White Pride?

I'll probably muddle my way through this, and am taking a risk of being misunderstood....but here goes anyway..
All over the news this morning is an eighth grade student who wrote and performed a poem, called "White Privilege."
It is being heralded as an awesome pot stirrer. I do admire what I must take at face value as an attempt to correct racial inequality.
But I find it disturbing... I do not feel the need to apologize that I'm white, that I'm a woman, and for where I am on the economic scale.
Can you imagine a black apologizing for being black? Why should he? Neither can I take pride in being white. I had no choice in that matter. God created me who I am....like any other race. No better, no worse. Likewise, I'm fulfilled in being a woman, again God's choice. No better than men, no lesser than men.
I have many black friends and family members. I love them all. That's just exactly who they are...my friends and family. I am always unaware of their race. It doesn't stare me in the face as an issue needing to be addressed.
I have a college degree that I worked very hard for. Started at $1.05 an hour working out in the blazing hot Florida sun at a flower farm. My siblings do not have college degrees. That was their choice. They are all productive happy siblings. I'm no better, no less. Such is America...freedom to choose. My siblings love me. They don't consider me better than them....because I'm not.
My grandchildren go to a private school. Am I happy about that? Sure am. Am I proud....does that make them better? I'm proud that their fathers work very hard to make it possible, just as all fathers can.
Are Jon and I rich? That's funny.... but we have worked hard, done our best to care for our family, love God and this wonderful country.
By many folks standards we are poverty level. We haven't let that determine our destiny or our happiness. Neither do we consider it a stool to perch on and say, "You owe me."
No matter what race, if I pride in my color....I need God's forgiveness and awareness that we are ALL created in His image.
So never apologize for being whom God has beautifully created you to be. Apologize for the things that are YOUR fault..such as prejudice and pride.
This is America land that I love.
This is the land of endless opportunity.

Isaiah 12

I really enjoyed reading in Isaiah this morning. No matter how bad, no matter what they(nation of Israel) had done....
God was always standing with an outstretched hand....beckoning them to come, to be forgiven and restored.... What mercy!!

Then came this beautiful chapter 12 that made my heart swell!!

And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise Thee: though Thou wast angry with me, Thine anger is turned away, and Thou comfortedst me. (need comfort this morning? Here it is!)

Behold, God is my salvation: I will trust, and not be afraid: (are you fearful? Give it to Him.): for the Lord Jehovah is my strength(Feel weak? Lean on Him.)and my song; He also is my salvation.

Therefore with joy(deep unspeakable contentment) shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.(I'm lowering my 'bucket' this morning....drawing deeply....from His well).

And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon His name,declare His doings among the people, make mention that His name is exalted.(Let's talk about Jesus more and more!)

Sing unto the Lord; for He hath done excellent things:(Whoohoo!! EXCELLENT things!!!!) this is known in all the earth.

Cry out and shout!!!(thou inhabitant of Zion) for GREAT is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee!!!

So.... I'm going to:
Praise
Be comforted
Trust
Be strengthened
Be joyful
Exalt His name
Sing and
Shout!!!!!!

Casey

 Poor Little Gal was spayed and had to wear this misery for 12 days!!

6 months old

Erica Graduates

Flying Across America

 Jon Abram and one of his co workers is puddle jumping from Washing to Wisconsin this week. He has taken us right along with him with pictures, Facetiming, and messages. Such a beautiful nation.

Rainy Day Blessings.........

Dark, cool, rainy day... sitting here enjoying hubby time...listening to Tennessee Ernie Ford....rolling down memory lane.

Oh, remembering these old songs.... not Charles Wesley hymns for sure, but I can hear Daddy singing some of them, and Mama other ones....

Thinking of my blessed past, enjoying God's goodness of this day, anticipating the joys of tomorrow!!

Tattooed!

It was a fall in 1969. I was a sophomore in college. I was covered in tattoos. Oh, how I wanted them removed, but as everyone knows it's incredibly expensive as well as painful to have tattoos removed. I was so miserable, I hated myself.

Yes, I was a sophomore in Bible College, does that surprise you? Oh, no.... no one else SAW my tattoos............they were well hidden, a dark secret known only to me and to God! My heart was covered with tattoos.......scared and ugly by all the "hidden/ugly" sins(pride/self centeredness/ etc.). I "looked" so good on the outside... Who would judge me? But lost, oh, so very lost I was. Just as lost, hurting, and lonely as any other soul who may perhaps wear his tattoos on the outside!!

It would be painful and expensive to have my tattoos removed, far more so than any outward ones ever would. Someone would have to pay! Someone would have to suffer pain! I found that SOMEONE!! That SOMEONE found me! He paid! He suffered! He erased them every one of them!! Not only did He erase them from my heart, He gave me a NEW HEART!!

I thought about all this as I read aloud this morning from Matthew. So many people from so many different walks of life, so many and varied needs, so many different ways of expressing their faith...... A leper worshiped him, a Centurion whose faith rested in just the spoken Words of Jesus, a mother-in-law, the demon possessed, a man with the palsy whose sins Jesus chose to forgive before healing him, a Ruler whose faith towered high enough to request and get the resurrection of his daughter, the poverty stricken women(due to medical bills) who had enough faith to believe that just a touch of Christ's garment would be enough, Matthew who immediately responded to Jesus simple Words, 'Follow me!', and the publicans and sinners with whom Jesus ate!!

Surely one would say that Jesus was non-discriminatory!! His love embraced all!! His power of healing and redemption reached all!

So today, when you see the "tattooed," the poor, the hurting................see them through the eyes of Jesus! See them as redeemed!! That's way He came! That's why He died! That's why He LIVES!!!

That's WHAT He did for me!!!

Raggedy Anne and Jesus

It was one beautiful Easter weekend....

The grandmother gathered her little one up and took her to a large church which was presenting a vivid passion play drama...

The crowd was large so the grandmother and her little one had to sit toward the back.. The grandmother was so proud of her sweet little girl...dressed out in her Raggedy Anne pinafore and her golden curls.

The scenes progressed with breathtaking reality.... The little girl had sat on her grandmother's knee by the hours and listened to stories of Jesus... Now it seemed as though the little one was lifted from those pages into the moving drama.... To her....it WAS Jesus!! Struggling to see better, she stood up in her seat...clutching tightly to her grandmother's shoulder.

Then a touching scene....Jesus and the little children of Galileec...left the stage and began to proceed down the long aisle... The spotlight was upon them as they drew nearer and nearer...

The little one now reached toward the approaching Christ....her arms outstretched....calling, "Jesus!! Jesus!! Jesus!!!"

As Christ and the children reached grandmother's aisle, the spotlight caught the vision of the little Raggedy Anne figure straining and calling out..

Jesus stopped... the crowd seemed to hold it's breath...

He reached out his hand, "Come to me, child..." he spoke. Without any hesitation... golden curls bouncing...the little one scrambled from her grandmother's embrace and ran to Jesus..

Now as the spotlight followed Jesus and the little peasant children around the aisle...He now held a little girl in a pinafore by the hand...

It was a gripping moment...the past met the present... and HE WAS ENOUGH!!!

Tears were pouring down the faces of those in the crowd...

At last Jesus walked the little girl form this present age back to her Nanny..... Erica's face was lit with a heavenly glow... She had seen Jesus!!

The crowd burst into applause....

WE HAD ALL SEEN JESUS!!!

Loved

Love expressed so beautifully...

Yesterday, Hubs was so bad that I had to cancel his visit with his neurologist.... Pretty bad when you are too bad to go to the doctor. He was just so wracked with pain, and his balance was so bad...

Today...I sat in my recliner...knees hurting too badly to get up...neck hurting too badly to lay my head back....

Sweet Hubs...struggled from his chair, went to the bedroom and brought me my neck pillow...

I KNOW what that cost him..

It cost him...

Far more than a dozen red roses.
Far more than a meal at Outback.
Far more than a huge box of chocolates.

It cost him....he gave...all he had, everything he had...

I'm loved. And I know it.

This Land is My Land, This Land is Your Land

This World My Grandchildren have to grow up in...

The news is frightening. i care. i vote. But I didn't realize how much in my thinking that it was just "out there" somewhere.

Reality hit me hard in the face Saturday...
Erica is flying to her folks in Mass. over spring break. For the first time she is leaving from Charlotte. Charlotte just recently passed a law that legalized all bathrooms to be "gender free," that is, no longer do you have a choice of men or women's restroom.

My dear granddaughter brought this up and her fears of what she might face. Granted, this is her departure destination, So her mother will be with her there. But what if that were the law at the other four airports she will use before she arrives home?

A young 16 year old young woman....facing who knows what in a restroom. Now this is so much more that a news clip on my pc. This is reality!! This is now!! This is MY GRANDDAUGHTER!!

My heart is sick.... This is my land, this is your land....
Return America!!

Bring Back the Apron: Whatever Happened to the Apron?

Bring Back the Apron: Whatever Happened to the Apron?:       Aprons.  They used to be a big thing in our culture.  Women wore them 24-7 whenever they were home,...which they were most of the time...

Casey

 As many of you know, I love dogs and have almost always had one. But with my health, it has been increasingly difficult to even care for one. With my fibromyalgia, I could barely stand much weight on my lap.

On Jan. 4th, I got a little 4 week old, 12 ounce little Chihuahua. We named her Casey and it didn't take long for her to erase all the bad things Jon had heard of and feared about getting me a Chihuahua. Needless to say she has bonded with me and loves Jon as well. I haven't posted any pictures on Facebook because I truly felt there would be folks who just wouldn't understand.

But I'm going to share a few here...for all you dog lovers who do understand.

Casey is now 13 weeks old and weighs 3 pounds.

Casey loved to ride in my pocket like a little Joey. She didn't mind any bouncing and when she got tired she curled up in the bottom of my pocket and went to sleep.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Counting Springs...

The winter seems to be rolling up its carpet and preparing to file it into the archives of history.

Spring appears to at last be serious about bursting into color, nest building, and "window open" days...

I thought about spring.... I'm 66 years old and if perhaps I'm given the gift of longer life.... I'm still at the point in life of possibly counting my springs....

God says life is life a vapor, like the grass that springs up and quickly fades away...

Winter, Christmas...time seems to have flown by ever so quickly.

I moved my bird feeder from the deck today where I had placed it for easy access during the cold months. I took the second one from the shed and placed them both back by the flower box where the hyacinths and crocuses are blooming. I took the birdbath from the garage and put it back among the budding tulips...

Only a brief time later I sat on the deck and the little maple tree by the feeders was filled with brilliant cardinals. Chickadees were already feeding freely...

The singing birds...the gentle breeze lifted my heart and spirits to the heights!

Counting springs.... despondent? No, I didn't feel that way at all. I was only contemplating my mortality...

This spring is special!!! This spring is mine to hold.... to breath in...to relish...to treasure... This is my moment...to live, to love, to laugh....

My heart was so full of rejoicing..... Thank you, God, for this gift..

This "my spring!"

Still Tracking

In Every Thing Give Thanks.................
The kitchen floor was a mess...
Leaves, mud, debris scattered all over...
...

Who was the culprit that had tracked havoc into my kitchen?
Humm..... there are Hub's sneakers near the table...
I picked them up and sure enough...........the sneakers identified the suspect!
I took the old worn sneakers to the edge of the deck rail and with a brush began to clean away all the mess.
Suddenly my eyes filled with tears, my heart overflowed.. My heart was just too full.
These dirty ole sneakers told a story... My Jon CAN WALK! His feet and legs, although often tired and pained...are still tracking..... walking into my kitchen...across my floor.... filling this home....
My heart was reminded of what "could have been." My heart is full of what is!!
So today, "Thank You, God! For reminding me afresh and anew that life is precious and good....that the mundane and oft taken for granted moments of life are gifts from Your hand!!"
So rather it's "Whiskers in the Sink" or "Leaves Upon the Floor..." today I thank You!!1

"Now THAT just 'aint' human!!"

But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you.
Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
...

NOPE!! That's not the "natural" human way. It takes the SUPERNATURAL Presence of the abiding Holy Spirit to do this. No........I don't know of anyone who has actually cursed me, but you know what I mean...
That annoying person that you just might have a personality clash with, or are just on two different wave lengths with.........nothing in common.
I'm not the most polished person, but God has mellowed me out some over the years....
It's also been humbling to find out over the years that just perhaps I DIDN'T have all my ducks in a row.
It's a lot easier to love others when one really sees oneself as Christ does, full of faults and failures. I'm so glad He's still working on me!
Today, Lord, help me to love as You do, as I want You and others to love me!!

The Keen Edge

 

Amy and Joey gave us an awesome knife set/block for Christmas. Amy has fussed at me for years about how dull my knives are. I've assured her they are sharp and quite adequate.

The morning after Christmas I picked out a new one to slice some ham. I was not prepared.... It's a wonder I didn't lose a finger... Oh, yeah.... MAYBE my knives are sharp!!! Without any more persuasion from my daughter, I reached into the second drawer, pulled out every old knife I ha...d, and into the trash it went. It took a sharp knife to convince me that mine were dull....

This morning....Jon and I listened to Matthew 24, 25...and so on.

As I listened....my heart was so stirred..
Jesus first came as a poor helpless baby in a manger. He walked the earth as a lowly peasant. But next time..

When Christ returns, He will come in power and great glory!!!!

In that day men will be eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage.... I don't think this means partying and nightclubbing... but life going on as usual... You know, just like today.. The hum drum of the normal... morning coffee, off to work, whatever is the norm..

We often plan our lives... that vacation coming up, that visit from family, that anticipated event... Sometimes it's fulfilled, sometimes life changes things.

But God's timeline, His schedule unfolds perfectly according to His plan and purpose. Just as after 400 years of silence, in the fullness of time, Mary brought forth her son...

In the fullness of time, when God says time shall be no more...perhaps not at that emotional moment when I'm listening to a song about Christ's return, perhaps not at the moment when I'm in church feeling His Presence in an unusual way...

Perhaps it will be when I'm feeling the weakest, going about life as usual... Perhaps it will be when I'm watching two busy grandson's, fixing a meal for Hubs, visiting with an aid.... at that inopportune moment..

When I heard those words this morning, I felt so much more than emotion. I felt a strong bedrock faith, a deep unshakable faith that indeed HE is coming!!!

Lord, don't let my life become dull...and I don't even recognize it!! Lord, keep my life on the keen edge...useful, serviceable, busy for you...

As I sat by my window looking out, fog has everything shrouded in a deep mist. But I KNOW it could be today...

This could be the dawning of That Day!!!!

Happy Anniversary! Our Sweet Jennifer put this together for us

Family

For those of you not on Facebook, here are a few pictures to update you..

Cameron and JB have both had huge growth spurts this year!

 

This photo of my #3, Lyndy Lou, and #2, Jiff...was taken just a couple of days ago. Jon Abram's family is still living in Washington State. I haven't seen these two sweet girls in two years....way too long.

 Melinda loves hats just like her great-grandmother Sowers.

 A typical Saturday morning at Nanny and Papa's house.

 I love this picture of Jon Abram's family taken last fall.

 Our dear son, Jon Abram

 Just before Christmas last year, Melody flew in to visit us. We were so happy.

Saying a sad good-bye! Since then, Melody has taken a Nanny job with a church family and is now in Canada...

Hope you enjoy these.

Erica's Homecoming

 Just a couple of weeks ago, Erica had her Senior Homecoming. She was so wonderfully surprised when her Father, Mark, flew in and showed up to walk her in own this most important occasion.

 

 

 

 

Erica and her parents, Mark and Amy 

 

Her paternal grandfather and her step-grandmother, Francis. 

 

Erica with her mother and step-dad, Joey. She wished her step-mom, Chris,and her little sisters could have been there.

 

Erica and her mother.

 

 

Erica and JBc

 

Erica and Cam

 

As you can see, Erica has a lot of family and is dearly loved by all.

 

On Our 45th Anniversary.. Feb. 19th, 2016

Jon  sat in his chair this morning and read from the beautiful Psalm 91.. It has always been one of our favorites we have shared. He read it aloud for our devotions the night we were married...almost 45 long years ago... Then we were young and strong. I watched him read now... oxygen hose aiding his breathing, his hair thinning and gray around the edges.... The beautiful words flowing over my soul....filling my heart afresh and anew...
"He that dwelleth in the secret place of... the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." our prayer for our life together...
That is the first verse....
But this morning it was the last verse that just grabbed my heart...
"With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.."
It was as though I took a book and with my thumb, fanned the pages from beginning to end, almost feeling the gentle breeze from the pages...time fleeing before me..
These two verses seemed to be book ends...from we SHALL... to He HAS.. We have dwelled under His shadow...and He has given us long life... But the long life isn't really the most important thought here... it is that HE HAS and even now DOES SATISFY!!!
A couple of days ago I got our our love letters, now yellowed with age.... The pages were filled with our longings to follow Christ... A journey we could never imagined.. one that has been more wonderful than we ever dreamed... A Christ who has shown us His salvation!!
If you haven't tried my Jesus.... I promise you He will never be a disappointed you...all the days of your life.
I so love the words of this song...which expresses my feeling so well:
Well, I tried Him and I found His promises are true
He’s everything He said that He would be
The finest words I know cannot begin to tell
Just how much He really means to me
For He’s more wonderful than my mind can conceive
He’s more wonderful than my heart can believe
He goes beyond my highest hopes and fondest dream
He’s everything that my soul ever longed for
Everything He promised and so much more
More than amazing
More than marvelous
More than miraculous could ever be
He’s more wonderful
That’s what Jesus is to me

"I Shall Return.."

Blessed good Sabbath morning, dear friends and family!

 

How about a history lesson....moving from A.D. 33 to 1944....?

 

In 1942, General Douglas MacArthur was forced to retreat from the Philippines to Australia. As he left the island, he made a promise to the Philippino people, "I shall return!"

 

As the war raged and the Philippine nationals suffered greatly(90,000 civilians died) the people pressed on...fighting bravely and holding on to a hope...a promise by a great man they trusted...General Douglas MacArthur!! They held on, believing he would surely keep his promise to them!

 

On October 20th, 1944...hope became sight. Since no landing craft was available, General Douglas MacArthur waded ashore....and once more stepped on the Philippine island! There he spoke his famous words:

 

"People of the Philippines: I have returned. By the grace of Almighty God our forces stand again on Philippine soil..." A promise kept...after two long years!

 

Jon and I are reading through Acts again... This morning we were listening to it on our dramatized audio Bible. We hadn't gotten through chapter one before my heart was just slammed with His Presence!!  I remembered another promise!  One made by the greatest "man" of all time!  One who ALWAYS keeps His promises!!!!

 

In verse 11 we see the disciples gazing up into the heavens into which Christ had disappeared... they then spoke to the disciples who have must have been still rather awestruck...with the fact that Jesus was gone from them...and with the supernatural way in which He departed!  "Why stand ye gazing up into heaven. This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into Heaven!"

 

In John 14, Jesus had earlier given this same promise to His disciples..

 

 "Let not your heart be troubled:ye believe in God, believe also in Me.

 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you.

 I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I WILL COME AGAIN,      and  receive you unto Myself: that where I am, there ye may be also!"

 

So this morning while listening to Acts...my heart just overflowed... this same Jesus WILL COME AGAIN!!! General Douglas MacArthur was a great man, but ONLY  a man!!

 

This man Jesus, the divine God man, Jesus, has NEVER... and NEVER WILL  fail to keep His promises!!  He said, I shall return....

 

How much greater is our source of hope than the one the dear Philippine nationals had... Yet they fought on...never surrendering. Never 

failing... because they KNEW their "savior" would return.

 

We can trust Jesus!!! Coming again, coming again... Oh, what a wonderful day that will be.. Jesus IS COMING AGAIN!!

 

Fight one faithful friends....look up... it could be today!!!

A Return to the Past.. On to Tomorrow

 I'm back, dear friends!!! I've missed you! Like so many others, when one moves to Facebook, they disappear from their blog... Sad.. For sure. Facebook has its perks, but it has its down side as well...
Having said that, I'll move on.
I think I may feel a little freer to write here because I know only those truly interested will be here. Although I must admit, for some time now, although my devotions still inspire me and I often feel the urge to write my thoughts down, I just don't seem to have the strength to do it anymore. So you may now find mostly pictures on this blog. Be that as it may, it will just as assuredly be from my heart.
My Critters inspire me. I'm having a harder time keeping up with them as well! But they are still a great comfort to me!
That's all for now, folks! Pictures to soon  follow!!