Sharlotte's Web of Tangled Thoughts

2012-01-27T14:14:00.001-06:00

A recent post by Jeff Bridges caught my attention. I'd like to share it with you. Why? Because it will make you think about what you did today. If it doesn't then you are basically a walking dead person .... dead to what is happening around you. Click the underlined link above to view his web post.

Did you take time today to be "in the moment"? Or did you rush through your day ... literally losing today because you were in a hurry to get to tomorrow? Tomorrow will come anyway. So why not enjoy today just as much?

Slow down, listen to the world around you. See the people, the animals, the sunshine, the raindrops. Smell the air filled with aromas and odors around you. Touch the surfaces whether smooth, rough, soft, grainy. Taste the food bite by bite, swallow by swallow.

Commit this day to memory because you will never live through this day again.

:)

Thomas Kinkade - Picture of a church in wintertime.

2011-12-21T12:00:00.000-06:00

Image by Thomas Kinkade

Of all his work, this one is my favorite.

I love this picture.

When I look at this image I can almost hear the congregation's voices raised in song.

Listen, do you hear it? It's soft and muffled by the snow.

Step closer .... It's joy.

Go inside .... It's love put to music.

What hymn do you hear when you see this church?

I don't hear "Silent Night" because it is usually sung at the end of the service.

With the arrival of more worshipers in the sleigh,

I am assuming that the service is just beginning.

I think that I hear "Go Tell it on the Mountain"

or perhaps "O Little Town of Bethlehem".

More Christmas Memories

2011-12-21T10:52:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas Memories!

2011-12-20T10:31:00.006-06:00

Images of Christmas Past

Old glass ornament from 1970

Old chenille ornament from the 1940s or 1950s.

Peppermint Sticks - these are not easy to find.

Section of the tree.

Large wooden Santa.

Razorback Santa Figurine.

Face of Wooden Santa.

Snowman and woman

Mantle

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-06T12:20:00.006-06:00

Stores are playing Christmas music. The displays of greeting cards and decorations are front and center! I have a countdown to Christmas on my facebook profile.... mostly to get some LOL's from my fb friends.

I have begun my shopping, but still have a lot to do. No ... I don't start decorating for Christmas this early because ...... I love Thanksgiving! ...... and we celebrate it FULLY here at our house. I decorate for Thanksgiving just as much as I do for Christmas.

Thanksgiving is a big deal at our house with a full meal, full house and full day of eating, family time, football and watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Traditions are important. We carry them on. When I'm gone I don't know who in the family will carry on. Hopefully someone will take the torch and keep it burning into the next generation.

There is always a large gathering for the noon meal of family and extended family. There has been as few as 4 and as many as 15 people here for dinner in the past. The number may swell to 18 this year. We will be flexible this year with adjusting for our daughter who has to work that day. We may have a meal on two different days to accomodate her work schedule. However, it is not about the "day" it's about the "feelings". It's that feeling of warmth and love that accompanies the Thanksgiving holidays. It's being together. It's the smells of the turkey, dressing and other foods. It's the the colors of fall used throughout the house. It's the tenderness in the hugs of those we love. Last but not least, it's the love that we all have for one another. Thanksgiving seems to bring out all those tender feelings of "family love" that we all share.

The meal is mostly pot luck with all families contributing by bringing in side dishes of vegetables, salads, pies and cakes. At our house it is not a formal sit down dinner. There are too many of us and not enough room at the table. So we have a buffet of food in the kitchen. Everyone sits where they feel the most comfortable. Some are at the dining room table and some are at various other places throughout the house. It's very relaxed and nonstructured.

As soon as the meal is over many family members plop down in front of a television set to watch tv and rub their "too full" stomachs. The kids run around, upstairs and down, laughing and making a lot of noise. They have to be settled back down to a dull roar every 5 minutes or so. I and a few helpers put away the food leftovers and load the dishwasher. Then we all relax, visit, catch up on local news and discuss Christmas shopping that is still yet to be finished.

I love Thanksgiving!!!!!!!!!!!! I love everything about it!!!!!!!!!! I try to make the most of it, lengthening the holiday as long as I can. I start decorating in September for fall with a fall tree, wreath, centerpiece on the table and small arrangements throughout the house. As soon as November 1 rolls around I add the figurines of turkeys and pilgrims into the fall decorations. For as much as I love Christmas it really is sad to take down the Thanksgiving decor.

I would like to wish each and every one of you a wonderful Thanksgiving. :)

Soapbox Rant: Irresponsible Young Adults

2011-10-25T10:24:00.005-05:00

"Often the best thing about saying nothing is that it can never be repeated."~ Mark Twain

"When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, but the one who restrains his lips is wise."Proverbs 10:19

I am trying very hard NOT to speak my mind this morning. I'm biting my tongue.

Subject: Grown children ( not mine - someone else's ) who take advantage of their parents' kindness and "loans" and generosity. Then they ( young people ) live like they are rich, they travel, waste money, eat out all the time, and don't pay their parents back.

They need to get real and be "responsible and mature adults". Instead they act like they haven't a care in the world and no bills. While their parents are struggling with huge bills that are direct result of those young people. It just isn't right!

Instead of that next vacation, put that money in your mother's / father's hand. She / He needs it more than you need a trip.

Immaturity or Self Centered Laziness?

2011-10-16T14:04:00.005-05:00

...........................................................................................

"I'm bored."

As the parent of grown children and still growing grandchildren, I would sometimes hear them say that they were bored. My kids learned not to utter that phrase as they were growing up.

They learned that to tell me that they were bored would result in being presented with a chore list. They would groan and complain, but they still had to either find something to do on their own ... or choose from the list.

When a kid says that they are bored what they are really saying is .... I need to be entertained either by a fun activity or money or both. I shake my head at how many times I hear healthy and intelligent teens say this. They are intelligent so why are they not using their brain?

As a teen back in the 1960's we had too much to do to be bored. We had lots of chores, homework, we had three (yes, 3) channels on tv, books to read, friends to talk to, fishing, hunting, and school activities to attend. We were busy all the time. When we weren't busy we enjoyed it! It was fun to have leisure time where we didn't have to work at something. It was rare though. Maybe that's why we never had enough "down time" to get bored.

Nowadays kids think that there has to be a party all the time. I don't know where they come by this sense of entitlement that they need to be entertained all the time. The ones that really irk me are the young adults. You're bored? Really? ~sigh~ Grow up!

If you are a healthy and intelligent young adult and you are out of high school, not in college and are saying that you are bored then I say .... GET A JOB!!! Stop living at home with your parents. Get out and pay for your own way. Keep your house clean, your yard mowed, your cars cleaned, your laundry done, cook your own meals, etc. Quit being a self centered, lazy bum and take care of yourself. Go to work everyday just to have the necessities, and then we'll see how much time you have to be bored. It will be none!

If you are taking care of all your bills and all your needs and you still have time to be bored then look beyond your own selfishness and find someone who needs help. Help a friend, help a stranger, help a homeless person, help an elderly person. I don't need to tell you how to help them. Remember I said that you were intelligent and healthy. Figure it out.

Anger is like Acid

2011-10-13T15:20:00.006-05:00

If there is one thing that I've learned as I've become older ... well .... old ....it is that to hold a grudge or to hold on to anger only hurts ourselves.

Anger is like acid. It does more damage to the container than to the source of the anger. Anger is especially acidic when we hold it inside. It erodes our health and mind if we allow it to remain inside us for too long. People can develop ulcers, depression, and other health problems when they hold everything inside for too long.

So when the time and place are appropriate, let it out. Speak your mind. It can be done in a tactful and calm way, but let it out. If someone hurts you, tell them that they did. Sometimes they are unaware. If someone angers you, tell them that they did. It is better for them to know that you are hurt or angry than for them to go blissfully through life thinking that everything is just hunkey-dorey.

I am not saying that you have to be furiously aggressive. I'm saying that you should speak to them privately and let them know how their comments or actions made you feel. If they accept your feelings as valid they will apologize and change how they treat you in the future.

If they are too self centered to see how they hurt you, they will neither apologize nor change and there is nothing that you can do to change them. However, you don't have to continue to be the recipient of their hurtful actions or remarks.

If that person refuses to accept responsibility for their actions they will blame you for how they acted. Irresponsible people pass the blame instead of realizing that they were wrong. If this is so then to remain in their company is not good for you. If this is the case you should remove yourself from their circle of friends and go your separate ways. Why? Because their refusal to apologize and accept their wrongdoing will only create more anger in you.

If they do apologize and if they mean it ... then that's good. You have made your point in a sincere manner, and they have realized that their behavior is not acceptable. Should this be the case, you have both salvaged the relationship, and you both can go forward with a positive outlook and build on your friendship to make it better.

For your own sake, for the good of your health, don't hold onto anger. Let it out.

Friends

2011-10-09T11:22:00.003-05:00

Today I am dealing with feelings of hurt, anger, betrayal, embarrassment, resignation and loss.

I'm feeling hurt because someone who was supposed to be a friend makes it a mission to point out my mistakes ... in public.

I'm feeling angry because I would never do that to an old friend like she did to me.

I'm feeling betrayal because she seemingly did not consider my feelings.

I'm feeling embarrassed because she did it in a public way on a public forum.

I am feeling resigned because she has done this before and keeps repeating the behavior.

I'm experiencing feelings of loss because I not sure that I can think of her as a friend any more.

~sigh~

Friends should .....

support one another

privately give advice

lend a helping hand / comment

encourage each other

Friends should not .....

Be critical in a negative way. They may disagree with our actions or comments. However how they word their comments makes the difference between caring advice and hateful or hurtful remarks. If you have a friend who is critical most of the time, then perhaps they are not truly your friend.

Humiliate or embarrass you in public. If they do this then they value what their other companions think over how you feel.

Makes me wonder if who I thought was a friend never really was. :(

Living a Life of Happiness: #4 Read the Instructions

2011-10-07T14:35:00.003-05:00

If you have ever tried to assemble a child's toy you will understand the difficulty of finishing it properly without the directions or instructions for assembly. Having the directions makes a difference between a bicycle that can be ridden and one that is ... uh ... shall we say .... a modern art sculpture? We lay out all the pieces and parts, sort them by type and pick up the instructions. That's when we begin to read. Wait, this is the foreign language version. So we flip through the papers and find the part that is written in our language. When we find the correct set of instructions, we start again to read. Step One: Each step is extremely important. Part A goes next to Part B. Part C1 is to be attached to Part D1 and so forth. Once you are able to figure out the written directions it will go smoothly as long as all the parts are included in the box. Hopefully you end up with a toy that looks like the photo on the box or at the very least similar.

Life is like that just a little bit as we build our lives step by step. We might think that we don't have any instructions on how to live so that in the end we have a completely assembled, fully functioning, productive, and beneficial life. No? Yes! We do!!!! We have the Bible, and in the Bible we have the Ten Commandments. They are a guide or set of instructions for how to live a full, happy and blessed life.

I won't go into each Commandment and explain my definition of each one. Most of us already know what they mean. If you don't, then they are pretty easy to find. See the Bible, Book of Exodus, Chapter 20 to read the story about the Ten Commandments and how they came to be.

Just like with assembly directions, they start out with the most important one. Of course! Without the first one, the other ones pretty much won't matter in the end. You see no matter how strictly we follow the second one through the tenth one, if we don't follow the first one, we will not succeed. Just like when assembling a bicycle the first step of putting our life in order is as important as that first bicycle part. They won't fit if not assembled in the correct order. Neither will your life.

To be truly happy you must have a secure feeling of "being put together" with all your parts in the right order. You have many parts of your life: physical health, job/work, family, recreation/relaxation, home, creativity, friends, social groups, religious activities, education, romance, etc. To feel like your life is complete you may need some, most or all of these parts to feel fulfilled. The thing is that no matter how complete we feel about all of these things, if we don't remember to put the Lord first and foremost the rest of it won't count for much when we die. If we want to be utterly, completely and genuinely happy, fulfilled and functioning then the Lord God must be the first part of our daily lives. You see ... HE ... is the part that is the frame for our lives. As with the bicycle .... without the frame you have only wheels and handle bars. Without the frame, you will fall apart. So ... follow the directions and in order and things will work out much better for you. :)

Living a Life of Happiness: #3 Focus on Others

2011-09-17T13:37:00.004-05:00

If you want to live a life of happiness you have to look beyond your own selfish desires. To truly be happy you need a feeling of "self worth", not a feeling of "self importance". It is also a wonderful feeling to be needed and to be appreciated.

To achieve this you should focus on others. Stop being the center of your universe and concentrate on what you can do to make the world a better place because of your existence.

There are many ways to direct your attentions to others.

You can volunteer to help build or repair something in your community. There are usually clean up projects for parks and public areas during certain times of the year. You will meet and get to know new people in your community.

You can spend time at your church as a volunteer worker in some capacity. Churches are always in need of volunteers to help out with cleaning, nursery duty, Bible School and Sunday School and other activities. Sometimes they need someone to pick up an elderly person or to provide transportation for someone who does not have a vehicle or other transportation.

You can spend time at your local school working in the library, or signing up to be a mentor or reading partner.

Many larger towns have homeless shelters who are always needing extra volunteers to help serve food, clean up common areas, etc.

Sometimes animal shelters need someone to walk or exercise dogs.

If you are not comfortable around groups of people that you don't know very well, you can scale down the number of people that you come in contact with. Being with someone individually can help you to get to know the person better, and provides you with some one-on-one time with another person.

Offer to provide transportation for someone that needs a ride to the store or doctor.

If they are not able to leave their home, volunteer to do their shopping for them.

Visit people who are sick in the hospital or who are in a nursing home.

Offer to look after a neighbors place while they are away. You can water flowers, get their newspapers, etc.

Still not feeling comfortable with your people skills? Then start slow and work your way up. To begin you may want to do things anonymously somehow.

Send get well cards, greeting cards, to residents in your area nursing home. You can drop these off at the nurses desk and they can distribute them for you.

Ask if you can do mailings or newsletters for you church or school from your home.

Call shut-ins on your phone and just spend 5 minutes asking them how they are.

Donate shredded newspaper, straw or money to your local animal shelter.

Donate coats, blankets, food or money to your area homeless shelter. Even $5.00 is welcome. It may not seem like it would help at all, but believe me they can use every penny that they bring in.

Don't have time? How about 1 hour per week? Still too much? How about one hour per month? Surely you can find an hour per month to spend thinking about someone other than yourself.

Don't have much money? You don't have to have a lot of money to be of service to others in some way. Any donation no matter how small will not be refused to most organizations.

So what I am saying is quit having your pity party, take off your sad face, and stop making excuses for why you are so miserable. If you want to be happy you need to do something to make someone else happy. It will make your heart smile. :)

Living a Life of Happiness: #2 Worry Less

2011-09-14T09:21:00.005-05:00

Someone once said that to worry about something is like rocking in a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it doesn't get you anywhere.

We all have "problems" that can cause worries. They might be related to our finances, our health, our family, our emotions, our future, our love life, our friends, etc. It's just human nature to worry about things/people/situations if you care about them. However, worry doesn't accomplish anything except to make us miserable.

We need realize that worrying about something will not help it, will not change it, and will only make us ill. Worrying can cause stomach ulcers, depression, eating disorders, drug dependency, alcohol dependency, nicotene use increase, anger and other mental disorders. Being in a constant state of worrying is not healthy.

So how do we worry less? Well, first we need to take each worry and analize it. If it can be changed then do something positive to change it. If it cannot be changed then turn to your Heavenly Father and pray about it. Ask the Lord to take the worry off your shoulders. Ask Him to handle it for you. Then Thank HIM! ... and leave it with him. Everytime you catch yourself starting to worry about a specific problem again, remind yourself that God is handling it for you.

It will get better in HIS time, but it will get better.

Living a Life of Happiness: #1 Don't blame others for your own faults

2011-09-13T07:18:00.011-05:00

Do you want to live a happier life? Well here's something to think about today ...

"To observe what is happening all around you, why it's happening, and to see the details of the situation .... use a mirror not a magnifying glass."

Stuff Happens: Sometimes we blame our situation on others around us or we blame other influences in our daily lives for a problem ..... when most of the time the problem lies "within". Perhaps "we" did nothing to initiate the situation, but "we" do not have to let it affect us so deeply. Observe yourself and how you react to the problems or situations that occur daily all around you. Then make changes in your own behavior to minimize the stress that it causes in your life by reacting in a different way.

Some tips for handling daily stress are:

Pray for guidance every morning

Walk away from the drama and those who thrive on it. Turn off the source of the news, the gossip, the worries.

Smile more, frown less. You and those around you will feel better.

Prioritize your activities. Don't get bogged down with trivial or frivolous activities.

Focus on the task at hand and finish it if you can before starting a new one.

Hug your loved ones, kiss your spouse and tell your family that you love them.

Perform at least one private random act of kindness each day.

Say a prayer of thankfulness for all your blessings at the end of the day.

Get a good night's sleep.

Try these steps and see how you feel after 5 days.

United States Citizen, Legally Born and Raised

2011-09-01T08:23:00.010-05:00

Dear Mr. President and Dear Congress,

As a United States citizen, legally born and raised, I watch with interest as you perform your jobs in our nation's capital offices. I oftentimes disagree with your decisions, but I respect the office of the jobs that you perform. With all this said I respectfully have a request.

Would each of you please go back to your home states, take a look around at every inch of the section of our great country that you represent. ( Mr. President you represent the entire country, but you too should select one state that best represents home to you or choose Washington D.C.)

This might take a while to visit and view every part of your state, but if you don't stop to chat you'll get through it more quickly. Do not speak with anyone about your observations other than the Lord above and your family while you are there. Hold no press conferences. Make no statements to other officials. In other words truly observe with your own eyes the condition of your area and of the people who live there without interference and persuasion by others.

Then sit down and make a list of all the areas that need help in your home states. I imagine that these would be on your list if you truly observe with an eye for actual needs: (1) creation of jobs, (2) clean up from disasters, (3) building / rebuilding of schools, highways and parks, (4) increasing the personnel for military and national guard members for the express purpose of securing our borders and fighting terrorism on U.S. soil, (5) find a way to levy taxes on ALL people who have incomes above poverty level in a fair and equal manner/percentage*, .... and I'm sure that given time you could think of a few more things that you may discover on your trip to your home state.

Next, go back to Washington with a renewed sense of duty and patriotism that (1.) no longer revolves around partisan politics, (2.) no longer associates with lobbyists, (3.) no longer puts your own status in life above those who live in your home state, (4.) no longer allows for the outrageous behavior of our government in recent years, and (5) no longer "pays" foreign governments to be our allies**.

After that you should resume your duties and start to act like a United States citizen, legally born*** and raised.

Thank you.

Sincerely,
Sharlotte Hughes
Kansas

* (1) Set a flat tax that is an equal percentage for all citizens and (2.) eliminate tax loopholes. At first corporations will raise an outcry, but eventually things will level out for them as more and more people are able to restore the economy by their own personal spending. This will in turn increase the revenues for those corporations. Yes, it will take years for the corporations to see the positive outcome of the tax revisions and the elimination of their loopholes or tax deductions. However, if we don't do something, it will only be a matter of a few years before our economy is at a dead standstill with a two class society like the third world countries have now.

** Once we stop paying other countries to be our allies they will be angry. We can expect it, but let's think about it ... while we send billions to them ... are they truly our "friends" or merely do they use our dollars to build up arsenals and militia to be used against us later? Do they hold us "hostage" by threats of siding with our enemies should we not pay them. What kind of ally is this? One that we truly do not need is my way of thinking. So ... take half of the money that we have been sending to those governments and donate it to legally and honestly operated world aide organizations ... and use the other half to rebuild our country and help our own citizens. Does this make sense???? It makes sense to me.

*** I suppose that I should include all legal citizens so as not to offend anyone who is naturalized. I do though think that there should be stricter regulations for naturalization. That's just my opinion.

My post may make some people upset with me, but this is my blog and I'm entitled to my opinions and thoughts. In light of how inflamatory any blog about government, politics, etc., can be, all comments will be hidden. My intent is not to create a debate forum or to incite arguments among readers, but to merely state my own ideas and observations. Thank you.

Sarcasm under a guise of Humor is Not Funny

2011-08-23T12:15:00.006-05:00

Today I thought about all the people that I know who have such funny comments and great senses of humor. I love comedians, speakers, and everyday people who see humor in so many situations ... especially their own. A little laugh helps relieve the tension in everyday stress. A good chuckle is great exercise for the emotional soul.

I also thought about those who try to be humorous with sarcasm. Sometimes they are funny and sometimes they are hurtful. Sarcasm is a sharp way of stating a cutting remark without truly saying what you mean.

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia describes it this way:
Sarcasm is “a sharp, bitter, or cutting expression or remark; a bitter jibe or taunt.”[1] Though irony and understatement is usually the immediate context,[2] most authorities sharply distinguish sarcasm from irony;[3] however, others argue that sarcasm may or often does involve irony[4] or employs ambivalence.[5] Sarcasm has been suggested as a possible bullying action in some circumstances.[6]

Dictionary.com has this content about sarcasm: In sarcasm, ridicule or mockery is used harshly, often crudely and contemptuously, for destructive purposes. It may be used in an indirect manner, and have the form of irony, as in “What a fine musician you turned out to be!” or it may be used in the form of a direct statement, “You couldn't play one piece correctly if you had two assistants.” The distinctive quality of sarcasm is present in the spoken word and manifested chiefly by vocal inflection ...[10] (copied from the wikipedia page)

I've literally seen people flinch from the barbs inflicted by sarcastic remarks. Oftentime the others within hearing distance will laugh. That is ... usually all but the target of the sarcastic remark will laugh.

Many times those who use sarcasm to make fun of others is a bully. A sarcastic bully is someone who uses sharp, cutting comments to: inflict emotional pain on others through ridicule.

Sarcasm has in the past been how I sometimes express myself in a humorous or difficult situation. I get it from my father. I am not using this as an excuse though. I know better now. My dad was such a funny person who could make people laugh. He loved a good joke or a prank, ..... but sometimes he was cruel with his humor. Then sometimes he was not joking at all, but was using sarcasm as a way of inflicting ridicule and pain onto another person. In other words he would bully someone with his words, expression and stance.

When in the past I used sarcasm as humor I meant to be funny, but gave little thought to how it made the other person feel. I was wrong to do so. I regret every instance where I tried to use sarcasm as a way to inject humor into my everyday life. For anyone that I've hurt with my unkind and silly remarks, I am truly sorry. As we get older we start to see things so differently. At least that is how it is for me.

I have seen others in my everyday life, friends, family, coworkers, online acquaintances being sarcastic with their comments toward others. If we see their sarcasm as being cruel, don't they realize that the target of their comment sees it too? They do, but they don't care.

It's time that we stopped hurting each other with comments disguised as humor that have a sharp edge. It's time that we need to say what we mean in a constructive way and stop being a gutless bully with all our little "digging comments". Just putting a smiley face emoticon behind the comment does not make it okay.

Remember: Kindness counts.

Sinners and Christian Behavior

2011-08-17T13:15:00.004-05:00

I've seen this quote recently on facebook and enjoyed reading it....

"Jacob was a cheater, Peter had a temper, David had an affair, Noah got drunk, Jonah ran from God, Paul was a murderer, Gideon was insecure, Miriam was a gossiper, Martha was a worrier, Thomas was a doubter, Sara was impatient, Elijah was moody, Moses stuttered, Zaccheus was short, Abraham was old, and Lazarus was dead ~~~ God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called."

..... I'd like to add to this line of thought and take it even further.

God/Jesus did not turn these men down or discount them because of their faults or shortcomings or sins. No he didn't. He took them into his tutelage, and through encouragement and teachings he led them into a new life walking in his footsteps.

If you know someone who has many faults and/or who is committing sins ... don't give up on them. Please don't cast them aside as thought they are worthless. Keep encouraging them to get back on the right path. Show them how they should "walk" and "talk" by your own good example. They have value that only Jesus knows. Just like the men who became His followers, they have the ability to become great followers of our Lord too.

Go with kindness in your heart ... and let Jesus guide you in your actions today.

Take a Walk with the Lord

2011-08-15T15:55:00.005-05:00

A friend posted this comment: "Exercise daily -- run from the devil and walk with the Lord!"

I wanted to add ... It is a good thought, but the fact is that the Lord walks with you whether you walk with him or not. He is always right beside you, in good times and in bad. He is there just waiting for you to turn to him, reach out to him and take you in his arms of loving comfort. May you be closer to him today than you were yesterday, and may you be closer still tomorrow.

He doesn't give up on you no matter which direction you're headed. If you are on a path leading you down the wrong way, just reach out for the Lord, take His hand and in an instant the path will diverge. From that point on you'll be walking in the right direction. Hold tight to His hand and don't let go. I'm not saying that the road will be smooth, but you won't be alone.

Giving with a Kind and Loving Heart

2011-08-12T09:35:00.005-05:00

Sometimes other people don't act or react the way that you / I thought that they would. This leaves us with a multitude of feelings depending on the situation: confused, frustrated, hurt, angry, shocked, and so on.

The fact is that no matter how we think that people will act they will sometimes do or say things unexpected. There is nothing that we can do about it. It's just part of life. They have their life and you have yours and I have mine. We all need to be more understanding of others, more kind toward those who are different from us and more loving of each other as fellow humans.

I am sometimes disappointed in how some of my friends or loved ones behave, yet I do not criticize them or condemn them. This doesn't mean that I approve. It just means that I feel the necessity to allow them to make their own choices. God gave us all free will. We need to allow others the same consideration that HE gave us. That doesn't mean that we have to allow cruelty or criminal behavior. Certainly we should stop any one who is harming others. However, we need to allow others to learn from their mistakes. To every action there is a consequential reaction. It might be a reward or it might be a punishment. That depends on the action to begin with.

I am sometimes disappointed in how other friends react to how others live their lives, yet I allow them their own opinions and decisions. Each person is at a different spot on their path of learning. Some are tolerant and forgiving. Others are rigid and judgmental and critical. Criticizing those who are not living the way that we feel aligns with our own beliefs of right and wrong will only alienate them. Condemning them is against my Christian beliefs. Beside that, we have no right to judge and condemn anyone. We all are sinners in the eyes of God. So before any of us judge others for their sins we need to look inside our own hearts and lives and scrutinize our own behavior. Then if we find no sin in our hearts or lives ... then and only then can we judge or condemn others. In the end we will be judged by the same criteria that we used to judge others.

God tells us to be loving and kind to one another. He tells us to help those in need. He doesn't tell us to help only those people that we like. He doesn't tell us to help only those who are of our same faith. He doesn't tell us to only help the ones who are living according to OUR own standards. We are to help ANYONE in need ... and we are to help them without expectations of anything in return or without expectations of change. Many of us are generous givers ... yet we expect our donations to change people, to make a permanent difference. Sometimes our help does make a permanent difference. Sometimes it only creates a resting spot for the person we tried to help. No matter how much of a difference our help makes in a person's life does not matter. What matters is the fact that we tried to help, and that we cared enough to ease the burden of another human being even if only for a day.

So if you see someone with a need ... reach out your hand in a kind and loving way. Your kindness will do more to help the person than any amount of money ever will. They may not remember in years to come that you donated a few dollars to help them, but they WILL remember your kind and loving heart.

A fat and lazy Sunday on July 24, 2011

2011-07-24T10:48:00.008-05:00

LIVING WITH FIBROMYALGIA AND OSTEOARTHRITIS: Today is one of those days that I feel motivated to accomplish so much, yet my physical body is not cooperating. I do a little and then rest a while. Many days are like that. I can never get all my work done. I'll do as much as I can. That's all I can promise.

Some people think that I'm lazy. They just don't know the tiredness that you feel when you have the physical problems that I have. Not said in a whining tone. If I complain they turn a deaf ear so it's best NOT to complain. At least I try not to.

What works the best for me is to be grateful for the blessings of (first and foremost) salvation from Jesus, then next comes love of family, joy of life, the ability to balance my depression without medicine, the five senses, finances and material goods, and last but not least friends. I am so grateful for ALL my blessings ... named and unnamed, visible and invisible.

Other than my overweight body, most people do not know that I have physical problems (unless they watch me move around and even then they attribute my wobbly gait to my weight). It's better that way because when you have an illness, condition or disease people begin to avoid you because they are afraid that you will talk about it. So I don't mention it except to a very few people. They don't want to hear anything that might make them feel uncomfortable. They don't know how to respond most of the time.

So it's best to just put on a happy face and act normal. That's when the most amazing thing happens. As you go about being happy and grateful, you begin to notice that others also suffer in one way or another. You notice others that are in a much worse situation than you. You see others who are terminally ill. At least your fibromyalgia is not fatal. You see others in wheelchairs or who are bedridden. At least your osteoarthritis allows you to still walk, albeit slowly and painfully, you can at least still move around. You see others who are blind and you are grateful that you can still see at all even if it isn't 20-20. You see others who cannot hear and you are grateful that you can still hear your family ... even if you have to ask them to repeat what they say from time to time. You see others who are lonely and you are grateful for the family that keeps you so busy that you sometimes need a day of rest to just catch up. You see others who are in such a sad mental state of mind that they are living in a hospital for the mentally ill, and you are grateful that you have a Lord who helps keep you sane without medications.

My message to myself is .... Each and every day, count your blessings instead of your pains. Each and every day enjoy the small moments in your life instead of wishing for changes. However if changes are possible then make them and quit whining. The video below puts my thought into perspective.

......

The man in the video has a physical disability that you can see, but so many people have "invisible" disabilities. So look around. What do you see? Who do you see? Do you know if they have cancer or some other disease? Do you know if they have pain or aches that won't go away? Do you know if they are depressed, addicted, or living with abuse? Most of the time you don't. So please don't judge someone as being JUST fat and lazy until you truly know what their life is like.

Drugs and Alcohol CAN Kill or Harm You. :(

2011-06-28T09:29:00.005-05:00

Does this photo make you stop and think?

If it doesn't, it should.

You see .... not everyone who chooses to drink and drive will die.

Other things can happen like what happened to the girl in the photo above.

She may not have been the one who was driving.

She may have been a passenger.

She may have been in another car that was hit by a drunk driver.

So don't get in the car if the driver has had a drink of alcohol

.... or has been using drugs ....

because drugs also impair your judgement and slow your response time.

Stay safe.

Stay healthy.

Stay ALIVE.

SHAME ON YOU ABERCROMBIE AND FITCH!

2011-03-28T09:00:00.006-05:00

Okay there is a lot to get to this morning. I believe that surely the world has gone crazy. Most all of us have access to world news and know that there are terrible things happening all over the world: wars, murders, human trafficking, corruption, greed .... the list just goes on and on. However something caught my attention this morning that has me more than a little incensed.

There is a company that markets clothing for young kids and teens. They also have a line of clothing for older teens and young adults. Their clothing is stylish and also a little bit pricey. My concern is not with their clothing but with the lack of clothing in their advertisements. Their ads are very sexual and seem (in my opinion) to promote young teens and children with sexual images. The photo on the front page / home page of their website this morning has a teen age boy with no shirt on at all and no evidence of any pants as well. They don't show him from the waist down, but the indication that he is nude is very evident.

In their line of clothing for children ages 7 to 14 they are marketing a padded, push up bikini top. What?! For girls age 7!? Are they crazy? Are they peddling clothing or child porn?

I think that they are out of line ...... over the line actually ........ as far as decency is concerned.

So I say ........

SHAME ON YOU ABERCROMBIE AND FITCH!

I won't shop at your stores or online. Even if the clothing were nice and reasonably priced, it's the image that you project that I object to.

You ... Abercrombie and Fitch .... get a RAZZBERRY from me today ... Ppppplllllluuuuuutttthhhhh!

..............................................

Update on this story: One day after I blogged about this, the National News in the United States covered it, and a day after this story circulated on facebook like wildfire ... A&F removed the padded push up bikini tops from their online children's store. Good for them, but what were they thinking in the first place?????

Now that we have their attention on the issue of promoting sexuality in their children's clothing line how about if they did something about the "nearly porn" images of their teen models???????????? Hmmmm??????????

And .... as consumers we need to get their attention by witholding our purchases. I for one will NOT purchase anything for my grandchildren from a company that shows sexual images of nearly nude teens on their website. Sorry A&F but I object to kiddie porn.

How about you?

Facebook and Those Who Know It All

2011-03-15T12:20:00.011-05:00

The recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan has a lot of people thinking about the book of Revelations in the Bible. Someone created a post that was shared by many on facebook that linked the Japanese tragedy with the Haiti earthquake and others and compared them to passages in the Bible.

I'm one of the ones who shared/reposted the thing about earthquakes, dates and the Bible on facebook yesterday ( March 14, 2011 ). I didn't create the post. I merely shared it.

My intentions were to provide some food for thought. :) The date on the Haiti earthquake in the link was incorrect and people made it a point to bring that to my attention. Most people who post stuff are just trying to pass along serious information, and they really do have good intentions as was I.

The posts that I think should be criticized are those who harm others in some way like:

(1) damaging someone's... reputation through vicious slander, gossip or misinformation

(2) stupid jokes that are indecent or immoral

(3) applications that are damaging to your computer or internet service

(4) out and out bullying of people

(5) those who make it their life's mission to point out every mistake made by others If we would just all be kind to one another the world would be a better place.

Thou Shalt Not Whine

2011-03-04T09:22:00.006-06:00

What? That's all there is? I can already tell that this day is going to be a bummer. :(

Then a voice in my head says ....

… and the 11th Commandment is: THOU SHALT NOT WHINE

Have we all become a world of whiners? I mean it seems like everywhere you turn, everything you read, everything that you hear is some form of whining.

There’s complaining, griping, ranting, venting, and general sullenness, but it’s the whining that gets to me the most.

I am just as guilty as anyone else. Some mornings when I get up there is already a half-empty glass sitting there just waiting on me. My whole day becomes a half-empty sort of day. I wake up a “whiner”. Nothing goes right. Everything I do just makes things worse. Or I do nothing much at all, and then I feel terrible toward myself for wasting my day. It’s a downward spiral.

On a half-full kind of day, I may come into contact with another whiner. So … I try to think of something to say that is comforting, witty, spiritual, uplifting, etc. Maybe if I can think of just the right thing to say it will help them.

Uh .. probably not.

Many times the negative person does not want to hear our lecture/advice but rather to continue to vent, complain .... whine. What we need to realize is that sometimes they need to vent, complain, whine because it lets them voice their feelings. Sometimes they feel better after verbalizing those feelings. Most of the time though I think that they just want someone on their side. By accepting their side of the story as fact, we validate their feelings or their view of the situation. That makes them feel “right”. Lord knows, we all want to be “right”. Right?

Many times they are just like me, they are half-full most of the time. However when they are constantly negative, day in and day out it becomes a habitual mood or a developed personality trait. They weren't born negative. Were they? Or are they influenced by life?

Can you think of a group of people or characters who portray either half-empty or half-full attitudes toward life? Look at the characters of the stories of “Winnie the Pooh“. Some are nearly always negative -Eeyore. Some are nearly always happy - Tigger. Rabbit is nearly always suspicious. Pooh is mostly obsessed that a tragedy will befall his precious Honey (rhymes with money - sound familiar?). Piglet is always trying to help the others but is perceived as too small to accomplish huge tasks. However he never gives up despite his miniscule size. It is only when they band together and work as a team that they can accomplish what needs to be done. The same holds true for people like you and me.

You see most of us have ALL of those characters in us. Most of us are rarely always a human version of any of the Pooh characters, but rather we vacillate in our moods. I have good days and bad days. I see myself in each character depending on the situation. I’ll try to not let my half-empty situations control my mood for the whole day. And … if I whine some days ... just give me an LOL and call me Eeyore. I'll know to stop myself.

Nativity

2010-12-24T13:25:00.001-06:00

Merry CHRISTmas!

Fall in Kansas

2010-10-16T11:30:00.001-05:00

Well, my favorite time of year is here!!!!!!!!!!!! It's Fall!!!!!!!!!!!

I put my potted mums, pumpkins and cornstalks on my front steps a couple of weeks ago. The mums in my yard are in full bloom.

Does God give us all this beautiful color so we won't be too sad about the coming winter? Maybe. If He does, then He sure does have a great explosion of color to brighten our spirits as we prepare for the cold days ahead.

Here are some photos taken around my yard.

I think that I'll get outside and enjoy this day! :)

Entering a New Era - Retirement

2010-09-02T12:04:00.000-05:00

September 1st began the first official day of a new era in my life. It was the first day of my husband's retirement. He's worked for 40 years, 2 months and 8 days for a railroad. The name of the railroad has changed several times over that span of time but it has still been the same company. It is just a different owner. So 40+ years with the same employer. How many people can say that?

For us things will be different, but in a good way. I can already see him relaxing more and more each day. He seems very happy .... and me? I am overjoyed!!!!!!! I am thrilled!!!! It is so good to have him here every morning to wake up with, and every evening to fall asleep beside. Sound corny? Not to me. I cherish little joys and ordinary moments. :)

Will I need to adjust to having him home every day? Yes. I am so used to having quite a bit of "alone" time. I will still have some, but not as much. I see this as a good thing. He will keep me more involved in activities and family. I tend to hibernate and become reclusive when I'm alone too much. I will need to be better organized with my time so that I can accomplish my daily life chores and still find time to do my art and create and write and ... well you get the idea. I like to do stuff. I like to spend time creating. So I'll have to be a better time manager. I'll let y'all know how this is working out. LOL

Here's a picture of the two of us a few days before he retired. The last two weeks of his employment he did not work because he took vacation days and personal leave days. I could see the strain start to lift from him even then.

This photo was taken at the Yard House Restaurant located in the Legends Mall in Kansas City.

We spent the day out shopping, eating and sight seeing with my brother and his wife. We shopped at Cabela's Outdoor Sports Store before heading over the the Legends Outlet Mall. Before shopping at the mall we decided to have lunch. The Yard House turned out to be a perfect choice. The food was great, the waiter was entertaining and we enjoyed our time there.

The purpose of the day out was to get him away from the house until around 7 PM. It was all a ruse so that our children and grandchildren could set up the tables and food areas for a Surprise Retirement Party when we returned home. I had invited as many of his coworkers as I was able to do. Time, cost and space prevented me from inviting all his coworkers. It worked perfectly. He was totally surprised. It was so much fun!!! It was GREAT!!!!

We presented him with a big surprise gift ... a new golf cart. He had been wanting this new cart ever since he'd seen it a couple of weeks before. I had said that we couldn't afford it so he didn't buy it. He was disappointed that we couldn't purchase it. Me being the softy that I am decided to surprise him with it at his party. He was shocked.

The party was a great mix of friends and family with a good time had by all. The food was catered so that the family would not have to do a lot of cooking that day. We used a local restaurant, Flint Hills Bakery and Smokehouse for almost all the food. The meats were wonderfully smoked and prepared. The vegetables were delicious. We had many compliments on how everything tasted. The same caterer also did the cakes. One was chocolate and one was white. The cakes tasted very good too.

So now that the party is over and the official day has come and gone, we are catching up on our rest. This brings a time to reflect on the past and spend some time thanking the Lord for this blessing called ... Retirement. I thank my Heavenly Father for the job that Claude has had for 40 years, for his ability to keep working this long, for our good health, and friends and family with which to spend the coming days. Amen.

Life goes on and Retirement is good! :)

Missed Opportunities - or - How Not to Mix Religion and Politics

2010-06-12T10:48:00.000-05:00

I recently had an interaction with a woman on face book. I am sooooo NOT PROUD of my response to her comments. I kept my patience at first, but then retaliated with just as much venom as she was spitting toward me. Why is it SO DIFFICULT to follow Jesus’ example and show our Christian attitudes when someone angers us?

To give a little history of our connection, I had known this woman’s name for several years on various discussion forums and online groups, but really did not know her. At the time of our argument, I couldn’t even remember from where I knew her. Some mutual friends filled me in on our connection that went back several years. I really didn’t know her back then, nor now, but we had a mutual hobby and shared many friends in common. Nowadays with online communities that’s about all it takes to have so many “friends”.

Anyway, for the past couple of months I would post something or comment on something on face book and afterwards she would post an opposing comment. I didn’t think too much of it. I just kind of shrugged it off as her way of voicing her opinion which didn’t even bother me. I think that all people should be able to voice their opinion or viewpoint on topics. It makes for interesting reading and interaction among the friends. It never even occurred to me that she was only opposing my comments and would oftentimes post hers after mine. (I’m not too intuitive sometimes)

This went on for a while until one day I posted a political joke. A certain group on face book uses a political joke as their title. The title of this group was being copied and posted as a status comment on many people’s profiles. I made the monumental mistake of reposting the group title in my own status line purely as a political joke. The title and comments went something like this: “Dear Lord, This year you took my favorite actor, Patrick Swayze. You took my favorite actress, Farrah Fawcett. You took my favorite singer, Michael Jackson. I just wanted to let you know that my favorite president is Barack Obama. Amen” I thought this was funny and only funny in the sense of it being a joke. I am not an Obama supporter, but that’s the topic of another blog post entirely. However, that’s all it was to me. I would never truly agree with something like that if it were a real threat at all.

Man!, talk about coming unglued. It seems that she was an Obama supporter and the political comments had set off her anger. She lashed out at me by calling me a hypocrite. What I got from her comments was that if I were a Christian I wouldn’t make LOL’s at political jokes. If I were a Christian I wouldn’t behave the way that I do. If I were a Christian I wouldn’t say the things that I do.

She called me a Bible thumper and said that she’d never liked me in a mutual group that we were in several years before. What? Just because I mentioned that I would pray for someone who was ill or had a family crisis I was being labeled a Bible thumper? What is a Bible thumper anyway? According to Wikipedia ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bible_thumper ) it is an extremely negative description of someone who believes in the Bible. I’d never thought of myself like that at all. If anything, I am one to point out my own faults and admit my sins and express my shame for them, not preach to others. So I’d never thought of myself as a Bible thumper who (according to her) pushed my religion or faith on others. I suppose that to just say an “Amen” once in a while would get you labeled a Bible thumper if you weren’t careful.

When I read her comments I was surprised and then I was angry, I was irritated, I was aggravated, and I felt justified by my own reactions. Did she expect everyone who says that they are a Christian to be perfect? Should we have no sense of humor? Are we not allowed to have political opinions? Does voicing our thoughts on various world issues make us non-Christians? How dare her to call me a hypocrite! So I lashed back and tried to embarrass her for her comments.

I inquired among friends to find out why this one woman would have so many negative feelings toward me. I was told that she was a “non believer” in Christian faiths. Now, I don’t really know this as I have no first hand knowledge of her beliefs or lack thereof. So I really cannot say if she does or does not believe in Christ.

In my response to being angry, irritated and aggravated I retaliated. You see in all actuality, I truly was not acting like a Christian. I forgot my desire to try to be kind and gentle. I forgot my desire to follow Jesus’ example and “turn the other cheek”. I lost my temper and I did not act like a Christian toward her at all. I am not proud of my behavior … not one bit. I AM ASHAMED! I had an opportunity to express true Christian feelings and I MISSED IT! I missed the opportunity to be more like Jesus. I missed the opportunity to show her that Christians can be forgiving and kind even toward those who attack us for our beliefs. I missed the opportunity to witness to her. I missed the opportunity to share my faith with her if she would hear it. I even missed the opportunity to show others who were reading her posts and mine that I was trying to live by my Christian beliefs. I am truly ashamed of my attitude and actions.

Well, it is all water under the bridge now. Hopefully in the future I’ll be better equipped to handle that sort of attack and will be able to remain calm. I’ll try. Not sure that I won’t react in anger as that is my human nature, but I’ll sure try.

…………….

And Jesus said …..

(Matthew 5:39) But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

(Luke 6:29) And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; …..

……………..

Happy Mother's Day Tribute to Ella Lena (Peggy) Payne Hardin Goggans

2010-05-02T09:46:00.002-05:00

Ella Lena ( Peggy) Payne Hardin, age 19

Below is a music video of an original recording by Tim Shetler.

Letter from Heaven is the title.

It expresses my feelings about my mom.

I hope that you will listen to it and recieve a blessing such as I did the first time that I heard it.

Have a Happy Mother's Day to all of you.

My mother passed away in 1999. I still miss her so much at times. She was such an encouraging and loving person.

If your mother is still alive, I hope that you can spend time with her and let her know just how much she means to you not just on Mother's Day but often.

Above: My mother holding her first child, me.

Above: Easter Sunday 1957

Yolanda Hardin, Sharlotte Hardin, Granville Lynn (Bud) Hardin,

Damon Hardin on Peggy's lap.

Peggy Hardin, 1970

Above: 1974 - Four Generations -

Peggy Payne Hardin, Sharlotte Hardin Hughes,

Steven Hughes, Nettie Chambers Payne.

Above: Peggy Payne Hardin Goggans with some of her many grandchildren.

Back - Steven Hughes

Front- Tara Hughes, Karie Doss, Amie Doss,

Josh Doss on Peggy's lap.

Above: Peggy and daughter Sharlotte, 1997

Ella Lena (always called Peggy) passed away in June of 1999.

She is still missed.

---------------------------------------------------

Tim Shetler is an original singer/song writer.

See his profile on facebook.

Also search for his music on youtube and on facebook.

Thank you Tim, for sharing your gift with all of us.

Your lyrics say what we try unsuccessfully to convey.

......................................................................

Blogger Award

2010-04-23T07:53:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Mags who writes the AWESOME blog

Everyday Places

Her blog is a must see blog about her life as a Christian.

She is one of the very nicest ladies that I have ever met.

Please visit her blog and see for yourself.

Some other wonderful blogs are listed on my sidebar.

Thanks again, Mags!

National Day of Prayer has NOT been Cancelled - Revised

2010-04-15T10:52:00.002-05:00

Well, I am shocked, but not surprised.

President Obama has eliminated the observance of the

NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER

at the White House.

Why? Because he doesn't want to offend anyone.

~ sigh ~

Well, he has offended me.

How about you?

I am offended that he so shamelessly eliminated a day of observance at the White House because he didn't want to offend anyone.

Really??????????

What are your thoughts on this?

To read more online information relating to this blog subject you can click these links or do a google search.

Helium

Gather

Gathering4Jesus

I found the writings about this subject very thought provoking ...... and sad.

We all knew that when President Obama was elected that things would be radically different.

He is changing things really fast. Much faster than I expected.

As Christians we must continue to pray. Pray Hard!

Pray for President Obama too.

If anyone needs our prayers for salvation through belief in Jesus it is him.

I may not like what he's doing, but remember he does not have the final say.

Our Heavenly Father Does!

President Obama may change National Observance Days, but he does not change me.

My Heavenly Father already did that.

He sent his Son, his only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for me.

I thank Jesus every day for that.

So it does not matter if our President eliminates the an observance at one of our government buildings (the White House) of the National Day of Prayer.

Christians will still pray that day and every day.

Amen? You Betcha!

Amen

Oh, and what is the significance of the image at the top of this blog?

Can't you see the cross?

I see it. I see it in the image.

I see it in everyday life.

I see it in my heart.

I pray that you see it in yours.

Oh, and I pray that you too, President Obama, will see that cross.

Why? Because Jesus died for you too.

......................................................................

Added: April 23, 2010

Just my own thoughts: We (as individuals in the USA) don't "need" a day set aside to pray because we can pray any time, day or night. BUT we do need this day to

(1.) come together as a unified force of voices who have a common belief

(2.) encourage others to pray by our own decision to "take a stand"

(3.) be a day set aside to exemplify our Christian beliefs to the rest of the world/nation.

We are NOT imposing our faith on others. Merely we are demonstrating our faith before others. There is a difference. As Christians we usually pray in private or in churches/groups. However, we are told to not hide our faith under a bushel. Having a "National Day of Prayer" is one way to show everyone else the strength of our faith, the love of our Lord and the fact that we Christians are a large group. We pay taxes, we vote, we DO make a difference in this country.

How strong is my faith?

2010-04-07T20:24:00.001-05:00

I've been with selling designs through an online company for about 3 or 4 years. I sell a little over a hundred dollars worth of products per year, but recently sales have increased. It takes a while to be noticed I think. This had encouraged me to submit more new designs.
.

Then something happened that has me considering leaving them. Here is the reason why. I listed a religious based design last week, put the tags in as Jesus, christ, resurrection, faith, etc. and they reviewed it and rejected it because it promoted a religious faith. WHAT?!? They said that it is forbidden in the terms of use and regulations. I know that I signed those, and I also know that I really didn't read them. So, I'm torn between just listing my generic designs and not listing any of my faith based designs. I can sell them elsewhere.
.

Do I take a stand for my faith and leave that company? What to do, what to do? I am trying to be objective about their company policies, and trying to understand why they have that policy in the first place. Perhaps it is to keep radical religious factions from promoting their faith and religion? Then again they may think that Christianity is radical?
.

Oh I know that I was wrong in not reading "the fine print". I mean we all sign up for stuff on websites, and just to be honest I rarely read the terms of use agreement. I know that I won't do anything illegal so I just don't worry about it.

.

And it's not that most of my product designs are faith based. They aren't. I was just surprised that they rejected one based on religion. I just thought it so unusual and odd.
.

However, it has me questioning the strength of my faith. Just how far would I go to profess my faith. And if I would balk at losing a few measely sales or try to rationalize it somehow.... just how strong is my faith anyway???????????
.

After the rapture people will be faced with a much tougher decision. How will they do? Should I be left behind, how would I handle it?
.

You see, this tiny little seemingly insignificant situation really has a much bigger meaning.
.

I know my answer now. I hope that I can remain strong in the coming times. Our world is becoming closer and closer to the day when those left behind will have to make some very "permanent" decisions.
.

I pray that I will be strong.

He's Alive!

2010-04-04T06:19:00.003-05:00

He's not on the cross,

He's not in the grave,

He's our Risen Lord,

Who came to save.

On this Easter morning we will see lots of posts of

"He's Alive!".

..........

That is true. We will also hear this message in sermons.

The thing that we need to remember though is that He's Alive each and every day throughout the year.

He's Alive and walking beside us, holding us when we hurt, drying our tears, rejoicing with us in our celebrations and triumphs and He's ready to listen when we pray.

I love you Jesus.

Thank you for suffering on that cross for me.

Thank you for revealing the resurrection for all of us.

Thank you for making it possible for all us sinners to join you some day in front of the Heavenly Father's throne. ♥

Merry Christmas and ...

2009-12-19T14:39:00.006-06:00

... With Love for the holidays ...

Like this Christmas holiday wreath above that continues

around and around the holidays continue

to come around each year.

Christmas holidays come and go,

year after year, time after time.

Each one unique yet of a common thought.

The thought is always the same - Love.

---

What makes each Christmas different?

The personal lives of each one of us is what makes the difference.

Some Christmases are joyous, and I hope that yours are.

Some Christmases are filled with sadness.

If yours are sad then I pray that the reason that causes

the sadness will diminish as time goes by.

Some Christmases are busy with family and friends

who bring food, gifts and laughter into our lives.

Others of you are alone .... totally without a kindness

or loving word from anyone.

---

If you are feeling alone this Christmas I have good news for you.

There is One who can take away the sadness, despair and loneliness

at Christmastime and all the long year through.

His name is Jesus.

---

He came to earth for us - You & Me & Her & Him & They & Them ... All.

He came with one thought - Love.

Don't spend your holiday sad and alone.

Don't wait for someone to invite you for a celebration.

Go and find a church. Sit in a pew.

Shake a hand. Nod at a smile.

Celebrate the Love of the holidays

with the One who is the reason

that we Christians celebrate the holiday.

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May the wondrousness of His Love

fill your heart with joy.

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Merry Christmas!

! ! ! Happy Thanksgiving ! ! !

2009-11-18T11:08:00.007-06:00

I would like to wish each and every one of you

a gloriously wonderful and happy Thanksgiving.

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This year and for the first time I put up a fall holiday tree in our home. It sits in the living room in the front window. My neighbors probably thought that I'd gone over the edge until I explained that it was not a Christmas Tree. Not this early and way before Thanksgiving. It is a Thankful Tree and it has special meaning.

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I used my artificial Christmas tree representing the coming birth of Christ.

White lights cover the tree representing God's love for His Son. They shine out onto us allowing us to see the Love that emanates from Him.

Raffia streamers encircle the tree representing the way that Christ wraps his loving arms around us, and they represent the never ending Love of our Heavenly Father.

Clusters of branches and twigs combined with berry sprays, leaves, pumpkins and nuts represent the bountiful blessings from our Heavenly Father.

Paper tags onto which words of thanks have been written hold the names of loved ones and represent our prayers being presented to the Father. As our family members will write our names on a tag and hang it on the tree this Thanksgiving, we will thank our Heavenly Father for all our blessings and ask Him to continue to bless us abundantly in the coming year.

Happy Thanksgiving everybody.

May your day be filled with love, joy, family, friends and peace in knowing a true and loving God.

Pack Your Bags

2009-08-18T07:39:00.003-05:00

Pack your bags .....
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A long list of current events is changing how we live not just here in America, but worldwide. The economy and collapse of the monetary system is just part of it. Now our head of government wants Congress to pass a health care bill that is supposed to improve our current system of healthcare in this country. Well, there are surely a lot of things wrong with our health care system and it does need to be improved. However some of the items in the new plan are frightening to me. People all over the country are appalled at some parts of the plan. Guess what? It’s all been predicted. Everything that is happening right now, this very minute, has been prophesied. Read your Bible. It’s all there.
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So why are we so surprised and shocked that it is happening now? I suppose that we all thought it would happen …. someday. Not now. Not while we were still living. Well, people… it is happening now. Get ready. Pack your bags. The world is going on a long trip and it won’t be a luxury cruise.
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This is but one more step to fulfill the prophesy of the coming times. If you are a Christian you have probably already heard many times about the Rapture and the second coming of Christ. You know what will happen. Like me you probably didn’t think it would happen this soon. It’s time to lay aside worldly things and to be ready. Once you are prepared then go to all your friends and family and help them to understand what is to come.
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If you are not a Christian, you can become one. Right now. Right this very minute. All that you have to do is to believe in Jesus Christ, to acknowledge that He is the son of God, that he was born of a virgin birth, that He was crucified and that He died for your sins. Ask Him to forgive you of your sins, to come into your heart and to cleanse you of all your unrighteousness. Then …. Thank HIM.
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If you are unsure of what all this means, then now is the time to learn as much as you can about what it means to be saved, to be a Christian. Read a Bible. Talk to other Christians. Seek the answers that you need. After you are saved, talk to others.

This picture of a little angel shows her with packed bags. Of course, for those going up in the Rapture, there will be no need to pack anything of a worldly nature. You won’t need a suitcase where you’re going.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Please bless this blog so that it will touch the hearts of others.
Please let it help someone who does not know Jesus, and let it help bring them to salvation.
Thank You, Lord, for everything. Most especially, thank You for salvation through belief in Your son, Jesus.
These things I ask in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Amen.

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Additional Comments: November 8, 2009.

Follow up to all comments received about the above blog post.

I've heard from several people who are either for or against the proposed health care reform. Some of you have asked me to be more specific. You see .... it isn't health care reform that I oppose. It's government regulations and restrictions on our rights as individuals to make our own choices. I would like to see them do something about the corruption and abuse of the health care system, insurance fraud, etc.... but why take away our right to make our own choices as to coverage, care plans, providers etc? It just smacks of our big government becoming more of a dictatorship instead of a democracy. Now... I am by no means an expert on any of this. But I as an individual want to express my concern over governments taking rights away from citizens. Citizens = me and you.

The Road of Life

2009-04-02T05:01:00.004-05:00

We come into this world kicking our tiny legs, stretching their muscles, growing and gaining strength until one day we are able to crawl. From our very beginnings we know that we are “going places”, and we can’t wait to get started.

Each day we grow bigger, stronger, and just as importantly, smarter all the while learning to pull up to stand before we take our first short steps. Putting one foot in front of the other soon becomes walking, and then quickly turns into running. A few short years go by and we are driving a motorized vehicle because walking or running no longer gets us where we need to go. Going from running to driving helps us to arrive where we’re going at a faster rate. At the same time it increases the risk factor should an unforeseen occurrence become a bump in the road.

We travel through life on many roads from birth to the grave making decisions about which turn to make and which fork to take. Knowing that each decision that me make can take us down a road that changes our lives forever we try to make good choices based on our previous experience or education.

The right choices that we make can often smooth out and avoid the potholes and bumps along the road. We use our past experiences and education to make a decision to adjust our speed and direction.

Any wrong choices though can run us off in the ditch! That’s right. We can be cruising along enjoying life and admiring the scenery. All of a sudden a huge bump in the road pops up right in front of us. Jerking the wheel we react and swerve to miss this new obstacle in our path. Over correcting we lose control and in the blink of an eye, we are in the ditch.

What? How could that have happened? We have been careful. We have made good choices and now our lives are in jeopardy. Life is like this road. We never know what is going to be around the next bend. We can’t see those potholes until they are right in front of us. So how do we prepare? Well one way is to have a road map. The best road map that I know of is the directions of our Heavenly Father. He gave us a road map in the Ten Commandments. He sent his Son to earth to teach us how to drive. Between the example of a good teacher and a set of rules we can navigate any road in life.

So… put it in gear and go on a journey that will take you places that you never imagined. It’s worth the trip. And if along the road you lose your way, just remember that you have a map. Just pull it out and start reading it. With the Lord’s help you’ll find your way again.

So remember…. Watch where you’re going, let your Bible be your guide and …. Keep it between the ditches!

Wishes

2009-02-24T14:03:00.007-06:00

If prayers were like wishes … And if wishes came true …

I’d be rich. Not just a little bit rich, but rich enough to help a lot of other people in my family and community.

I’d be beautiful, have white straight teeth, and not have a weight problem.
I’d be everything that a wish could bring ….. and MORE.

Oh, …. but prayers are not like wishes.

I mean we can’t send a prayer up to God the same way that we throw pennies into a well, now can we?

I’ll have to admit that I have tried to use prayers like wishes. I’ve prayed and asked …. sometimes even begged ….. for God to …. give me this, do that, stop that, start this, fix that, find something, lose something, help me, help him, help her, help them, heal someone, save someone and so on.

You know what I mean. We’ve all done it. The prayers that we make for ourselves and others where we bow our heads, and send them up to heaven, while hoping ( and yes wishing) that God will answer them just the way that we asked for Him to.

Does He even answer prayers? Oh yes! Definitely. He does answer them even more magnificently than any of us can ever measure. He answers them in a way that will only be seen as we go forward into our future. He answers them in a way that we sometimes don’t understand at the moment, but will see clearly some day. I can look back at times on my life, and see where He answered my prayers. I just didn’t see it at the time.

He doesn’t always answer them the way that we want because He knows what is better for us or the other person for whom we prayed. His view of the future is His and His alone. Granting wishes is not part of His ways.

So how else are prayers and wishes different?

When I make a wish it is for something that I really want, but deep in my heart I know that wishes do not come true. No. They don’t. There is no magic in coins dropped into a well. There is no fairy, frog, or genie down in that deep, dark water that hears our plaintiff calls. Our coins make a plunking sound as they hit the surface and drop to the bottom of the well where they collect with all the other wishes before them … silent, spent, wasted.

Prayers on the other hand go directly to Heaven. They do not pile up in a collection at the bottom of a wet, slimy world. They are heard by a God who loves us so much that all he asks is that we believe in His Son.

He would give us every request if it was what was best for us, what was in his plan, and what was meant to be in our lives. The problem with that is that we don’t ask for those things. We are more “in the moment”. We are more focused on self, and what we want and when we want it. But … He sees us as we can be after some time has passed. He takes our prayers, deposits them in his heart, and gives us back what is best for us.

His rewards are worth more than all the coins at the bottom of every wishing well that we have ever found. He sends peace back down to us with every Amen.

So I pray. For myself ... certainly. For friends and family ... definitely. For all of you too. For our earth and nature. For our governments. For our leaders. For our churches. Because we need it. We need each other’s prayers. And so with a prayer that is worth more than all the coins that I have I continue to pray.

Amen.

I finally got it all together, but now ....

2009-02-05T10:08:00.013-06:00

Just when I think that I've finally got it all together... I forgot where I put it. ... And ... there is never enough time. I spend so much time trying to organize my stuff, my schedule, my thoughts ... (this last one is the hardest). I try to organize and get my life all compartmentalized so that I won't feel overwhelmed with a "to do list". I manage part of it, but never all of it. Never completely. Never for any length of time.

To Do Lists are the downfall of many a person. We try to accomplish everything: jobs, family, chores, kids, life in an orderly fashion. Not possible. This is when everything falls apart on us. The Good Lord did not mean for us to be so perfect as mere people in our everyday lives. For you see, it is when "we" try to do it that it all falls to pieces. Only when God is in control do things go smoothly. As people we are resistant to allowing Him to take charge.

Sometimes as we get older our bodies also start to fall apart on us. At least that is what we say in a joking way. Our joints don't work so well any more... and they hurt. Our eyes and ears no longer function as well as when we were younger. We now have bifocals and hearing aids for that. So why does this happen? Well ... some people say that our cells start to wear out. Yep, we just plain wear out. We weren't designed to live forever.... on this earth. We all start out brand spanking new with a little tiny body full of perfectly designed little cells to give us a long and healthy life.

Then the aging process startsas soon as we are born, and it's all downhill from there. In all actuality it is a wonder that our bodies work as well as they do for as long as they do. We abuse them and neglect them ... until we get older... and then we wish that we had taken better care of ourselves when we were younger. Very few people really take care of themselves until it is too late.

As we think about our bodies, we marvel at how well they work or ... as I am finding out.... don't work. I was already aware that God created our bodies perfectly. I was however recently enlightened at the majesty and completeness of his creations. This video is one that I a friend shared with me. It was posted on YouTube. I cannot express in words the feeling of awe that I had when I watched it. The video is about the human body and so much, much more. It is rather long. It doesn't start out with a big attention grabber... but believe me, it is worth watching all the way to the end.

The speaker in the video is Louie Giglio of Atlanta, Georgia. What a wonderful speaker he is too! I love the humor that he uses as he tells the story of how he was introduced to Laminin. His facial expressions just crack me up. To read more about him and his ministries click his name for a link to the Wikipedia page biography. There you will find links to more about him, his life, his ministries.

If the video player on this blog stops working you can view the video from YouTube by clicking the link.

After you watch the video please take a moment and remember that man was formed in His image... both inside and out.

To save this video to your computer you can add the YouTube link to your favorites folder.

Feel free to pass this blog link along to as many others as you would like.

Please leave a comment below. I love reading what everyone writes.

Thanks :-)

Sharlotte

Sometimes We're The Windshield and Sometimes We're the Bug

2008-12-28T17:46:00.004-06:00

We've all heard the saying that sometimes we're the windshield and sometimes we're the bug!

Well, there's more....

.... about that ....

Sometimes we are the windshield and bugs of discord and trouble come along so that we get splattered with nasty, unpleasant stuff. Horrible residue seems to cling to us like a layer of icky bug parts and bird poo all dried and stuck onto us, seemingly impossible to remove.

Sometimes we're the bug and get splattered against the windshield until we're broken and crippled and stretched to our limit. We feel that no matter how hard and fast that we fly, we keep hitting a solid resistance that stops us from flying free, far and above all our worldly problems and worries.

Then there's the third option .... the windshield wiper.

God is like the windshield wiper.

If we are the windshield, He can wipe away all the stuff that's stuck onto us, obscuring our view and making us dirty. He takes one swipe of his never-ending grace and we are cleaned of all our filthy past.

If we are the bug, he can heal us of the the injuries that we have sustained from being battered and broken. He can remove the things that keep us splattered in all directions, flattened out against the wind and even dead in spirit.

So today.....

If you are the bug ... grab hold of the windshield wiper and hang on tight!

It will keep you from hitting the windshield until you are able to safely fly away from the destruction that threatens your life with the knowledge that God has saved you and that you will forever be saved.

If you are the windshield .... let the windshield wiper cleanse you and allow you see things through a clear window once again. Allow the God who can cleanse all sins be the one that makes you free from your past.

Thank you Lord for being my windshield wiper.

Sharlotte Hughes

Just in case.....

2008-12-07T17:42:00.000-06:00

Just in Case? Okay ... how many of you have heard this before perhaps by a mother, a friend or a co-worker or that little inner voice in your head that tells you to do something ... just in case?

Nothing puts more hesitation into a movement quicker than that phrase. This phrase will stop you in mid-step. It will halt you, turn you around and redirect you causing you to complete a task to prevent ... the dreaded ... just in case.

For instance, you start out the door and the little voice says "take your umbrella.... just in case", or it says "turn off the coffee pot (or other electric device) ... just in case".

Just in Case is the code word for DISASTER, TRAGEDY, ACCIDENT, the unavoidable WHATEVER. It will sneak up on you while you aren't looking and then you will wish that you had listened to that little voice.

The little voice was not always there. Our mothers put it there. They told us something over and over and over until it became a part of our thinking patterns. Parents call this training, others might call it education or brainwashing depending on if it is a positive or a negative thought pattern.

Some things that I have embedded in my thought patterns are ... and you may have heard these too:

1. Always wear clean/new underwear... just in case you're in an accident. Now, I'm thinking that if I were to be in an accident my underwear would be the last thing I would think about unless of course it was a frightful accident. In that case it might not be clean any longer. However, I still make sure that my underwear is in good condition wherever I go.

2. Turn off the lights when you leave the house.... just in case there is a short in the wiring and it causes a fire. Now I'm thinking that the wiring is still in the wall and wouldn't it still have the possibility of shorting out? I mean isn't the electricity still in the wire? I guess that I don't know enough about electricity ... so I always turn off the lights ... just in case.

3. Always check to see if there is enough toilet paper before you sit down. Yep, this is a good one. Lord knows that I have had to squat walk across the bathroom, over to the cabinet under the sink and look for more TP more than once in my life. I should always check the roll first ... just in case.

4. Make a mental note that you have all your items like your wallet, ID etcetera before going anywhere. You might need to purchase something and the clerk will ask for identification or Lord forbid, you might need to show your ID to a police officer! This is a no-brainer: just don't exceed the speed or commit a crime and then the police officer won't be in your rear view mirror. If you are in an accident and asked for your identification and you don't have it with you, your day will go downhill for sure. So take it with you... just in case.

These are all on the negative end of the scale, the scenario where no one wants to be, but I like to think of other things that can only be enhanced by being prepared.

For instance say that you are just walking along in a store and all of a sudden you find a display of a product that the price is just too good to be true. It is exactly what you have been looking for. It's the perfect color/size/type. You look around and a few other people have noticed it too. One person might say "That price must be a mistake". Another less greedy person might agree with them, but you .... oh not you .... you are thinking .... "ah ha! They have to honor the sign" and you pick up a few of the items because you can keep one for yourself and give the others as gifts. You make sure that you get to the checkout before someone can change the sign.

Glancing over your shoulder at the display one more time, you give the items to the clerk who rings them up .... and then your inner voice kicks you in the side of the head and says "do the right thing .... just in case." Oh dadgummit! So you ask the clerk to double check the price. She calls someone to the register. Lo and behold the price is wrong! Instead of $1.99 the price is $19.99. "Do you still want the items?" she asks looking at you with a slanted eye. With a sigh of disappointment you sheepishly say, "I guess that I'll just take one of them." You choose the one that you want (after all it is the perfect color/size/type etc.) You pay the clerk and walk out of the store with a clean conscience.... just in case.

So today as you go about your daily routine, are you prepared for what may come your way? Are you prepared for any possibility of a "just in case" episode? Are you prepared for the whatevers that can come along when we least expect them? If you should be in a fatal accident, is more than just your underwear clean? Listen to that little voice that is telling you to prepare your soul, to accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour before it's too late. Because when you go about your daily activities you will know that you are prepared for Heaven.... just in case.

What In the World? Hurricanes .....

2008-09-13T14:49:00.000-05:00

What in the world? Hurricanes of monster strength are hitting the U.S. coastlines. These hurricanes have taken on monumental proportions.

Each one pummels the shores, homes and towns as if the buildings, vehicles and coastal areas are no more than toys in a bathtub.

The water covers everything up and when it recedes the debris, disease and heartache that is left behind becomes more than some can bear.

There have been devastating hurricanes going back in history as far as there have been records kept of the weather and storms, but ... there seems to be more now than ever before. Why? Is it global warming? Is it a debris ridden planet that is to blame? Have we turned our earth into a dumping ground of garbage, toxic fumes and filth. The answer to that of course is yes... we have.

If we don't do something now, our grandchildren will not have a world in which to live at all. They will all be living in some sort of climate controlled dome or something just as weirdly cinematic as that.

I don't compost as much as I should. I don't recycle as much as I should. I don't reuse things as much as I should. I am as guilty as anyone of polluting the earth. But ..... I can change and so can you.

And you can influence the next person and they in turn can influence another and another and another ..... and so it goes.

Changing Times and Changing Seasons

2008-03-24T19:12:00.000-05:00

Spring is marked on the calendar, but the weather says that winter is not ready to give up. It is still too cold here for me. Usually it is warm at Easter time. I celebrated Easter and felt spiritually renewed. The day was spent first at church and then with family, food, eggs and fun.

Wanting the weather to change will not make it do so. Therefore we wait. We wait for those first shoots of the perennials to poke their tiny little tops out of the ground. We wait for the warm weather birds to return and fill the trees with fluttering wings and chirping to wake us in the morn. It is still quiet at dawn. Soon.... though, really soon we'll hear them.

My creative drive has been at a standstill with pressures of daily life. Perhaps that too will return with the feathered wings and flowering buds.

Filling Our Days

2008-03-15T17:15:00.000-05:00

march 15, 2008

Filling Our Days..... day by day.... and making them count. It's gets harder to do as we get older? or does it become easier because we don't expect ourselves to do as much? It's the latter for me. My days are shorter it seems or the time just goes by faster.

I try to create something every day..... a memory with my family or a piece of art or a scrapbook page that is a combination of a family memory and a piece of art all rolled into one.

I make most of my art for myself and family. Once in a while I will sell a piece, a page, a book. Not often. I put so much time and heart into them that they are difficult to let go of.

You can view some of my things by clicking on the links in the links section.

Spring is nearly here. Easter is but a week away. A time of rebirth. A time of renewal of spirit and energy and hope and peace. May your Easter be the most blessed time of year for you.