I'm a girly girl

and this is not my hobby!
What's up with my summer? First I had to go fishing with the guys and now I'm blasting away at a target with a 9mm handgun and a .22 rifle. (didn't get pictures of that one)

I believe every American should have the right to own a gun so he or she can hunt and defend his or her family and self. I also believe that if you have a gun, you should know how to use it, and you should use it with great wisdom, care, and common sense.

Now this gun belongs to my husband, not me. Personally, I think I could have gone the rest of my life without learning to shoot a gun and I'd be happy. But Rick insisted I go shoot with him. So I did.

I did alright learning to use my hubby's new gun. The arthritis in my thumbs makes it hard for me to cock it for firing, but I figure that if I ever have to use it to defend myself, adrenalin will rush to my aid. As far as hitting the target--I did okay there too. I didn't hit the mark perfectly, but I got very close. If an attacker were as near as 30 yards away, I could do some serious damage.

But this post is not about the right to bare arms or my eagle-eye aim. It's about hobbies.

Like a kid in a candy shop, after purchasing the gun, my husband grabbed up bullets, hearing protectors, more bullets, a cleaning kit, some more bullets, eye protectors (both the clear and sunshade kind), another box of bullets, a carrying pouch, and...oh yes, some bullets. Rick is not the violent type, and the boyish glee with which he clutched his new belongings told me the man may be developing a new hobby.

I know some people do shoot guns as a hobby and that's great. I enjoyed the brief challenge of trying to hit the X in the middle of the target, but standing out in the bright sun and 100+ temperature didn't make it to the top spot on my fun list. I'm a girly girl and I like to cross stitch, crochet, read, bake--you know--less aggressive, less competitive activities.

Yet I found myself accompanying my husband while he had a blast--literally. Sharing hobbies is one of those things that help to build a lasting marriage and make life together fun. Shooting with Rick was a good thing, and it has put my mind to thinking...

The next time I buy some new cross stitch needles or a crochet hook and yarn, I think I'll insist that hubby learn how to use them.

I have to go now, I think I hear someone laughing at me.

June ended and it's July already...

June was a busy month. Visits with friends and family, appointments with various doctors, and lots of playing with the granddaughters filled our days. We even took a few days to escape the Texas heat and vacationed at the family cabin in Ute Park, NM.

We had the usual early-morning visitors—deer and wild turkey.

The buzz of hummingbirds and wind whispering through the pines always makes me smile.

While Rick and his dad did a lot of fishing, his mom and I did lots of resting and chatting.

I was included in one day of fishing though. The guys thought it a good idea to take me along when they went out on Eagle Nest Lake. The more people fishing, the more fish you can bring home. Together the three of us had a limit of fifteen fish. All I had to do was buy a license and sit on the boat and hold a pole.

So, I got up before six o’clock in the morning, slathered on sunscreen, put on a goofy looking cap and my sunglasses, and took my seat on the pontoon boat. The rented boat came with a nice fishing guide who tied on my lures, baited my hooks, and made sure I was set for a good time. I told him I was just there to hold a pole. He promised I would catch some fish.

Sure enough—I caught fish. This pole holder snagged the first fish of the day, a salmon. I ended up catching two salmon and one rainbow trout. My trout was—well—I hate to brag, but it was the BIGGEST catch of the day! Woo Hoo! (I hooked three others that got away, but that might be a tale for another day.)

Now I really am just a pole holder, not a fisherman, so had it not been for the coaching of our guide I might have never gotten this big boy in the boat. But I did get it in the boat (after a good struggle), and it alone fed five people come supper time.

We ended up one short of our limit, but we got off the lake before the rain moved in.

When it was all said and done, I was glad I got up before the sun peeked over the mountain, and I’m glad I went fishing with the guys. I think I may have discovered a new skill. I’ll never know for sure because hubby and his father did a lot more fishing after that, but they left me at home.

After only a few days back at home we drove the opposite direction all the way to Houston for the 4th of July weekend to visit more family. We endured greater than 100 degree temperatures but had a very enjoyable visit. Another 10 hour day on the road and we are home again. Whew!

Tomorrow hubby is having cataract surgery. As soon as we get the okay from the doctor, we will be ready to go back to work, so your prayers for the surgery, recovery, and a good storm is appreciated.

With all that we've been doing, I wonder where the summer has gone!

The Scenic Trip Home

We headed east toward Asheville, NC in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Our campground was up a steep winding mountain road. The truck roared and I prayed all the way up the mountain. When we got to the top...

the view took my breath away. Mountain ridges as far as the eye can see and the French Broad River (near flood stage) below. This, my friends, is my idea of vacation--just sittin' and soakin' in God's creation. That's the love of my mortal life in the foreground.
The sun began to set, Rick's blood pressure started to drop, and those fried nerves started to heal.
Take a deep breath. The air is cool and the smell of the forest sedates the mind. Ahhhh.
After a good night's sleep in the cool mountain air, we visited the Biltmore Manor in Asheville. I have a lot more pictures but they all bring about the same response--wow! Dubbed the largest home in America, this property is almost beyond belief considering the time period of its construction. Follow the link above and at least read about it and if you get the chance to go to North Carolina, make sure to put this on your list of things to see and do! It is a spectacular show of great wealth and ingenuity. (I want the Winter Garden Room in my house.)

Those of you who keep up with me on Face Book know about my fall down the stairs outside the winery. It is my opinion that they should have let it remain a dairy instead of turning it into a place of spirits. Now for my readers that didn't know that I hurt myself very badly trying to take four stairs in one stride, I DID NOT SAMPLE THE WINE!!!

I simply admired some flowers I passed by until they were so far behind me that I was doing the owl thing. You try turning your head all the way around so you can see where you've been instead of where you are going and experience what happens when a flight of stairs happens to be in your path.

I really do think I cracked the bone in my leg, but I'm a hearty woman, so I've endured without an expensive visit to the doctor. Now, a month later I still have a swollen knot, some bruising is still visible, and "tender to the touch" still is an understatement. But I'm so much better now, I hardly complain any more at all.

The day after my trip at the Biltmore, we took a drive along a part of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Our travels have taken me many places. A few of those places are so beautiful that they almost bring tears to my eyes and make me want to stand up and sing "America the Beautiful." The Blue Ridge Parkway is one of those places. God's handy work (in my opinion) puts the Biltmore to shame. I took a couple hundred pictures. I'll only share a few. (I know, you are so thankful!)Can you believe I hiked out there on those rocks with my banged up leg? I told you I'm hearty. And I wanted to be close to the falling water really bad! I payed for it the next day, but it was worth it!

(One of these days I'm going to put some more of my Blue Ridge pictures on my sidebar as puzzles. Watch for them.)

We did a little more looking around Asheville and found it to be a city of artists. If you like galleries and studios and the artsy type, Asheville is a good place to go. Art galleries are something I can enjoy for a little while, then all those painting and sculptures start to look alike. Good thing we needed to head on back to Texas.
There's no place like home--where the sun bakes ya, the wind blows ya, and the grandchildren give ya lots of hugs and kisses!

Hello, Remember Me?

Oh my goodness! Where have the days gone? Do I still have any readers? Oh how I've missed reading and writing--Blogging. And I've missed you, my readers!

Remember my telling you about my hubby's fried nerves? Well they finally sizzled and popped and smoked until he couldn't take it any more. So he signed himself out of the storms in Kentucky and vacation became his focus. Like a well trained puppy I follow him wherever he goes, so here we are, back at home in Amarillo, TX.

We did do a little traveling and sightseeing before we made it home.

Before we left Kentucky we visited Mammoth Cave National Park. It was good to get away from the camper and I enjoyed the day. The cave is mammoth for sure. If you are ever in Kentucky, you should visit the park. You should call ahead for reservations as the guided tours seemed to fill up fast and many were sold out. Check it out on the web before you go because there are about sixteen different tours you can take. We took the historical tour. It was interesting but left me wondering if the other tours would have been better. Some of the tours are only for the very brave and the very physically fit. That's not me. So I'll be content saying I saw Mammoth Cave and leave it at that.

The cave entrance--there is more than one!

Here you can see water dripping from the rocks above the cave entrance.

It is hard to get good photos under ground but I do have a few to show you. Somehow the hugeness of the cave is lost in a photo.

This photo I took looking up into a tower or sorts. Inside the cave was very dusty. You can see the dust floating in the air in this picture.

Inside the cave are many narrow passage ways. This one is called Fat Man's Misery. I made it through, just in case you were wondering.We exited through the same hole we entered.

Then...the last day of May we turned out backs to the setting sun and headed--wait a minute. Wasn't that the wrong direction to go if we wanted to go to Amarillo?

We took the scenic route. I'll show you those pictures in the next post.

Thelma Wells Blog Tour

Oh my goodness...

I didn't get lost, really. I have been on the road though. I'll tell you about it in another post later. But for now, I'd like to share my blog time and space with author Thelma Wells.

Thelma has a new book, Don't Give In...God Wants You to Win! And she is touring, promoting her book, via the blogging community. I'm reading the book now. I think Thelma knows what she is talking about!

Sit back and enjoy this blog interview then go out and buy the book. I think you'll like it.

OPENING: I’m delighted to be here today to visit with you and your readers, and share about a topic that is dear to my heart.

Thelma, you have had a successful banking and corporate career. You’ve spoken all over the country and around the world, done a lot of radio interviews, had your own television show, and written a lot of books. Many of our readers will be familiar with you from the Women of Faith conferences. It seems you’ve “done it all.” So when you left Women of Faith in February 2008, what was it that you were leaving them to do?

Actually, I really did not fully understand what I was going to do. I was simply following the very clear instructions of God that it was time to go. I had a few speaking engagements on my calendar but certainly not enough to make ends meet. My total dependence was on God and waiting to see what He had in store for me.

Your new book, Don’t Give In…God Wants YOU to Win!, is based on a real life experience. Will you tell us a little of that story?

I was in elementary school when one of my friends told people she was going to beat me up. I could not understand why but it was real. After school for two days I faced a crowd hungry to see a fight and a girl who I thought was my friend hit me and frighten me to tears. One the second day of my fighting ordeal my great grandmother who raised me gave me some strong advice, “Thelma, the only way to deal with a bully is to fight them. You better fight her tomorrow and beat her up. If not, you’re going to get a whipping when you get home. That was the determining factor. My Granny who had taught me that ladies don’t fight had just reversed the instruction to “fight the bully.”

I did fight her the third day and hit her hard, so she ran home, not me. I learned that when we are faced with the bully, the adversary, the enemy of our souls, the devil himself, the only way to win is to fight him with all the ammunition we have, the Whole Armor of God.

This book is about spiritual warfare, demons, the Holy Spirit, and some pretty heavy-duty areas. Why write on this topic?

In this day and age when all around us seems to failing like our economic system, the government, relationships, health, self-worth, business and workplace situations, the church, wayward children, divorce and so much more, it is imperative that people have something sturdy and reliable to hold on to. Everyday we are fighting some kind of battle small, great or tremendous. When we don’t know how to fight against the disappoint, heartache, confusion, depression, and all the emotional and spiritual fall out from these issues, we become desperate, violent, vicious and vile. John 10:10 tells us that the thief comes to kill, steal and destroy us. But, Jesus has come to give us life and that life more abundantly than the feelings of no hope. This book teaches about the only hope we have and how to use that hope physically, emotionally and spiritually with a guarantee that we are winners when we do.

Will you share with us the chapter titles?

Introduction: Time for Questions

Chapter One: Know How to Fight, but Never Start One

Chapter Two: Fight or Flight?

Chapter Three: Breakdown for a Blessing

Chapter Four: Weeds in the Garden

Chapter Five: Thelma’s Untold Rituals

Chapter Six: The Dynamic Duo

Chapter Seven: The Battle Is Not Yours

Chapter Eight: Winning Weapons

Chapter Nine: Fix Your Hair!

Chapter Ten: Pad Your Bra!

Chapter Eleven: Tighten Your Girdle!

Chapter Twelve: Put On Your Stomping Shoes!

Something Extra: More Winning Weapons

You’ve been known as the BEE lady, but it seems you’re evolving into more than that? Where do you see your ministry heading in the future?

God has so many surprises for me that my heart is overflowing. I have a teaching and preaching anointing that has made my ministry one of integrity and worth. God is doing great things in my life and reinventing some vital things that will be seen by everybody in a few weeks. He has guaranteed me that the international travel I’ve done over the past thirty years, the seeds I’ve sown over my lifetime, the barriers and tough times I’ve overcome are about to pay off in many different ways. He has put Christian people in my life that have and are changing the course of my life in great and wonderful ways. I will be taking a group to Israel next November, on other Ready to Win tours throughout the world, working with World Vision in their child sponsorship program, presenting mini Ready To Win Conferences throughout the world, and whatever else the Lord assigns me to do.

Congratulations on your first Ready to Win Conference. We heard you had an awesome weekend in

Garland, TX with a great group of speakers, musical artists, and attendees. Having done so many conferences in the past, why do another conference?

This is not just another conference. This Ready To Win Conference does not just excite people or create positive thinking, it gives everyone, saved and unsaved, the winning weapons to fight off all the wicked in this world. People are not only encouraged to win the war against the evil one, they are given easy to understand tools that they have reported are so vivid in their minds that they can apply every day in every situation. Coming together in a group and learning these tried and true skills is so much easier to understand than writing it in a book or seeing it on DVD. The reports have been that this works because they were able to see it, hear it, feel it, and use it instantly and forever. In today’s world, another conference is not what we are about. We are about people joining together from different denominations, ethnicities, geographic locations, languages, and thought systems and getting insight and instruction that can bring people of all walks of life together to become a mighty army against the forces of evil.

As a follow up, how can people get the Ready to Win Conference to their area?

People all over the world can contact me at contactus@thelmawells.com and we will get back with them with the details of how the Ready To Win Conference can come to their area.

In your book, Don’t Give In…God Wants YOU to Win!, you talk about doing rituals as it relates to fighting the good fight of faith. Will you explain that word to us and give us an example?

The word ritual is used on to denote the routines we have in our daily lives like fixing our hair, dressing ourselves, and being prepared for the day. It means nothing more than that and nothing mysterious that would attract any evil forces.

Spiritual warfare and putting on the armor of God is a daily activity for you. Is this because you’re a nationally known Christian speaker and author, or is this something that everyone should be aware of?

Spiritual warfare is the state of our lives whatever and whoever you are. We fight against anger, gluttony, smoking, frustration, and everything else that can make us less than our best. The warfare that we are in daily is because we live in a fallen world where Satan thinks he has power. Each and everyday he tries to confuse us into thinking that things are unfixable, out of control, etc. He is the greatest liar of all times and he lays tricks in our minds, if we let him. From the moment we were born until the day we die we will be fighting spiritual warfare. However, the good news is…people who have accepted Jesus as their Savior never have to fight alone. The end of the story is that Jesus and His people win and the devil is a number one loser!

Thelma, this book was released at a perfect time. So many people are struggling just to survive. They’ve lost jobs, money, health, marriages, and more. Many just want to give up! What can we do if we are in those situations to prepare for victory in the battle of life?

When you’re in a battle these are the things that must be done in order to win:

• Put on the helmet of salvation to cover your thought life.
• Put on the breastplate of righteousness to guard your heart against devil and sin.
• Put on the girdle of Truth so that you will be able to understand what real truth is and be able to use the Sword of the Spirit (The Word of God – the Bible) in every situation as Jesus did when He was tempted by the devil in the mountain.
• Put on the shoes that have prepared you with the preparation of peace so you can march and stay fit as you tell other people about the goodness and the gospel of Jesus Christ.
• Hold up the shield of faith believing that God will keep every Promise He made for our good.
• Pray for each other and for ourselves by asking God for what we need, seeking His perfect will in all we do and knocking continually until we know God has answered our prayers. We must realize that God does not answer all our prayers the way we want Him to but whatever way He answers them, they are for our good and for His glory.
• Praise God with thanksgiving for all He has done and will do for us. The worship of God brings us into an atmosphere of being able to fight the good fight of faith and WIN.

Where/how does “submitting to God and the devil will flee from you” fit into spiritual warfare?

God asks us to do a simple thing, trust Him enough to give Him all of us. That’s hard to do when you try to control your life yourself. It really amounts to us (you and me) worshipping ourselves instead of worshipping God. When we live in humble submission to God, Satan will try to attack but God is our Protector. This is not a one-time submission to God. Everyday and sometimes during the day we must ask Him to lead us not into temptation and to protect us from evil because evil is always near. We are told to pray without ceasing. This means that we must stay in the attitude of prayer 24/7. It’s simple but it presents a challenge for us because we are so distracted by our day, our desires, our dreams, our relationships, etc. that we often forget that none of this would be possible were it not for the Lord who grants it. Submission means to let God be the driving force and the guiding force in our lives and trust Him that He will do exceedingly abundantly over and above what we can ask or think according to His power that works in us. The most peaceful, contented condition of my life is when I actually and earnestly turned my entire life over to the direction of God. I can now recognize when Satan tries to tempt me, confuse me, and drive me into doing or saying things I should not. It has come about with trust in God and practice of His word. Satan will attack but God will counter-act.

Most of us are familiar with the list of spiritual weapons available for us to use as listed in Ephesians 6. You have a way to remember these that might be more relevant to today’s woman – as a mom, wife, business woman, etc. Will you share these five things with us that you do daily when you’re getting “dressed” in the morning?

Thelma, it seems you are all over the Internet these days. Anyone can find you on your web site, Facebook, Twitter, web casts, a blog tour, the You Go Girl Network, and other cutting edge things with technology. Why is it important for you to use all these various methods to spread your message?

Technology is the way God planned for us to get His message to the world according to Matthew 28:19.

How did you get the name, Mama T?

A young lady in my church named me that because she thought that was a fitting name for me and it has become a loving name for the ladies in my mentoring groups.

So what’s next for the Mama T and Ready to Win?

My website (ThelmaWells.com) is being reinvented to a teaching tool for people to learn more and more about how to win the battles of life. There will be powerful tools available, I will be personally speaking with people and many other changes that will enlighten, encourage, inform, influence and empower people to fight the good fight and win.

Where can our readers buy your new book and register for the webcast?

On my web site, which is ThelmaWells.com. They can click on the July RTW On-line Web cast button to learn more or register for the next series of web casts that start on July 7. You can also watch this video to learn more…click here.

My new book, Don’t Give In – God Wants YOU To Win! is also available online and at local bookstores such as, Family Christian Stores, Lifeway Christian Stores, Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble Book Stores, Mardel’s, Anchor Distributors, Christianbook.com, and many other stores and vendors throughout American and the United Kingdom.

Is there anything that we didn’t ask that you’d like to share with us?

In all we’ve said, we need to remember that Jesus loves YOU and has a plan for your life. This plan includes you living a life free from worry and anxiety. God is in control of everything. When we trust in Him, give Him our lives to guide, seek the will of the Father, ask Jesus to be the Lord and Master of our lives, and accept the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we are winners and nobody or nothing can take that away from us!

CLOSING:

Thank you, darling, for having me today on your blog. I hope you and your readers will visit my web site at ThelmaWells.com. And remember always be READY TO WIN!

Thankful In The Midst Of Ridiculous Things

I haven't done a "word for the day" in a long time. Actually, I've been sluggish in my bogging about anything lately. (Sorry about that. I'll try to do better.) So today, I've got a word for you.

Ridiculous--Defined as deserving or inviting ridicule, unreasonable, absurd, silly.

The work load my husband has had the last four months has been ridiculous. As of today, he has worked 115 days without a day off. Even though we did take a quick trip home for a weekend in May, he still took pone calls, made phone calls, closed claims, and set appointments every day. His work day is not eight hours either. I'm talking twelve to fifteen hours a day for most of those days. Yeah, I think the word ridiculous (unreasonable) fits.

In this ridiculous situation I am thankful. I'm not thankful that my husband has been overworked to the point that his nerves are like the wires in a breaker box that has just been struck by lightning, but I'm thankful that he has a job. And I'm thankful that he is so good at his job that his company considers him one of their best--thus the ridiculous work load.

As I sit here and type, a mourning dove is talkin' trash to a sparrow over some seeds that other birds have pushed out of the feeder to the ground. Now that is ridiculous (silly) because there are more than enough seeds to go around, and the dove is three times the size of the sparrow. How ridiculous we must look to God when we mouth off and say hurtful things to someone over something senseless and trivial.

I'm thankful for the lesson from the ridiculous little birds.

A few days ago, Rick ordered his Father's Day gift. (I know it is way early, but he deserves it.) He bought some accessories for his truck--a bed cover, some gadget to lock the tailgate and a rubber seal. The bed cover was shipped in a box exactly the size of the rolled up bed cover. But the gadget to lock the tail gate and the seal came in a --- well, you just have to see it.


Now that is ridiculous! No packing peanuts or wadded paper, just a huge box. I'm sure there must be a reason the company shipped such small items in such a large box, but I can't imagine what it could be. Somebody forgot about saving trees and living green, ya think?

For this ridiculous thing I am thankful. First, I got a good laugh out of it, and Rick broke the large cardboard container down and used it as a "creeper" to protect his back from rocks as he worked under the truck.

Isn't God good to surround us with the unreasonable, silly, and absurd things of life? Just one more reason to give thanks!

It's a Sign

Today I opened the closet door to add some dirty clothes to the hamper and here is what I saw. It's a sign.
I'm not one that often puts a lot of faith in signs. Gideon put out the fleece to get confirmation from God about his call, and God obliged him with some dew, and again with lack of dew. (Read about it in Judges 6:36-40.) How reassuring that must have been for Gideon.

In my own personal walk with Christ, seldom has God ever given me a "sign" to assure me of His plan for my life. I'll admit that I've asked for skywriting more than once, but I've never seen any. Typically I sense the Spirit asking me to simply have faith and do my best to obey all that is already written in God's Word. If God has granted me a sign as obvious as dew on the fleece, I must have missed it.

I'm not saying that God does not give some people "obvious signs" of conformation after calling them to a task. I believe that He does. But I also believe that if we rely too heavily on a sign from God, we can be mislead. We can sometimes want something so badly that we will seek a sign that we know we will find, whether God is behind it or not.

So, I seldom ask God for signs. I ask Him to put me where he wants me, put people in my life who will help me to accomplish His perfect will for my life, lead me through His Word and my circumstances, and to forgive me when I miss the mark. Then I live each day with a little faith and a lot of grace.

There are some signs though that we all need notice. A child's high fever is a sign that something is wrong and the caring adult in her life should take some action to help restore her to good health. A dark rotating cloud overhead is a sign that you should take shelter quickly. When your gas gauge is on E it is a pretty sure sign that you should stop and fill the tank. And when dirty clothes are spilling from the hamper, it's a sign that I need to find some quarters and do the laundry.

More important than an overfilled hamper, a needle pointing to E, dark clouds, or even a high fever are the signs of our culture, our times, and of humanity. Found in 2 Timothy 3: 1-12, these billboards are everywhere , unable to be missed, if only we will open our eyes and look. "But realize this, that in the last days difficult time will come...Men will be lovers of self, lovers of money...disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy...lovers of pleasure rather than God...always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth..." Again in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3 the Bible tells us that a final day is coming. There will be an end to this life and this world--a day of destruction. Please pick up your Bible and read the passages for yourself.

Read on. In verses 4-6 of 1 Thessalonians 5 we are told that we, who are are "sons of light" should not be surprised nor overtaken by that last day because we can see the signs.

Once we see those signs, there are some things we should be doing. (I challenge you to read the rest of the chapter.) After you have finished reading it, you can join me in rejoicing always, praying without ceasing, giving thanks, holding fast to what is good, being patient with all men, abstaining from every form of evil,...and doing the laundry!

Call It What You Want...

I don't like to talk politics. I like to try to look on the bright side of life and politics is not my idea of sunshine and rainbows. But I read some articles today that stirred me, so here I go, ranting again.

First, I have to say this whole flu scare is like nothing I've ever seen before. I've never seen so many people in so many places acting so foolishly at one time. Don't misunderstand me. I have sympathy for those people who have lost their loved ones to the virus. But I think the press and the powers that talk to the press have created--well--I hate to say it--they've created a state of panic and fear.

I was in a state of panic and fear once. I'm talking REAL panic and REAL fear when my husband's life was threatened. You could say that my husband and I were both terrorized. In fact, the charges filed against the person who caused this panic and fear included the charge of terroristic threat. Hmm. Now let me think. Someone who causes another person to panic and live in fear could be considered to be a "terrorists," right? So I guess that makes the press and all the powers that have been talking to the press, "terr..."

Oh wait! One of the articles I read today reveals our President's new terms regarding terrorism. We are no longer to use the term terrorist or terrorism. The destruction of the World Trade Center was not an act of terrorism, it was a "man-caused disaster." The article also points out that we are not engaged in a war on terrorism, but an "overseas contingency operation."

And in other articles, the "swine flu" is not the swine flu but is the "New H1N1 flu."

Call it what you want, a virus is a virus, creating fear and panic to convince someone that their life is in danger is terrorism, and war is war. Politically correct terminology changes nothing except our willingness to accept lies in the place of truth.

My opinion? Don't kiss any pigs, be leery of those who stir up world-wide panic and fear even if they do wear the Stars and Stripes on their lapel, and remember that our men and women stationed overseas probably still feel like they are fighting a war.

God, help us.

Today Was A Day of Worship

I sat in the camper, alone and afoot.
The Holy Spirit beckoned, "Come and worship."
"But where shall I go?"
"To a place I have prepared."The place of worship, carpeted lush and green--and paved around.
A canopy of brilliant blue and nebulous white.

The chandelier shown like the noonday sun.

And there for me, a pew of stone.

Surrounded by fellow worshipers.
...the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles which they had seen, saying,
"Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord;
Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"
And some of the Pharisees in the multitude said to Him,
"Teacher, rebuke Your disciples."
And He answered and said,
I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!"
Luke 19:37-40

For you will go out with joy, and be led forth with peace;
The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you,
And the trees of the field will clap their hands.
Isaiah 55:12

To my left sat "The Amen Crowd."
(Notice the halo.)

But I fear some were only there for the pot-luck dinner on the ground.

The praise and worship team lead my heart and voice in worship--
And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me;
And I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.
Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice,
And be gracious to me and answer me.
Psalm 27:6-7

There stood a pulpit.
The deliverer of God's Word,
the Holy Spirit,
didn't show up well in the photo,
but He was there.

Before the service ended, it got a little charismatic and the creative types all started dancing-- like dandelions in the wind.

I will extol Thee, O Lord, for Thou hast lifted me up....
Amen

I Don't Like To Rant And Rave, But Give Me A Break!

I'm sorry, but this whole "Go Green" thing has finally pushed me over the edge! I'm all for being good stewards of this earth which the good Lord created. There's no room for abuse when you're taking care of something that doesn't belong to you. Though God did put man here and told him to take charge over the place.

But a good thing can be overdone, and, like that big red dot on those insurance ads, we're there!

I was wasting time reading the Yahoo headlines and came across a story about picking our green battles. It talked about the paper vs. plastic (bag) dilemma and how it really doesn't matter that much. (I've been saying that for years.)

And it mentioned the choice between cloth and disposable diapers. Apparently either choice is equally bad for the environment, so short of disallowing bodily excretion from your baby, there's not much you can do to save the planet from poop. (That was my opinion twenty-five years ago before big bucks were spent on government studies that concluded "it" happens and we can't do anything about it.)

Next the article mentioned the choice of drinking your coffee from a throw-away cup or a ceramic mug. I'm glad that the official call on that one is that it is no big deal either way, because honestly, I've never given it much thought. And I don't care to.

All these little arguments aren't worth our time and effort according to the article's author. But there are things, says this promoter of green living, that we should do to make more of a difference.

(Grab a cat by the tail, rub its fur the wrong way all the way to its head, and you'll get an idea what this bit of stupidity did to me!)

"Eat less meat."

It seems..."Raising livestock is one of the most significant contributors to a long list of environmental problems from climate change to deforestation to water pollution."

OH PA-LEEZE! (I'm slapin' my forehead.) God created the earth, He created the cow, a cow is biodegradable, her poop is organic matter, (unless she eats a plastic Wal-Mart bag, a disposable diaper, or a styrofoam cup) yet bovine is one of the biggest threats to our planet? (Are you picturing the furred up cat here?)

I come from a family of cattle raisers. Rifle totin', hat wearin', horse ridin', steer ropin', slow talkin' full of common sense, Texas cattle raisers. Yeah, my fur is standin' on end!

But what really popped my cork was the stupidity, the idiotic idea, (sorry) the method in which the climate conscientious human should go about cutting down on his or her meat intake. "Start by trimming down your portion size to about three ounces (the size of a deck of playing cards)."

Now what kind of a difference is that going to make? If I eat a three-ounce steak, or an eight-ounce steak, or a four-pound roast, I still slaughter a one-thousand pound animal to get it. It's not like I go out in the pasture and whittle three ounces off a cow at a time until she's gone. How much sense does it make to go to a steakhouse, order up their 6 oz. sirloin, eat half for the sake of going green, then throw the rest away? I guess if I gave the other half of the steak to the guy in the booth behind me and he didn't order a steak at all...but still the one whole cow was needed to produce that "deck-size" piece of meat.

Honesty, I wish some people would stop and think before they open their mouths or put their pen to the paper.

As for the cow being responsible for deforestation--I don't buy it. As I see it, trees need carbon dioxide and some good fertilizer to grow strong and healthy. A cow provides both. The cowman and the tree hugger may not be able to live peaceably among one another, but I think the cows and the trees do a pretty good job of it. I've never yet seen a cow chop down a tree. And unless you're in the habit of drinking out of an earth tank where A cow has crawled in to cool down, I'd not worry too much about her polluting your water. She's got better things to do, like munching grass, chewing cud, and giving milk. Which, by the way, is safe for human consumption.

Now that I've got that off my chest, I think I'll go fire up the grill and leave a big ol' footprint on the planet!

EAT MORE BEEF!

What Makes a Hero?

Some days I find it hard to come up with something to write that I think you might want to read. I've had a lot of those days lately. That is why I'm so thankful for an anonymous reader who left a comment about heroes.

My reader commented:
I was watching "AN OFFICER and A GENTLEMAN" I want to know what makes a hero. Is it the person who achieves their goals when they really should not have...Or is a hero who quietly take care of all things small and mundane. Or is a hero someone who handles huge tragedies. Just my wondering thoughts. What is a true hero. Maybe you can help.

I have to tell you that I may be at a bit of a disadvantage on this one because I've never seen the movie. So I can't tell you anything based on the film. But thank goodness all this person asked for is my opinion, and you know I'm quite capable of giving you that!

First, I run to my PDA and look up the word--hero.
A person noted or admired for nobility, courage, outstanding achievements, etc.

The definition seems pretty simple and straightforward, but my mind starts to unfold it like an origami swan.

Do I admire anyone because of their nobility?
I'm sorry, but last names, family crests, and blue blood doesn't impress me. I've lived long enough and seen enough to know that heroes and scoundrels can come from the same household.

So I lean toward the courageous, outstanding achievers.
Courageous... Is that the foot soldier who's courage leads him to fight the enemy? The fireman who courageously enters a burning home to save a life? The police officer willing to risk his life to catch the bad guy? Yes, all these people are heroes. And could a hero also be the young unwed expectant mother who is courageous enough to choose to give her baby life rather than aborting it? What about the child who takes on killer cancer with a smile? And the woman who cares for her invalid husband every minute of every day, what about her? Do you think it takes courage to care for aging parents and honor their wishes not to be put in a rest home? Every day, somewhere in this country, a man walks away from his wife and responsibilities. A woman is left to raise and provide for children alone. She's got to have guts to get out of bed the next day. In this country everyday there are also men making the choice to face their fears or suffer unpleasant circumstances to care and provide for their families. Sometimes "keeping on keeping on" takes courage.

One day while my husband and I were engaged in Los Angeles traffic, (Rick behind the wheel and I in the passenger seat) I looked at him and told him, "You are my hero." (They call it the City of Angels maybe because you need more than one guarding you if you are going to live through a drive on the freeway!) I know I don't have the courage it takes to do what my husband does to provide for our family. So, he is a hero in my book. He's MY hero.

The saints of old listed in the book of Hebrews, we refer to as "heroes of the faith." Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Rahab are just some that, by faith, followed and obeyed God, exemplifying courage and making outstanding achievements in their lifetime. They didn't toot their own horn and they didn't have medals pinned to their chests. But the Bible says that they gained approval from God because of their faith. So maybe an unshakable faith in God is what makes a hero. At least a hero in the Christian faith.

I'm still unfolding.

Joni Eareckson Tada is a hero. Joni, and others like her, have faced overwhelming circumstances with courage, unshakable faith, and have made outstanding achievements. Thousands of heroes just like her do not enjoy the same notoriety, but they are no less a hero. At least that's my opinion.

Like beauty, existing in the eye of the beholder, maybe heroics is a matter of opinion. When someone does something that seems to me to require much courage, and their outstanding accomplishments change me or my life for the better, I classify them as a hero.

So, after pondering the question, "What makes a hero?" I've decided it must be someone of great faith and courage who makes accomplishments that I perceive to be outstanding or life changing.

To someone else, you may be a hero! We all have the potential, do we not?

Just Photos

You write the captions. What comes to your mind when you look at these pictures?
Enjoy!