your life is real, more real than all the stories ever written ...we can believe it...or not...that is the choice...but you so want us to believe it....you gave us that choice, but oh how You desire that belief...and acceptance...

John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

1 Corinthians 1:18
[ Christ Crucified Is God’s Power and Wisdom ] For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.








Murky waters...


Murky water...

When you first step into the waves, the water is filled with sand riled up from hitting the beach.  Can't see bottom ....so you move further out, step by step toward the ocean, away from the solid ground . The water becomes less sandy, more clear until you can see clearly to the bottom ....but the water is deeper...further away from the shore...no life guards...you and the waves, and miles of ocean...the waves hit, overpowering at times. And you are lifted up, buffeted about.....thrown toward the shore or taken further into the ocean.....this is no game...although it can be fun, the waves are relentless and strong...churning you about...the beauty lives in the waves, the sea life beneath..

The sands shift and down you go...no solid rock on which to stand, beaten again and again by the waves,, trying to stand...sometimes laughing and sometimes just trying to find solid footing and get up...

I like clear water....not the murky kind...I want straight forward answers...not the round about ones, a yes or no....I want to see what I stand on, not hidden by clouds of sand, whitewash, hidden answers in gibberish or legalize...life would be so much simpler....there would be less trees used for reams of paper and used instead for building  lives...

God's word is pretty straight forward...there are some "if,thens" statements, promises, but sometimes life is murky, no seeming solid ground, no pat answers..faith...sometimes we washed out to sea wanting to get back to "normal" ...whatever that is...
The waves of life buffeting ...relentlessly....one thing after Another....sometimes the water of life is smooth,,,and a storm is brewing or not.....

God promises to go with us through rivers, floods, fires....the murky waters...as well as the. Clear, good times....not leaving or forsaking us, even when the wave are high and fires hot....

I don't want to be like the man who built his house on sand or not the chaff that is costumed with fire...nor Job who said his day were filled with groaning....real rock for foundation, real grain for growth...
The other side...the clear water?   We may not know what that looks like...but He is there...

Job 3:24
For sighing has become my daily food; my groans pour out like water.

Isaiah 43:1-3a
43 But now, this is what the Lord says—
    he who created you, Jacob,
    he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
    I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters,
    I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
    they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
    you will not be burned;
    the flames will not set you ablaze.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;


Proverbs 21:1
In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water that he channels toward all who please him.

Proverbs 27:19
As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects

Matthew 7:24-27
The Wise and Foolish Builders

24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Mountain tops....

Mountain tops....


One of the destination spots on Maui is Haleakala crater,  a National Park, on the south end of the island...driving up and up and up, the vistas are amazing, and you ooh and ahh, wishing there were more turnouts for awe inspiring photo shoots...
You can see both sides of the island, hundreds of acres of sugarcane, the huge windmills, the towns below, the roads, the humanity..the Pacific Ocean all around....then you drive above the clouds and see nothing to everything as the clouds swirl and blow, first one way and the another.
Driving further up the switchback road, the landscape changes to "moonscape", with little vegetation , and lots of rocks of all sizes, colors...a few bushes that glisten with their spires of silver branches, some with their hundred year flowers, others who are withering away after their showcase flowers...

10,053 feet above sea level at the top....looking down into the crater which was covered with clouds, or looking toward the surrounding sea, blessings abound...

These verses so remind me of that scene...blessings, quaking,,righteousness.....drinks of rain from heaven....foaming waters of the sea below.....power and strength....

Pictures.....God 's word is full of pictures and then He illuminates them with real experiences....both with beauty, and real life....

Thank YOU so much for your bounty, Your beauty, Your creation, truths through the sites and insights you have allowed in my life and so may others.  Your word is truly for all of life....it's mountain tops and valleys...it quakings and peaceful restoration ....


Genesis 49:26a
Your father’s blessings are greater than the blessings of the ancient mountains, than the bounty of the age-old hills.....

Deuteronomy 11:11
But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven.

Judges 5:5
The mountains quaked before the Lord, the One of Sinai, before the Lord, the God of Israel.

Psalm 36:6
Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep. You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.

Psalm 46:2
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

Psalm 46:3
though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

Psalm 65:6
who formed the mountains by your power, having armed yourself with strength,



Saturday, November 23, 2013

A bowl of flowers

A bowl of flowers....

I wish I could send you the scent of this bowl of flowers..plumeria ....picked off the ground under the plumeria trees lining the street.

Or I wish I could take a picture of the birds singing outside...hearing their cheery songs....

Both are probably technically possible in some form or another, but beyond my capabilities....

Our lives are simple pleasures...hard to repeat...but wonderful to do and remember
Or they are recordable but, not everyone wants to know, just experience for themselves...which is definitely the way to go....

Or they are recordable and no one wants to experience them....

Have started a book by Bo stern, "beautiful battlefields". A study of the battles in the Bible..why did she write it?? Her  family was/is facing the Goliath of ALS...but, it could be anyone facing battles in their life...

Do I look at battles as good things?   Not sure..they just are, but what can I learn from them....lots...

One of her quotes to underline..which for former reader did as did I..."some beautiful things can only be found in the hardest of times...."  Words most of us don't really want to hear...but, we do...and we search for them to hold together ...we want something good to come out of the hard times....

As parents, we learn early on, to "pick our battles" ...what is really important..hair color-not.....respect of others-yes ...and so on...

In everyday life, we may get to choose our battles, but some are thrust upon us when we least expect them...what can we learn from each one....that is the question....and we get to supply the answers, maybe even from multiple choice answers...or not....

Bitter or better, a choice for some...learn or shrink away, hiding...even that has a good side sometimes...regrouping ....to move forward....replacing , strengthening and refurbishing the armor...putting on God's armor...going in His strength...not our own...

A bowl of flowers....small joys along the way...on the battlefield...chosen and given by God to strengthen us in Him....

Thank YOU, for other's insight, YOUR perspective...YOUR gifts along the way...in this life....Your strength which is there for the asking  at all times, in any way....situation...


Exodus 15:2
“The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.

Exodus 15:13
In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling.

Proverbs 24:10
[ Saying 25 ] If you falter in a time of trouble, how small is your strength!

Isaiah 40:29
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

Isaiah 40:31
but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 58:11
The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

 Colossians 2:6-7
6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

 Ephesians 6:10-17
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.





Friday, November 22, 2013

Finger prints along the way....

Finger prints....along the way......

When I was facilitating women's Bible studies, my favorite  and memorable times was when light bulbs popped...
Suzi's Definition-the idea or concept clicked, it became real.....all of the pieces fell into place....

Yesterday was such a day....not my facilitating, but God's...all these bits and pieces came together along the way..and I think they should everyday....God's finger print all along the way....just to be thankful.....

On the flight from Redmond to Portland,.... crystal clear.  We could see from Mt. Rainier on the north to all the snow capped mountains in Oregon on the south...beautiful .,,,,,

My seat partner was a girl about Emily's age reading the same books as Emily, so talking point ...as well as she and her family were flying to Cabo saint Lucas, for thanksgiving,,,swimming with the dolphins...

Walked a lot in the airport..got my 2 miles while there, then seating in plane to HI..seat partners were a father and daughter. He Was originally from Spain, married an American, working for a Spanish company who builds the windmills the gorge as well as other places...so as we flew into Maui, on the horizon was one of the big wind mill farms., against the low sun...they are big....wish I could,have taken a picture..

The other  event for me, on the plane, was the girl who sat ahead and across the aisle was photographer working on a wedding she had shot in Hawaii.  She was working through each picture in Photoshop, taking out blemishes, checking for brightness, looking at each picture in black and white, sepia, various ways, cropping until each picture was perfect.  Her serendipity moment at the wedding, was this spectacular  storm in the distance, which caused a whole rainbow In the background with  wonderful thunder cloud formations...I was going to a wedding in the same area,,,just fun to see  her work through the pictures for ideas of what she looked for, sunsets, backgrounds, the ocean, rocks...use of light/darkness, contrasts, her talent in capturing the majesty of the whole adventure...and event....

Then, Connie and Paul, unexpectedly met me at the airport...familiar faces...was a wonderful treat... A car stopping sunset on the beach...I couldn't find a car spot as they were all taken.....then on to meet others for the gathering of guests for this wedding . Dinner and falling into bed...I was fading away...from the long day...

But, again, thankfulness...for the little and big things, delights that only God can orchestrate just for me....and everyone....

Thank YOU, God...

And then I opened this up...this morning....He knew...

Jesus calling, Nov 22,"A thankful attitude opens windows of heaven. Spiritual blessings fall freely onto you through those openings into eternity. Moreover, as you look up with a grateful heart, you get glimpses of Glory through those windows. You cannot yet live in heaven, but you can experience foretastes of your ultimate home. Such samples of heavenly fare revive your hope. Thankfulness opens you up to these experiences, which then provide further reasons to be grateful. Thus, your path becomes an upward spiral: ever increasing in gladness.

Thankfulness is not some sort of magic formula; it is the language of Love, which enables you to communicate intimately with Me. A thankful mind-set does not entail a denial of reality with its plethora of problems. Instead, it rejoices in Me, your Savior, in the midst of trials and tribulations. I am your refuge and strength, an ever-present and well-proved help in trouble."

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
—Habakkuk 3:17–18

God is our Refuge and Strength [mighty and impenetrable to temptation], a very present and well-proved help in trouble.

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Traveling solo....

Traveling solo.....

I have done a lot of traveling alone driving over my married life...but I always had my husband to check in with during, and at the end of the trip.  We always talked when he or I was gone.  That started before we were officially engaged while he was working in the wilderness areas of Idaho. He had a coffee can of coins in his car and would call as soon as he hit town from being out in the wilderness.  We would talk for long periods as well as write pages of whatever we were doing at the time.

Then after we were married, he had to go geology summer camp and national guard camp.  So, again he would call when He could, using the same coffee can of coins.
 Later, he would call from various places that he worked, from the remoteness of Alaska, to Mongolia , China or just from the other end of the state or even from his office.....then calling, as technology allowed, from his truck...
I would call when I was away caring for kids, parents....but the main thing was..we kept in touch.....

Now, without him or even my parents, I try to keep In touch with my children ...and as much as I love my kids......it is different....not quite the same as picking up the phone can talking to him.....I talk a lot to Jesus, which is good, but still not the same...but I am thankful....

In planning trips, I am the navigator as well as the driver not just along for the ride....no one to talk to or laugh with about wrong turns or "oh look at that"....different.....solo....

Thank YOU so much for the memories, the years of companionship, marriage....little things, like traveling, phones, conversations ......it was fun, now new chapters....

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name.
—Hebrews 13:15

2 Timothy 2:2. You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.

While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
—Luke 24:36

“… and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
—Matthew 28:20

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name.
—Hebrews 13:15

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Salt, salt and more salt

Salt.....salt and more salt....

Over the years, my husband and I have travelled  back and forth to Salt Lake City for various events, doctors, concerts, business...we would always pass the great Salt Lake, the salt milling places for Morton's Salt, the evaporating ponds and hills of salt...you could buy postcards with little bags of salt attached...

Now, in towns across the nation, you can visit salt shops, or spice shops selling a variety of salts...from all over the world...a variety of tastes and smells, uses...salt slabs to cook on....lamps, chunks  for room and car fresheners....

Saline solutions for medicinal uses....
TV documentaries about salt mining...

Throughout history, there have been salt trade routes, salt wars, etc.

The Bible speaks of salt in a variety of ways..
As Christians , we are to be salt of the world, in preservation...seasoning...

Matthew 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

Lot's wife turned to a pillar of salt when she turned back to look at her home...

Genesis 19:26
But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

Salt speaks of seasoning, desolation, a curse of the land...purification, covenants.  offerings,.....in life, we need it to function....so many uses....

Lord, help me to be that good salt...a seasoning that is useful, not the desolation of no use....

Exodus 30:35
and make a fragrant blend of incense, the work of a perfumer. It is to be salted and pure and sacred.

Leviticus 2:13
Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings.

Numbers 18:19
Whatever is set aside from the holy offerings the Israelites present to the Lord I give to you and your sons and daughters as your perpetual share. It is an everlasting covenant of salt before the Lord for both you and your offspring.”

Deuteronomy 29:23
The whole land will be a burning waste of salt and sulfur—nothing planted, nothing sprouting, no vegetation growing on it. It will be like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboyim, which the Lord overthrew in it...
Judges 9:45
All that day Abimelek pressed his attack against the city until he had captured it and killed its people. Then he destroyed the city and scattered salt over it.

2 Kings 2:21
Then he went out to the spring and threw the salt into it, saying, “This is what the Lord says: ‘I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.’”

2 Chronicles 13:5
Don’t you know that the Lord, the God of Israel, has given the kingship of Israel to David and his descendants forever by a covenant of salt?

Ezra 6:9
Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, male lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and olive oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem—must be given them daily without fail,

Ezra 7:22
up to a hundred talents of silver, a hundred cors of wheat, a hundred baths of wine, a hundred baths of olive oil, and salt without limit.

Job 6:6
Is tasteless food eaten without salt, or is there flavor in the sap of the mallow?

Job 39:6
I gave it the wasteland as its home, the salt flats as its habitat.

Psalm 107:34
and fruitful land into a salt waste, because of the wickedness of those who lived there.

Ezekiel 43:24
You are to offer them before the Lord, and the priests are to sprinkle salt on them and sacrifice them as a burnt offering to the Lord.

Zephaniah 2:9
Therefore, as surely as I live,” declares the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, “surely Moab will become like Sodom, the Ammonites like Gomorrah— a place of weeds and salt pits, a wasteland forever. The remnant of my people will plunder them; the survivors of my nation will inherit their land.”

Matthew 5:13
[ Salt and Light ] “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

Mark 9:50
“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”

Colossians 4:6
Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.


ASK on the web-" Salt is essential in the human body as it helps retain water and carry out electrical impulses that control many of our bodies' functions. Salt also stimulates muscle contractions and plays a major role in the processes of digestion as well as absorption."

History of Salt. http://www.saltworks.us/salt_info/si_HistoryOfSalt.asp
Prior to industrialization, it was extremely expensive and labor-intensive to harvest the mass quantities of salt necessary for food preservation and seasoning. This made salt an extremely valuable commodity. Entire economies were based on salt production and trade.
In the Iron Age, the British evaporated salt by boiling seawater or brine from salt spri­ngs in small clay pots over open fires. Roman salt-making entailed boiling the seawater in large lead-lined pans. Salt was used as currency in ancient Rome, and the roots of the words "soldier" and "salary" can be traced to Latin words related to giving or receiving salt. During the Middle Ages, salt was transported along roads built especially for that purpose. One of the most famous of these roads is the Old Salt Route in Northern Germany, which ran from the salt mines to shipping ports.

Salt taxes and monopolies have led to wars and protests everywhere from China to parts of Africa. Anger over the salt tax was one of the causes of the French Revolution. In colonial India, only the British government could produce and profit from the salt production conducted by Indians living on the coast. Gandhi chose to protest this monopoly in March 1930 and marched for 23 days with his followers. When he arrived on the coast, Gandhi violated the law by boiling a chunk of salty mud. This march became known as the Salt March to Dandi, or the Salt Satyagraha. People across India began making their own salt in protest, and the march became an important milestone in the struggle for Indian independence.

Salt production also played a significant role in early America. The Massachusetts Bay Colony held the first patent to produce salt in the colonies and continued to produce it for the next 200 years. The Erie Canal was opened primarily to make salt transportation easier, and during the Civil War, the Union captured significant Confederate saltworks and created a temporary salt shortage in the Confederate states. It continues to be important to the economies of many states, including Ohio, Louisiana and Texas.
Aside from economics, salt also has cultural and religious significance. It has long been used in Shintoism to purify things, and Buddhists use salt to repel evil. In Judeo-Christian traditions, salt was used to purify people and objects, as an offering, and to seal covenants. There are numerous references to salt in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. One of the most famous is Lot's wife, who was turned into a pillar of salt in Genesis after disobeying God's command. A rock-salt pillar that stands today on Mount Sodom is known as "Lot's Wife."
There are lots of sayings related to the use of salt. It was often traded for slaves, which is the origin of the expression "not worth his salt." Someone who is the "salt of the earth" is a dependable, unpretentious person. "Salting the earth," on the other hand, refers to an ancient military practice of plowing fields with salt so that no crops could be grown.


Biblical references-Wikipedia
In the Old Testament, Mosaic law calls for salt to be added to all burnt animal sacrifices (Lev. 2:13) and compares the priestly covenant between God and the kohen patrilineal descendants of Ahron to salt.
The Book of Ezra (550 BC to 450 BC) associated accepting salt from a person with being in that person's service. In Ezra 4:14, the adversaries of Ezra and company, in their letter of complaint to Artaxerxes I of Persia explain their loyalty to the King. When translated, it is either stated literally as "because we have eaten the salt of the palace" or more figuratively as "because we have maintenance from the king".
Salt is used as a metaphor in the Bible. In the New Testament, Matthew 5:13, Jesus said, "You are the salt of the earth". He added that if the salt loses its flavor, it is good for nothing but to be trampled. Jesus said this in order to show his disciples how valuable they were and this saying is commonly used today to describe someone who is of particular value to society. In addition, the preservative quality of salt is in view here to show how the disciples were called to preserve the society and the world around them from moral decay. On another occasion, according to the Gospels, Jesus commanded his followers to "have salt within them".
In Luke 14:34-35 Jesus concludes a series of parables on the cost of following him with the parable of spent salt. It seems that those who follow him are to be like the salt. From this we learn that those who follow him should expect to be spent, as chunks of salt after much use. Furthermore, they should prepare to be useful until the end, for the long haul. In this parable, it is good to be used as salt and bad to become useless salt. This illustration ties in with the two preceding ones (Luke 14:28-33) of counting the cost: the disciples must prepare, by counting the cost, to be salty for as long as they are needed.


1salt noun \ˈsȯlt\
: a natural white substance that is used especially to flavor or preserve food

: a chemical compound formed when part of an acid is replaced by a metal or something like a metal

Full Definition of SALT

1
a :  a crystalline compound NaCl that consists of sodium chloride, is abundant in nature, and is used especially to season or preserve food or in industry —called also common salt
b :  a substance (as Glauber's salt) resembling common salt
c plural (1) :  a mineral or saline mixture (as Epsom salts) used as an aperient or cathartic (2) :  smelling salts
d :  any of various compounds that result from replacement of part or all of the acid hydrogen of an acid by a metal or a group acting like a metal :  an ionic crystalline compound
2
:  a container for salt at table —often used in the phrases above the salt and below the salt alluding to the former custom of seating persons of higher rank above and those of lower rank below a saltcellar placed in the middle of a long table
3
a :  an ingredient that gives savor, piquancy, or zest :  flavor <a people…full of life, vigor, and the salt of personality — Clifton Fadiman>
b :  sharpness of wit :  pungency
c :  common sense
d :  reserve, skepticism —usually used in the phrases with a grain of salt and with a pinch of salt
e :  a dependable steadfast person or group of people —usually used in the phrase salt of the earth
4
:  sailor <a tale worthy of an old salt>
5
:  keep 3 —usually used in the phrase worth one's salt


       
SIXTY (Plus) USES OF SALT

Bonnie D. Utahn
               
Tuesday at 10:26 PM
Although you may not realize it, simple table salt has a great number of uses other than simply seasoning your food.

The following list will give you sixty uses of salt, many of which you probably didn't realize:
If you drop a whole egg on the floor, pour salt all over the egg, let it sit for awhile, then use dustpan, the egg will come up, without all that mess. Contributed by Ms. Jerry McGinnis, CRAFTYLADY1@worldnet.att.net

..Soak stained hankies in salt water before washing.

..Sprinkle salt on your shelves to keep ants away.

..Soak fish in salt water before descaling; the scales will come off easier.

..Put a few grains of rice in your salt shaker for easier pouring.

..Add salt to green salads to prevent wilting.

..Test the freshness of eggs in a cup of salt water; fresh eggs sink; bad ones float.

..Add a little salt to your boiling water when cooking eggs; a cracked egg will stay in its shell this way.

..A tiny pinch of salt with egg whites makes them beat up fluffier.

Soak wrinkled apples in a mildly salted water solution to perk them up.

Rub salt on your pancake griddle and your flapjacks won't stick.

Soak toothbrushes in salt water before you first use them; they will last longer.

Use salt to clean your discolored coffee pot.

Mix salt with turpentine to whiten you bathtub and toilet bowl.

Soak your nuts in salt brine overnight and they will crack out of their shells whole. Just tap the end of the shell with a hammer to break it open easily.

Boil clothespins in salt water before using them and they will last longer.

Clean brass, copper and pewter with paste made of salt and vinegar, thickened with flour
Add a little salt to the water your cut fs will stand in for a longer life.

Pour a mound of salt on an ink spot on your carpet; let the salt soak up the stain.

Clean your iron by rubbing some salt on the damp cloth on the ironing surface.

Adding a little salt to the water when cooking foods in a double boiler will make the food cook faster.

Use a mixture of salt and lemon juice to clean piano keys.

To fill plaster holes in your walls, use equal parts of salt and starch, with just enough water to make a stiff putty.

Rinse a sore eye with a little salt water.

Mildly salted water makes an effective mouthwash. Use it hot for a sore throat gargle.

Dry salt sprinkled on your toothbrush makes a good tooth polisher.

Use salt for killing weeds in your lawn.
Eliminate excess suds with a sprinkle of salt.

A dash of salt in warm milk makes a more relaxing beverage.

Before using new glasses, soak them in warm salty water for awhile.

A dash of salt enhances the taste of tea.

Salt improves the taste of cooking apples.

Soak your clothes line in salt water to prevent your clothes from freezing to the line; likewise, use salt in your final rinse to prevent the clothes from freezing.

Rub any wicker furniture you may have with salt water to prevent yellowing.

Freshen sponges by soaking them in salt water.

Add raw potatoes to stews and soups that are too salty.

Soak enamel pans in salt water overnight and boil salt water in them next day to remove burned-on stains.

Clean your greens in salt water for easier removal of dirt.

Gelatin sets more quickly when a dash of salt is added.

Fruits put in mildly salted water after peeling will not discolor.

Fabric colors hold fast in salty water wash.

Milk stays fresh longer when a little salt is added.

Use equal parts of salt and soda for brushing your teeth.

Sprinkle salt in your oven before scrubbing clean.

Soaked discolored glass in a salt and vinegar solution to remove stains.

Clean greasy pans with a paper towel and salt.
Salty water boils faster when cooking eggs.

Add a pinch of salt to whipping cream to make it whip more quickly.

Sprinkle salt in milk-scorched pans to remove odor.

A dash of salt improves the taste of coffee.

Boil mismatched hose in salty water and they will come out matched.

Salt and soda will sweeten the odor of your refrigerator.

Cover wine-stained fabric with salt; rinse in cool water later.

Remove offensive odors from stove with salt and cinnamon.

A pinch of salt improves the flavor of cocoa.

To remove grease stains in clothing, mix one part salt to four parts alcohol.

Salt and lemon juice removes mildew.

Sprinkle salt between sidewalk bricks where you don't want grass growing.

Polish your old kerosene lamp with salt for a ber look.

Remove odors from sink drainpipes with a strong, hot solution of salt water.

If a pie bubbles over in your oven, put a handful of salt on top of the spilled juice. The mess won't smell and will bake into a dry, light crust which will wipe off easily when the oven has cooled.


Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Gold , gold, gold....

Gold, gold, gold.....

One of My husband's favorite jokes was about taking a suitcase filled with gold bricks to heaven...he was met at the pearly gates and asked what was in the suitcase that so important....finally he opened the suitcase for the gate keeper.  The gatekeeper was astonished  at the sight.  "Pavement? Why bring pavement?"
What was so important here on earth was pavement in heaven....it speaks of what is true treasure...

Literally from the beginning to the end of the Bible, gold is mentioned in a variety of ways....

Golden streets are paved with gold...
items are made with gold, purity ....refined with fire...cooked at high temperatures  to get rid of impurities....shiny when poured,
Through time, gold,has been used in jewelry, dowries ,dentistry,  computers and electronics, money, space lubricants, medical procedures, glass making, wealth...covers things-buildings, space suit visor, decorative items,......

Gold was and is valuable..it is used for build so many things....it shows that we must be of value to Him, that he would prepare a place that is indescribably beautiful! built with precision stones, metals..further ...In  Revelations, gold not only  paves the streets, but is made into bowl holding the prayers of the saints....is it a big bowl?  expandable?

Our prayers are held in a golden bowl! Prayers from all the ages, past, present and future....the whole world....have I put enough I. It?  There is probably never enough.....

I know I have made a giant leap from gold to prayers...but the value of each is the importance...immeasurable.....held in a gold bowl by God...prayers are mentioned from the beginning of the Bible to the end as well....

I picture the whole globe with the aroma going out Into the heavens .....(a different picture than Mr. Gore's climate change)....Rather, the world covered with prayer....

Gold, valuable.....but prayers....all of our prayers have so much value...that You keep them...You listen....  You pray for us when we can't .....You answer according to Your perfect will ......Thank You....it is beyond comprehension....


Revelation 21:21
The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.

1 Kings 8:28
Yet give attention to your servant’s prayer and his plea for mercy, Lord my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day.

Romans 8:26
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.


Interesting article.....

Importance Of Gold And Gold Jewelry
By Yashwant Ravi Sharma

Gold, a precious and rare metal, has diverse significance in people's life. All across the globe, gold holds a different value for different cultures. Gold is a symbol of wealth and prosperity; it ties a lifetime bond between two people. It saves people during the times of financial crises, and also increases a person's status within the society. Gold is given the shape of a gold set, with necklace, gold rings, gold earrings, etc., to enhance the beauty of the wearer. Let us have a quick look at what gold means to people in different places, around the globe.

In Egypt:
Egyptians believed that gold was the flesh of Sun God, Ra. Hence, it was highly priced by the ancient Egyptians, and the Queens and Pharaohs had vast stores of gold. The Egyptians saw gold as the symbol of eternal life. Not just in modern times, but gold had great importance during ancient times as well.

In Ancient Rome:
Gold was very popular in the Roman era. It attracted many talented artisans, when the growth and expansion of the cities and cultures were observed. These artisans created a wide range of jewellery like rings, pendants, earrings, etc., and displayed them in their jewellery stores. It is said that the use of a ring to symbolize an engagement, initially started in Rome.

In Asia:
Dated back to 1100 BC, China made extensive use of Gold. Various items of jewellery had pieces of gold, which was the outcome of the gold craft. China took along the gold craft to Korea, when the settlers moved there in 210 BC. In some of the other Asian countries with a large population following Buddhism, archeologists have discovered ancient relics of gold, of religious significance.

A Diamond necklace made with a gold base was very common amongst the royal families in India. It was a symbol of wealth, prosperity and royalty. The designs were mainly inspired from the Mughal designs, a tradition still used in modern times.

In Central America:
The ancient central American tribes offered gold to their Gods, by throwing the precious metal in sacred lakes and river.

In Africa:
Gold was used on a large scale in the African culture. It was mostly used to enhance the beauty of the courts, owned by chiefs and leaders. Many countries in Africa had arranged for special workshops, used exclusively for the production of gold artifacts.

This proves that gold and gold jewellery has always been important to us, ever since ancient times, and will continue to be important for generations to come.

Yashwant Sharma is a extremely talented author. He has a vast knowledge on gold jewellery and his study is reflected in each and every article he writes.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Yashwant_Ravi_Sharma

Monday, November 18, 2013

Early morning stirrings .....

Early morning stirrings...

Fresh coffee....
Downy clothes softener ....
Bacon...
Burned toast....
Diesel exhaust....
Pumpkin pie spice....
Prayer....

Aromas.....of the early morning....

Prayer?......I hope so....these are aromas as I walked early in the morning....I smelled them all as I walked except the prayer...but I hoped it was there...a sweet aroma that
God knows...

In the Old Testament, the Bible speaks of aroma...."an aroma pleasing to The Lord" , the sacrifices of various pieces of meat...for various reasons...that picture, for me, leads my mind took thinking about the smell of a barbecue on a summer day....good...an aroma that is pleasing......

In the tabernacle and the temple, there was the alter of incense.....and it has a specific mixture of incense to be placed there to burn and fill the air with its aroma....I thought it was interesting that it was to be salted....was that for preservation??, but "pure and sacred...."...and this recipe was not for anything else....special....only for God...

I just thought it was interesting that from beginning to end....there are aromas that are pleasing....but in New Testament, the aroma is of Christians and their prayers...that is what is pleasing....what a comparison and challenge....

We are unique, a certain "recipe".....used by God,  pleasing to God... A sacrifice....To be spreading His aroma everywhere...our prayers are kept....known....Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice....for us......but......pleasing to Him....


What kind of aroma am I?  Pleasing, special....prayerful....

Thank YOU, that there are reminders of YOU all over, open my eyes to their significance...to me, to others ....Your aroma in my life....my prayers...a sweet aroma to You...


Exodus 30:34-38. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Take fragrant spices—gum resin, onycha and galbanum—and pure frankincense, all in equal amounts, 35 and make a fragrant blend of incense, the work of a perfumer. It is to be salted and pure and sacred. 36 Grind some of it to powder and place it in front of the ark of the covenant law in the tent of meeting, where I will meet with you. It shall be most holy to you. 37 Do not make any incense with this formula for yourselves; consider it holy to the Lord. 38 Whoever makes incense like it to enjoy its fragrance must be cut off from their people.”

2 Corinthians 2:14
But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.

2 Corinthians 2:15
For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.

Revelation 5:8
And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.

Revelation 8:3
Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne.

Revelation 8:4
The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand.

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Just thinking....

I have been just thinking and praying .........even in the hard, dark times,as well as the fun times.
For us, whatever we were doing, fun or not, the cancer word lurked in every corner. Wanting to be acknowledged, wanting to take over our lives...I admit, that a times it did, when we were processing treatments, day to day stuff, but we moved on...this was the time we had, we had to make the most of it not matter the length...
Yes, we got tired, 
yes, we cried, 
yes, we got angry...

but had to center ourselves in enjoying the years,the months, the days that we had. We organized our estate stuff..thought through with an accountant  and lawyer the future no matter what it held...(but, not matter what size or age an estate, everyone needs to do that.....)

We laughed...
We worked...my husband could do geology forever.... 

We welcomed family, visitors...our apartments in in all the places we lived were the  party rooms.....and the owners complemented our family on that..as well as other residents....

We planned...

We lived .....

We read together....talked....rested....prayed .....

We leaned on God....He was and is our rock! for our whole family....

Were these times easy.....?  Absolutely not...but, they were wonderful also...we made the most of the times we had.  And in the end that is what  we all want to do, no matter what is thrown at us...the good , the bad, the ugly...and the wonderful...

We all have purpose....and need to move into that purpose, that path that is set before us...

These are three of the hardest things and simplest words, but make a world of difference in thoughts, living, attitude...
  1. Matthew 6:27
    Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
  2. Matthew 6:34
    Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

    1. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 

      If you ever need to just vent, talk, whatever...cry,  laugh...our family is available as friends! we are good listeners....

Saturday, November 16, 2013

Allegiance .....banners.....

Allegiance ......banners......

As I was walking yesterday morning, it occurred to me that it must be getting  toward the end of the week, duh.....no, not by the day, but by the amount of flags/banners flown by the cars....must be big games this weekend for colleges....there are a lot of Oregon state, Boise state and finally, university of Oregon fans In this town!!!!  And the flags and banners get thicker by the end of each week as games get closer......a variety of stores sell the flags, pennants, decals as well as all the clothing to fans of the various colleges, even yarn to knit or crochet .....allegiance...."I stand/root for this team".....

It really made me pause....To ponder...Does my allegiance show? To whom? For what do I stand for??? What is my banner?  Where are my flags? Do anyone even know I stand for Christ? Or do I?  Can someone come up to me, and say," I know  what team you stand with, root for?"

And what/who do I represent?

 I want to represent the One who gave his life for me, who was there at creation, who knows me from the inside out......who loves me...

Thank YOU for reminders that I need to be a good representative .....who I am representing.....what are my banners flying for.....

John 13:35
Everyone will know that you are my disciples because of your love for each other.”

Philemon 1:6-7
6 As you share the faith you have in common with others, I pray that you may come to have a complete knowledge of every blessing we have in Christ. 7 Your love for God’s people gives me a lot of joy and encouragement. You, brother, have comforted God’s people.

1 John 3:9-10
9 Those who have been born from God don’t live sinful lives. What God has said lives in them, and they can’t live sinful lives. They have been born from God. 10 This is the way God’s children are distinguished from the devil’s children. Everyone who doesn’t do what is right or love other believers isn’t God’s child.

1 John 5:2
We know that we love God’s children when we love God by obeying his commandments.


Exodus 17:15
Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner.

Numbers 2:2
“The Israelites are to camp around the tent of meeting some distance from it, each of them under their standard and holding the banners of their family.”

Psalm 20:5
May we shout for joy over your victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the Lord grant all your requests.


Isaiah 18:3
All you people of the world, you who live on the earth, when a banner is raised on the mountains, you will see it, and when a trumpet sounds, you will hear it.

Friday, November 15, 2013

Rings......

Rings....

What a topic...

My parents bought me a pearl ring to wear on my "ring " finger for my 16 th  birthday .  But I had worn a variety of rings on that finger before..so really can't remember when I didn't wear a ring on my "ring finger".
The I got married, took the pearl off, and exchanged it it for my wedding ring..so the story goes..I still have it on....

We bought rings for our children on their sixteen birthday as well. Each chose how to wear it, and when to take it off ....to keep it or give it away....

A widow said recently that she had taken off her wedding ring finally , realizing that she wasn't married any longer..but it had taken three years to make that move...

'Til death do us part...death...the marriage ends.....but you still feel married....
Feels like you are in the middle ground somewhere you haven't travelled before..

When is the Proper time to not wear a wedding ring .....
Timing....what is  God saying/leading on this little topic???

I really like the following scripture, even though it was spoken to Zerubbabel...."chosen" that word speaks volumes. In marriage we are the chosen one of the our partner.....as Christians, we are chosen...

Haggai 2:23 “‘On that day,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”

1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Rings are spoken of all through scripture from nose rings to rings for carrying, to earrings to signet rings worn by kings....from appropriate to inappropriate, a ring worn by a pig....

In marriage, the rings signify being chosen by our marriage partners and hold promise of much.  To be worn throughout our marriages as a symbol of eternal love for one another....

Ring references .....
 Given as a token (Esther 3:10,12;8:2-10)
Offerings of, to the tabernacle (Exodus 35:22; Numbers 31:50)
Worn as a badge of office (Genesis 41:42)
Of gold (Numbers 31:50)
Worn in the nose (Proverbs 11:22; Isaiah 3:21)

This topic is not finished, just approached as of now....we all have decisions in our lives like rings. We have to open the topic, study it, pray and think about it...wait sometimes, move sometimes...it may not be an earth shattering decision, but at some point addressed...not bad or good, or it may be life changing....examined....thought through.....

Thank YOU for your light on our lives into areas that we need to examine.....think through ....give us YOur wisdom in timing, rightness. Big or little, help us to search out Your answer....

Just interesting.....
The Origins of Wedding Rings And Why They’re Worn On The 4th Finger Of The Left Hand

Today I found out the history and symbolism behind the tradition of wearing a wedding ring and why, in most western cultures, it’s worn on the fourth finger of the left hand, otherwise known as the ring finger.

Wedding rings today are a billion dollar sentiment of love, but no  one can really say for sure when this age old tradition actually started. Some believe that the oldest recorded exchange of wedding rings comes from ancient Egypt, about 4800 years ago. Sedges, rushes and reeds, growing alongside the well-known papyrus were twisted and braided into rings for fingers an other decorative ornaments worn by the women in those days.

The circle was the symbol of eternity, with no beginning or end, not only to the Egyptians, but many other ancient cultures. The hole in the center of the ring also had significance. It wasn’t just considered a space, but rather a gateway, or door; leading to things and events both known and unknown. To give a woman a ring signifies never-ending and immortal love.

The materials these rings were made of didn’t last very long and soon were substituted with rings made of leather, bone or ivory. The more expensive the material, the more love shown to the receiver; the value of the ring also  demonstrated the wealth of the giver.

The Roman’s also eventually adopted this tradition but with their own twist. Rather than offering a ring to a woman as a symbol of love, they awarded them as a symbol of ownership. Roman men would “claim” their woman with the giving of a ring. Roman betrothal rings were later made of iron and called “Anulus Pronubus.” They symbolized strength and permanence. It is also said that the Romans were the first to engrave their rings.

It was not until about 860 that the Christians used the ring in marriage ceremonies; even then, it was not the simple plain band as we know it. It usually was highly decorated with engraved doves, lyres, or two linked hands. The Church discouraged such rings as ‘heathenish’ and, around the 13th century, wedding and betrothal rings were considerably simplified, and given a more spiritual look which was very aptly expressed by a Bishop when he dubbed it a “symbol of the union of hearts.”

Wedding rings through different stages in history have been worn on different fingers, including the thumb, and on both the left and right hands. According to  a tradition believed to have been derived from the Romans, the wedding ring is worn on the left hand ring finger because there was thought to be a vein in the finger, referred to as the ‘Vena Amoris’ or the ‘Vein of Love’ said to be directly connected to the heart. However, scientists have shown this is actually false. Despite this, this  myth still remains regarded by many (hopeless romantics) as the number one reason rings are worn on the fourth finger.

Another theory thought to be behind the ring being placed on the left hand by Christians seems a little more plausible. Early Christian marriages had a ritual to wear the wedding ring in the third finger. As the priest recited during the binding ,”In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit”, he would take the ring and touch the thumb, the index finger, and the middle finger; then, while uttering “Amen”, he would place the ring on the ring finger, which sealed the marriage.

A more practically based theory is that the soft metal (traditionally gold for wedding rings) is less worn or injured on the finger of the left hand, due to most of the world being right handed.  Further, the fourth finger on the left hand is probably the second to the least used finger on a person’s hands outside of pinkies.  Pinkies being small, making a small ring with little surface area to decorate, perhaps motivated people to then place it on the next least used finger, namely the fourth finger on the left hand, which is roughly the size of the other fingers.

Bonus Facts:

The earliest and smallest engagement ring was given to Princess Mary, daughter of Henry VIII. She was two years old at the time.  Presumably the ring was given to her by Pedobear.
Seventeen tons of gold are made into wedding rings each year in the United States!
Back in the 1300’s, when people were particularly superstitious, it was believed that taking a piece of the bride’s clothing would grant the guests good luck. This lead to many guests that would literally tear cloth from the bride’s dress (which made for a very peeved bride!). So, in an attempt to stave off greedy luck-seekers, many brides began to throw items to guests that could be easily removed from her and that included her garter. Eventually, grooms began to remove the garter and tossed it to the men as a means to prevent tipsy male guests from trying to do the deed themselves. In an effort to help the women feel included, it eventually became customary for the bride to throw her bouquet at the female guests.
There are dozens of good-luck, bad-luck traditions followed by different cultures around the world. In Greek culture, a sugar cube is tucked into the bride’s glove to “sweeten” the marriage. For good luck, Egyptian women pinch the bride on her wedding day. The English believe a spider found in a wedding dress means good luck.Peas are thrown at Czech newlyweds instead of rice. Ancient Greeks and Romans thought the veil protected the bride from evil spirits. Brides have worn veils ever since. The groom carries the bride across the threshold to bravely protect her from evil spirits lurking below.
The first recorded account of a diamond engagement ring was in 1477 when King Maximilian I of Germany (1459-1519) proposed to Mary of Burgundy (1457-1482) and offered her a diamond to seal his vow. (So, men you now know who to blame!)
Interestingly, in many countries, even today, including Norway, Russia, Greece, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Poland, Austria, Germany,Portugal and Spain, the wedding ring in worn on the ring finger of the right hand and not the left. In Jewish tradition, the groom places the ring on the bride’s index finger, and not the “ring” finger at all.

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Giving time....

Giving time......

I am Inundated with letters, advertisements, phone calls right now for opportunities to give...the end of the year approaches and so everyone thinks we may give more before the tax year ends, or political parties/figures are revving up their machines for the next election....or whatever.......

I love to give, actually. But over the years my husband and I put some perimeters with our giving.  And I am still trying to carry that legacy forward.

We looked world wide, regionally, then locally.
We looked at organizations which believed as we did. Do their values represent mine?  Would I tell others about them or be embarrassed by them....
We looked at which group used the most funds for the cause rather than the administration.
Was an organization real?
We looked at the eternal value as well as the humanitarian value....
Do I give it cheerfully or out of duty? Joyfully....
It is a passion of mine or God's?
Do I have peace about it?
Have I prayed about it?

With internet, we can do all these things, there are rating systems, full reports of organizations..., their mission, goals, financial reports...all of which are handy and well worth the time to research....

God is about giving......after all He gave us life, His son, .....the whole
Bible is about giving in so may ways....from creation, the garden, to the widow giving of her last flour and oil to the prophet, Abraham -Isaac, the tabernacle/temple offerings, the widows mite, giving for the tabernacle in the wilderness, David's prep for his son to build, blessing from fathers, safety from Rahab, angels giving warnings/directions, praise, honor, give, give, give....it is there from the beginning to the end....

Giving of leadership of Moses and so many leaders through out the ages...David, Nehemiah , Jeremiah, the disciples, Luke, Timothy, ........the list goes on..

Monetary help in the Old Testament and the new, when others needed help, food, shelter..

The gift of time....of oneself....all are acts of giving....giving without a reward in mind or expectation of a return....surprises....giving from the heart, to surprise, to bless another...

It is the season for ThanksGIVING and Christmas, a reminder that God GAVE His son for all mankind.....

Thank YOU, for giving us so very much, help us to be givers, lovingly, cheerfully, wisely, blessing others the way You have blessed us.....in Your Name....