Texas Bound

 We are fairly busy this week as we will be leaving for S Texas the end of the week. The virus there has simmered down and we do need t get back to see what is happening there We probably will not be able to start up the food and clothing ministry yet, but I am sure we will find other way to serve those less fortunate than we. We have had a wonderful time here with the family, doing lots of projects learning new ideas of decorating, and even trying out new and delicious recipes. One, which is a strawberry-rhubarb dessert id wonderful but rhubarb is hard to find here in AR. It used to grow crazy in WI and we had an endless supply throughout the summer and fall, and froze a lot of it. My favorite was canning the rhubarb as a sauce for winter - it as so delicious as it was bubbling and simmering down. A person had to be careful though as it had an adverse effect on your bowel system!! We finished all of our physicals, even finally seeing our family doctor after 2 years. He had mouth cancer and was recuperating. He always had facial hair but due to radiation he is now clean shaven (no hair grows on one side of his face) and certainly looks different.  Life is a series of changes, is it not?? 

I still find excitement in the everyday wonders of this earth - the low rumbling of thunder in the distance the sunset, the multitude of creatures God has created for our enjoyment. We had some pears we were feeding the wild creatures but during the night the raccoons got to the bags and strewed them all over the place. So glad we have plenty to go around. 

We attended actual church services again on Sunday - only our second one while we were here, and felt somewhat bittersweet as we realized that we would not be here for the next Sunday service. We so much love our home church family that it is hard to say good-bye again.Hopefully, as we wait patiently for God to find a buyer for our home in S Texas, we will be back here in AR for good. There are many ministries that we can become involved in, as well as being much more active in the church. We also plan on being a part of CRMI as much as we can as chaplains.

Vance continued in James on Sunday, teaching us from Chapter 5:15-18. Prayer!!! We always need to go to God in prayer. Satan sometimes tries to keep us form our relationship with God through worldly distractions. He trembles when he sees the weakest saint on his knees. Become humble before GOd in prayer - do so on your knees. James was called "old camel knees" because he spent so much time on his knees that they became calloused. James encourages us to be fervent - be connected to God through prayer. Jesus always carved out time to be with God as we should strive to do. Get up 15 minutes earlier to fellowship with Him, spend 30 minutes less on your phone or computer, take a walk at lunch time and meditate on Him. Out of 24 hours in a day,I am sure you can find at least 30 minutes to be with Him. Go to God in prayer in every situation in life. 

There are 4 areas when we can go to God in prayer:

1)When you in trouble and suffering.An example is in II Kings 19:14-19. Read this. God wants you to come to Him in time of trouble. Man cannot solve the issues of the human heart. This time of trouble pushes us to go to God.

2) When you are soaring you can go to God about it. We need t go to Him in times of feeling good. Singing and worship keeps your life in perspective. 

3)When you are sick you can ask God to heal. Go to the elders, pray, and be anointed with oil. In ancient times, anointing with oil was used for medicinal purposes, thought to heal. Prayer is the most important part of it. Pray first, then seek medical help. Why does it happen that we pray and God says no?? We do not know the answer to that. God's ways are our understanding. We need to always trust God's judgement. Pray in faith. Pray for His will to be done.

4) When you are sinning - you can find healing. We should cry out even though we are sinful. Confess your sins to the Lord. Satan knows sin hinders our relationship with God. There is nothing that you have done surprises God - He knows what is in your heart and that you want to repent.

Pray always - in times of need and times of joy.

A couple more ladies from the Bible who are certainly not role models for us, but from whom we can learn great lessons. 

Penninah -the insecure woman with the fake smile. Peninnah was less favored than Elkanah's other wife, Hannah; although she had borne him children while Hannah was childless, Peninnah also brought grief and disharmony to the household by her mocking of the childless Hannah. Every year, when Elkanah offered up a sacrifice at Shiloh, he would share out the portions of meat and give Hannah a double portion, which made Peninnah even more jealous.   Peninnah would taunt Hannah for being childless. She would make Hannah cry by means of ordinary everyday activities, taking pains to remind her, at all hours of the day, of the difference between them. Perhaps Penninah was trying to cover her own insecurities by making Hannah cry and making herself feel superior when she actually the one who was so miserable.Eventually, in answer to her desperate prayer, Hannah’s womb was opened, and she bore Samuel, and later another three sons and two daughters. After the birth of Samuel, Pennninah is not mentioned again. Don’t put on a fake smile or only post happy moments on Facebook or Instagram. Be real. Talk about what hurts – not necessarily on social media but to close friends or even your spouse. You may find that you actually have more friends than you thought. 

Michal – the woman who let resentment ruin her. Was she as pretty as a princess? Or a royal pain in the neck?  Probably yes on the second. As the daughter of King Saul, Michal might have enjoyed a life of privilege. When we first meet Michal, she has fallen in love with a handsome young musician named David. “When they told Saul about it, he was pleased” In fact, her father “rubbed his hands in anticipation” not because he wanted David for a son-in-law but because he wanted David dead. When Saul sent men to David’s house to put an end to him, Michal warned her husband, “If you don’t run for your life tonight, tomorrow you’ll be killed”  Then she let him down through a window and put a large idol in his bed, so when the men came for him, that’s all they found. So far, Michal was a hero. She defied her bad dad and saved her good husband’s life. David stayed away 14 years—when he returned Michal was someone else’s wife. Now that David wanted Michal back, “Paltiel, her husband,  went with her, weeping behind her” as she was David’s wife. Later, Michal always the daughter of Saul, was watching from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing nude before the Lord, she hated him in her heart.David’s eyes and heart were focused upward, worshiping his God. Some Bible translations say she called him a dirty old man, a burlesque street dancer, and a vulgar exhibitionist. Perhaps she was jealous of his love for God. Her love for David had grown cold. Michal greeted David in anger: “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!” Her words could not be more humiliating. David told her that he would humiliate himself further if necessary, to bless the Lord. And so, Michal daughter of Saul had no children. At the end, her heart no longer belonged to her husband. And the lesson for us is clear. However, justified our anger, our bitterness, our disappointment, God is still God and is ever worthy of our worship, don’t be a woman who holds resentment in her heart.

The Natural State

 I am sure you all are getting a bit tired of me and my raving about Arkansas, but in my mind it is a truly beautiful state. It has about everything a person could want, except the snow for those who love the winter sports. It is wild in its beauty as well as comforting in its scenery. While coming back to our daughter's house the other day, I was lucky enough to snap a picture of 3 doe and their babies near the road. Such a gorgeous picture of God's creatures. And just look at another beautiful day in the country - the cows in a pond, just cooling off in the afternoon heat

                      the mothers are on a high alert as they spot our vehicle

                                        what a moo-ving scene

 A lot of folks,  while travelling through Arkansas complain about the roads - yes we have crazy twisting roads, some are even quirky Following is one of my favorites - please look at each picture and follow the road - love it!!! 

in the distance you can see the road we are traveling on - looks like you just have to go through the hollow and continue on - think again

                      first you make a corner to the left

                                           then to the right

                                    still turning right

                                                  then to the left

             and now you are on the road you saw in the distance - you have just driven AROUND the hollow - crazy isn't it???  I giggle every time we travel this road - it is named Greasy Valley Road. The story behind it is the fact that years ago there were huge apple orchards in the area - the wagons would load up apples and head to the market. Upon going up the high hill, apples would fall off, causing the road to become greasy. Hence the name. One of the roads that branches off from it is called Apple Hill Road. Don't you love history - I sure do.

We will be leaving Arkansas in about two weeks to return to the Valley of S Texas, depending on the Covid virus numbers there. It has been really rampart there, but the numbers have been decreasing, so we will watch carefully and decide to return. Caring Hearts Ministry will be on hold yet until the colonias become virus free - we are praying for a relief so that we can return to serving those in need - those who have not even be able to obtain extra food for their families. We also cannot go to Reynosa, Mexico, to the refuge we work with as there, too, is an outbreak of the virus. Pray that the Lord removes this disease from our country soon. Returning to the park will be interesting, as we will be able to actually see the damage done by the hurricane. 

This is the last week we have watched our twin great granddaughters for a couple of days a week as they will be returning to school next week. Two 7 years old competitive girls are truly a handful for GPop and Great Grandma, but we keep finding new ways to keep them entertained from playing board games, word search puzzles - even to putting makeup on GPop this morning!! (Don't tell him I told you that). 

Sunday was a terrific day as we returned to actual services at our church in Prairie Grove. It was wonderful to see those who were in attendance, practicing social distancing but loving the fellowship of fellow Christians. Vance continued in his sermon series in James, preaching from Chapter 5, verse 7 and forward. James was addressing Christians who were oppressed in those time. It was a tough environment as they continued to wait for Jesus to return, trying to practice patience (which is not one of my strong virtues).  We are not very patient in today's world - we, as we wait for the Lord's hand in selling our place in S Texas so we can to return to live in AR, as we wait for things to return to "normal" after this virus recedes, as we also wait for Jesus' return. The only way to develop patience is to practice it! Our lives today have been on hold for awhile - try to rely on God's plan and not our own version of  it.  Patience is trust. According to the Greek translation, patience actually means sort of taking a long time to boil. Trust in God's timing and agenda and not try to force our own. Believe and rust. Patience is the hope on God's return and His ultimate justice. Patience is another way of saying you trust in God. Making you heart strong in the knowledge that patience will bring a trust in your heart. Stay on task - don't be idle or lazy while you wait on God - it is an opportunity to let God work inside you. Look forward in hope. Without hope there is no patience. If you don't have hope you are lost at sea. Hope gets us through when we need patience. today's world seems to reject Christians, so we must be patient when we are not received well. Be careful about grumbling and complaining - present a patient attitude toward everyone. Not doing so feeds the fire of frustration. We especially need patience when problems are unexplainable. You can trust when  you do not understand. Only with patience can we live a good life and find God. Trust god and be patient - God is in charge. 

Greed

 A really apropos theme in Sunday's sermon that really pertains to the world today!  Have you ever heard the saying "Money talks"?  "He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income. This is also vanity." Ecclesiastes 5:10.   Does money really talk? Money is something everyone always have an affection for. There are 16 parables in the Bible that talk about money. Why do we think that if we have enough money we will have stability? The only stable thing we can put our feet on is the Rock of Jesus Christ. In chapter 5, James was speaking to people who are facing doom because of their love of things of this world. He was  talking to those who misplace their trust in material things and not in people. Who was talking to people who used possessions to show love to people. He was talking to unbelievers who had oppressed Christians. He wanted to give a warning to everyone who had misused possessions. He wanted to give hope to those who were oppressed. He told them to be patient because Jesus was coming back.This is especially true now during this season of uncertainty. What happens to those who misplace their trust in possessions and money? "Your riches will rot and your garments will be moth eaten. You gold and silver will be corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire". James 5:2-3. Never sneer at or ridicule Jesus as the Pharisees did in Luke 16:14-25. We must be sure that we are on the same level as God on this issue. everything is reversed in the afterlife - read Luke 16:19-30. There will be a time when we wil have to answer how we lived our lives on earth. We cannot ignore God's promise or His salvation. Don't wait until it is too late to share the joy of salvation with your family and friends. The way to salvation is accepting Jesus in this life. We have more security in God that the things of this world. Humbly place your trust in God who will take care of you. Use your money and   possessions to bless others and point them to God. Invest in a life that is truly life. Look beyond this world to a greater life. Where are you placing your trust today?

Saturday was another day of cutting and splitting wood. It was a good day weather wise, not too hot, but we were all tired and sweaty when we finished picking up all the wood Our son-in-law had to make two trips home with a truck and trailer load of wood. We just unloaded it in his yard and will work on it slowly!! Another daughter ( whose yard we were cleaning up) prepared a evening meal for us, as well as provided us with cold drinks during the day.

                                             the men getting the wood splitter ready

                                                         starting to split the logs from the huge tree

                                                               loading this huge log

                                                           that was a big tree

                                                               it went safely in the truck

God's creature always fascinate me - from the smallest insect to the largest animas around. Who named the animals? Did Adam, did our early ancestors rename them to suit thie fancy - this has always been a question in my mind. A beautiful cardinal came to the feeder the other day.He and his mate come to the rocks near the patio and eat the seeds we place there for them. There is also a squirrel who sits in the tree above the patio roof and drops acorns on the plastic roof. Sometimes he fires a bunch at a time - I went around the patio to holler at him and I swear he fired one right at me!!! It fell close to my feet!!! Sassy fellow.

so very beautiful

                                                   another beautiful rain day.

Two more naughty ladies of the Bible-

Rachel -the woman who wanted it all. Rachael, the most beloved wife of Jacob, had love, wealth, a promising marriage in front of her. But Rachel did not have any children. In her mind, having children would be her goal of having it all. From the first moment Jacob saw Rachel he loved her, and she became his choice as a wife. But while she alone was in the heart of her lover, “the real choice was not Jacob’s but God’s, and for the first place God had chosen Rachel’s sister, Leah.” In his second marriage, Rachel only received half of Jacob, the other half had been given to her rival sister. Rachel told her husband,” Give me children or die”. Poor, childless Rachel was not forgotten by the Lord for He remembered her and opened her womb. She gave birth to a son. The grateful mother became a prophetess for she called her baby Joseph, which means, “The Lord shall add to me another son”. She then had Benjamin.  We now come to a feature peculiar of Rachel as a mother. Hers is the first recorded instance in the Bible of death in childbirth, as Rachel ended up dying after the birth of her second son. The one thing she believed would bring her fulfillment (having children) ultimately cost her her life. Don’t be a woman so desperate for what you believe will make you fulfilled that you miss the blessings that are right in front of you.

 Delilah – the woman who didn’t care who she hurt. Delilah was a beautiful Philistine woman that Samson fell in love with. She pretended to be in love with Samson in order to sell him out and get rich. The rulers in Philistine came to Delilah and offered her money if she found out what made Samson so strong. She tried to trick Samson many times but he did not tell her the truth. Delilah asked Samson continually about his strength and bugged him so much that he finally told her the secret to his strength - that he got his strength in his hair.  That evening as Samson slept, Delilah cut his hair and called in the Philistines. The Philistine men were able to capture Samson. They barged in, gouged his eyes out and took him to prison in Gaza.   Maybe she liked the idea of being the person who could get or hear about some information that no one else knew. We know some people today like this. Or maybe she lost her morals when tempted by the promises of riches. Some women will do anything to get the scoop and repeat it, no matter who gets hurt. Don’t be like Delilah.

Hope you are enjoying reading about these ladies!!!

Family Work Day

Where has this week gone? We spent the past two days taking care of our twin great granddaughters. One day they were good and played well together. Today was the direct opposite. Guess they got used to us!!  They fought and argued, sat in a time out, I even had to threaten to tell their Dad. (He is the disciplinarian in the family). We are trying to help out until school starts so will have them two days next week. At least it will be Mon and Wed so we have a day to rest up. 😏 They do keep us hopping though and we love them to the moon.

Saturday we celebrated our son-in-law's and Fred's birthdays. 4 of our 5 great grands were here as well as two of the grandchildren. It was a beautiful day without mishaps or arguments between the kids and a good time of binding for us adults. Lots of good food, especially Wausau Hospital brownies, complete with candles.  One of the great grand kids asked if they really came from the hospital in Wisconsin!! Actually, they are almost a family tradition at most get togethers - the recipe came from someone years ago when 3 of our daughters worked at the Wausau, WI hospital. 

the two birthday boys, our youngest daughter, and great grandson (the only great grandson) Jaylen

from the right - twins, Kenzie, Kinley, the twins'older sisters, Shelby and Harmony, in the front are Brielle and only great grandson, Jaylen

the kids having fun with bubble gloves - plastic gloves that you dip in bubbles and wave around

Another daughter, who lives nearby, had some trees felled s they were hollow and starting to lean pretty badly. We, as a family, went over to "make wood", as we called it in WI. Actually, cutting up trees for firewood. We used to do this every fall when we lived in WI, as we heated our cordwood house ( check out cordwood houses on google) with 12 fulls cords a year in a wood stove, made by Fred. It was a family affair, with other neighbors who also heated with wood, and lasted all weekend. Those who could not not work in the woods for some reason or another (allergies, back back, etc.) were assigned to the kitchen at our house. They fixed the homemade lunches (which were large meals- prepared in advance such as homemade tomato soup and dumplings, or meatloaf , or  chicken, home canned pickles, homemade bread and the ladies favorite desserts).   They also did the clean up and kept everyone in water as needed. It was a really fun time, a time for fellowship with neighbors and bonding together. this year was a smaller version - our minds said let's do this, and our bodies said are you kidding???  We still have one more week-end of hard work this coming week-end.

cordwood house we built in Ringle, WI

inside walls

some pieces of the huge tree and a huge brush pile

                                                   grandson Seth attacking a stubborn stump

almost a full load of firewood for the outdoor fireplace - part of the crew taking a much needed break -we went through lots of water that day

                                         son-in-law, Scott, hard at work

                                             now I am sure this could be used for something - a gnome house maybe

 

A few more ladies whom you do not want to be your role model:

Job’s wife – the woman who offered horrible advice. A story of when bad things happen to good people. The devil accused Job of being righteous only because he was prosperous. God allowed the devil to take away everything from Job to see if he remained righteous.  Job was going through a difficult and painful time. She, too, felt the impact of losing all of the flocks, their livelihood, investments, servants, and children. Instead of being supportive and comforting to her husband, or even turning to God in this time of trouble, pain, and confusion, she allowed bitterness to take over and screamed at Job with perhaps the worst advice in all of history. “Curse God and die”. This is exactly what Satan wanted Job to do as a result of all the terrible things that had happened to him. Ladies, we can be the gentle voice of the Holy Spirit to our husbands or we can be the angry voice of Satan. Which one do you choose to be?

Moses’ wife – the woman who did things her way. The main plot of Zipporah's story, which contains a few large holes, is this: Moses, a fugitive from Egypt, where he killed a man for abusing a Hebrew slave, happens upon the seven daughters of Jethro, the Midian priest. The daughters are at a well in the desert, trying to water their sheep. Moses scares off some bullying shepherds who are harassing the girls. A grateful Jethro gives Moses his daughter Zipporah in marriage, despite their religious differences. They marry and have two sons, Gershom and Eliezer.  After God speaks to Moses through a burning bush, Moses sets out with his family to return to Egypt to free his people from slavery. During this journey, a strange incident occurs one night in their tent. God tries to kill Moses. Zipporah, somehow sensing that God is angry that their son isn't circumcised, immediately grabs a stone and cuts her son's foreskin. Cutting away the foreskin is a sign of identification among Hebrews, according to God's covenant with Abraham. Then she flings the bloody foreskin at his feet. Then she says: "Surely, a bridegroom of blood thou art to me'  So, the Lord let Moses alone. Then she said: 'A bridegroom of blood in regard of the circumcision.' When God confronted Moses for his disobedience for not circumcising his son, Moses life was in danger. Although these actions may have saved her husband’s life, she did it with disgust. Zipporah was a Midianite and did not believe in circumcision. There is always drama when we decide on our own way over God’s. Don’t be a drama queen who insists on her own way. 

Are there any of these ladies who mirror your lie today? Strive to become a daughter of the Lord.