God Bless America

This will be all I say about the 2016 Election:

And I will say it here because I've already blocked/restricted/defriended the disrespectful and blatant babbling off my newsfeed. Both Trump and Clinton friends and even family.

1. The popular vote is just over 1/2 a million difference. Gary Johnson received over 4 million votes... MY VOTE DID MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

2. A 2 party system... 2 choices ... really America? Get your shit together.

3. Here I am above, in front of the white house and the capitol building.  I chose red on purpose. I'm thinking about going green.

Here's the kind of Republican I was/am even tho I didn't vote R for president.

I was/am the kind of republican:

• who doesn't believe in abortion, but I would never in a million years believe that there are "abortion lovers" out there. 
• who would never vote on one issue
• who does not live in fear
• who believes that black lives matter and who has a staunch respect for police officers
• who would invite refugees from any country into my home
• who loves this planet and does my part to take care of it
• who would photograph anyone's wedding
• who thinks it is wonderful that a girl wearing a hijab is now a "cover girl" girl
• who will still and always has used the bathrooms at Target
• who believes our veterans deserve more
• who thinks there is way too much government in our lives
• who has some ideas and thoughts on social security overhauls and a flat tax
• who has always referred to the current president as President Obama
• who is extremely patriotic and stands up (sometimes even in my living room) when the National Anthem or the Hallelujah Chorus is played)
• who cried when George and Barbara Bush walked down the stairs to leave the building
• who has always had a great respect for President Bush W and, still to this day, believes that maybe there WERE WMD's but they somehow got moved before inspections
• who strongly believes in government fiscal and social responsibility
• who will always vote policy over personality
• will call Mr. Trump ... President Trump ... and will NOT listen to anyone's disrespect of the office of president or first lady
• will keep praying for the Obama family and will start praying for the Trump family

What does it mean when it says;

"Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God." Romans 13:1

Pin To Top

I thought I'd get done transfering 2003 thru 2011 from iWeb to blogger while snow birding this winter ... I also thought we'd have time to change all our home movies into digital files. 

And silly me, I even believed I'd get all our slides made into jpegs.

This is what my home page looked like in the winter of 2011.

Some things never change.

The problem is, you think you have all the time in the world.

Facebook reminded me yesterday that I posted what follows these screen shots on May 4, 2011; the day "we got" Osama Bin Laden.  Five years later, I stand by the above writings and what follows ~

May 4, 2011

Good & Evil

Dear Max & Lilly,

This one is going to be extremely hard for me to explain.  

When God created the first male and female ~ Adam and Eve ~ he gave them a beautiful garden to call their home.  Can you imagine that?  Your parents work really really hard to care and provide for you and it doesn’t leave much time for lollygagging around in the cool evening shade.  Yet that is all Adam and Eve had to do.  Well that, and name ALL the animals, procreate (ask your parents what that means) and not play God.

But alas, they couldn’t keep their pride in check and now we have good guys and bad guys.

Us Americans are a prideful people, and pride is a sin.  We are supposed to humble ourselves before God and others, NOT puff ourselves up.  Jesus said this, in the book of Matthew:

"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemies.' But I say to you, love your enemies. Pray for those who hurt you. If you do this, you will be true children of your Father in heaven. He causes the sun to rise on good people and on evil people, and he sends rain to those who do right and to those who do wrong. If you love only the people who love you, you will get no reward. Even the tax collectors do that. And if you are nice only to your friends, you are no better than other people. Even those who don't know God are nice to their friends. So you must be good, just as your Father in heaven is good.”

If we would only study the Bible and realize that pride comes before a fall, I’m not too sure we would be celebrating what’s gone down the last couple of days.

Every since 9.11.01 (and even as far back as the civil war) the United States has always been pretty full of themselves.  Men fighting against other men, pursuing man-made ideologies and ignoring God’s ways, all in the name of USA, USA, USA.

So late Sunday night, I was upstairs in the home where we raised your parents.  Since we live at Great Grandpa & Grandma’s farm most of the time, we’ve cut the cable cord and can only get 3 TV stations.  Max, you and your parents were downstairs ... you had long since been asleep when your mom came upstairs to tell me that the United States had captured and killed Osama Bin Laden (the bad guy - don’t worry, by the time you read this you’ll have studied this in history class).

The blogs, facebook, and nearly everyone who calls USA home, erupted in chants and celebrations.  About half the country wants to make our president the king. The other half wants to claim their president did all the groundwork and therefore he should get some of the accolades. (you’ll get to learn all about the way politics run this country in civics class, too. Lucky you.)

What would Jesus do?

I’ll tell you what he would NOT do.  He would NOT celebrate a human being, whom he created, slipping from this world into the next without accepting his gift of salvation.  He wants ALL to come to the Father.  He created us ALL, even the bad guys.  We make choices.  He did not demand that Adam and Eve love him. He gave Adam and Eve free will so they could WANT to love him.  That’s how much he loves us.  

And so I can’t bring myself to cheer and promote either agenda. I am so so sad for all the people and their families who lost loved ones in the tumbling towers.  The guys that stormed the cockpit on Flight 11 will always be heros in my eyes ... in my heart, I pray they were believers.  

And in a strange awkward kind of way I feel a strong sadness for the 22 men that lost their lives in Sunday nights Middle East gun battle.

Your Aunt Melissa’s boyfriend (Spencer post coming soon) said what I wanted to say on his facebook wall ~ I love justice but I won't celebrate killing people. ever. I love life and life to the full. God bless America.

And I might add to that ... God has already blessed America.  Now it is our turn to bless the world with the message of the Gospel, and that includes the bad guys.

Thanks for stopping by today ... if you need me I'll be here transferring archives, taking a couple more laps around the trailer park, and fixin' to eat Mother's Day brunch somewhere along the Gulf of Mexico.  Northbound within the week.

What Are You Waiting For?

So we wait...

While waiting on baby Lucy to arrive, I'm chasing, building, playing, reading, and entertaining her brother.

Once in a while, when Grandpa takes over, I sneak off to read, veg, copy and paste. I'm combining all the places I've been on the Internet into one final attempt to keep this blog alive. It's a major undertaking, but I'm up for it, because I'm sick to death of facebook. Sick of it I say.

It is actually therapeutic and sickening at the same time to see how many good intentions I have and how many times I fail. So today: 2.20.16, I wait on Lucy and the Lord.

Psalms 27:13-14   I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living!
Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!

Acts 1:4   And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father   {The promise was the Holy Spirit}

Colossians 1:11  God will strengthen you with his own great power so that you will not give up when troubles come, but you will be patient. 

Waiting Room Material ~

Waiting on Wynonna ~

Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory ~ Dr. Suess

Senior Trip Day 3

Miss Shirley

While walking today, I met Shirley.  She peered out from below her straw hat and removed her gardening gloves to say hello.

I don't really remember if I pursued her or she pursued me, but I ended up with a wonderful short story of her life.

She's a born and raised Floridian.  Oh, now I remember, we had just arrived and she asked me about the weather on our way down.  Told her it didn't reach 50 degrees until the Florida/Georgia line.

Her Georgia husband (not quite sure if he was the original) found his "Miss Shirley" while vacationing in the panhandle.  They moved here in 2001. He passed away in 2007. She loves it here, but is kinda lonely. Thinks about returning to the top of Florida, but probably won't.

She weeded her whole garden (maybe a 4' x 4' space) while telling her story, and then asked mine. She couldn't place mom and dad, but welcomed me. She called me Miss Julee.

Later in the day, while we visited with mom and dad, Miss Shirley walked up to us. She had her headscarf tied securly and her handbag hugged tightly.

I introduced her as my new friend and then she rambled on with the biggest smile on her face,

"Miss Julee, thank you for stopping by, where were my manners, I should have invited you in."
"I live in the oldest trailer, but I keep a clean house."
"Nobody much likes me here."
"I'm straight down the road in A-11, it's the oldest, and most rundown trailer in here. (It's a darling 1950ish peach Tropicana, and I love it.)
"Nobody here talks to me much."
"I stay to myself, but it does get pretty lonely."
"Ole Miss Shirley, livin' in the dumpiest trailer, with no friends."
"Nobody much likes me here."

Well, Miss Shirley, you can't say that anymore, because we just met you and we like you already.

And God loves you, my dad reminded her.

I will look to say hello and visit with her from here on out. I could use some of her southern charm and she could use some of my self esteem.

Verse of the day: Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.

Motto of the day: Smile and say hello to everyone you meet.
Photo of the day:  The shelf, circa 1995ish from Muskegon's own Pier One, was the Mr's "Honey do" project today and a shot of kitchen.  My live-in dishwasher wouldn't like that I posted a pic with dishes in the sink, but I refuse to cook* and clean-up.

Turkey Chili from THM
Homemade Wheat Thins from THM with Asiago Cheese 
1 lb ground turkey (from cage free turkeys)
1 can organic Chili beans or black beans 
1 can organic diced tomatoes
1 can organic tomato sauce
12 oz organic chicken broth
Salt, pepper, garlic and onion salt to taste (I browned my ground turkey with garlic and onion)
2t Cumin
2t Chili powder Brown turkey and simmer all ingredients for 1/2 hr.  Smells like you cooked all day.
Wheat Thins from THM
3/4 C golden flax
3/4 C almond flour
2 egg whites
2 T nutritional yeast
1 T parmesan cheese (I used 2 heaping T)
1 T olive oil
1/2 t baking soda
Mix all together and roll out as thin as you can get it with parchment paper. Bake at 350 for 15-20 min.

Steamed Buttered Broccoli
Applesauce

Senior Trip Day 1

Day 1 is in the books.
Observations ~

The Mr. and I have never driven to Florida without another generation in the car! It happened to be a wonderful two days for us.

The temperature rose 90 degrees in our travels, with the last 70 degrees being in the Sunshine State.

If you do the math it was still below freezing when we woke at the 1/2 way point, Calhoun, GA.

Needless to say, we tried not to complain, knowing our destination, but dang! We used "The Bridge" from Sirus radio to entertain ourselves.  No repeats all day and we knew most of the words to every song.

The second day we listened to "Out Of The Depths" by Edgar Herrall, book on cd. He survived the sinking of the USS Indianapolis. It's filled with the mighty hand of God, turning everything to good, even the evil that is governments gone horribly awry. What could be more of a testament to our creator at work in our lives than; after 3 and 1/2 days floating with just a life vest in the middle of the ocean, a crate of 1/2 rotten potatoes floats within arm's length. A must read.

Day one, we spent unloading, Muskegon house dishes and decor, tax prep and bookwork, suitcases, hobby paints and sewing machine, (pins coming soon). Late in the afternoon, after my nap, I poured over some new recipes and headed out to Trader Joe's and Whole Foods in Sarasota!

It's somewhat sinful the amount of food we have at our fingertips in the first world.  If the Third World is a cup of Ugali once a day what and where is the second world?  Perhaps a crate of half rotten potatoes.

Verse of the day: "My God shall supply all your needs, according to his riches in glory." Philippians 4:19

Challenge of the day: No more complaining. Seriously, listen to everything you say ... positive or negative?

Photo of the day:

Whole Foods ~ Sarasota FL

Clap Along

In no particular order, some with the good camera, some with the "little" camera, and even an iPhone pic or two.  This is my life, as of late.

What does it mean when it says ...
"This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it?" or "Rejoice! And again, I say, rejoice!"

Clap along and get happy, my new motto!

Entertaining Frey girls.
De-wilkeing 37 years.
Florida Trip #3 ...
Go to girl.
Cousins.
Engaged.
Neice and soon to be nephew.
Hobnobbing.
Sister, daughter, friend.

Forget your troubles and just get happy

You better chase all your cares away

Sing Hallelujah, come on, get happy

Get ready for the Judgment Day

The sun is shining, come on, get happy

The Lord is waiting to take your hand

Shout Hallelujah, come on, get happy

We're going to the promised land

We're heading 'cross the river

Wash your sins 'way in the tide

And it's all so nice and peaceful

When you get on the other side

Forget your troubles and just get happy

You better chase all your cares away

Shout Hallelujah, come on, get happy

Get ready for the Judgment Day

Yesterday, Today, Forever

This morning I'd like you to turn in your Bibles to Genesis and you will find a cacophony of errant wayward, and disobedient people. Yet, overpowering all the messes is a creative symphony of grace. 

Grace, grace, God's grace. Grace that is greater than all our sin.

I feel like I could preach today, and I may later on, but for now, along with 'Snowbird', this is the song that carries me through this Lord's day, January 19, 2014, and gives me hope for tomorrow.

Let's all stand together and sing all the verses, 

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;

There is no shadow of turning with Thee;

Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;

As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

Great is Thy faithfulness!

Great is Thy faithfulness!

Morning by morning new mercies I see.

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,

Sun, moon and stars in their courses above

Join with all nature in manifold witness

To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth

Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,

Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Sharing today, even though it's Sunday with: