A Time of R & R

Rest & Relaxation is in order

for this Labor Day Weekend

Please take time from your busy schedule
to enjoy family and friends - and the Lord!
That's my plan...

Multi-Tasking Day

It's Multi-Tasking Day
1. Sit Down

2. Relax

3. Shut Your Eyes
4. Say a Little Prayer

5. Open Your Heart

6. Listen closely
7. Believe

Back Off Buddy!

Get behind me, satan*
I will worship the Lord, my God
and Him only will I serve

Don't ask me why I chose this picture as a visual description for the above scripture. I really don't have a clue, except it just hit me as a fit. Kinda goofy, huh? Oh well, blame it on being involved in another one of my Senior moments.

* Let's never give him the benefit of capitalizing his name. My spellcheck says I should but what does a spellcheck know.

Where Is It Going?

Many days I awake and wonder, where is life taking me? So, with pen in hand, here are my thoughts....

In the midst of dawn’s glistening light
I hear the sound of the dove
As it downs on the olive branch,
Precariously observing the movings below
Where is it going?

To new heights, soaring among the clouds
On wings of peace and contentment


The river crawls along the mountain’s edge
Rushing down into the valley’s cavity
Among the jagged rocks it sings a love song,
Happily bursting forth with sounds of praise
Where is it going?

To new horizons, tossing furiously over every obstacle
Hurriedly into the sea to become as one.


A tired, frail stranger, a mere ribbon of existence,
Standing on the shore, overlooking a vast expanse
Gazing beyond the fragility of today,
Years of struggle and pain are etched on his face
Where is this pilgrim going?

To a better place, rejoicing in the confidence
That all is well between him and his Maker.

NO MAN is an Island

Donne's* Quote: "No Man Is An Island, Entire of Itself..."

My Translation: Humans Do Not Thrive when Isolated from Others

* John Donne was a Renaissance minister and poet. This quote, in part, was from one of his sermons, and can be found in its entirety in his Meditation XVII Devotional writings.

An Eye for Beauty???

It is said that Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder - so it is important to never down another's concept of things beautiful. Why? Because what is beauty to you, may not be classified as beauty to me. But for today, let's look past "skin deep" and look into the hearts of others - for we will probably find real beauty there.

However, I think we will agree that this guy is pitiful no matter which way we look at him.

Feed My Sheep

SUNDAY
is "Feed My Sheep" Day

BEE Careful

We must BEE Very Careful
in all we say and do...


Because our speech and actions
will determine whether we get stung or not

Come, Enter with Me

There are times when my spirit desires to be lost in His wonder and glory - drawing as close as possible to Him - closing out life's whirlwind existence. What I need is to pray, to enter into my King's Palace. It's a wondrous place. Why not, come join with me this day and partake of His beauty.

Come with me into the King’s palace
Enter the gates with thanksgiving and praise
Feel His wondrous presence and majesty
Take time to stroll down its innumerable corridors
Bordered by tranquility and built on faith
His palace is a haven for the weary and heavy laden

Then let us delight in the sumptuous furnishings
Braids of silver and gold woven in elegant patterns
Exquisite tapestries gracefully hang along the walls
Their shades of blue proclaiming royalty abides
While precious jewels settle among the purples
His domain offers a vision of eternal splendor

Yes, this is a place of rest, of standing before the King
Love brushes past, making its way up the stairway
Steps designed to lift one above the cares of life
Honor and glory graciously welcome each guest
To the pageantry of this magnificent place
Come, partake in the blessings of the King’s palace.

Building Inspection Time

Could our Spiritual House be in Need of Repair?

Hip, Hip - O' (that hurts)

Be Very Careful who You Call a "Hippo"crite
because they may take offense and "sit" on you.

Places of Refreshing

My husband found an article about the Mammoth Orange Stand in Chowchilla CA, and upon reading the story, it had my head spinning back to the 1940s when I was a little girl. The 20-foot Orange Stand, as well as other similar stands, were places of wonder - each an orange-shaped stand that sold real lemonade, freshly squeezed real orange juice and orange milkshakes and freezes. (Heard a stand could easily go through 6,000 oranges a week). The crushed ice, straight from the ice houses, made the orange and lemon drinks a cool treat in the hot Central Valley weather. And, ah, there were the giant, Alaska-sized hamburgers and, should I add in our cholesterol conscious society, the yummy greasy fries. (Maybe the burgers weren’t that large, and the fries that greasy but I was just a kid so it seemed that way).

The many giant Oranges situated up and down the California highways would beckon weary, hungry folks – with each Orange strategically distanced to meet the needs of overheated cars and thirsty travelers. While we sipped iced drinks (and sometimes loading up on burgers), ice was available for auto radiators and/or car air-conditioning (that is, if you were fortunate enough to have the window mounted unit A/C – most cars didn’t. Yes, no dash mounted air at that time). With no super-fast freeways with on/off ramps, these comfort stations did a great business from the first stand (a 1926 lemon stand in Menlo Park CA - thank God, before my time) through the 1940s. In the 50s, the stands begin a decline due to the conversion from highways to freeways. Today these Giant landmarks are missing from our landscape, having given way to what we call progress. It is sad when a landmark disappears.

Giant Oranges is where I got my thought for today, and here it is....
As we travel down life's highway toward our eternal goal, God offers us special rest stops to refresh us spiritually and mentally. Each is as close as we desire it to be - we determine the distances between refreshings. You ask where are these quench thirsting places? One can be found in listening to gospel music – another by faithfully attending your local church services (and special church events), another by reading the Word, and the best refreshing spot of all, entering into your closet of prayer.

Enjoy your journey - and remember, it is up to each of us to make sure that God's landmarks never become a thing of the past!

* top pictures, the Chowchilla CA Orange Stand; bottom, Fairfield CA Stand, and unknown stand

Not My Permanent Pad

This world is not my home.....I'm just a passing through

Think PEACE

We Can Find Peace in Our Valley
if we will but take the time to look for Him