God Knows...

When you are tired and discouraged from fruitless efforts;

God knows how hard you have tried.

When you've cried so long and your heart is in anguish;

God has counted your tears.

If you feel that your life is on hold and time has passed you by;

God is waiting with you.

When you're lonely and your friends are too busy even for a phone call;

God is by your side.

When you think you've tried everything and don't know where to turn;

God has a solution.

When nothing makes sense and you are confused or frustrated;

God has the answer.

If suddenly your outlook is brighter and you find traces of hope;

God has whispered to you.

When things are going well and you have much to be thankful for;

God has blessed you.

When something joyful happens and you are filled with awe;

God has smiled upon you.

When you have a purpose to fulfill and a dream to follow;

God has opened your eyes and called you by name.

Remember that wherever you are or whatever you 're facing;

God Knows!!

Author Unknown

Dave and Barbara Family Inspiration
daveandbarbara-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Perfect Gifts

THE SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD

A group of students was asked to list what they thought were the present Seven Wonders of the World. Though there was some disagreement, the following got the most votes:

1. Egypt's Great Pyramids
2. Taj Mahal
3. Grand Canyon
4. Panama Canal
5. Empire State Building
6. St. Peter's Basilica
7. China's Great Wall

While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one quiet student hadn't turned in her paper yet, so she asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list.

The girl replied, "Yes, a little. I couldn't quite make up my mind because there were so many."

The teacher said, "Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help."

The girl hesitated, then read, "I think the Seven Wonders of the World are:

1. TO SEE
2. TO TASTE
3. TO TOUCH
4. TO HEAR.

"She hesitated a little, and then added,"

5. TO FEEL
6. TO LAUGH
7. AND TO LOVE.

The room was so full of silence you could have heard a pin drop. Those things we overlook as simple and ordinary are truly wondrous. This is a gentle reminder that the most precious things in life cannot be bought...but are gifts from above. (James 1:17)

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (NIV)

Waiting in Line

Twice a year, St. Joseph's Catholic Church has a fund raiser meal for the whole community and surrounding areas. I mean to tell you that these two events surpass any meal you've ever wrapped your lips around. The food is prepared by some of the best cooks in the county. The meals are always served on a Sunday, beginning at 11:00 a.m. As church services are dismissed on that day, a steady stream of church go-ers are headed to Rhineland to fill their tummies.

I happen to be married to a man who doesn't like "standing in line". His excuse is..."I had enough waiting in line when I was in the military service. I don't have to do it now". Consequently, we've missed a lot of the St. Joseph fund raisers.

As a matter of fact, we have missed out on a lot of things throughout our married life because of this very reason...not liking to wait in line.

Oh, how many WalMart sales having unbelieveable cuts in prices have we missed...by not wanting to wait in line!!

But this Sunday was a little different. We had company that was preparing to leave Sunday afternoon. In lieu of having to "COOK" a meal, I suggested:

Me: "Honey, what do you think about us going to Rhineland to eat before our company has to leave."

Hubby: "Well, I guess we could...BUT....we'll have to wait in line"

Me: "Well, guess what? There are certain times in life when you need to wait in line for something good"!

The more I thought about it, how many times in our life do we miss out on some of the best stuff because of our unwillingness to "wait in line"? No!...we get impatient and barrel ahead, accepting lesser things because of our impatience in waiting for the best.

In Ecclesiastes 7:8, the author (probably Solomon) writes:

The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.

So. Next time you hesitate to be willing to wait in line, think of what you might be missing in the end.

Waiting For The Parting Of A Sea...

I'm waiting for the parting of a Red Sea.

What are you waiting for?

I guess every living soul has a Red Sea in their life. Of course, not literally....but in the name of feeling as if you're backed up against a wall with no place to go.

Everyone has challenges to meet every day in the form of illness, financial difficulty, death of a loved one, broken relationships, just for starters. Challenge after challenge is to be met every morning that your feet hit the floor.

My mind works weirdly sometime. Now why would I think of Moses and the exodus of his people into the promised land? Here they had been wandering around in the desert for 40 years and all that separated them from their land of promise was the Red Sea....with the enemy behind them!! I guess Moses felt like he was literally up against a wall of water with no place to go! But through the power of God, that sea parted and they walked across on dry land! Just as the enemy started across, the wall of water closed up and...well....you know the rest of the story....or, if it's unfamiliar to you, read about it in the Book of Exodus.

Are you waiting for a parting of a sea in your life? It could happen.

But what if that water doesn't part where you can walk across on dry land? What then? Are you going to give up? Are you going to wait for the enemy to swallow you up...chew you into pieces?

At this point is where it gets tricky. After the birth and death of Jesus, the miracles that God performed years and years previously were now done through the power of the Holy Spirit. And this is where faith in the unseen comes into play.

I know all of this. Yet, there are times when I still want to see God's message written with a bolt of lightning or the parting of a sea in my life, so that I can walk across on dry land and not get my feet wet and muddy.

Sometimes, God just doesn't work in the way we would have Him to.

Paul wrote:
And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19 (NIV)
And Isaiah wrote:
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31 (KJV)

"When we trust our lives to the unseen but ever-present God, He will write our lives into His story and every last one of them will turn out to be a great read with a grand ending".~~Beth Moore

Cue Balls in Texas

The son-in-law called yesterday afternoon with fodder for my blog. I don't see why he would think I need help. My goodness! It's just been almost two weeks since I've made an entry! I used to get complaints about posting too often because people couldn't stay current. Oh, well...You can please some of the people some of the time, but you can`t please all the people all of the time (someone said)

Anyway...Al thought the following story is news worthy because it happened in North Richland Hills where his son and wife live....thus being, my grandson and wife!

Admittedly, it is a funny story and just proves that Texas women certainly know the real use of cue balls!'

NORTH RICHLAND HILLS — It was raining pool balls in a neighborhood here Wednesday afternoon. ~

A 27-year-old woman thwarted an attempted burglary by pelting two men at the front of her home on Mapleleaf Drive with billiard balls as she stood on her roof.~

"I made it to the backdoor, climbed a tree and onto the roof," Paula Ollie said afterward. "I went to the front of the house and yelled 'Death from above!’ and started throwing the pool balls."~

Ollie said she was accurate.~

"I nailed him in the back," she said referring to the burglar who was near a bedroom window. "I then started throwing at the one at the front door and got him, but I don’t know where I hit him. I did miss once because there’s a dent in the front door." ~

The men ran for their lives cursing, holding their arms above their heads for protection, she said.~

Once she descended from the roof, she called police but by the time they arrived, the men had gotten away.~

Police weren’t enthusiastic about her efforts.~

"We recommend that people call 911 if they see strangers at their home," North Richland Hills investigator Keith Bauman said.~

Ollie described the bad guys as dressed all in black, their hats, shirts, pants and shoes.~

"I know one was white because I could see his arm when he had it over his head," Ollie said.~

As for her warrior cry of "Death from above!" Ollie says it’s from the movies, but she isn’t sure which one.~

"They say it all the time," she said.~

It might be best remembered as the motto painted on Robert Duvall’s helicopter during the dramatic dawn attack on a Vietnamese village in the 1979 movie Apocalypse Now.~

The incident happened shortly after 2 p.m. in the 7600 block of Mapleleaf Drive.~

Ollie was at home alone; her three young boys were at school.~

"I heard something outside and I went to the front door where I heard these two men talking quietly," said Ollie, who had been cleaning the house. "They didn’t ring the doorbell or knock. I put my ear to the door and I sensed that something was wrong."~

Without thinking of calling 911, Ollie plotted her attack. She grabbed her son’s Ben Tin bike helmet and loaded it up with balls from the pool table. She couldn’t remember later how many she had taken.~

She quietly walked through the backdoor to a tree, placed the straps of the helmet in her mouth and climbed the tree. From the tree, she made her way to the roof.~

"If I had known where the BB-gun was, I would have used that," Ollie said. "There’s a crossbow in the house and if I had known where the ammunition was, I would have grabbed that."~

Once on the roof, Ollie began her assault.~

And within a few minutes, she ran the table on them~
ramirez@star-telegram.com

A Poem of Thought

I was shocked, confused, bewildered

As I entered Heaven's door,

Not by the beauty of it all,

Nor the lights or its decor.

But it was the folks in Heaven

Who made me sputter and gasp--

.

The thieves, the liars, the sinners,

The alcoholics and the trash.

There stood the kid from seventh grade

Who swiped my lunch money! twice.

.

Next to him was my old neighbor

Who never said anything nice.

Herb, who I always thought

Was rotting away in hell,

Was sitting pretty on cloud nine,

Looking incredibly well.

.

I nudged Jesus, 'What's the deal?

I would love to hear Your take.

How'd all these sinners get up here?

God must've made a mistake.

'And why's everyone so quiet,

So somber - give me a clue.'

.

'Hush, child,' He said, 'they're all in shock.

No one thought they'd be seeing you.'

JUDGE NOT. Remember...Just going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car .
Every saint has a PAST...
Every sinner has a FUTURE

(submitted to me by my friend RTM)

Observations of Growing Old

~It's harder to tell navy blue from black!
~Everything old is new again, but if you wore it before, you're too old to wear it the 2nd time around!
~Your kids are becoming you...and you don't like them! but your grandchildren are perfect!~Yellow becomes the big color...walls...hair...teeth!
~Going out is good. Coming home is better!
~When people say you look "Great" they add; "for your age"!
~When you needed the discount you paid full price. Now you get discounts on everything; movies, hotels, flights.
~You forget names...but it's OK because other people forgot they even knew you.
~The last 2 outfits you wore had spots on them.
~You ask your husband/wife or friend how your outfit looks and they tell you the truth!
~The five pounds you wanted to lose is now 15 and you have a better chance of losing your keys than the 15 pounds.
~You realize you're never going to be really good at anything...especially golf.
~Your husband/wife is counting on you to remember things you don't remember.
~The things you cared to do, you don't care to do, but you care that you don't care to do them anymore.
~Your husband/wife sleeps better on a lounge chair with the TV blaring then they do in bed. It's called their "pre-sleep".
~Remember when your mother said "Wear clean underwear in case you GET in an accident"? Now you bring clean underwear IN CASE you HAVE an accident!
~You used to say, "I hope my kids GET married.. Now, " I hope they STAY married!"
~The best place to have a conversation with your Wife/husband is in the bathroom...you have his full attention.
~Who wants to wear 3" heels anyway?
~You miss the days when everything worked with just an "ON" and "OFF" switch.
~When GOOGLE.ipod.email.odem .were unheard of and a mouse was something that made you climb on a table.
~You use more 4 letter words..."what?"..."when?" ???
~Now that you can afford expensive jewelry, it's not safe to wear it anywhere.
~Your husband/wife has a night out with the guys/girls but they' home by 9:00 P.M...next week it will be 8:30 P.M.
~You read 100 pages into a book before you realize you've read it before.
~Notice everything they sell in stores is "sleeveless"?
~Many of the people in People Magazine you've never heard of.
~Your concealer doesn't conceal.
~Your lipstick bleeds.
~Your mascara clumps and your eyebrows are disappearing.
~You don't have hair under your arms and very little on your legs but your chin needs to be plucked daily!
~What used to be freckles are now liver spots.
~Everybody whispers.
~Now that your husband/wife has retired you'd give anything if they'd find a job!
~You have 3 sizes of clothes in your closet....2 of which you will never wear again.
~But old is good in some things:...old songs...old movies

And best of all, OLD FRIENDS!!

Thanks Richard T. for this e-mail. Even though it's so TRUE, an aging person can't help but grin...and....I needed the grin!!

You younger people may laugh now; enjoy while you can. What goes around comes around!!

Scholastic Gone Balistic!

There is a young teacher and mother who I admire greatly. AND, she's one of my ardent Facebook friends. This morning she had the following status update:

"My daughter brought me the library book she was reading......it talked about a boy unbuttoning her shirt (in a dream....but whatever) and buying sperm panties! Seriously? H wanted to know what sperm panties were! I don't even know...but... I certainly DON'T want my sixth grader reading a book that talks about them!!!!!!!! It's "What My Mother Doesn't Know" by Sonya Sones. I ordered it from Scholastic."

This young teacher and mother was livid..... Following is the letter that she has sent to Scholastic that she posted on Facebook to alert her friends. I asked her permission to post the letter to my profile so that my young teacher friends who might be using Scholastic, be alerted.

Mothers and teachers, please be aware of what your children are reading.

The Letter I (my friend) Sent to Scholastic

Today at 10:11am
To Whom It May Concern:

I have been an educator for 15 years. During this time, I have often utilized the resources offered by your company. I have ordered from your magazines innumerable times. Up until now, I have been quite pleased with the vast collection of books offered. So when my sixth grade daughter brought home a flier from your company, I did not hesitate to allow her to order books of her choice.
.
One of her selections included a book entitled, "What my Mother Doesn't Know" by Sonya Sones. I realize you must offer books that cater to different audiences. However, it has been my experience that children these days are already facing pressures from all fronts to grow up much too quickly and the material covered in this book, the one offered in your flier for middle school aged children, is beyond a bit mature!
.
From the use of profanity and racial slurs ( page 75), to perverted chat room encounters (page 110), to being groped in a school parking lot after a dance (142 and 143), and, finally, to an erotic dream (page 208). While I realize this book is definitely geared toward the teenage set, I am wondering why it was offered in a flier for sixth to eighth grade children.
.
As I've stated before, I had always had such a wonderful experience with your company it never occured to me that this was even possible. I have learned a valuable lesson and will certainly not make the same mistake twice. My hope in sending this letter is that your company will make wiser choices in providing books for children entering this difficult age. The situations presented in this writing are not ones that my eleven year old daughter is prepared to face. I trusted your company to be more sensitive to the needs of these adolescent children and, in my mind, it seems that trust has been violated.
.

Fourth Grade Teacher
AND
Mother

and Life Goes On...

And life goes on...

Butch has recovered from his illness....just in time, before he got the snot beat out of him for teedling in the floor. I appreciate the "tip" left by an anonymous commenter. You know who you are, and we'll start doing it; anything to keep our Butch healthy! Also glad the "dryer sheet" tip was helpful...LOL

We've been leading busy lives for Senior Cits of the world of Retirement; most of our busy-ness revolving around going to funerals and all that is involved. It seems almost blasphemous to go mourn a deceased friend/relatve in death and, at the same time, have a blast visiting with relatives and friends that you haven't seen in years. What a paradox!

I did squeeze in a few hours on Saturday morning, between funeral activities, to go to a Beth Moore Simulcast; at the prodding of a friend. Beth's topic was developed around Psalm 37:4:

"Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart".

Now in anyone's estimation, that is a pretty short verse! Even I can recite it from memory with only one reading.

How in the world can a bible scholar come up with major discussion points from that one short verse? In fact, from the first few verses of that chapter, she had 7 major points of discussion. And they were all relevant to my life....imagine that!

Saturday night, the son of a local couple and two of his friends from found in the Gulf, after a search of 8 days! They were alive and, I'm sure, have their stories to tell! I believe that CNN has already had an interview but, being the "busy" person I am, I missed it. Who has time to sit at home and watch T.V.?

But, life goes on; good, bad, indifferent...it goes on. Personally, I work to make it a good life; the best I can. We have much to be thankful for...good health, good family, and most of all a faith in believing that God sits on His throne, in complete control of every situation. We just wait to see what the next Plan holds.

Have a good day and I'll see you next go around.

No More Treats.....unless...

Your dogs will LOVE
Prairie Paws treats!!







♫

Locally made by
Cynthia White!










♫
Butch has medication for 4 days to finish up his 10 days. I sat him down today and made him look at me straight in the eyes. I said, "Butch, I'm going to give you your ten days of Amoxicillin. After that, the first time you teedle in the floor, I'm going to beat the snot out of you!

Butch said, "Humph"!!
♫
And NO MORE Prairie Paws Treats!!"

Quick! Open The Door!!

Poor Butch!

He's sick.

Kidney infection.

Amoxicillin for 10 days.

Dr. Mason took a blood sample to make sure there is nothing else going on in his body. Before we took him to the clinic, I had googled his symptoms and the search results scared me. What I read was about renal failure in older dogs (Butch will be 9 years old in September.) It will be several days before we get a report. We're just hoping that the anti-biotic will take care of things.

Until the medication takes affect, I'll continue to mop up what he deposits on the floor. Thank goodness for hardwood floors....no carpet with which to be concerned.

Just hope he doesn't form a habit that will be difficult to break. I would hate to send him to rehabilitation!!

God Is Moving...

God is Moving to Bless Every Part

How many times do we see God’s blessings
in the good times and highlights of life,
But forget to praise God for his excellent greatness
in the struggles, the trials and strife.

♫
Yet, the truth of it is, that everything we go through
can teach us more of His power & grace.
For the hard times leave the fragrance of the Father behind
from the hours spent seeking His face.

♫
And it’s seasons of desolation…when the trials make us lonely
because people just don’t understand;
Yet in the absence of their comfort, we hear what God says
and we feel the great touch of His hand.

♫
It’s the harrowing trial we walk through a while
that leads us into darkness and cold.
But it’s there that the light of Christ shines the brightest
and we see what’s eternal and gold.

♫
It’s the happy occasions that make us enjoy life
and living for our time on this earth.
But the struggles make us yearn for our eternal home
and make us see what perfection is worth.

♫
It’s the times of desperation when we have no other recourse
but prayer and an act of from God’s throne,
That will teach us Who is really in charge of our lives
through the answers and mercy He’s shown.

♫
It’s the praising and worshiping the Lord through the heartache
that will literally help the heart heal.
For God sees that worship as pure, with one purpose
to bring honor beyond what we feel.

♫
When the child of God knows that every day has value
and God is moving to bless every part,
Then the ransomed of the Lord will see God and speak
His praises from the depths of their hearts.

©Sheila Gosney

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

Romans 8:16-18 NIV

Bouncy-Bounce!

We have strange ways of doing things in our hometown. Or, at least, SOME people do; my husband being among the strange.

We have had some much needed rain over the past couple of weeks...and you know what rain brings! Growing grass and mosquitoes!

My husband's remedy for buzzing mosquitoes is Bounce Dryer Sheets pinned to his hat. He swears by their effectiveness in deterring the mosquitoes! But the dryer sheets "have" to be the Bounce brand...none other works!

I question his methods and his home remedies and cure alls but, heck! If it keeps him mowing the lawns, who cares? I never run out of dryer sheets for my clothes dryer!

Gotta love that man!

If You Don't Want To Know....Don't Ask!

Seems like the process of living life has kicked a lot of people in the rear lately. It has been... NOT a really fun time. The following is just a silly, fun story delivered by mikeysFunnies to give us all a well deserved grin.

***************************

A husband and wife are getting ready for bed. The wife is standing in front of a full length mirror taking a hard look at herself.
.
"You know, dear," she says, "I look in the mirror and I see an old woman. My face is all wrinkled, every thing else is either sagging or bloated. I've got fat legs, and my arms are all flabby."
.
She turns to her husband and says, "Tell me something positive to make me feel better about myself."
.
He studies hard for a moment thinking about it and then says in a soft, thoughtful voice,
.
"Well, there's nothing wrong with your eyesight."
.
Services for the husband will be held Saturday morning at 10:30 AM at Morris Memorial Chapel. Female friends of the family are invited.
.
Have a peaceful day...

In God We Still Trust

The song you are about to listen to is from a Las Vegas Diamond Rio concert. They received an immediate resounding standing ovation, and continue to do so every time they perform it! Sadly, major radio stations wouldn't play it because it was considered 'politically incorrect'. Consequently, the song was never released to the public. So America , see what you think. If this offering speaks to your heart and you feel you want to share it with friends and loved ones, please do.